Yes, the radio in the dash is essentially a remote, with the main brains in the trunk.
That said, it's really not bad to work around, AND Metra makes a harness EXACTLY for it. I wondered too, and over this past Christmas, used my lack of electronic skills to install the harness and my new Pioneer head unit.
We started a great thread on another forum, but it's down at the moment...I'll post the link momentarily.
Essentially, you just need to get whatever head unit of your choice, and the Metra 70-1856 tuner bypass harness (same here that can be had elsewhere for less):
http://www.installer.com/item/display_item.php?it=70-1856
and you're set. Essentially, all it entails is splicing the harness to the harness on the new head unit, set it all in, and you're done. You just route the harness from the dash to the trunk (perfect length, and I just did mine in the dash, then down along the passenger side floor and into the trunk, then the plugs on that end attach right to the antenna and the large plug originally going into the amp/radio control box back there.
This is by far the easiest and quickest way to do it, plus clean as can be, and a way to guarantee that your RAP (retained accessory power), antenna, chimes, and all else continue to work like OEM. I've known a few people who went into their stereo install uninformed and ended up with a mess, sound issues, and chimes and otherwise that now don't work properly.
Just get the Metra 70-1856 harness, splice it onto your new HU's harness, route to the trunk and...DONE. If I can do it, and have it all perfect, anyone can.
Now, just for that link to be back up...