I have (slightly) gotten around the problem by using a Jambox bluetooth / USB / speaker cord speaker, which has a microphone built into it. It's ALMOST small enough to fit where I need it without obstructing vision, but it's not quite loud enough, thanks to the increasingly loud road noise from my aging Forester (new ones are MUCH quieter). If I ever get my Elio, I really will want the bluetooth and maybe USB connectivity. Getting directions and listening to phone calls through my phone's speaker truly sucks.
In a quieter car, the Jambox would be fine. But it's never going to rock you world, if that's what you want. There are others out there, but they cost a bit more and tend to be bulkier.
I'd love to replace the whole stereo, but the installation process is something I've never been any good at, and that jacks the price substantially. Plus the car is a 2009, and I'm not sure it's worth spending the money on it -- I definitely would not do it if I could believe my Elio will be here in about 9 months. But I don't. sorry. Maybe eventually, but definitely not by the end of the second quarter of 2017, and probably not by year end 2017. If ever.