What's The Difference Between the Innova 5610 And 5160RS?

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That’s the golden question everyone asks. What exactly is the difference between the Innova 5610 and the Innova 5160RS? The answer is (da-bump)…it’s the same product! Surprising? No? Well, we’re here to explain why.

Why Are There So Many Product Names?

Let’s first explore why Innova has so many product names for its OBD2 scanners. As of 2024, our flagship handheld OBD2 scanners consists of 7 primary scan tools:

• The Innova 5110
• The Innova 5210
• The Innova 5310
• The Innova 5410
• The Innova 5510
• The Innova 5512
• The Innova 5610

We call this the 5000 series, and it’s our best-selling series to date. However, due to various retailer demands, we had to split the 5000 series into different products and rename them.

For example, we have the RS series. This series is essentially a spin-off of the 5000 series, but the features are spread out more widely. As a result, we have more OBD2 scanners here. As of 2024, there are 12 RS series tools:

• The Innova 3020RS
• The Innova 3030RS
• The Innova 3040RS
• The Innova 3100RS
• The Innova 3120RS
• The Innova 3130RS
• The Innova 3150RS
• The Innova 3160RS
• The Innova 3170RS
• The Innova 3215RS
• The Innova 5100RS
• The Innova 5160RS

As another example, we have the P series. This series is essentially also the same as the 5000 series, albeit with less features.

• The Innova 6030P
• The Innova 6100P
• The Innova 6200P
• The Innova 7100P

Why Are The Products Named Differently?

As mentioned above, we had to split the products due to retailer demand. In the case of the RS series, certain retailer stores wanted an exclusive series dedicated to their store. As a result, we spread out the features of the 5000 series, created 14 different product molds for it, and renamed the products as the RS Series.

As for the P series, it’s a special edition manufactured for a third-party vendor. Because they wanted a specific feature set different from the 5000 series, we had to rename them.

What About The Scanners That Have A Lowercase Next To It?

If you’ve bought an Innova scanner 10 years ago, chances are you own a tool that has a name like 3040e or 3100j.

These scanners are old generation scanners we used to sell. We no longer actively sell these in stores. And while we still offer customer support, you’d have to upgrade your tool to use it on modern vehicles. It’s just like how Apple no longer offers software upgrades for their iPhone 4s. Still usable, but outdated.

Good news is that you can trade in your old tool and get 30% off the latest scanners. Interested? Click here to learn more.

So Which Product Is Better?

To be transparent, no product is inherently better than the other. After all, they’re all made by the same brand - Innova. They have the same internal hardware, software, and updates.

If you’re contemplating between the Innova 5610 and the Innova 5160RS, choose whichever you believe is best! Yes, the Innova 5610 is our flagship product so we tend to advertise it more, but the Innova 5160RS is just as good as the Innova 5610. Again, the feature sets are exactly the same, and so is the warranty duration (1-year).

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