Car Stereo Upgrades Now Include GPS, Satellite Radio

Not only are new-car audio units much better, they are also more complicated to replace with aftermarket parts.

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ot too long ago, it was pretty common for car owners to head to Best Buy or someplace similar to upgrade their car stereo. Now, though, new cars are increasingly available with uplevel audio systems, and many even come with satellite radio.

This is changing the game a bit for aftermarket stereo installers, as they now must adjust to a different environment. Not only are new-car audio units much better, they are also more complicated to replace with aftermarket parts.

Aftermarket car-audio systems are changing.

Still, there are plenty of older cars out there that didn't offer satellite radio, an iPod hookup, Bluetooth, or a navigation system from the factory. A quick cruise of Google shows that stores like Best Buy have taken notice, offering services such as GPS installation and satellite radio installation. A source at one shop we spoke to also mentioned Pandora and HD radio as being popular among consumers.

We admit to being a little surprised, as we expected that these services might have been slowly going away with all the goodies now offered on new cars (our source confirmed that). And maybe they still will someday as the new-car fleet turns over. On the other hand, audiophiles will always want to be able to go above and beyond the factory, and if they can customize their rides, all the better.

We don't see aftermarket audio installations going away any time soon, but we do see the product lineup changing. It already has.