Best Satellite Radio for Car (Review) in 2020

Satellite radio has been around for a few decades now and it still continues to be one of the best ways to listen to music or other radio programs today. Sure, you can now subscribe to one of the many online streaming services today, but this format still proves to be an excellent option. In short, with satellite radio, you won’t only enjoy high-quality programming. You can also listen to your favorite shows in peace without having to worry about your data consumption and obnoxious advertisements. If you’re interested in enjoying satellite radio, here are the best satellite radio for car which you should check out.

The Best Satellite Radio for Car

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1. SiriusXM Satellite Radio SXPL1V1 Onyx Plus with Vehicle Kit

Let’s start with what is considered as one of the best satellite radio devices today, the SiriusXM SXPL1V1 Onyx Plus. This unit is a better-than-basic model with its large colored display that can easily rival a brand new car’s stereo system. You can view album cover art, channel logo, and other graphics with its help.

Aside from his, the SXPL1V1 Onyx Plus can also store up to 20 of your favorite channels. It has the TuneStart, TuneMix and TuneScan features. You can also browse through other channels while still playing your previous one. Its One-Touch Jump can give you quick access to local stations that provide information on traffic and weather for your chosen city. You can also receive alerts for sports, artists, and songs of your liking to help you switch channels immediately.

Pros

It’s loaded with great features that make the unit very handy and easy to use.
It’s very easy to install.
Accessories for home and vehicle use are readily available.
It supports 2.0 channels.
It is highly customizable.

Cons

The quality of the 1.0 channels can be a little less stellar than the 2.0 channels.
As it’s designed to be plug and play to make installation easier, it might leave cables exposed which can put off some people.

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2. SiriusXM Satellite Radio SSV7V1 Stratus 7 Satellite Radio

If you’re not too interested in a fancy gadget but still want satellite radio access, the SS7V1 Stratus 7 can be a good pick for you. This no-frills device can do everything you need without having to shell out a lot of cash.

Aside from its access to Sirius and XM channels, it also has 10 presets, so you can easily save the channels you love. It’s also equipped with a nice display screen where you can find the information you need about the song or channel you’re tuned into. Weather and traffic alerts are also available, as well as FM tuning.

If you’ll be using this product around your kids or you’re sharing a single subscription with your other devices, you can put a parental control in this device to moderate what your little ones can listen to. This is a great plus for an entry-level unit as not a lot of receivers will allow you to do so.

Although this unit doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles that more expensive units have, it can still easily compete with other products in the SiriusXM line by offering the essentials everyone will need.

Pros:

It’s very affordable.
It’s very easy to set up.
It’s very easy to use thanks to its push-button operation.

Cons:

Not all of the subscription options are available for this unit.
Some might not find the Stratus 7 as modern and attractive as the other items in this list.

3. SiriusXM Satellite Radio XEZ1V1 Onyx EZ Satellite Radio with Vehicle Kit (Black)

Another no-frills satellite radio option that you can consider is the XEZ1V1 Onyx EZ by SiriusXM. While it’s not the fanciest product on the list, it still offers a lot of great things. For one, it has this beautiful, minimalist vibe. Its backlit screen looks modern and elegant with its simplicity. While it also has a lot of buttons to help you easily access your saved channels, it doesn’t look cluttered and crowded. Its minimal screen display helps to balance its look.

It also has parental controls, ten presets, One-Touch Jump for local traffic and weather reports, and an aux cable for easy use with your car’s existing stereo system. It’s designed to be convenient to help you enjoy your radio programming with great ease.

Pros:

It offers one-touch access to your saved channels making it very easy to use and operate in the car.
It’s very affordably-priced.
It looks great. Its design actually makes it look more expensive than it actually is.
It’s very easy to use with your car’s stereo system, thanks to its aux cord connectivity.

Cons:

It’s a basic unit so don’t expect the more advanced features like pause/rewind options.

4. Alpine CDE-W265BT (CDEW265BT )CD receiver + SiriusXM SXV300 Connect Vehicle Tuner Car Satellite Radio

If you’re in the market for a stereo system that will instantly allow you to access satellite radio channels, this Alpine and SiriusXM set can be the very product you’re looking for. It offers two products in one go: the Alpine CDE-W265BT CD Receiver and the SiriusXM SXV300 Connect Vehicle Tuner Car Satellite Radio. It’s a convenient package, giving you everything you need in one purchase.

Unlike the other items in the list, the SiriusXM product here is not a stand-alone receiver but is actually an additional unit that will boost the functionality of the Alpine stereo unit. To access the satellite radio channels of your choosing, your Alpine stereo will be your dashboard, offering your vehicle a more streamlined approach to entertainment.

This unit is packed with advanced features. It has the SportsFlash, TuneMix, and TuneScan functionalities, as well as the ability to rewind, pause, and replay what you’re listening to. You can also get alerts for artists, songs, and sports are also available as well as iTunes tagging. All of these, combined with the capabilities of the Alpine unit, can make enjoying programs even easier while in your vehicle.

Pros:

It’s a complete system that can solve all of your entertainment woes.
It’s an entertainment set that’s brimming with great features.
It’s very easy to use with several functionalities that can make your experience more enjoyable.
It can help you avoid the hassle of having to deal with messy exposed cables in your dashboard.

Cons:

It’s a bit pricey, but since it’s a complete set, the price can be easily justified.

5. Audiovox SIR-CK3 Vehicle Kit for SIR-PNP3 Sirius Satellite Radio Receiver

This unit isn’t necessarily a satellite radio on its own, but a docking station that you can use with the Audiovox SIR-PNP3 Sirius Satellite Radio Receiver. It’s still on this list because it’s a great tool that will allow folks with older cars to still use a modern satellite radio receiver without having to spend a lot of cash in the process.

With the help of this docking port, your satellite radio can be very versatile. It can easily turn into a portable satellite radio that you can use in your car or home, allowing you to eliminate the need for additional receivers.

As you’ll be using this product with the Audiovox SIR-PNP3 Sirius Satellite Radio Receiver, you can also expect to enjoy high-quality sounds and access to more than 140 channels. It also saves up to 30 channels, so everyone at home can easily just program their favorite without having to fight over the presets. It also has a preset scan and ability to display the presets one or six at a time so you don’t have to waste a lot of time when trying to choose a channel to listen to.

As this unit is designed to provide ease of use, it has a built-in FM transmitter. So even if your car stereo doesn’t have an auxiliary input, you can still be able to use it in your car.

Pros:

The satellite radio receiver is loaded with advanced features.
You can easily use it even with old car stereo units without an auxiliary input.
It’s very easy to install and use.

Cons:

The actual satellite radio receiver can be quite pricey.
You need to order the dock and receiver separately.
FM connectivity tends to have lower-quality sounds than direct transmission, so if you’re using this because your car stereo has no aux-in option, you might not be able to enjoy the best sounds the unit has to offer.

6. Sirius SV3R Stratus Satellite Radio Receiver

A lot of people who are not technically inclined may tend to shy away from car accessories that will require some tinkering. This is why most satellite radios are easy to work with so you don’t have to fuss about it. The Sirius SV3R Stratus Satellite Radio Receiver is a perfect example of this as it’s designed to be a plug and play unit, letting you enjoy your satellite radio channels with minimal assembly. You can either plug it in your car’s stereo with an auxiliary line, use a cassette adapter, or utilize its FM transmitter to start listening to your favorite songs or show in your car.

Loaded with great, basic features, the SV3R Stratus can be the perfect option for those who just want a more reliable source of entertainment for their long drives. This unit will let you access over 120 channels and save ten of them in your presets. It also has a jump button to give you easy control over what you and your family are listening to. This will let you quickly go to a local channel that can give you weather and traffic updates to help create a more comfortable and fuss-free drive.

Thee SV3R Stratus is also equipped with the parental control feature. This allows you to lock specific channels so if your child will be using or riding the vehicle, you can still be sure that they won’t hear anything that will affect their sensibilities. Locking a channel will require you to use a code to access it again so you can be guaranteed that your kids won’t be able to listen to your restricted stations unwittingly.

Pros:

It’s loaded with great and useful features.
Its display is customizable and easy to see.
It’s designed with push-button navigation allowing you to quickly change and scan for a new channel.

Cons:

This is an old model so it can be quite hard to find a brand new unit.

Conclusion for The Best Satellite Radio for Car

While there are still costs that come with subscribing to satellite radio, it can easily be justified, especially if you take long drives a lot. With its help, you can continuously listen to your favorite station despite being five states away from home. There are also tons of channels to choose from, so you can always find a good fix for whatever kind of entertainment you’re in the mood for. Lastly, since you don’t need the internet (unless you’re using the app) to listen to your favorite channel, you don’t have to spend as much as you would when using an internet streaming service.

So, should you buy it? Yes, especially if you love listening to the radio, often take long road trips, or live somewhere with awful radio signals.

There are so many options when it comes to keeping yourself entertained during your long drives. Satellite radios, however, still get to be at the top of its game. It’s affordable and convenient, for starters. It also offers a better-quality reception no matter where you are, making it a better option than terrestrial radio stations.

The quality of your satellite radio experience depends largely on the receiver unit. So getting one that suits your needs and requirements is essential. The items listed above are 6 of the best satellite radios for SiriusXM so you can use it as a reference for the products you should consider getting.