Please take a moment of silence. Think of the times when you went to the Free Record Shop looking for a great new single. The CD was once essential for the success of your road trip, but that era is now definitely over. On July 30 you could still buy a few new cars with a compact disc player, but… Since August 1, you can no longer buy passenger cars with a CD player in the EU. The disc spinner disappeared overnight.
Various websites report that the Subaru Forester was the last car with a CD player, but this is partly true. So several models with CD players were destroyed in one fell swoop. These older models, which still had an old-fashioned audio system, may no longer be sold new in the Netherlands and the EU. For clarity: the CD player itself is therefore not prohibited, but the outdated models they were in may no longer be sold.
All new cars that had CD players are now banned
Since the summer the new GSR II rules for new cars in the EU. Due to these stricter rules, many cars that no longer met the rules had to disappear from the range. Or certain models had to be forced to be updated with the new safety features. And if a car manufacturer is innovating, they often immediately install a new screen, coincidentally without a CD player. Cars that are already registered are not suddenly declared illegal.
These cars still had a CD player
The Mitsubishi Space Star still had a CD player, but this car has been eliminated due to the new rules, a spokesperson for the brand tells us. The Ignis without a navigation screen had a CD player, and that car is no longer allowed to be sold in the EU. The disc player of the Lexus LC was destroyed during last year’s facelift. You can still configure the 718 Cayman with a CD player on the Porsche website, but Porsche informed Top Gear that the car is no longer available new.
The Subaru Forester also had a CD player. Of these, 25 new copies were registered this year. Five of these were registered in the first six months and the rest exactly on July 30, 2024, at the last minute. And strangely enough, another one three days ago. Sells in the US Subaru also has the Impreza where you can have a CD changer installed if you really have that need.
Still unused cars for sale with a CD player
Many dealers have quickly registered some cars from stock, which is why you can still buy cars with zero kilometers on the odometer with a CD player, but you cannot order them new. So you will still find an unused car with a CD player, but not a new car with a CD player.
