Best Car Stereos & Head Units – Our Top Picks for 2023
When was the last time you used a CD player in your car? If you’re a music downloader, chances are you’ll never use it again so isn’t it time to upgrade? Maybe you just want Bluetooth, but why not go all-in by installing a big, oversized screen? Or maybe one that features wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and iDataLink so that you don’t have to loose any of your factory functionality when you upgrade. There are numerous reasons for upgrading. And of course there’s the obvious: you’ve picked a pair of speakers from one of our lists of best car speakers and want a higher quality car stereo to serve them!
A large screen is a great way to enjoy video along with music, and you needn’t buy a new car to get one. Our guide to the best DVD and video car stereo head units takes you through the features available and what to look for. How about one of those cool, flip-out screens to really impress your passengers?
In this section, our editors compile their expert, best pick in-dash car stereos and head units of all kinds and walk you through the variety of options and features available on the market to day. If you just want to connect your phone over Bluetooth we’ll explain which systems provide that capability. If you’re looking to sync with a tablet or games console, our guides will help you with that too. And if it’s FLAC-quality music you want to enjoy, we’ve got you covered here as well.
And don’t forget that there is a lot to consider when replacing the factory head unit. Our interactive dashboard size chart should be able to help you with the first question you ask yourself – what size receiver will fit my dash? Do you need the upgrade to work with steering wheel controls? Do you want to use your favorite apps, like Pandora, and how about Apple CarPlay or Android Auto? Our guides go through these points and more. Be sure to also check out the benefits to upgrading your car stereo if you’re on the fence about whether or not you want to upgrade your head unit in the first place.