In Cars: Less Audio Pimping, More iPod-ing

Kevin Maney blares: Just the other day I was thinking about the last time I bought an after-market car stereo system -- which seems like about 100 years ago. My next thought was: For the most part, people don't need to buy an after-market stereo. A lot of cars built in the past decade come with pretty solid speakers, a CD player, and sometimes more tricked-out stuff like satellite radio receivers and multi-CD changers. It's not like when I was a young guy and you had to buy a stereo system -- a tape deck! -- because otherwise you'd be listening to AM radio through a single wheezing speaker in the dashboard.

Well, lo and behold, USA Today reports that car stereo sales are off 28% since 2006. Although, it seems to me that the industry is missing the point. "We need to make car audio cool again," said Pioneer Electronics Vice President Larry Rougas. Really? It's hard to see how it's not cool -- it's just that after-market stereos aren't necessary if the car's already got a good stereo. No? Am I missing something?