The factory CD player is now almost extinct in new vehicles

Carmakers have been gradually ditching the CD player for years, and now there are no new vehicles you can buy that come with one as standard. 

Time, tide, and technology wait for no man.

There are plenty of gadgets and gizmos once considered cutting-edge that are now long forgotten. 

And just as in-car CD players killed off cassette decks, newer tech has slowly phased out CDs.

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Carmakers have removed CD players in favor of newer tech

CD players were introduced into car sound systems around four decades ago, and quickly became the standard. 

Even in more recent years, when we’ve seen big advances in in-car tech, plenty of models were still being released with CD players. 

In fact, even last year, the Subaru Outback and the Lexus IS both came with CD players as standard. 

But both vehicles have since had an update, and now neither offers the nostalgic sound system. 

Why carmakers have moved on from CD players is fairly obvious. 

Modern cars come with modern tech, from flashy infotainment systems to futuristic head-up displays; these days, carmakers are offering a lot more than a compact CD changer in the trunk.

And while saying ‘goodbye’ to the humble CD player may sting a bit for the ‘90s babies among us, going digital certainly has its upsides. 

Thanks to modern streaming services, you can listen to virtually any song you want whenever you want without having to hunt through stacks of disks to find it. 

And unlike CDs, the song won’t skip if you hit a bump in the road.

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But there is still one car that allows you to add a CD player

Those of you who still prefer physical media over digital don’t have to miss out entirely. 

Although not stock, the Subaru WRX can still be configured with a CD player. 

When building the car, there are a bunch of accessories and extras you can include, one of which is a CD player in the center console that’ll cost you around $450, including fitting. 

The player is compatible with all trims, and if you missed out on getting one when you ordered your WRX, you can buy one as an aftermarket add-on.

Of course, if you don’t have a WRX, then you can simply get yourself a portable player and connect it to your car’s infotainment system via USB.

Time to dust off that CD collection? We’ll leave that up to you.

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