These days, most new cars leave the factory with a pretty decent sound system. While they may not always satisfy the audiophile, they do just fine for the majority and they are pretty reliable to boot. Working in the industry, I’ve come across plenty of aftermarket stereo installs that made a total mess of the functionality of the vehicle. From butchered fitments, to botched wiring it is often a nightmare for the tech who is asked to fix some installer or owner’s mistakes.

For all of these reasons, I usually stay away from replacement radios but the used Xterra we picked up a couple of months ago had been fitted with a Pyle radio that really was a pile. FM was the only function that worked, though even that was a bit of a crap shoot as the display did not work. I’m not an audiophile, so I went on a hunt for an inexpensive basic radio that included a CD player. A search through a few major chain sale flyers turned up the Sony cdx-GT110 for a great deal. As an added bonus, it also has a front jack for and mp3 player.
Continue reading →