If you own a car, it’s wise to invest in one of the best dash cams, which could pay for itself several times over in a single unfortunate moment. Want to know more? We’ve got all your dash cam FAQs covered.
But what if you don’t really need a dedicated dash cam to record your journeys at all? What if your action camera could double up and do the job instead? Using a GoPro to record your journeys is one option, but in 2025, there’s another action cam that feels like an even better dash cam alternative – the Insta360 X5.
The X5 is the best 360 camera today and it has a dedicated Road Mode – essentially delivering a dash cam function. So what’s it actually like to use, and could the X5 truly replace a dash cam?
To get you the answers, I swapped my dash cam for the X5 for a month. Here’s what I found out.
Installing the Insta360 X5 as a dash cam
Insta360 has a variety of accessories and mounts for its action cams, including car mounts, but there’s also a wide range of third-party options, too. Two examples are the Flexi Clip, which easily attaches to the sun shield, and the Ulanzi Car V-Bayonet (UURig R073) for your dashboard. There’s also a suction cup car mount, but I found that one better for external mounting when capturing creative shots for video projects.
I’ve used all three of those mounts and thankfully it’s quick and easy to remove the X5 for other uses – it is primarily a 360 camera, after all.
The stick-like design of the X5, together with its ultra-wide field of view, makes positioning for a clear view outside the windscreen tricky. Possible? Sure, just a little fiddly. The squat design of the GoPro Max 2 could be an easier option, especially for small vehicles. The Flexi Clip positions the X5 at a similar perspective to that of a person in a front seat, while the dashboard mount arguably gives the clearest view out the windscreen.
Installing any dash cam into a vehicle takes a little effort because it needs continuous power for uninterrupted recording. Some dash cams have built-in batteries, meaning they can run for a certain time without being plugged in; however, the majority need wired power.
The simplest solution is connecting to your 12V charger, ideally hiding the cable away and out of sight within the vehicle’s trim. The Insta360 X5 offers the best of both worlds; you can plug it in for continual power through its USB-C port, or charge its removable battery for an average run of 1.5 hours in its power-efficient Road Mode.
Spare X5 batteries are pretty cheap – I had two, which covered me for three hours of drive time without the camera needing to be plugged in.
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Road Mode is actually pretty good
As I mentioned, without constant power, the X5’s run time in its Road Mode is approximately 1.5 hours. A depleted battery can easily be swapped to extend recording time, should you have spares, or you can opt for wired power.
Before getting started, you can set the parameters for loop recording, including partitioning the memory card between the road mode and regular use. I had a 128GB memory card inserted and set aside 64GB for the road mode. Shooting 5.7K video gave over 1.5 hours of footage before that partitioned part of the card filled up, while 8K was a little over an hour. The X5 accepts up to 1TB memory cards, though, which would increase those record times eightfold.
Once the card is full, loop recording kicks in, overwriting the oldest footage. This is pretty sophisticated for a regular 360 camera, but dedicated dash cams could hold the advantage over the X5 here for the following reasons…
What’s missing
Advanced dash cams typically feature a G-sensor which, in short, automatically protects video recordings when an incident is detected. There’s no such luxury with the X5.
Certain dash cams, such as the Nextbase iQ, can also provide an easy way to auto share files of key incidents with key primary contacts, while many leading models can auto upload to the cloud to keep those files safe.
Automated backups are super handy because you won’t necessarily be thinking clearly during an incident, say for manually making sure your evidence is protected. It would be a disaster to lose files should, say, the camera continue loop recording.
Most of the best dash cams also feature built-in GPS, which provides data such as your vehicle’s speed and location in real time. This sort of information can be vital evidence in claims, including against speeding fines. The X5 does not have built-in GPS, but you could pair it with a GPS-enabled device and overlay such information into videos; that’s certainly a fiddly process compared to a GPS-enabled dash cam, though.
The X5’s video and audio quality is better
The Insta360 X5 can shoot 8K video with complete 360-degree coverage, meaning you can simultaneously record the view from your windscreen and inside the cabin. It has a 4K 60fps single lens mode, too, but in this setting you lose the Road Mode option, leaving loop recording as the next best option.
I’m only aware of one dash cam that captures 360-degree footage – the Vantrue E360 (which also wants to be an action cam) – while the rotating 70mai Omni 4K can cover 360 degrees, but not at the same time. There are also a few dash cams with front and cabin cameras built into the main camera unit, which record as separate channels.
In general, dedicated dash cams prioritize function over video quality, although recent models have raised the bar, such as the Viofo A329 with its 4K 60fps recording. The X5 is another level, though – with HDR video, dash cam-beating frame rates and crisp lenses, its video quality is clearer.
Most of today’s dash cams include a night mode for enhanced quality low-light recordings. The X5 is also in on this game – there’s an enhanced low-light option in Road Mode. Put simply, if you want the best video quality on the road, the X5 beats any dash cam that I’ve used.
Many dash cam bundles include a front and rear camera so you get views from both ends of the vehicle. Obviously, a single X5 positioned at the front is only providing a 360-degree view from the front. However, for soft top sports cars, this view is all you need, and these vehicles can’t accept a rear camera anyway.
Audio recording is another factor to consider. Thankfully, the X5 has decent internal mics, which should provide additional clear audio evidence. The X5 can also be paired with a wireless mic – if you opt for Insta360’s own Mic Air you won’t even need to plug a receiver into the camera because there’s a direct connection.
Naturally, I couldn’t resist trying out my car karaoke game during this experiment, complete with 360-degree coverage inside and outside the vehicle – the Mic Air provided crisp audio of my dulcet tones!
Value
OK, so the X5 is a pricier option versus most of today’s dash cams. If you account for the camera itself, spare battery and car mount accessory, you’re looking at around $600 / £550 / AU$1,000. A fair dash cam comparison, given the X5’s quality, would be a premium dash cam like the Viofo A329, which costs $400 / £350 / AU$750 – that’s about 35% cheaper.
The good thing about picking up the X5 instead, however, is that its primary purpose is as an action cam, so you’re getting two products in one. In fact, the X5 serves multiple purposes: 360 camera, action camera, vlogging camera and dash cam.
Insta360 X5 as a dash cam – final thoughts
As a simple alternative to a dash cam, I’ve been surprised by how effective the X5 is with its clever Road Mode. The camera can keep running for 1.5 hours from its own battery, or infinitely with a wired power supply (nb. there are clever solutions such as the Dongar, which transforms an auto-dimming rearview mirror into a power source for your dash cam).
I like how you can manually partition the X5’s memory card between use as a dash cam and a regular 360 camera, complete with loop recording when the card fills up. Video and audio quality are better than in any dash cam I’ve tested, too, with complete 360-degree coverage and audio skills that include pairing to a wireless mic, ideal for vlogging.
Is the Insta360 X5 the perfect dash cam alternative? No. You don’t get certain advanced features such as built-in GPS, G-Sensor or parking mode. Nor do you get the automatic backups when a road incident occurs, like many advanced dash cams do. Those automatic backups can make all the difference – you’re typically not thinking straight following a crash, so checking your recordings are safe probably won’t be your first thought.
Will the X5 replace my dash cam? No. But if I didn’t own an onboard camera already, I’d be thinking twice about getting one knowing how effective the X5 is at the job. It’s a way more creative camera, too.
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