System Advice

I am installing a new stereo system in my 1998 Ford Escort Sedan(commuter car) I just want a decent sounding system. I have purchased a Pioneer DEH-1500 head unit(22w RMS X 4, 200W peak). I am putting 6.5in Pioneer 3 ways(50w RMS, 200 peak) in the front doors, and 6 x 8 Pioneer 3 ways(50w RMS, 220W peak) on the rear deck. Does this head unit have enough power to run these 4 speakers without an additional amp? Also, I want to put a decent sub, sealed enclosure(15in or 12in) with an amp in the trunk. What is a good combo without breaking the bank? Also,should I go with one or two subs? P.S. The protruding tweeters in the 6.5's make contact with the stock door panel grill(didn't want to cut door panel). Does this pose any problems?

It all depends on how much you want to spend.  With those components I would put a small amp on them say about 250 to 400 watts 4 channel if you want quality sound.  The head unit will push them but with the amp it woiuld sound much better. 

That Head unit has enough power to run the speakers.  If you are looking for an inexpensive sub and amp combo, I would recommend using two dual voice coil subs and a decent amp. You can get a California CA400 from Crutchfields for about $120 or a CA600 for about $150. You can shop around for something in your price range. I would also recommend two dual voice coil Power Acoustic or Legacy subs........ Just shop around to see what brands are available in  your area.  Try the local flea markets, you might be surprised at the sound quality of some of the non-standard brands like SPL, Legacy, Lanzar or Super Pro by Pyramid.  

I installed a smaller system than what you are talking about(160w) in an escort I used to have. It was more than enough for a car that size. I replaced the front speakers with three-way sony xplods and ran into the same problem you did. I decided to remove the factory grill. Here's how I did it: I cut the grill part of the door panel out and attached my new grills directly to the door panel instead of to the new speakers. The result was vibration between the panel and the new speakers. I solved this by glueing thin rubber bumpers to the speaker at the panel/speaker contact points. It completely fixed the problem of vibration. You may well get some vibration if your panel is contacting your new speakers. The end result for me war really good. The new grills added good looks to functionability. My xplods were only 5.25" You might have trouble installing your slightly larger grills. The downside here is that you will have to leave your new speakers in if you sell the car.

Since posting I have done pretty much what you did but I ran into another problem. I can't roll the window up or down because the handle makes contact with the speaker grill. What next!

In response to the last post:Escorts don't have detatchable grills. The grill is part of the door panel. To get rid of it you have to actually cut it out. Response to Kirbyjk: Ok, that's definitely a prob. My escort was a 1994. I am assuming that your setup is similar. What if you were to cut a hole large enough for the grill to fit snuggly through, and attach to the speaker itself as was intended by the manufacturer. The handle might then clear the grill. You would have to cut off whats left of the plastic factory grill. You know how the plastic part comes from the magazine storage area in the door? You could cut it off before it gets to whats left of the factory grill. If you cut it properly it should fit up against the new grill and still look O.K. If the handle still doesn't clear, you may be able to shave off some of the plastic on the back of the new grill to make it more flush with the door. I didn't encounter that problem because I had power windows. Good luck.

I solved the problem by just getting pioneer 6.5"in 2 ways(up to 20khz), same wattage, instead of the 3 ways(returned to store). The 2 ways are only 2 5/8" deep and fit easily(window can roll up and down). I guess I just have to sacrifice the extra frequencies I would get with the front 3 ways(up to 28khz). I still have the rear 6 X 8" three ways and I have yet to buy my sub and amp. Still haven't decided.