Which cars have the best stereo systems?

Performance, comfort, connectivity and safety are often at the top of buyers’ lists when they go shopping for a new set of wheels.

But the sound system of a car can make a big difference to how much you’ll enjoy it.

For many people, it’s one feature they’ll likely utilise every time they go for a drive – which is unlike heated seats, a sunroof and fog lights.

Whereas car stereo systems used to be very basic, these days they’re far more advanced with more speakers and, often, multiple amplifiers and advanced software to control the sound waves moving throughout the cabin.

Crucially, many modern car audio systems are an integral part of the vehicle design. From the moment designers and engineers start crafting a new model they’ll ensure the audio system is part of the process and tailored to that car.

Mostly that involves putting speakers in an optimum position and ensuring they have the space and volume to create the desired sound.

Many modern cars use HiFi brands better associated with home audio systems for clearer and more engaging sound.

And while there’s an argument that a car isn’t the ideal space for a top-end sound system, the counter-argument is a car cabin is a defined space for sound engineers to work with; while every home is different, every Mazda CX-5 or BMW 3 Series has the same cabin layout.

Porsche’s first EV also happens to come with a sensational sound system. All but the base Porsche Taycan and Taycan Cross Turismo 4 get a standard Bose system with 14 speakers, each individually amplified. It’s a brilliant system that also includes noise cancelling and virtual surround sound.

But it’s the phenomenal punch from the boot-mounted subwoofer and the clarity from the remaining speakers peppered throughout the cabin that make the Taycan such a terrific way to soak up the tunes on a road trip. That’s something we had plenty of time to enjoy when we took a Taycan Cross Turismo from Darwin to Bondi recently…

Tesla has always put decent effort into its sound systems, which are all developed in-house. Instead of paying big licencing fees to big-name brands, Tesla poached engineers from some of those big audio names to create the system that’s used in the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.

It’s the Tesla Model Y that gets the better of the two, in part because it has the same premium system across all model variants (with the Model 3 you need to get more expensive models to get the best sound system). A boot-mounted subwoofer and speakers around the cabin create a terrific audio experience that’s ahead of anything else below $100K (and ahead of most cars above that price too).

There are dozens of home HiFi systems that have infiltrated cars and many are shared across a diverse range of brands. But Lexus has its Mark Levinson systems to itself as part of an exclusive deal.

Not all Lexus cars come with a Mark Levinson system, but those that do make a big step up from the regular audio system. That’s hardly surprising given you can spend tens or thousands of dollars on a Mark Levinson system for your house.

On the road you can expect impressive clarity and tight bass that makes for excellent audio reproduction. We’ve found the Lexus coupes to be the best for sound (SUVs far less so), so either a second-hand Lexus RC (it’s no longer available new) or the bigger Lexus LC.

Harman Kardon is known for some great car audio systems but the one in the BMW iX is the best we’ve tried. There are ‘just’ 18 speakers – by comparison there’s a 30-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system as an option – but their quality and positioning (including four in the head restraints) makes it a thumper of a system.

There are also four beefy bass speakers – including two subwoofers under the rear seats – that add to the depth. It makes for a brilliant sound system with fantastic space and clarity.

German brand Burmester is the premium supplier to the three-pointed star brand these days and the latest 15-speaker system in the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is the pinnacle of that. That’s in part because it’s the first car to offer Dolby Atmos, which extends surround sound to above the occupants as well as around them. It can only be done with certain songs on Apple Music (for now, at least) but the clarity and sound separation adds to the audio experience.

There’s also impressive adjustability to the bass and treble – well beyond traditional settings – allowing everything from softer and mellow to harder-hitting and crisp. Subwoofers in the front floor add a tight punch to the bass.

Grab a Volvo XC60 Recharge plug-in hybrid and it comes with a top-shelf Bowers & Wilkins sound system. A total of 15 speakers even look terrific with stainless-steel speaker grilles that show the beautifully crafted speaker cones behind.

But it’s the sound emanating from those speakers that makes it such a fantastic audio system. Hard-hitting bass is backed by crystal-clear high notes and the sort of depth that few systems come close to.

As a proudly British brand it’s probably no surprise that Land Rover leans on British audio specialist Meridian for its premium sound systems, something on display in the latest Range Rover Sport.

In an HSE or Autobiography, for example, you’ll get the 3D Surround sound system with 19 speakers that includes a subwoofer and speakers in the headlining. There’s also some tricky software to bring it all together, something that results in crisp and engaging sound.

The Volkswagen brand is part of a group that has brands as diverse as Porsche, Audi and Bentley. And just as the core engineering of the humble Volkswagen Golf has benefited from that broader knowledge across the VW Group, so too has its sound systems.

For years the Golf range has had sound systems that outclass many mainstream rivals, especially with the Dynaudio systems previously available. Nowadays the Golf is available with an eight-speaker Harman Kardon system that continues the audio goodness.

With the arrival of the latest generation Mazda3 early in 2019 (called the BP series), Mazda included a significantly upgraded sound system, in even the most affordable models. Much of it comes down to speaker placement, something engineers optimised to ensure the sound could more easily find the ears it was designed for.

Some versions of the Mazda3 have Bose audio systems that step up the punch considerably. But even with the more basic systems the 3 delivers above-average sound by the standards of a mainstream brand.

There was a time when Subaru used to get boutique HiFi brand McIntosh to do its top-end sound systems. That’s no longer the case, with Subaru instead turning to Harman Kardon for its fancier systems.

In the Subaru Forester 2.5i-S models you can get an impressively upmarket HK audio system – and it even gets a CD player (remember them!?).

In recent years, Hyundai and its sister brand Kia have used a range of audio suppliers including Bose and Harman Kardon, but a favourite of ours is the Infinity systems we’ve seen over the years – and which is still available in the Hyundai Palisade.

It’s arguably not as slick as some of the latest systems, but still has enough kick to allow plenty of bopping along at speed. No shortage of volume, either, which will no doubt suit the mums and dads who are into their hard rock.

Audi was early on to the quality sound system game. When rivals were still scrimping on speakers, the German brand was fitting some above-average audio set-ups across its range. Even the regular sound systems in Audis deliver quality sound, indicative of that attention to detail.

But if you can find one with a Bang & Olufsen system it’ll step that up even further with some impressive bass and the sort of clarity that works nicely in a finely honed sports sedan.