Concerning high end audio names in new cars

Not real pleased with the Bose system in my Hyundai Sonata N-Line.  No choice in the matter though, they all have this “option.”

I wonder how much the higher end names are even involved with the car audio systems design and manufacturing. I bet many of them are simply putting their name on a ordinary system manufactured by a no name or non premium reputation manufacturer.

Car makers do that all the time. Rebadging  - Toyota to Lexus, Honda to Acura, Nissan to Infinit, etc. How much of the premium is name only, and how much is actually reflected in their parts and manufacturing cost. If you subtract out the increased advertising expenditure, I bet it is not a great deal. But it sells - snob appeal costs money.

I really had to look twice when I saw the Jeep Grand Wagoneer on a commercial with large blue MacIntosh meters on the dash! 

You realize that Grand Wagoneer costs more than a BMW X7, right?

When I started driving, AM radios were an expensive option. I don’t care what manufacturer is putting their logo in automobiles at this point - anything is better than an AM radio with one speaker in the middle of the dash. I don’t expect a car system to sound like the audio system in my house. There’s no mechanical noise, road noise, and traffic noise in my house...

I happened to have Mark Levinson in my previous 2 GS450h (2008 & 2013) and found them super good. ML produced clean and clear sounds especially the mid-bass. 99% of my friends when sitting in my car, they all said the sound system in my car sounded fantastic and they asked why:-). I just pointed my fingers to the "Mark Levinson" logo on the Head Unit to them:-). Even now, some of them occasionally asked me to give them a drive around just for listening to the music in my car:-). They told me their next car will be Lexus with ML in it. I never liked ML (not for its sounds but for its nasty lawsuit history of pushing Mr. Mark Levinson out of the group) but I have to admit that ML produces great sounds. I listened to Burmester in Mercedes E450 and GLS450 but still prefer ML in my GS450h.