The 9 Best Car Radios

The Pioneer MVH-S300BT's most attractive feature is its compatibility with the company's Advanced Remote Control app, which allows you to manipulate certain parameters directly from the receiver, rather than your phone, including fast-forward, rewind, and album search.

The onboard EQ of the Sony MEX-N4200 BT comes with genre-specific presets, like "Electronica" and "R&B," that emphasize particular frequency ranges to accentuate each style's sonic identity. Also, its karaoke mode dampens a song's vocal track so you can steal center stage.

The Pioneer DEH-S6010BS includes a USB auto switch function that gives you the option to choose whether it should recognize your phone as an input source or if it should just charge the device. This seemingly insignificant feature has actually proven to be a crowd pleaser.

The Pioneer AVH-200EX has a feature called time alignment that delays the sound output of certain speakers in the car's system based on their distance from the driver's ears. The result, though subtle, is a more synchronized, enveloping listening experience.

The Kenwood DPX793BH is a great option if, rather than requiring a touchscreen, your main concern is sound quality. It has a thirteen-band equalizer, so you can home in on specific frequency ranges you want to adjust, and the built-in HD radio has crystal-clear reception.

The Advanced Sound Retriever on the Pioneer MVH-1400NEX automatically enhances the fidelity of file formats like MP3 by recreating data lost in the compression process. The increased dynamic range results in tracks that are both more realistic and vibrant.

The Kenwood DDX795's abilities exceed what most stock speakers can handle, so it has 6 preamp outputs (front, rear, and subwoofer) that allow you to expand your audio system, if you'd like. Even without utilizing its full potential, though, you'll find it a powerful unit.

The built-in Bluetooth functionality on the Pioneer AVH-2440NEX allows two phones to connect to it simultaneously. This, as well as the fact that it works with almost every audio file format in existence, makes it a great choice for a road-tripper's vehicle.

With the Alpine iLX-F309 Halo9 you're not only paying for superior mechanical specs, but also for its streamlined simplicity. It boasts a lightning-quick user interface, a beautiful LCD touchscreen, and seamless smartphone integration.