I just purchased a new 2005 EX E last Saturday. I have a stereo that suits my needs well that I took out of my last car (it was an upgrade). I am trying to decide whether I should put it into the E or not.

The potential replacement is a Pioneer FH-P5000MP, I know it doesn't have an XM receiver built into it, but I do mostly in-town driving, and tend to listen to music or books on tape on trips. I am thinking seriously about it because it has a CD player AND tape deck, which though old fashioned, allows me to borrow books on tape from the library and listen to them easily. I am undecided about the aesthetics of the change, but first I want to make a technical decision. I can definitely hear a difference in quality between good and bad stereo systems but I do not know much about how to evaluate the quality. Also, I am worried about the auxiliary jack still working if I switch the stereos out. I do like to use that with my MP3 player as well. I enjoy the sound system that comes standard in the EX, and want to make sure the sound quality won't go down if I replace it!

Any thoughts and help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you in advance,

Elizabeth :)

IMHO, Id keep the stock stereo. For your tapes just plug a walkman up to your AUX jack.

Any particular reasons? (Just Curious) I appreciate your feedback!

~E

Any particular reasons? (Just Curious) I appreciate your feedback!

~E
These are just my reasons.
1) Old equipment to new equipment
2) I know you dont use it, but you lose XM
3) It will be work to connect the AUX to the old HU
4) Lose the AMP (and I think sub) when adding an aftermarket HU

Those are off the top of my head. When instead you could just use the same wire you use on your MP3 player on a walkman

I would stick with the stock stereo... I thought most books on tape are being offered on CD as well now.

My reasoning for saying to leave the stock headunit in place.

1. You want the MP3 port, it is already working just fine as it is.
2. How many books on Tape can you not get on CD instead?
3. Putting an older headunit into a new car seems silly to me and putting a tape deck is even sillier... to me. :)
4. Why go to the expense of an install of an older headunit that would then need to be wired to have the MP3 port work?

XM wouldn't mean anything to me, I wouldn't use it personally so that doesn't even come into play in the discussion.

Doesn't make sense to me.