2003 Mazda 6S with stock Bose. Want to switch it out.

[DB1219]

Hello, I recently purchased a 2003 Mazda 6S with a stock Bose system in it. I would like to switch out everything: head unit (single din preferred), 4 door speakers (plus tweeters in the upper window corner by the side mirrors), sub, and an amp. Anyone have suggestions on any of those things? I would like to keep each item under $300. I haven't had time to pop out the original speakers to see what size they are, but I was told the doors are 6x8s and the sub is 8". I'm thinking just upgrading the sub and leaving it on the back deck panel instead of getting a box for it.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

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[trumpet 5,000+ posts]

Replacing the radio in that vehicle requires a $200+ dash kit. Metra's current part number for that is 99-7523S, but there's a discontinued single DIN only kit, 99-7503. The 7503 kit is not likely to be cheaper and it restricts you to only using single DIN head units. Either kit includes the necessary wiring harness. A double DIN is my recommendation as it looks so much better in a dash with the space for it.

Both Metra and Crutchfield show your car has 6.5" woofers, not 6x8, because of the Bose package. My suggestions for front speakers are CDT HD-61A or JBL MS-62C. For rear speakers it's CDT CL-6EX or JBL GTO628. Replacing the sub with one in a small enclosure is more of a sure bet for the performance you can expect. There are several options for very compact subwoofers that you can tuck off to the side in the trunk. If you really want to stick with the sub in the rear deck you should get one designed for free air use. My recommendation is Pioneer TS-SW841D.

You could power the entire system with a 5-channel amp. A Precision Power P900.5 would do a great job, and it has enough power for the speakers and an 8" free air sub. For a step up I recommend the JBL GTO-5EZ. The new GTO amps are made with oversized cooling capacity and the GTO-501EZ 500W sub amp has been tested to make a lot more than rated power. They're also extremely easy to tune with the included test CD and lights to show you if the gain needs to be turned up or down.