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Do New Cars Have CD Players?

New cars in the modern world are awe-inspiring, bristling with technology and features, and even the most basic models have better equipment than high-end cars of the past. However, the modern world has forsaken the use of CDs and CD players.

This leads some to wonder if, in all the technology new cars are equipped with, they still come with CD players.

New cars do not usually have CD players, but some models do, depending on the manufacturer. Modern vehicles are equipped with digital infotainment systems that tether to smartphones for playing music rather than playing CDs. It is rare to buy a new car with a built-in CD player.

The gear that a new car has is essential to the individual. If you are looking for specific equipment and technology in a new car, it is crucial to ensure that the vehicle has what you are looking for before you purchase it.

Let’s explore the features of modern cars and whether or not they are equipped with CD players.

Do New Cars Come With CD Players?

New cars come with a mountain of electronics and built-in technology that makes them safer and more convenient to drive and provides excellent in-car entertainment.

The modern features of new cars are a step forward for most car owners. However, some potential car buyers still want to use a CD player in their car, which leads many to wonder if this is still an option when purchasing a new vehicle.

The truth is that most new cars do not come with a CD player as standard equipment. Most modern vehicles, even lower-spec versions, are equipped with infotainment systems, touch-sensitive screens, and technology that allows them to connect wirelessly to a smartphone.

This ability to tether to a smartphone means that the infotainment system can play music directly from the phone and control the music that is played in this way.

This eliminates the requirement for a CD player, as a smartphone can store and stream more music than can be contained on CDs, especially if those CDs are stored and used in a car.

Some car manufacturers include CD players in their cars, especially Japanese car manufacturers such as Honda and Toyota.

However, the list of new cars with CD players is very short, even among car makers in the Pacific rim. Especially if you live in a country where these cars are not manufactured or shipped.

Some car makers will ship cars with certain features to specific countries where those features are still helpful and will omit them for countries where they will not be used.

For example, a Toyota equipped with a CD player is more likely to sell in Japan, but the same model is more likely to sell with an innovative in-car infotainment system rather than a CD player in North America.

Most new cars do not have built-in CD players, but some do. If this is a feature that is specifically important to you, it is possible to find a new car with a CD player, but it will be very challenging.  

Can You Add a CD Player To A New Car?

We have established that new cars do not usually come with CD players as standard, apart from specific models from a few select car manufacturers, and those cars may only be sold in some regions of the world.

However, is there a way to buy a new vehicle that does not come with a CD player and get the car with a CD player?

Most car manufacturers can equip some models with a CD player as an optional extra. This is usually a feature that you will pay extra for and is not a feature that all new car models can accommodate, but all significant manufacturers will have a few models that can accommodate CD players.

This is true for many cars, including large luxury SUVs and standard family cars. Large car manufacturers can accommodate almost any car feature. Still, most of them will charge extra for all non-standard features, which in the modern world usually includes CD players.

Adding a CD player to some car models may also require the sacrifice of the complete infotainment system, depending on the model.

Some models cannot be equipped with integrated CD players by the manufacturer due to the existing hardware that these cars are equipped with.

Can You Play CDs In A Car Without A Built-In CD Player?

If your only option is to buy a new car model that does not come equipped with a standard CD player, and if there is no option to have the car fitted with a CD player as an optional extra feature, there are other ways to play CDs in a car with a CD built-in CD player.

An excellent way to play CDs in a car like this is to use an external USB CD player. Most modern cars have USB ports for data input and will work to access and play CDs from an external CD player.

Another option is to use an external CD player with a Bluetooth or AUX connection to output the audio through the car stereo system.

This method does not enable the music to be controlled by the car input system, but it will work to output the audio from the CDs.

It is possible to hardwire a CD player into the car, but this option must be done by a professional if a CD player is hardwired into a vehicle incorrectly. It can cause severe problems with the ECU and other internal electrical components.

This should only be done by a professional auto electrician, or it should not be done at all. If you can find the right person for it, installing a hardwired CD player is a good option for playing CDs in new cars.

Conclusion

New cars are not usually equipped with CD players as standard equipment. Modern vehicles simply do not need them, as most drivers use their smartphones to play music in their cars.

Modern vehicles are designed for digital media rather than physical mediums such as CDs.