Help me find a car for my new stereo?

[Temporal Dissident]

CA Community,

I am shopping for a used, Mercedes E-Series Wagon for a new daily-driver. I want to get an "end-game" system installed. I am struggling with model years right now. I know electronics integration gets more complex with later year vehicles. Crutchfield's has NO research on E-Series after 2009. If you enter a later-year model, you get this...


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Sorry, we haven't researched your vehicle yet, so we are unable to confirm which products fit at this time.
Some reasons why we're coming up short:
*We haven't yet found installation gear for your newer vehicle that meets our standards.
...
*We haven't yet found an example of your vehicle to research.
*We know that it's extremely difficult to install a car stereo or speakers in your particular vehicle.

Whatever the reason, we are always keeping an eye out for new installation parts and more vehicles to research, so keep checking our site.

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That is a pretty intimidating message. It reads to me like, "You can go there if you want, but you may not live to tell the tale."


Do any of you have advice about where (other than Crutchfield) to research compatibility and integration for later model vehicles like this?




Thanks in advance!

Click to read more...

 

[Kickstand Premium Member]

https://axxessinterfaces.com/
But your not going to like the price tag you find

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

First... you don't have to pull the OEM head unit or even use it. If there are no sensible options for using or interfacing with the OEM head unit then use a remote source unit. Find a quality DSP and go directly from your remote source unit like a phone, fiio audio player, hidden or remotely mounted aftermarket head unit in an armrest or whatever you can use to play music from with an output that can interface with a DSP, and you will be fine. If the car makes it hard, make it easy for yourself by installing what you need to bypass their equipment.

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

Get on a Mercedes forum.

 

[marc2112 10+ year member]

The truth about Mercedes and other german luxury cars: If you can't afford to buy brand new, you definitely can't afford a used one.

 

[Temporal Dissident]

First... you don't have to pull the OEM head unit or even use it. If there are no sensible options for using or interfacing with the OEM head unit then use a remote source unit. Find a quality DSP and go directly from your remote source unit like a phone, fiio audio player, hidden or remotely mounted aftermarket head unit in an armrest or whatever you can use to play music from with an output that can interface with a DSP, and you will be fine. If the car makes it hard, make it easy for yourself by installing what you need to bypass their equipment.

I like your thinking here. My current idea is to install a nice big screen (>7") with wireless Apple Carplay. So a Kenwood Excelon or Pioneer unit. If I have to abandon that plan, I may consider your approach.

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

I like your thinking here. My current idea is to install a nice big screen (>7") with wireless Apple Carplay. So a Kenwood Excelon or Pioneer unit. If I have to abandon that plan, I may consider your approach.

Don't shy away from the Stinger head units either.