Having driven a 2012 Ford Explorer and a 2011 Ford Focus recently, I’ve had a good look at two versions of the MyFord Touch infotainment system. The Focus had the older system and I have to admit that I was far from impressed with it. The Explorer had the newer version of the system which worked much better than the in the Focus. So clearly, the system in the Explorer had had the update that I have spoke of previously. It’s making it’s way into the hands of existing owners and 2013 model year Ford products will have the system pre-installed.
Here’s what existing Ford owners and 2013 model year Ford owners can expect from the update.
First, existing owners will the these items in the mail from Ford:
The mailing will include a USB flash drive with the updated software, a notification letter, detailed instructions for the 60-minute download, and an updated user guide. Navigation-equipped vehicle owners also will receive an updated SD card with all-new, updated map data. Users can do the update themselves or take it to their local Ford dealer to have it done for them.
Now, what will you see after the update? For starters, the interface is much cleaner and simpler than before. Here’s a few examples (click on the pictures to enlarge them):
The image of the old user interface is on the left. The updated interface is the one on the right. You’ll see that the updated interface is cleaner and clearer. This makes the system much easier to use. Here’s another example:
You’ll see that the new navigation system on the right has much cleaner graphics and makes it easy to see where you are at a glance and what’s ahead and around you. Now let us look at phone interface:
Again, you’ll see the phone interface on the right is less busy and very clear. Finally, let us look at the radio:
Once again, you see how clear and easily to understand the interface is.
I’ve also noticed that the voice recognition was significantly better and the system seems to be faster than what I originally experienced with the Focus. If you want to see what I had to report, you should check out parts 5 and 6 of my Ford Explorer review. Was it perfect? No. I had some issues with my Blackberry and bluetooth. But it was a superior experience than in the Focus.
Here’s the bottom line: If you have a Ford vehicle with MyFord Touch, you need to do this upgrade. You’ll have a much better experience with the system. If you’re buying a 2013 model year Ford, you’ll get the system right out of the gate. Either way, you’ll leverage the fact that this system is fully upgradable in every respect. Thus issues get ironed out, and new technology (such as the latest smartphones) gets incorporated quickly.
Based on how Ford is going about this current upgrade to MyFord Touch, they seem to be very aggressive about making sure this update into as many hands as possible. That’s a good thing and kudos Ford for doing that. Clearly Ford knows that MyFord Touch will influence the purchasing decisions of a lot of car buyers now and in the future, and they know that they have to get the system right. From what I can tell, they’ve got that part nailed down.