Are Fender Car Speakers Any Good?
Fender is best known for its iconic electric guitars and basses like the Stratocaster, Telecaster, and Precision Bass. However, Fender also makes high-quality amplifiers to complement its guitars, and it’s applied that expertise to car audio. Fender car speakers strike an excellent balance of quality and value.
Let’s look at the benefits and availability of Fender car speakers.
Are Fender car speakers good?
Yes, Fender automotive audio systems deliver rich, high-quality sound, typically at a lower price point than pricier audio systems in luxury cars.
Fender has collaborated with Panasonic on its automotive sound systems. This is not unusual for a guitar amp manufacturer. For example, some Fender guitar amps don’t use Fender speakers. It collaborates with other brands like Celestion or Eminence on the speakers, while Fender designs the actual amplifier.
Fender car speakers use Panasonic Acoustic Motion Control, which “delivers precise acoustic performance,” according to Fender.
What cars have Fender speakers?
Nissan and Volkswagen are the only manufacturers that offer Fender audio systems. It’s the premium audio offering in the Nissan Frontier midsize pickup and Nissan Titan full-size truck. Fender car speakers are also optional in the Volkswagen Tiguan.
Fender audio used to be much more prominent in the Volkswagen lineup. Starting in 2011, the Golf, Beetle, Jetta, and Passat all had Fender audio systems available. Unfortunately, the Golf (other than the GTI and R), Beetle, and Passat were all discontinued. As for the Jetta, it now offers a Beats audio system, and so does the Taos subcompact SUV. The bigger Volkswagen Atlas uses Harman Kardon as its premium audio offering. That leaves the Tiguan as the only VW left with an available Fender audio system.
The optional Fender system in the Tiguan is a nine-speaker system with a 480-watt, 12-channel amplifier, bringing “arena-sized sound” to this compact SUV.
The Nissan Frontier’s available Fender sound system is a 10-speaker setup with a dual subwoofer enclosure for greater durability. The Fender system optional in the Titan Crew Cab is a 12-speaker system that Nissan says brings “a deep, immersive sound.”
Since Fender car speakers used to be more widely available in Volkswagen cars and SUVs, you can find them reasonably easily on the used market. If you’re shopping for a used VW, it’s worth checking to see if it has a Fender audio system.
Does an upgraded sound system add value to a car?
While Fender car speakers boost audio performance to a car’s interior, it doesn’t add much to the car’s value. A premium audio system adds value insofar as it’s bundled with a trim that includes other features and accessories, increasing the vehicle’s value. For example, a 10-speaker Fender audio system is standard in the SL trim of the Nissan Frontier, but it’s the SL trim that adds value, not necessarily just the sound system.
The best reason to option a new Nissan or Volkswagen with Fender car speakers is because you want to enjoy the premium sound system for yourself and your passengers.
Source: Fender
