Surprise! No cassette in EX

tamisaac · Nov 6, 2001

We just picked up our 2002 EX tonight. And we didn't realize that the CD player meant no cassette player. We have lots of tapes for our kids and would like a cassette player installed. The dealer told us $295. Is this reasonable? Does anyone have any other ideas?
Thanks!

carriefmay · Nov 6, 2001

Really? Ours is an EX-L-RES and we have both a cassette and a CD player. I assumed they all came that way (we didn't pay extra for the cassette player). $295 sounds like a lot for a cassette player. Maybe you could burn the children's music onto CD?

shindog · Nov 6, 2001

Click on the HandA banner up top. You can order the cassette through them for $132. You can easily install yourself if you are reasonably handy (check the instructions on the HandA website) or get your dealer to install it.

Many other options on upgrading your stereo, just depends on what you want to do. Check the A/V Forum first to see what others have done.

-SJ

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DEP '01 EX no-navi

honda4 · Nov 6, 2001

Originally posted by tamisaac:
We just picked up our 2002 EX tonight. And we didn't realize that the CD player meant no cassette player. We have lots of tapes for our kids and would like a cassette player installed. The dealer told us $295. Is this reasonable? Does anyone have any other ideas?
Thanks!

I was surprised too (luckily) in the test drive. The brochure is kind of misleading. The brochure says the lx comes with a cassette player in specifications page but in the front page(s) they list the common feature of lx and ex (avoiding mentioning cassette player) then below that they mention that ex has 'all the lx features' and ... cd player .... This is not exactly wrong but it is misleading.

indian · Nov 6, 2001

You can buy a lot of new music(cd's) for your kids with, $132 or $295, the money that you will spend on the cassette player. I have an ex ordered and faced the same problem. I came to the realization that I can go out and buy a bunch of cds with the money that I would have spent on the cassette player.

pearsonrj · Nov 6, 2001

Having just got our EX-L (no RES), I have realised that, while still too much for our tastes at $1500, the RES and upgraded stereo head unit in the RES model has some 'nifty' features:

You get the tape player thrown in, which would otherwise cost you $140+installation minimum.

You can have your kids listen to tape, CD or radio (or watch a DVD) through headphones while you can listen to something else (or nothing) through the vehicles speakers. After the 5th repeat of that Barney CD I can see where an option like that has some real appeal! My wife in particular likes to listen to AM talk radio, while my 3-year-old daughter likes to listen to music CDs or modern rock stations (go figure). The RES setup would be nice in that situation.

Still, $1500 buys you an awful lot of aftermarket audio goodies or CDs...

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Richard
2002 Granite Green EX-L
Splash Guards, Cargo Tray, Weathertech Mats

MerpsMom · Nov 6, 2001

I went ahead and bought the tape player as we listen to books on tape on trips. There are very, very few on CD and was told it would not be happening in our library all that soon. I bought the player from H & A, and paid my dealer to install it. The install was $75.00 minus a $25.00 Gift Certificate that came with the car. Not sorry we did it.

tamisaac · Nov 7, 2001

I guess I was also mislead by the brochure and just assumed that the EX would have everything the LX has... but we do want to use a cassette player for books on tape and things like that too. Shinjohn, Thanks for the the tip to get it for $132. That hurts a lot less.

MerpsMom, what did you mean by the $25 gift certificate? Was that particular to your dealer?

Thanks to you all.

MerpsMom · Nov 7, 2001

That might be. It was just something they included at the end of the presentation of the send-off. You could use it for anything: oil changes, accessories, etc., and obviously, labor on installations. I was happy to get it even though I was so very, very patient when I had all the transmission trouble.

Ken W · Nov 8, 2001

Help. I'm more confused than ever. The sales lit and options brochures show so many combos of cass and CD (on top in one pic and on bottom in the next) that I can't figure it out. If I order the EX with a 6-disc in-dash changer, what does the head unit have (I'm assuming Cass). Also, is the changer from the factory or does the dealer install it. I ask because I'd rather do the install myself if the plant doesn't

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'91 Sentra SE-R
'57 Chevy Belair Sport Coupe.
If at first you don't succeed...so much for skydiving.

Homer · Nov 8, 2001

Ken,

I think the deal is this (someone please correct me if I'm in error here):

The EX comes with a single CD player. You can add **either** the 6 disc in-dash CD changer **or** the in-dash cassette player (but both will not fit). If you want both a cassette player **and** a CD changer, then one option is to install the in-dash cassette player and the CD changer that fits under the driver's seat........I think.

Canodyssey · Nov 8, 2001

Yep. Homer is correct on this Ken. The EX head unit is a single cd. In the slot below you can add either the cassette or a 6 disc cd changer. If you order the indash 6 disc unit you will actually have a 7 disc system.

All the added units are installed by the dealer. Infact I beleive all options are added by the dealer.

New Honda and Ody Owner · Nov 8, 2001

Dear All - The EXL-RES has Cassette Player as standadr - The EX-L no RES does not have Unless you buy as option - Asked dealer and that's what they told me.

dvpatel · Nov 8, 2001

Originally posted by Homer:
Ken,

I think the deal is this (someone please correct me if I'm in error here):

The EX comes with a single CD player. You can add **either** the 6 disc in-dash CD changer **or** the in-dash cassette player (but both will not fit). If you want both a cassette player **and** a CD changer, then one option is to install the in-dash cassette player and the CD changer that fits under the driver's seat........I think.

Yup Homer is right. But I installed the 2001 Accord EX unit which is a 2 DIN AM/FM/Cassette/6 Disc changer all in one. Bought it from a junk yard for $375 (coz they did not know that unit was a cd changer too) and installed in the 2001 LX that I have and all works well. Also, if you do it this way the steering wheel stereo controls on the EX work too. The only thing is I do not know if the 2002 has a 2-Din opening for the unit or not but I love it on our 2001.

Ken W · Nov 9, 2001

That really seems wierd to have a 6-disc changer under a Cd player and here's why. The changer is not a Stand alone. It is controlled by the head unit (you know how the cass and radio buttons on a car stereo often double as "CD controller buttons). In this case the changer is not in your trunk so most of the buttons are on the changer itself,BUT...what decides which CD source is being played. On your standard radio/cass/changer controler set-up, the head unit has a button labeled "cass/CD" which toggles the source from the head unit to the changer. Everybody still with me? If the head unit is also a CD, then what does the toggle button say. CD/CD? That seems silly. And finally, if you have a cd/changer in the dash and a separate CD player in the radio, why not make one of them a DVD typ unit. AFTERMARKET stereo purchasing is supposed to be a confusing array of choices. STOCK units are supposed to provide simplicity.

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'91 Sentra SE-R
'57 Chevy Belair Sport Coupe.
If at first you don't succeed...so much for skydiving.

Homer · Nov 9, 2001

Originally posted by Ken W:
STOCK units are supposed to provide simplicity.

I couldn't agree more. I think it's okay to have a base model with a cassette or CD player but the EX models, which start at $27k, should quite simply have both, IMHO.

PD55 · Nov 9, 2001

I have the EX-L with single CD and I added the 6-disc in-dash cd player - I love it, and it does make perfect sense to me - I now have instant access to 7 CDs, and I can change CDs on a whim from the drivers seat.

Ken - push the CD Button once and you get the single CD player as source, push it again and you get the CD Changer as source. Works great.

Intrepid175 · Nov 9, 2001

Originally posted by Ken W:
STOCK units are supposed to provide simplicity.

With respects, who says?

I've seen plenty of OEM radio systems from various manufacturers that I couldn't get half way through without a detailed reading of the owners manual. Compared to some, I find the Honda factory systems to be pretty intuitive. Like PD55 said, you push the CD button once for the single disk player and again to get the multi disk player. Continually pushing the CD button will simply toggle you between the two units.

Doesn't sound that difficult to me!

I do agree that the EX should come with both however.

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Drive Safe,
Steve R.
'01 SS LX
Cargo tray, leather steering wheel, mud guards, alarm, fog lights, transmission cooler, in-dash CD player, Kelton subwoofer, under seat storage tray.

[This message has been edited by Intrepid175 (edited 11-09-2001).]

pwcrickman · Mar 25, 2002

Dealer Install

I ordered GG Odyssey EX in early February. The dealer called today and notified that it is on the lot. Oh Yeah!! He quoted me a price in excess of $300 for the cassette player with installation. If I buy the cassette player from HandA, how willing will the dealer be to installing it for me?

hbexody02 · Mar 26, 2002

Re: Dealer Install

pwcrickman said:
I ordered GG Odyssey EX in early February. The dealer called today and notified that it is on the lot. Oh Yeah!! He quoted me a price in excess of $300 for the cassette player with installation. If I buy the cassette player from HandA, how willing will the dealer be to installing it for me?

Our local Honda dealer quoted me $300 for the cassette player (installed). I showed him a printout from the HandA Web site which showed the price as $129 for the cassette player. He agreed to do it for $199. Thanks to the odyclub.

I will be picking up my EX on Thursday.

BTW, I checked with a local car audio store and they said that they would install the cassette player for $35 if I get the part. But I decided to go with the dealer since it would be covered by the 3 year/36,000 warranty (I hope). Especially based on our past experiencce, I think its worth the extra price. We have a '96 Accord and the cassette player had to be replaced after 2 years. Fortunately, the car was still within the factory warranty and we got it replaced at no charge.

- hbexody02

Surprise! No cassette in EX

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