Alpine CDE-9881R (plus KCE-422i)
Price: £144.99 (plus £14.99) Podcasts? Yes
Suitable for fourth-generation iPods onwards, this had smooth operation and clear sound. Lists were simple to access via the rotary control, and it recognised podcasts, but there's only a single-line display. Optional adaptor plugged into a rear-mounted flying lead lighting an LED on the front panel. Meanwhile, the CD deck can handle discs encoded with MP3, WMA and Apple's AAC files.