Digital media receivers (DMRs)

Also called “mech-less receivers,” DMRs don’t include a disc player, focusing primarily on streaming media.

The Kenwood DMX905S is one of five Kenwood models that feature wireless Android Auto, along with a traditional corded Apple CarPlay app. The Kenwood worked well in our testing, but small usability details separated it from our top pick. It has a capacitive display, although pinching-and-zooming didn’t work in Google Maps. The unit’s hard buttons are large enough to press easily, but they don’t have the nice tactile feel of the Pioneer models’.

The Kenwood DMX7704S is very similar to the DMX905S, above, but lacks its wireless Android Auto capability and capacitive display. It has the same relatively large, but tactile-less buttons along the bottom. And we found the menu structure to be more complicated than the Pioneer or the Sony models’.

Because the Kenwood and JVC brands are owned by the same company—JVCKenwood Corporation—the JVC KW-M845BW is similar to the Kenwood DMX905S, above, with wireless Android Auto and only minor design differences. Its 6.8-inch screen is resistive instead of capacitive; it has only one USB port, instead of two; and you can’t change the buttons’ illumination color. It has also only three small, hard buttons, which offer less versatility and are more difficult to use than the Kenwood’s. Most irksome for us, though, is that we had a difficult time wirelessly connecting to Android Auto with our Pixel 2 XL test phone, and switching between two Bluetooth-connected phones wasn’t as seamless as with the Pioneers.

The JVC KW-M730BT, our previous runner-up, and the newer JVC KW-M740BT are almost identical models. When plugged in with a USB cord, both CarPlay and Android Auto worked well. The Pandora and Spotify apps were also flawless when using a Bluetooth connection. Our main gripes are the three tiny hard buttons across the top, which offer less functionality and aren’t as easy to access on the fly as those on the other models we tested. Also, you can’t customize the buttons’ illumination colors.

The new Sony XAV-AX5000 is very similar to our budget pick, except that it has a larger, 7-inch, bezel-less display and smaller, hard buttons across the bottom, rather than the XAV-AX100 model’s volume knob and left-mounted buttons. We had no problems connecting to CarPlay and Android Auto through a USB cord, and the AX5000 provides dual USB ports and satellite radio capability. It could be another good budget choice, but it’s sparse on features, compared with our other picks. It doesn’t come with a GPS antenna; it uses the one in your phone. The display isn’t as customizable. You can’t vary the buttons’ colors. And you can’t connect this model to an iDatalink adapter for use with a car’s steering-wheel controls and other features.

Our former also-great pick, the Alpine iLX-107, was the first replacement car stereo to offer a wireless connection to Apple CarPlay, although it doesn’t include Android Auto. The iLX-107 model’s interface is relatively easy to use, with responsive capacitive volume buttons below the screen. Its screen can be finicky, though, and we often had to hunt and peck to find what we wanted in the menus. The iLX-107 has a 7-inch screen and a host of extra features, such as satellite radio and HD Radio, multiple color choices for the controls, and the capability to pair with up to five smartphones over Bluetooth, but it tends to be more expensive than our top pick.

The Alpine iLX-207 has the same bright, 7-inch display as its cousin, the iLX-107, along with Android Auto, which the iLX-107 lacks. However, it doesn’t have the iLX-107 model’s wireless CarPlay connectivity or its slick capacitive volume buttons. Instead, it has a thick lip across the bottom of the screen that protrudes about half an inch from the display, and houses several large plastic buttons that provide some tactile feedback. The iLX-207 worked fine overall, and includes satellite radio compatibility, HD Radio, selectable illumination colors and wallpaper, and an HDMI input and output. But as with the iLX-107, we often had to hunt and peck to find what we wanted in the menus.

DVD receivers

Although our previous Pioneer picks have been replaced by newer models, there are only minor differences between them and our new picks, and the older versions are still available through some retailers at a discounted price. These include our previous top pick, the Pioneer AVH-W4400NEX, and two of our previous single-DIN picks, the Pioneer AVH-3400NEX and AVH-3300NEX.

The Sony XAV-AX210 is similar to our budget pick, the Sony XAV-AX100, with a 6.4-inch display and volume knob. But it adds a CD/DVD player, satellite radio capability, variable illumination, and the ability to connect to an iDatalink adapter for use with a car’s steering-wheel controls and other features. An SXM version that includes a SiriusXM tuner as part of a package is currently being sold.

Stereos with built-in navigation

Our previous upgrade pick, the Pioneer AVIC-W8400NEX, is very similar to our new one, the AVIC-W8500NEX, and it’s still available at some retailers for a discounted price.

The Pioneer AVIC-8201NEX is very similar to our upgrade pick, but without its wireless capability for CarPlay and Android Auto; you need to plug in with a USB cord. Like the AVIC-W8500NEX, this Pioneer comes with a built-in navigation system, capacitive touchscreen, satellite radio compatibility, HD Radio, and Pioneer’s Dual Zone Entertainment (which gives rear-seat passengers the option to enjoy different content than front-seat passengers).

The Kenwood DNX875S is essentially the same as the DMX905S digital media receiver, above, but with an integrated Garmin navigation system. You can connect to Android Auto either wirelessly or with a USB cord, and to CarPlay with only the cord. But, as with the JVC KW-M845BW, above, we had problems wirelessly connecting to Android Auto with our Pixel 2 XL test phone, and switching between two Bluetooth-paired phones wasn’t as seamless as with the Pioneers. We like the nav system; in our car GPS testing, we’ve found Garmin’s navigation system to be easy to use, with an intuitive interface, reliable and responsive routing, and helpful lane guidance at highway interchanges. As with Pioneer’s Here mapping, Garmin’s traffic data isn’t as comprehensive or accurate as that of Google Maps and Waze, though. The DNX875S is compatible with Kenwood’s DRV-N520 dash cam, and can accept two camera inputs.

Our previous upgrade pick, the Kenwood DNX694S, and the newer Kenwood DNX695S are very similar models. We had no trouble connecting to CarPlay and Android Auto through a USB cord. Both models come with built-in Garmin navigation, a CD/DVD player, HD Radio, satellite radio compatibility, variable color adjustments for customizing the controls’ backlighting, and dual video inputs for connecting multiple cameras. Unlike on the other Kenwoods we tested, the buttons are located on the left side of the screen, where they’re easier for a driver to reach, and the CD/DVD slot is visible above the 6.8-inch display. Both models can connect to the company’s DRV-N520 dash cam, and when a backup camera is connected, the stereo overlays helpful parking-guidance lines onto the camera’s image. According to Kenwood’s Seth Halstead, drivers can also connect other accessories, such as an add-on forward-collision warning system.