HD radio ready In-dash car stereos

The Bottom Line: For people who listen primarily to MP3/WMA/AAC audio, the Alpine iDA-X305 offers one of the easiest-to-use interfaces for in-car browsing of digital media.

Specs: Radio / digital player, Radio tuner, Audio line-out, USB, System components control bus

The Bottom Line: The Sony Xplod CDX-GT920U offers many options for connecting to your digital music library and supports the most commonly used formats, unless your music library is on your iPod.

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player / USB flash player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, Audio line-in, USB, Rear channel output, Front channel output, Subwoofer output, System components control bus

The Bottom Line: The MEX-BT5100 is a good all-in-one option for those thinking of investing in a in a decent stereo and a hands-free speakerphone.

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, Audio line-out, Subwoofer output, System components control bus, Remote control

The Bottom Line: The Sony CDX-GT520 is a decent option for those wanting a reasonably priced stereo to play disc-based audio. While it does support HD Radio, it requires the connection of a clunky add-on module, which is almost more trouble than it's worth.

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, Audio line-in, Audio line-out, Subwoofer output, System components control bus

The Bottom Line: The Eclipse CD3100 is a car stereo for drivers interested in fine-tuning their in-cabin acoustics. Its digital-audio playback and navigation features are intuitive and user-friendly. Its turn-by-turn navigation feature is not.

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, Audio line-out, Subwoofer output, System components control bus

The Bottom Line: The Kenwood DPX302 has basic digital audio support and some advanced audio-customization features, but its user interface is less than adequate, even for an entry-level car stereo.

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, Audio line-in, Audio line-out, System components control bus

The Bottom Line: The Alpine CDA-9857 is a solid but unspectacular single-DIN car stereo. It really gets interesting when expanded through its convenient AI-Net port and dedicated iPod connection.

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player

The Bottom Line: The Kenwood KDC X890 is a capable head unit that supports a broad range of audio formats. Voice indexing helps counteract awkward manual file selection, although the system's claims that it measures car performance are dubious.

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, USB, Audio line-in, Subwoofer output, Rear channel output, Front channel output

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player / USB flash player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, Audio line-out, Subwoofer output

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player / digital player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, Audio line-out, System components control bus, Audio line-in, USB