I use the Kenwood right now. When my new car comes, I will interface the built-in steering wheel controls with the tuner module. Check out some pics of my Kenwood:
http://spmicro.com/gallery/kca-rc700
EDIT: By the way, no IR translations are needed with the Kenwood remote since the original Empegs understand Kenwood remotes natively. This remote uses an IR transmitter that is on a 3" wire connected to the keypad. This allows you to position the transmitter in the best possible place for your application.