Actually, all I want for my venerable old Toyota is a radio/CD player with functional knobs and buttons, so I’m not looking to spend more than $100 on a player. Any suggestions about what makes would be okay and which I should stay away from?
Also, anyone have any recommendations/horror stories about Circuit City, Best Buy, or other large retailers for their purchase and installation?
If you buy from Crutchfield, they will include wiring diagrams and other helpful installation stuff such that Joe Average can get it done. Another discount source of electronica is J & R Music World.
Circuit and BBY often run ads for decks that include “free installation”. But it’s always ‘basic installation’ and never includes parts or extensive labor.
Parts include a wire harness ($15) and a face adaptor ($15) and may even include an antenna adaptor ($10). If your old deck is not easy to pop out from the front and they need to take apart the dash, expect to pay for extensive labor.
Oh, and if you don’t find a “free installation” sale, basic install is about $30.
I’d like to second the Crutchfield suggestion. When my husband used to put in our CD receivers, he’d always buy from them.
As to the price-range you seek, I didn’t even know you could get a CD receiver for under $100!
If you’re just replacing the stereo base (i.e., not doing the speakers or anything), it’s not too difficult to do it yourself - mostly, it’s a matter of matching up wires. The wiring harness makes things a lot easier, and also makes it easier to replace the stereo down the line, but if you can follow a diagram, it’s not too hard.
In the price range you’re looking at, it probably doesn’t matter too much which model you buy, because you’re getting a low-end, basic model. I’ve pretty much gone with the cheapest CD player I could find for the last couple times I’ve done this, and never had any real problems with the unit.
My only caution is if the former owner’s brother-in-law, Benedicto, did the installation of the previous stereo, you should put down the money for a professional installation. Benedicto strongly subscribes to the “it doesn’t matter if you use the right wire color to connect things, because it’s all going to be wrapped in a big ball of electrical tape anyway” school of thought, which is a school that doesn’t lend itself to easy removal.
**I ALWAYS LIKE GOING TO THE LOCAL ‘MICKEY SHORE’ PLACES THAT HAVE ALL THEIR 10 FT HIGH PHALLIC SPEAKERS BLARING AT LEVEL 12 TO ENTICE MY VAGINA INTO TURNING INTO A PENILE WEAPON THAT SLOWS THE OXYGEN TO MY BRAIN. I ESPECIALLY LIKE HAVING TO SHOUT AS LOUD AS I CAN TO THE SALES CLERK (WHO HAS A PEACH FUZZ MUSTACHE AND TEEN ACNE GOING ON OR WEARING SOME KIND OF GOLD CHAIN AND HAS A SLEEZEBALL LOOK ABOUT HIM THAT TELLS ME HE IS HOPING ONE DAY TO SELL USED CARS.) TO BE ENCOURAGED TO BY THE MOST EXPENSIVE RADIO SYSTEM ON THE PLANET THAT COSTS MORE THAN MY CAR IS WORTH…AND THERE IS A $10 COUPON FOR THE FIRST MONTHS SUBSCRIBTION TO SATELITTE RADIO …w00t!!!
THEN THERE IS THE THRILL OF WATCHING YOUNG PUNKS INSTALL THE GIZMO INTO MY VEHICLE WHOM ARE ARE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO DRINK LEAVING ME WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I WILL PROBABLY END UP WITH A DASHBOARD FIRE IN THE NEAR FUTURE AT NO EXTRA CHARGE!!**
Not only do I leave those places feeling like a tool, I am sore in the butt from being bent over a barrel.
Have fun!
HAVE YOU CHECKED THE BATTERIES IN YOUR HEARING AID???
I’ll need to take a closer look around my dashboard, but I’m leaning toward letting someone else do the installation. The alternatives are either buying tools I don’t have that will probably come close to the price of installation anyway, or borrowing my dad’s tools but having to deal with him hovering over me every step of the way. 
The Crutchfield prepaid installation sounds pretty good.
I would get just the radio, if they were available. However, a radio/CD combo seems to be the minimum you can get these days.
Look for something with a low total harmonic distortion (THD). This will be listed on the specs of the stereo. I spent $100 on an Alpine from Circuit City* and while it doesn’t have a bunch of fancy stuff on it (graphical display, etc) it is a very good sounding stereo as it has a low THD.
*Yeah, horror story. Well, we knew it was coming. My sister had the car before we did, and had some “expert” install the stereo. Nastiest tweeker job I ever saw. Of course we had to buy the wiring harness, the dash kit, and extra labor. It all came to less than $200. It also took longer than we expected because of this, and for some reason we have to re-set the stations every time we restart the car. So, I second Crutchfields.