The S50 from SIRIUS has a refined look and a world of features.

The debate rages over which satellite radio provider is the best. They cost the same, run similar programming, and up until now, offered similar receivers. Sirius has taken a huge step to separate itself from the pack with the S50.

My first impression was strictly superficial. The S50 just looks better than anything else available right now. While satellite radio receivers are getting sleeker and smaller, the majority of them still look like over-sized cell phones or PDAs. The plug-and-play units have a multitude of small buttons that make hunting and pecking a dangerous task at 65 miles per hour, and the single-color screens give them little in the style department.

The S50 has broken away from this mold, with a clear, multi-color screen and a clean, all black face. All operating buttons have been placed on the sides of the S50, so there is nothing to clutter the front of the unit. When it is being used in its included car dock, everything is controlled by the large, easy to grab wheel on the dock's base. As with most satellite tuners, there is an included wireless remote that also makes navigating through the channels easier, but I rarely found myself going for the remote due to the ease and accessibility of the click wheel.

I liked the many options for mounting the S50 base in my car, including an adjustable, telescoping base, as well as a vent-mounted base. The vent mount made it extremely easy to move the S50 from car to car, although it was a little unstable when attached to the curved vents in one of my vehicles. When mounted to the flat vents in another car, the base was rock solid. The vent mounting also allowed me to place the S50 a little higher in my vehicle than the permanent base. This made it much easier to see the screen and make adjustments without having to glance away from the road.

The vent-mounted base made it easy to make adjustments to the S50 without taking my eyes off the road.