Just a few years ago, your options for playing an iPod®, or other digital music player, in your car were fairly limited. Now, there are at least 10 different ways to connect an iPod to a car stereo. Each solution offers differing levels of sound quality, ease of installation, and extra functionality, such as being able to control the iPod with the car stereo.

In addition to making sure that the solution is compatible with your type of iPod and your car stereo — which you can do at Crutchfield's digital drive-thru™ — there are a few key questions to consider when deciding on which iPod adapter will work best for you:

• How important is sound quality? Can you live with the slightly degraded sound from an FM transmitter or a cassette adapter, or do you want the best possible sound quality from a direct audio connection?
• Do you want to be able to control the iPod with your car stereo, or do you prefer to use the iPod to make playlist and track selections? Some solutions will let you do both.
• Do you want to be able to charge your iPod in your car while it is playing?
• How important are cosmetics? Some convenient solutions, like cassette adapters, leave wires dangling from your dash, while more sophisticated adapters connect to the rear of the stereo, allowing you hide the wiring.
• Do you want a permanent, wired connection to the stereo — which requires removing the stereo from the dash to make the connections — or do you need the ability to use the iPod in multiple vehicles?

Once you've considered these questions, click on the link to the iPod car accessories comparison chart below. There, you can learn the pros and cons of each type of iPod car accessory. Afterwards, click over to Crutchfield's digital drive-thru™ where you can filter all the accessories match your specific iPod, vehicle, and car stereo.

Shop for iPod car accessories at the digital drive-thru™