Over the last several years, Panasonic has made substantial inroads into the head unit category with a series of slickly styled and full-featured units in every price category. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the Panasonic CQ-HX1083U (MSRP $350), a Sirius-ready unit that features a seven-color faceplate that completely blacks out when not in use. Called Ghost, it conceals from prying eyes a unit that features MP3/WMA playback capability.
While it's at the absolute top limit of our budget category, Alpine's CDA-9813 (MSRP $400) is one feature-packed unit. It is an XM-ready system that features V-Drive, a hybrid MOSFET amplifier section that pumps out a claimed 27 watts per channel. With Alpine's Bass Engine Pro, the unit features six-channel digital time correction, a six-position digital crossover, and a five-band parametric EQ, adding up to an unprecedented level of system sound control from a traditional in-dash unit, levels of control traditionally associated with sophisticated external processors.
We have two self-contained satellite radio solutions for 2004. If your preference is for the lower monthly cost of an XM subscription, take a look at the Delphi Roady (MSRP $120). While it lacks some of the home and portable versatility of the popular SKYFi unit (MSRP $130), it makes up for that by including a car cassette adapter and a tiny antenna as part of its very attractive package. Its small, flat control panel offers maximum installation flexibility, and its display features seven colors to choose from.
On the Sirius front, Kenwood's Here2Anywhere KTC-H2A1 (MSRP $100) offers the basic module that can be combined with the in-car KPA-H2C car-docking kit (MSRP $70) or the KPA-H2H home-docking kit (MSRP $70). Its four-line, 26-character LCD display makes it easy to find your favorite Sirius programming from the 100 streams (channels) offered. Its small size makes it easy to locate a suitable mounting point in your Dakota's interior.
Video Source Units and MonitorsWhile there's no such thing as a truly affordable single-DIN in-dash AM/FM/DVD player with a retractable LCD monitor, prices are coming down, albeit slowly. At the time of writing, the distinction of being the lowest-priced unit from a major manufacturer falls to the feature-packed Pioneer AVH-P6500DVD (MSRP $1,600). This XM-ready unit puts control of the entire system at your fingertips, and its 6.5-inch widescreen display ranks as one of the best around. Its Sound Focus EQ lets you center and raise the sound field of your system to just the right spot, especially important if you're using integrated two-way speakers mounted in the Dakota's factory door locations.
If you're happy with the audio system in your Dakota and want to add DVD capability, the Blaupunkt powerful and versatile DVD-ME2 stand-alone DVD player (MSRP $300) is a great way to get there without breaking the bank. While not a traditional DIN-sized component - at just 6-7/8 inches wide, 2-3/8 inches tall, and 7-7/8 inches deep - and given that it can be mounted either horizontally or vertically, making center console installations a possibility as well as under a dashboard or behind the seat, the DVD-ME2 offers maximum installation versatility. The player's side panel features a second set of RCA inputs for a dedicated AUX source, such as a back-up camera or other device. A single 14-pin harness on the side panel provides simplified connection of power, ground, AUX input, IR input, A/V output, and digital audio output. And it is compatible with DVD, CD, CD-R/RW, and MP3 discs. If you want to add a built-in TV tuner, consider the DVD-ME3 for just $50 more.