1998 mercury mountaineer stereo upgrade suggestions | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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1998 mercury mountaineer stereo upgrade suggestions

TKZ

Active Member
Joined
June 27, 2005
Messages
64
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City, State
Maryland
Year, Model & Trim Level
'98 Mountaineer 5.0 AWD
I am looking into replacing my stock head unit with maybe one of the cheaper double din radios.
Any suggestion and or pics? What to stay away from ?
 



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It really all depends on budget, and your overall goals. What features do you need, and how much $$$ are you willing to part with? Need CD/DVD capability? Are you using factory door speakers?

I’d stick with any “major” brand. I’d get what what supports Apple CarPlay (or the equivalent android app) so you can run your navigation and apps from your smart phone right through the deck. There are several good options just a little north of $200. (Android stuff can be found a little cheaper)

I’d also invest in a cheap 4 channel amp and run your door speakers off. It’s extra work, but usually the increased power and frequency filtering pay off.
 






And upgrade those door speakers.

Mine has Infinity's and sounds much better than stock, and that's with the rest of the factory system still being used.
 






I prefer Alpine and Infinity speakers, but there is no shortage of quality speakers.

Best bet for speakers is to pick a price point and read reviews. Crutchfield is great for info, but their prices can always be beat.
 






Crutchfield is great for info, but their prices can always be beat.
True. The pricing gets a lot closer if you need any of the accessories that they bundle at a reduced price (steering wheel controls, mounting kits, etc), and the support they offer is valuable, but you can definitely do better with individual items through other sources.
 






I am looking into replacing my stock head unit with maybe one of the cheaper double din radios.
Any suggestion and or pics? What to stay away from ?

As already mentioned, you need to tell us your budget before we can recommend anything. Others have mentioned upgrading the speakers too, but I wouldn't even entertain that thought unless you plan to add an external amplifier.
 






I wouldn’t consider upgrading the deck and keeping the door speakers. Just about anything aftermarket will be more efficient and have better volume and less distortion.
 






I'm not looking for anything to wild, This is my daily. The stock head unit has been progressively getting worse (going to mute, scan or no display while driving )
Thinking around the $200. range, just wondering what everyone is using and liking or disliking..
 












JVC is another option that provides feature rich models at bargain prices. Solid reviews over the last few years across the board too.
 






I’d have no issues recommending JVC as a bang for the buck deck. The Kenwood has Waze, which is pretty awesome.
 






Kenwood and JVC are essentially the same company these days, right?
 






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