I feel the stock sound system in my Coupe is average or just very slightly above. If you set the fader towards the rear the sound becomes muffled. The unit sounds best for my liking with the treble set 2 notches from full and the bass full. AM (for news and talk shows) stations sound down-right bad (tinny). I don't have the CD changer yet ($1000 from the dealer?), but the tape player is decent. This system is nothing compared to the Alpine unit in our Navigator. I think the larger interior volume of an SUV lends itself to better acoustics.