Does a great audio system influence your choice when buying an automobile?

These days, an increasing number of new automobiles are emphasing a custom audio system as a selling feature

Does a great audio system influence your choice when buying an automobile?
Yes, makes a big difference in what I buy
11% (24 votes)
Yes, makes a moderate difference
16% (34 votes)
Yes, makes a small difference
21% (47 votes)
Don't really care
16% (36 votes)
Makes no difference whatsoever
36% (78 votes)
Total votes: 219

COMMENTS
Kurt Christie - Guelph, ON's picture

We are all constantly inundated with noise of every kind from eary morning to late evening. I use time in my car as a period of quiet and solitude. No music, no radio banter, no nothin'.

Norm Strong's picture

I don't listen to music when I'm driving. It has a negative effect on my concentration. At least it does if I enjoy the music.

Stephen's picture

All factory stereoes are crap!

Anonymous's picture

A good car with a poor stereo can be fixed much more cheaply than a bad car with a good stereo.

Dave Bennett's picture

I buy a car because of the performance of the car. The sound system has no influence for two reasons. 1) I can always put in a better sound system. 2) Any great car is going to take my interest away from the sound and the car is probably going to be making too much noise to hear the sound system anyway. I certainly wouldn't buy an Accord for any reason!

Blue Mikey's picture

A great sound system in a car would be enough to sway a buying decision for me. Unfortunately, I have some automotive performance "issues" that usually come first, so the sound (and the color, and the price, etc) have to take a back seat. (Assuming the car has a back seat.)

Richard's picture

It makes no difference for me,because I have a custom system installed after purchase.

KRB's picture

Personally, I opt out of the factory streo whenever possible. You can do far better for the same money with an aftermarket system and you get to choose the components.

Stephen Curling's picture

As long as I can play my CDs, I'm good. Most stock stereos cannot compete with an aftermarket upgrade of head unit and speakers. The option for playng MP3 discs and the addition of small subwoofers in stock stereos is a welcome sight.

Bostjan's picture

Does the quality of sound system in a new apartment make any influence on Your choice? Certainily not... When I'm buying a car I'm buying a car.

Al Marcy's picture

My new dark green with tan interior Chevy Cavalier coupe has a 5 speed transmission and six speakers. Consumer reports rated the CCc dead last among small cars. Consumer reports also rates audio equipment. Big deal ;)

John Connolly's picture

The car is a crap environment for critical listening so it doesn't make a lot of difference, if any. The main requirement in a car stereo is to be able to crank up At Fillmore East on that first sunny spring day.

Randy's picture

I've been thinking of getting a new car, and a used Lexus with the Mark Levinson sound system (I wonder if it also comes with his recently remaindered book ``The Art of the Female Orgasm'') is on top of the list.

Pete Montgomery's picture

The quality of the sound system in a car is among the least of my priorities. It's nice to have a good one but as long as what I have at home satisfies me, I'm happy.

GPM's picture

I put my AV money into my home system. I do however play FOH engineer and try to dial in the vehicle's system with what is supplied. My first 15 mins in a rental car is spent checking out the fixed EQ, manual EQ, balance and fade. Since fade changes the gain sent to front and rear speakers it not only positions the sound but acts as EQ since rear speakers often have have better base as a result of their enclosure, i.e., the trunk.

James M.  Herr's picture

So far it has made no difference. I have always preferred to choose and install my own system. I am happier that way

Tony P., Washington, DC's picture

Goodness no! I have no such luxury. With all the money I spend on records, I'll be driving beaters for the rest of my life.

TOD's picture

The car of chioce for me (VW Golf) never comes with an outstanding rig therefore I always put a rig/gears/ice of my own liking in my vehicles!

Mike Agee's picture

I currently drive a pristine but funky '94 Subaru Loyale so that I can afford my high end system. The more I contemplate the trade-offs required to own a prestigious car, the more I think we are willing suckers for Madison Avenue. A good affordable car gets me to the same place as an expensive one, a good affordable audio system, unfortunately, can fall short of a more expensive one; I know where my dollars should go. But then, I also have a ten minute commute

Joe Hartmann's picture

Road noise and the attention driving should recieve, make an audio system more like musak to me. Sure I want music I like but beyond that it is not important

Brian kheel's picture

The car comes first. One can always upgrade. But, all other things being equal, I'd spend more for a car with a better audio system. However, having committed to SACD, a DVD-A system would, for me, be a negative feature.

Bob Mito's picture

It can never be as good as a good home audio system so why spend the extra cash for "upgrades"?

ROBERT HORN's picture

car sound is minor spend very little time in car (HOME IS VERY IMPORTANT ,THE BEST CAR AUDIO DOESNT COME CLOSE TO THAT SOUND OF HOME EQUIP.)

Anonymous's picture

I would usually prefer to add my own

Travis Klersy's picture

Every car I have ever purchased has had a tape deck, even the '02 Jetta I just bought! The stereo is the last thing I look at when I buy a car. Considering how much they want for the crappy sounding "premium" sound packages, I wish they would leave the hardware out all together.

rbm's picture

No difference. If I want a $40K Mark Levinson audio system, I'm not going to buy one with a fasten seat belt chime.

Kevin M.'s picture

I just bought a new car about a year ago. One of the influencing factors in my decision was that the VW Passat's audio system has a cassette deck (still my medium of choice for listening to vinyl on the road or in the forest).

d Bruce's picture

Sorry Nissan, GM, and Acura but when you all decide like the rest of us music lovers that BOSE does not cut it, then we audiophiles will consider your cars. JBL and Mark Levinson rule.

Anonymous's picture

Lets face it, once your up to highway speed, there is enough background noise in most cars to defeat the purpose of having a really good system. Give me something half-way decent for the car. I'll save the good stuff for home.

Al Earz's picture

Transportation. That is the vehicles duty. The sonic difference between audio systems in a vehicle along with wind, road and drivetrain noise are not worth the concern.

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