I wanted to upgrade the audio in my Mini Cooper. The standard non-Harmon Kardon system was just ok. I decided to start with the 9857 because of all of the positive reviews I read on it and I wasn't disappointed.

The internal 18wpc-rms amplifier made the stock speakers sound so good, I still haven't replaced them. My cds and Ipod sound terrific, and accessing the 600 plus tunes on my Ipod is fast and easy, once I learned how. The controls are not intuitive, but it's still only a matter of pushing the right buttons. The owners manual is clear regarding setup and use of this head unit.

The display and buttons cannot be adjusted to match the dash lights. The display is white on black and, except for the time frame, totally readable, even in bright sunlight. It will pick up glare, but what display doesn't?

Minus one-half star for am/fm reception. The fm quality is so-so if you're close in, but @ 30 miles out, I lose some entirely. My son's Sentra parked next to me gets them--mine does not.

When I bought it last year, the $30 422i Ipod adaptor was included in the price...no longer so.

As soon as I can settle on a pair of quality speakers and the right amp, I'll probably upgrade, but frankly, I'm in no big hurry!