Purists say that in-car entertainment systems are an abomination, a needless distraction from the pure art of driving, a crutch for lazy parents and an additional note of in-car chaos in an environment already overloaded with digital bells and whistles.
Obviously, they've never been stuck in a nightmarish traffic jam with a car full of screaming kids in the midst of a 15-hour marathon drive. If they had, they'd embrace the thought of dual LCD screens in the back seats, built in DVD-players, satellite TV, 115-volt outlets to power laptops and video inputs for game systems. They'd also understand why these things come with headphones; so that SpongeBob Squarepants doesn't interfere with the soothing music of Vivaldi, which is about the only thing that is keeping you sane and from throttling one of the tykes behind you.
For those who embrace the thought of having a theaterlike environment in their car, we compiled a list of the vehicles that offer the best entertainment features. The list covers many different price points and vehicles. Enjoy the show.
Chrysler Town & Country
Let's start with the Grauman's Chinese Theatre of in-car video systems. Chrysler's car lineup these days may be in serious trouble, but this company still knows how to produce a killer minivan. The Town & Country, starting at $26,010, can be outfitted with not just one but two video screens and DVD players (the dual-screen system costs $2,200), so that those in the second row of seats can watch something different than those in the third row. The system also has video inputs and a 115-volt outlet for game systems, a 506-watt 9-speaker Infinity sound system, and Sirius Backseat TV (an additional $525), which receives kid-friendly satellite content from Nickelodeon, the Disney Channel and Cartoon Network. And because sometimes in-car entertainment involves interacting with your family members rather than ignoring them, the T&C also has the optional Swivel 'n Go seating system ($595), which allows the second row of seats to rotate 180 degrees and face the third row, as well as a removable table for board games or lunch.
Lincoln MKS
Lincoln MKS
The DVD player in the Lincoln MKS sedan, which starts at $41,270, plays video only when the vehicle is in park, so you may wonder why, if you're not going anywhere, you might want to watch a movie in the front seat of your car. Maybe the reason you might want to bring the popcorn out into the driveway is that the MKS' THX II-certified 5.1 surround sound system ($2,500) puts the one in your living room to shame, with its 600-watt 12-channel amp, 16 speakers and 10-inch subwoofer. And it probably doesn't hurt that the seats are plusher than a high-end couch, with Bridge of Weir leather, 12-way power adjustment and heating and cooling. Oh yeah, the system also does wonders for your music, and includes the voice-controlled Sync system, so that you can call up some thunderous tunes when you take it out of park and hit the road.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
If you're buying the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, starting at $87,950, we're going to assume you're pretty wealthy. So you're probably not going to complain about the additional $2,450 required for the dual-screen Rear-Seat Entertainment Package, which allows you to watch two separate video sources through two screens built into the front headrests. You're probably not even going to balk at the fact that, to even consider the dual-screen package, you must also install the optional Premium 2 Package ($4,950 worth of electronic goodies). In fact, since you're pumping so much video goodness into the back seats, you might as well spring for the 8-way adjustable, climate-controlled Rear-Seat Package ($2,990) for an even cushier experience.
But what happens when you have four people in the car and you're stuck up in the passenger seat? Well, then you'd better hope you also bought the $700 Splitview front-seat entertainment system. Developed by Bosch, the 8-inch front screen uses a special filter to allow the driver to see the navigation and Comand system controls from one angle, while the passenger views a movie from another angle. By the way, according to the official Mercedes disclaimer, the Splitview is prohibited in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin, so if you're driving from Des Moines to Peoria, and your passenger is watching "Fargo," you'd better hope he finishes up the film before you hit the border.
Toyota Sienna
Toyota Sienna Limited
Toyota's Sienna minivan, starting at $24,260, has two approaches to the rear-seat entertainment system. The first are touch-screen LCD monitors ($1,999) that can be mounted on the headrests and that have integrated DVD players and infrared headsets — two independent players to entertain two kids. The second is an overhead split-screen LCD that allows the side-by-side display of two separate streams of video content, available as part of the $2,495 Entertainment Package on select trims. It's too bad you can't outfit the Sienna with both systems and display four programs at once, which would make it the most ADD-enabling vehicle on the road.
Volvo S80
Volvo S80
Inside Volvo's top-of-the-line S80 sedan, starting at $39,200, is a staggeringly powerful audio system. The Dynaudio surround-sound package has a 650-watt amp and 12 speakers. It's part of a $2,500 multimedia system that comes standard on Executive trims. That system can be paired with a dual-screen rear DVD system ($1,800), and if you like a little bubbly with your entertainment, an optional rear-seat fridge with crystal glasses can be had for an extra $700.
Lexus LS
Lexus LS 600h L
With its 450-watt output, the sound-system amplifier in theLexus LS (vehicle price starts at $65,380) may not be as powerful as those from Volvo and Lincoln, but what it lacks in power, it makes up for in precision. With 19 speakers arrayed in a 7.1-channel configuration, the Lexus Mark Levinson Reference Surround Sound Audio System (part of a $3,925 Luxury Package that also includes more leather than usual, power sun shades and fancy wheels) turns the LS into a concert hall on wheels. If you want to turn that concert hall into a theater, you're going to have to upgrade to the $108,800 LS 600h L, where $5,820 in options will pair that stereo with a rear-seat DVD system with a 9-inch LCD screen.
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Ferrari 612
One assumes that the only entertainment system a Ferrariwould need is its engine. But the 533-horsepower V12 612 Scaglietti ($313,088) is a 4-seat vehicle that is designed to be as luxurious as it is fast, so the Italian sports car company teamed up with Bose to create a surround-sound system customized to the vehicle. The integrated 30-gigabyte hard drive can rip and store up to 4,000 songs, and for those oddballs who like to sit in parked Ferraris and watch video content, the system has a DVD player and optional TV tuner.
Audi Q7
Audi Q7
Audi wins the award for the most crushingly powerful factory audio system. Optional on the Q7 SUV (which starts at $51,725, but you'll need to ante up at least $60,900 for the Prestige trim and TDI engine to get the upper-crust options), the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System has 14 channels, a dedicated subwoofer and an amp with an output of more than 1,000 watts. Superlatives are expensive, however — the B&O system costs $6,300. Audi offers no factory rear-seat entertainment system to complement the gorgeous acoustics. The only video comes through the DVD player and LCD on the front console.
Mazda Mazda5
Mazda MAZDA5
We love the Mazda5 because it is one of the best bargains on the market — three rows of seats starting at $18,510. And it turns out the optional DVD rear-seat entertainment system is a relative bargain as well, at least compared with most manufacturers' entertainment systems. Mazda refrains from tucking the DVD player and 7-inch screen into a more expensive package, offering it as a stand-alone $1,200 option. Real bargain hunters will point out that Walmart offers portable DVD players for $60, but a built-in overhead system is more elegant than individual players that end up collecting footprints and crumbs on the back-seat floor, and we're impressed by Mazda's straightforward option package.
Ford Edge
Ford Edge
The new 2011 Ford Edge, starting at $27,220, will offer an optional dual-head-rest DVD entertainment system similar to those found in many other vehicles. But with the Edge's next-generation Sync system with MyFord Touch (optional on SEL trims, standard on Limited and Sport), your passengers will be able to do the same sort of unfocused multitasking while watching DVDs that they do on the couch at home. That's because the new Sync system allows users to plug a 3G USB modem into the car's media port and turn the vehicle into a rolling Wi-Fi hot spot. Now, Ford engineers are sensible people; they have disabled texting and Web browsing from the 8-inch center console screen whenever the vehicle is out of park, but the rest of the passengers are free to tweet, instant-message and update their Facebook status to their heart's content.
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