Add Jaguar to the band of automakers offering HD Radio in its cars. Jaguar will start with the Jaguar XK coupe and convertible ($77,975 and up) this summer, where it's easy to bury the added royalty cost, and continue with the Jaguar XF sedan ($49,975) a year later. Jaguar appears to be making HD Radio standard (free), which makes sense, since the automaker cost is minimal, but when sold as an optional feature, can be as much as $250 that could have been put to better uses such as investing on Wall Street. Others who have committed to HD Radio (at least some models, at least in the future) are Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, Ford/Lincoln/Mercury, Scion, Mini, Kia, Hyundai, and BMW. HD Radio provides one or two extra digital channels on the same frequency as the main radio channel (AM or FM), one typically being a rebroadcast of the main channel in digital. Despite the HD name, HD Radio is mid-fidelity, like satellite radio, and unlike satellite radio, there are no monthly charges other than the ear fatigue from the ads, and a reception range the same or a bit less that of the main radio broadcast.

Why it matters: One more automaker hops on the HD bandwagon, and at the only price that can be justified (free).