SYNC with MyFord Touch supports Bluetooth-based hands-free kits, phone book transfer with contact photos, and audible text messaging. So, you can technically talk and text as you drive around, though there are still notable safety concerns about trying to multitask in the car. Laws against distracted driving are quickly limiting the scope of activities you can undertake behind the wheel, and this seems like it could be the next target of law enforcement.
Setting up a phone for the first time is painless, and by far one of the easiest processes we’ve tackled. When you step into the car, there’s an “Add Phone” button on the LCD that brings up the device pairing screen. This puts the system in discovery mode so your phone can search for and find it. There are no sub-menus or complicated voice commands to fight. If you want to add a second phone, there's a single sub-menu that displays currently-paired devices and the same “Add Phone” button. You can also specify which phone receives priority if there are multiple paired devices in the car at the same time.
Once a phone is paired and connected, SYNC with MyFord Touch conveys your basic battery status, signal levels, and a dial pad. It also provides shortcuts to your phone book, call history, and text messages.
The initial phone book transfer takes a second. But once that completes, you have complete access to your contacts, including e-mail addresses and a contact photo. Unfortunately, the photo ID feature is only supported by select Android phones with the HTC Sense or MotoBlur user interfaces, along with a couple of Windows Phone-based devices. The Galaxy Nexus and iPhone aren't supported, so we can't share our beloved editor-in-chief’s mug.
SYNC with MyFord Touch can receive and display text messages on the LCD screen. It can also read them aloud as you’re driving along (at least in theory; the phone has to explicitly support this feature). There aren't many devices currently able to push text messages to the SYNC display, though if you own a BlackBerry or MotoBlur-equipped phone, the feature does work. Otherwise, you're stuck texting the old fashioned way. And hopefully that means not until you reach your destination.
Ford does include a couple of generic preset messages for quick responses to received texts. The message list is user-editable, so you can add LOL or LMFAO if you so desire. Fortunately, more phones can send texts through SYNC than receive. We had no troubles sending messages through our Galaxy Nexus.
- Tom's Hardware Ventures Into Automotive Technology
- SYNC: Powered By Freescale's i.MX516
- SYNC's Eight- And 4.2-Inch Displays
- SYNC's Entertainment Features
- Talking And Texting Through SYNC With MyFord Touch
- Navigation And SiriusXM Travel Link
- Hands-On With Nuance's Voice Recognition
- Semi-Automatic Parallel Parking With Active Park Assist
- In-Car Wireless Networking And Ford's MyKey Feature
- Benchmark Results: Boot, Bluetooth, And Navigation
- SYNC: A Solid Infotainment System Available To The Masses




What is the world coming to?
This is shockingly bad code quality for an embedded system. I may get a Ford vehicle in the future but it won't have SYNC in it. I'll epoxy a tablet to the dash if I need entertainment that bad.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/22/autos/ford_jd_power_initial_quality/index.htm
P.S. What's up with the broken URL parsing?
What is the world coming to?
However, there are little things here and there that show the system has tremendous potential, but lacks polish you expect when it's in your automobile. I own a reasonably new Ford (2006 Freestyle.) It's been an exceptional, sturdy, and reliable car for several years now with no mechanical issues to date. My dad owns an old Lincoln Navigator with over 370,000 miles on it, still with the original engine running. Fords have been pretty good to me and my family over the years. You put in the key, turn it, and the thing runs. You push the buttons on the door and the windows go up or down. Flip a switch and the heater comes on.
You expect your automobiles to be like this. Ford Sync does not yet feel like this. "Do I push this button this way or that way?" "What word order do I need to use for this command?" "Why do I have to re-command Sync to start playing my phone's music via bluetooth every time I start my car rather than it just start automatically?" "Why does the system hang once in a while for no apparent reason?"
It just doesn't yet feel like it's reliable and responsive. I was intrigued and impressed by Sync, but it needs more polish, fluidity, refinement, and most of all consistency and reliability for it to please the masses day after day, and THIS is why Sync is the single worst factor in Ford's otherwise good reliability ratings being lowered, as mentioned above.
I don't think that anybody would buy a new car just for this technology, at least I hope not. But new cars also come with stability, traction, ABS, EBD and panic brake help which is nice.
My next car will be electric, maybe a 3-wheeled Zaptera. That's a reason to upgrade!
http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/22/autos/ford_jd_power_initial_quality/index.htm
P.S. What's up with the broken URL parsing?
We touch on that in the conclusion. V2.0 of the software fixed a lot of the crashes and issues. We did not experience any crashes during the week we had the car.
I don't think that anybody would buy a new car just for this technology, at least I hope not. But new cars also come with stability, traction, ABS, EBD and panic brake help which is nice.
My next car will be electric, maybe a 3-wheeled Zaptera. That's a reason to upgrade!
That sounds fancy, my daily is a '90 Miata with no power steering, manual windows, no side door guard beams and a first generation airbag. Its a ton of fun though.
HDMI input would be nice. I think Honda is the only one that has HDMI input on the Honda Odyssey, but only on the $45k Elite model.
Don't worry, eventually there will be overclocking benchmarks for a car...
I mean my 3 year old GPS can do it... and it isn't exactly a 'top of the line' model either.
CarMark Record: 1982 DeLorean, OC'd to 1.21 jigawatts on water (1985)
-there are roads in America that have speed limits of 70 and 75mph (you would imagine an American car company would know this...). Lets have a few more speed limiting options. Personally I like to cruise at ~70-75mph on the freeway, but as people do not know how to drive in my area it is not really safe to use cruise control and just zone out in a lane (people WILL merge right into you... annoying). Perhaps limit it to 5mph over the limit?
-Include power seat settings
-Include favorite radio station settings, or built in playlists
-Include temp settings (prefered fan speed, and temp)
Good idea, bad implementation... just like every other integration of PC tech in a car.
We traded it in for our 2011 Prius fully loaded with Toyotas tech package. I can say without a doubt that SYNC beats Toyota's system hand down. SYNC is quicker, easier, and has more capabilities.
He just needs to go to the dealer, Ford or Lincoln, and ask. They should be able to add any features to the car. Thats what the sales guy I got my 2012 Fusion told me. Of course it will cost a bit of money but it might be worth it in the end. I am contemplating adding SYNC as it would be nice to have but then I also want other extras added to my Fusion......