I wouldn't let the "made in china" persuade your choice,
as all Alpine equipment is tested before it leaves the factory. That's why u never really here of Alpine equipment dead on arrival. Despite what has been said i would still recommend Alpine over the competition. As i said earlier most SQ competitors are running Alpine decks up here with no problems. The Alpine decks also offer great other features such as amp link etc (with alpine amps of course). If ipod is a must then you really cant go past an Alpine deck with the high speed interface. Clarion and Pioneer are still using the old method which is slow to access. I'm using a IVA-D310E (7 inch fold out screen) and its great, but it really comes down to your needs. A deck such as the 9855 will offer slightly more function in terms of EQ Time correction then the IVA (unless u couple the IVA with the processor) So unless you plan on watching DVD's a top of the line single DIN unit would probably be your best option.