I suspect the technology today is much much better now than it was
then.

I think alot of the new stuff is junk, the older radios were made much
better.
Technology has improved, but quality sucks.

Since I haven't a clue as to what the top shelf car scanner would be,
I'm asking for some recommendations.

The uniden BCT8 is a good one. I have the older BCT7 in my truck &
really enjoy it. I use my RS Pro95 for trunking.

Just a quick warning before you go installing a scanner in your car,
you might want to find out what the law is where you live. In may
places, putting a scanner in a motor vehicle is illegal.
John Kasupski, Tonawanda, New York
Amateur Radio (KC2HMZ), SWL/Scanner Monitoring (KNY2VS)
zIRC #monitor Admin

This is true