Should Critic Buy A New Car Stereo?

[The Critic]

Here's the dilemma.

Right now, I can get 30%+ off a Pioneer head unit from Amazon. I am looking at this unit:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039825RG/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

With the necessary trim pieces and adapters, it'll cost me $169 all together.

The reason I am considering this is because the Saturn does not have an iPod hook-up, and FM transmitter units suck. Plus, 30% off is just a darn good deal.

However, the dilemma is that I don't think I'll be keeping the Saturn for more than a year or two, and $169 seems like a lot of money for just a year or two of use. And I have no plans of installing this headunit into whichever new car I decide to purchase. Of course, I could install this unit into the Altima to replace the awful factory stereo-- but I am not sure if my dad likes the idea of an aftermarket head unit in his new car.

So what do you guys think? Think I should spend the $169? Or is it a waste of money?

thanks.

 

[JustinH]

Seems like too much money. There is a company called Sonix Electronics, they have a real big presence on ebay.

I have bought from them a bunch of times, and they usually have some of the best deals on car stereo stuff that I have seen.

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/

Their website is sometimes cheaper than their ebay site, also they include all harnesses/dash kits/adapters for free with your order.

When you do the head unit, you will want to replace the speakers at the very least, unless all you listen to is podcasts.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: JustinH
Seems like too much money. There is a company called Sonix Electronics, they have a real big presence on ebay.

I have bought from them a bunch of times, and they usually have some of the best deals on car stereo stuff that I have seen.

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/

Their website is sometimes cheaper than their ebay site, also they include all harnesses/dash kits/adapters for free with your order.

When you do the head unit, you will want to replace the speakers at the very least, unless all you listen to is podcasts.

Great site, thanks. Same concept as crutchfield but much lower prices. Their complete kit is $189 though, so amazon still beats them this time. Just can't decide if $169 is worth it, especially since you mention that new speakers are needed as well for this to be a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[01rangerxl]

Headunits are easy to install and remove. You may as well get it. You can always put it on Craigslist when you sell the car.

I noticed a huge improvement in sound quality even without upgrading my speakers. I did eventually replace the front speakers with Alpines, which I ended up blowing. I now have Pioneers in the front and the factory speakers in the back, and it sounds awesome for a system without a sub. The factory speakers in my truck actually have deeper bass than the Pioneers or Alpines, so I'm going to keep the rear ones.

 

[JHZR2]

headunits usually look ugly and out of place. Will you have top-notch speakers? Is your cabin quiet on the highway? If not, the FM adapter that wires in is the best bet, IMO.

It is one thing if you have a top notch setup of everything else. But to play the lossy, not-optimal sound quality of an ipod, you are already dealing with "good enough", and garbage in = garbage out.

 

[levi]

About 50 cents a day if you keep the car a year. Quarter a day for 2 years.

Your budget, your call.

Is it worth that to you for better audio?

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

NO for the stereo for the SL2.

 

[Scienceman]

Not worth it IMO.

 

[mechtech2]

Replace it with the stock unit when you decide to get rid of the car.
Or, keep it in there and use it as a selling point.

About $0.23 a day for two years. Much less if you keep it or sell it separately later.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: levi
About 50 cents a day if you keep the car a year. Quarter a day for 2 years.

Your budget, your call.

Is it worth that to you for better audio?



You beat me to the math, But I agree. I think that less than .50 a day (based on 1 year) is WELL WORTH the enjoyment. Plus when you do sell the car, you can take it with you or sell it for atleast $40 to somebody.

Get it. Don't think about the car its going on as a deciding factor...use YOUR enjoyment as the deciding factor!

 

[daves87rs]

Not worth it...

 

[mechanicx]

I'll never again install an aftermarket radio in my cars. I don't like how they are universal fit, but that's not the issue since I can install them pretty easy. Every time I've had an aftermarket radio in a car it would get broken into. I got tired of broken windows, door locks and other damage from break ins. I've stayed with the factory radios and my cars have never been broken into and tampered with since.

I've noticed that if I changed the speakers the sound quality is usually adequate with the factory radio anyway. Also sometimes you can get the upgraded factory radio for the car model, either a refurbished one or one from the junkyard.

 

[JustinH]

I forgot about that aspect.

The same happened to me. I had a real nice f150 as a kid, and I worked real hard for. A couple kids from the ghetto threw a brick through both windows and ripped up the entire dash ripping a 120 dollar kenwood cd player out of the dash, then they ripped up the rest of the car stealing speakers and the amp out of the truck.

Terrible.

 

[UNC197]

It's your money. Who are we to decide what you do with it.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: JustinH
I forgot about that aspect.

The same happened to me. I had a real nice f150 as a kid, and I worked real hard for. A couple kids from the ghetto threw a brick through both windows and ripped up the entire dash ripping a 120 dollar kenwood cd player out of the dash, then they ripped up the rest of the car stealing speakers and the amp out of the truck.

Terrible.


Yeah, good point. For that reason I've decided to stay with the factory head unit for now. At least this head unit is better than the one in the Altima.

 

[IndyIan]

Well its your money. My Neon's factory stereo only had a tape deck and then the channels started dying one by one until there was only one speaker left. So since I spend abit over an hour a day in the car I found it was worth it to get a decent stereo.
I think I lucked out getting JVC one that has capacitors of some capacity(it will run for 2-3 seconds after I shut off the car) so it has decent bass right off the head unit. I got two pioneer 6x9's for the rear as well and it thumps pretty good with decent low end range.
That was a year and half ago and I don't regret spending the money at all. YMMV

 

[SLCraig]

It comes down to how much you drive.
Both my cars have stereos in them because if I drive them to work, thats 2 hours per day.
The factory stereo sucked so much in the Nissan I had to splurge and gut the whole system.

I'd do it.. You'll enjoy the ride more.

 

[KrisZ]

If your Saturn has a cassette player, you can buy one of these cassette type adapters that you can plug in to the 3.5mm head phone jack of any portable player. Radio Shack used to cary it, they probably still do. I did this with my Corsica I had in college, cheap and actually better sound quality than some FM adapters, provided your head unit and speakers aren't shot.