My 2000 Subaru Outback is a dinosaur of a car. Now, don’t get me wrong — I love it, and it’s been reliable transportation for almost a decade. But it lacks something any gadgeteer needs: a stereo with the ability to play MP3s. It only has a radio and cassette player. You younger readers are probably wondering what this “cassette” thingy is.

So it’s time to go shopping for a new stereo for my car, something that will allow me to plug in various players and hear them through my speakers. Looking for something with a good brand name, a strong mix of features and a reasonable price. I found all those needs met with this Pioneer player.

It can play pretty much any audio disc you can burn on either a Windows PC or Mac. It also has an auxiliary input for plugging in your MP3 player, iPod or even a satellite radio or CD changer. It also includes a special amplifier that provides less distortion at higher power. That means you can blast your Miles Davis or Dave Brubeck with little distortion.

The Pioneer is one of the less expensive models in this category, which means you won’t find as many high-end features as the $200-plus units. But in these recessionary times, getting a strong brand like Pioneer for a little more than a hundred bucks qualifies as a very good deal.