Satellite radios may not seem like that big of a deal, especially living in a time where it's just as easy to use your phone data to listen to the music, radio channel, or podcast you want. But what happens when your phone's data runs out, or if the signal of your phone or FM radio is blocked? You're out of luck, that is, unless you have a car satellite radio, which has a strong enough signal to allow you to listen to music almost anywhere. That said, it begs the question: which car satellite radios are the best?
SiriusXM SXPL1V1 Onyx Plus Satellite Radio
Siriusly good features
This car radio has a touchscreen, stores up to 20 favorite channels and lets you stop and start and restart songs. It also sets alerts for when your favorite songs and podcasts are playing. With your Sirius XM package you'll be able to access music, talk radio, and more across hundreds of channels — all depending on what you want to hear while in the car!
Sony DSXA415BT Satellite Radio
Comes with voice control
Connect this car radio to Siri for hands-free control. On top of listening to music and podcasts, you can use this radio for getting directions and answering text messages. Since it's compatible with Sirius XM you can snag this alone as the receiver, or with a subscription to make things easier. Best of all, this is the most affordable satellite radio on our list, making it a great pick for folks on a budget.
JVC KW-R930BT Satellite Radio
Easy to customize
The JVC KW comes with built-in Bluetooth that can connect to up to two paired phones and stream music easily. The radio plays CDs, MP3, and FLAC music files. You can adjust the color display so that it fits your aesthetic too, making this easily the most versatile option we can suggest.
Delphi XM Satellite Radio
Simple and clear interface
The Delphi radio comes with a large display with most buttons labeled for less tech-savvy users. It has over 150 channels, and a 30-minute pause and replay feature. The display is larger than many other options and shows the channel number, channel name, artist name, song title, and channel category while you are listening.
Kenwood DPX593BT Satellite Radio
Superb parental controls
This radio has Bluetooth connectivity for a handsfree experience. Prevent children from listening to inappropriate content by adding passcodes for accessing mature channels. It also includes settings for six preset channels, as well as controls to skip songs that you don't care for when listening to Pandora or CDs while driving.
Bottom line
You have to admit; car satellite radios are pretty cool. However, some are better than others when it comes to things such as 'specs' and 'features.' The best of these is the SiriusXM SXPL1V1 Onyx Plus. This radio has a cool touchscreen display that is easy to simply tap and go to your favorite radio station, stop, start or even restart a song. You can program the radio to tell you when it's time to tune into your favorite radio program or podcast, or when your favorite song is playing. It's also possible to create your own channel and save up to 20 of your favorite music and podcast lineups. For a few dollars more, you can purchase the home kit that lets you move the SiriusXM Onyx Plus radio station back and forth between your car and home.
To fully take advantage of all the features a satellite radio has to offer, you will need to subscribe to a SiriusXM service package. You do get up to three months of service for free with the purchase of any SiriusXM radio with the monthly subscription that kicks in afterward starting reasonably priced.
