Best car stereos on a student's budget

If you're driving to uni or the last few years of high school, then it's likely that your humble steed is greying around the ears and not terribly well equipped to handle the new world of digitised musical entertainment. Fear not, for CNET Australia is coming to your rescue!

For this round-up-cum-guide, we've picked out all of the name-brand car stereos with an RRP under AU$200 that are equipped with a front-mounted USB port and auxiliary jack. Given the heavy discounts available at retail stores, you should be able to cut the price by at least 35 per cent. If you're feeling particularly skint, and don't want to pay someone to do the hard work for you, then check out our in-depth step-by-step guide on how to install a car stereo.

Should you find a USB-equipped stereo too much of stretch financially, entry-level units from the name brands (Sony, Pioneer, Alpine, Eclipse, JVC, Kenwood and Philips) all come with an auxiliary jack, but no USB port. This will no doubt necessitate the need for a USB charging port for your MP3 player of choice. Something like TomTom's High Speed Multi-Charger is a good choice, as it has two USB ports, while providing you with a replacement 12V socket for a GPS.