MI Ford Buyers Beware: Consumer Reports Deters Ford Buyers Due to Difficult, Confusing MyFord Touch

Jan. 7, 2011 - PRLog -- DETROIT, M.I. – MI Ford buyers are being warned by Consumer Reports that new technology that can be found in the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX is not as upgraded and well-redesigned as was hoped by consumers. The MyFord technology is an improved interface that is supported by SYNC, the operating system, CPU and brain of MyFord, but it falls short of being better for customers as Consumer Reports believes the usability needs some work.

Consumer Reports got their hands on the MyFord Touch, reporting all of the issues in a video so called Frustrating MyFord Touch. There are three different ways to use the MyFord technology, and all were discussed by Consumer Reports. The first option is the dashboard interface. It was said to be okay to read and to understand what buttons were for what option, but the biggest problem is the touch screen readouts are a little too small to navigate, especially while driving.
The second option is to use the actual buttons on the center console. The problem with this option is the buttons are too small for bare hands let alone gloved hands, as was demonstrated. Also, wearing games made it more difficult to detect where the buttons were due to their size; the buttons then became slightly inoperable. The final option is to use the navigation buttons that are mounted to the steering wheel. The options and information illuminate on a screen to the left and right of the speedometer. The issue here is the driver must still focus on a lot of information and options while driving.
MI Ford shoppers should know there is a voice recognition option for the MyFord Touch, but again it is not the most accurate of systems. According to the representative and narrator for Consumer Reports in the video, he states, “The voice recognition generally works well, but it certainly isn’t flawless, and it can it can be really frustrating when it doesn’t work perfectly. Good luck trying to get kids in the back to be quiet when you’re changing climate or radio stations.”
This MI Ford upgraded technology seems to be a great way for consumers to be hands free, but with so much going on in terms of busy screens and panels, it is not as easy as it should be when the focus should be on the road. MI Ford dealers may need to add some extra time to show each new owner how to use the MyFord to ensure there is no problem with its use.

There may be other options for MI Ford consumers that will not cause them such distractions, but at this point Consumer Reports recommends not purchasing the Ford Edge or Lincoln MKX, which carries the equivalent MyLincoln technology.
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