Drivers warned popular car feature now 'extinct' as car brands 'ditch' it

Drivers warned popular car feature now 'extinct' as car brands 'ditch' it
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Drivers have been warned over a popular car feature which will go extinct as a vehicle brands ditches older technology. The vast majority of new vehicles will not have a CD player but drivers looking for a new car with a CD player could be left disappointed.

The in-car CD player is officially dead after the last manufacturer offering one in a vehicle has discontinued the availability as it - like all other brands - have switched to streaming services instead. According to new research from Which?, new cars offered by all mainstream vehicle brands no longer come equipped with an in-car CD player.

Which? warned drivers would have been able to get their hands on a new vehicle with a CD player as recently as last year, including the Subaru XV, Porsche 718 and Lexus LC. Subaru was the last brand to have sold a model with in-car CD player, according to Which?.

READ MORE Drivers risk £5k fine and 'police action' if they ventured out on road yesterday

The Japanese car firm stripped the Forester SUV of its CD player as part of a model update earlier in 2024. It has been ditched in favour of built-in streaming services via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto or by connecting a smartphone via a USB - bringing the Forester in line with the rest of its model line-up.

CD sales actually increased year-on-year by 3.2 per cent in the first half of 2024 despite the move. As part of the latest annual Which? Car Reliability Survey, drivers were asked what frustrates them most about their cars - and many respondents voiced their dismay about the lack of a CD player.

"Very disappointed that there was no option to have a CD player fitted," said one Ford Focus Estate (2018 to present) owner, while a Dacia Sandero (2013-2021) driver commented: "I bemoan the lack of a CD player."

"No CD player!" a third fumed.