Ten tech "Improvements" that made cars worse...

[stpatrick90]

I love a good standard transmission, but one day I smashed my right hand and I had the most difficult time driving. I've had automatics form then on. If I ever get 2 cars, then my sporty one will be a 6 speed manual. :shades:

 

Yeah I had a similar experience. My Focus I had was a manual and I loved that thing till the day I broke my left leg and tore my ACL. When you have major leg injuries you quickly learn that a manual isn't very friendly. Luckily I had my Cherokee otherwise I would have had to rent/borrow a car with an auto. From then on I have had autos.

[2005Explorer]

The whole idea of technology is that it should make our lives easier. If MyFordTouch makes controlling your car easier then conventional controls then it is a successful idea. If it add unnecessary complexity to something that should be simple and straightforward then it is not an improvement. I don't know because I don't own a vehicle with it, however I have heard a lot of pro's and con's about the system and I think it might be a good idea that just needs to be rethought a little bit.

[GT-Keith]

Keith's Top 10 Tech Improvements that made cars worse:

 

10. Crumple Zones - No one likes to see their car folded like paper meche because some nut job that can't see red objects that mean stop decides to plow into you. Nothing shows the strength and build quality of a frame like one that demolishes the other car, killing it's passengers.

 

9. Anti-lock brakes - Like #10, I feel that ABS does a disservice to the show of force. The adrenalin that one gets after having your 3 ton tug boat slide 200ft further than it should is an experience that can't be matched by ABS.

 

8. Run flat tires - Simply put: I hate these things. Whenever I get a flat tire, I miss an opportunity to flaunt my maleness to a potentially onlooking hottie. Like numbers 9 and 10, if you're any kind of man, you will have a spare tire and jack in your car.

 

7. Exotic materials(Alum/Carb/Magn) - If it ain't iron then I ain't buyin'. Seriously, would you rather your car be made out of iron or plastic? That's essentially what it boils down to.

 

6. IRS - Let me paint you a scenario: If both wheels are independent, then what happens when you go to turn right and the back wheels turn left? Exactly! I like my suspension like I like my women, dependent!

 

5. Transmission - I want as little gear as possible in my transmission. All I need is one ratio and i'm set. It's easier to replace one gear than it is 8 gears.

 

4. Navigation - If you need to get somewhere that requires a navigation then you need to take an airplane(which I loath). Do you really want the government shooting lasers at your car from space or radio stations triangulating your location with their radio towers? What about my privacy rights?

 

3. Side-curtain airbags - Ladies and Gentlemen, why do cars need curtains? What's next? Tablecloth air bags? Cars do have tables in them now, see Rolls Royce Phantom.

 

2. Flappy Paddles - I think the idea behind these are noble; that you won't have to move your hand from the steering wheel to change gears. This is in direct conflict with having a manual transmission. If you don't drive a manual, you better be a) a women or B) have no right arm.

 

1. Cylinder Deactivation - This is the biggest rip-off of them all and only highlights the pitfalls of capitalism. How can you advertise a car as being a V8 when half the time it's a V4? It would be far more profitable for companies to advertise it as a V4 that's like a V8 sometimes. This is like a bastardized hybrid.

[RichardJensen]

it might be a good idea that just needs to be rethought a little bit.

It satisfies a few tests of good interface design:

 

1 - there are multiple ways to perform most tasks (you can use the steering wheel controls, your voice, the touch pad, or the center stack to perform common tasks).

 

2 - Visual cues are provided for orientation (compare the apple button in the upper left corner, the windows button in the lower left, the green "phone" button on any smart phone, etc.). In MFT, it's color coding for HVAC, audio, phone and nav sections.

 

3 - Access to common tasks is streamlined.

 

For instance, this MFT screenshot belies Jalopnik's claim that it is difficult to change radio stations in MFT:

http://0.tqn.com/d/cars/1/0/d/S/2/ag_12focus_screen.JPG

 

Now, My beef with MFT is illustrated here:

 

 

There is not a hierarchical arrangement of information here. At first glance type size is (barely) the only indicator of what's important and what's not (and in this case, it arguably highlights the wrong thing*), and it is not immediately clear what is clickable and what is not. Gray areas are clickable, black areas aren't, but that's not a convention that extends beyond MFT. It's not part of our learned language--it's a 'dialect' peculiar to MFT.

 

*I notice that on the left the "AM/FM" selection is highlighted in red, now if the driver is using the 93.3 preset on the right, why not highlight *it* in red as well, and give the artist and song title the largest fonts? After all, when I hear a song I like, my first thought is not, "Wow this sounds cool. What station am I listening too?"

 

And why is the HD sub-channel selector the top item on the display?

 

IMO, the primary information panel could not have been more disordered if that was their aim.

 

I think the ordering should be:

 

Song Title

Artist

Frequency

HD sub-channel

 

That, IMO, would prioritize the most often sought information over information that is less sought (and less likely to change).

Edited November 4, 2011 by RichardJensen

[jpd80]

Well IMO, more people embrace technology than those who shun it as witnessed by Ford's

ability to sell more optioned up car that command higher transaction prices

and hose wanting bargain basement strippers are now in the minority.

[NickF1011]

and give the artist and song title the largest fonts?

 

I don't really disagree with your other points, so I'll stick to this one. Sitting behind the wheel, the font for the song title/artist is just fine. It's kind of bad enough as it is at its current size that it cuts off so much of the song title on anything over 3 words long. With a larger font, you'd see even less. If the title/artist could be set to auto-scroll if they don't fit, then I'd be okay with it being a bit larger, but as it is now, you have to hit the arrow next to it to get it to display the rest of the line. One thing I certainly hope they change. Every other head unit I've seen with song/artist info does this by default.

[630land]

BMW's i-drive was vilified, yet they get a pass since they're German.

[GTwannabe]

BMW's i-drive was vilified, yet they get a pass since they're German.

 

i-Drive interaction is accomplished via a horrible joystick wheel, not a touchscreen.

[BORG]

It satisfies a few tests of good interface design:

 

1 - there are multiple ways to perform most tasks (you can use the steering wheel controls, your voice, the touch pad, or the center stack to perform common tasks).

 

2 - Visual cues are provided for orientation (compare the apple button in the upper left corner, the windows button in the lower left, the green "phone" button on any smart phone, etc.). In MFT, it's color coding for HVAC, audio, phone and nav sections.

 

3 - Access to common tasks is streamlined.

 

For instance, this MFT screenshot belies Jalopnik's claim that it is difficult to change radio stations in MFT:

http://0.tqn.com/d/cars/1/0/d/S/2/ag_12focus_screen.JPG

 

Now, My beef with MFT is illustrated here:

 

 

There is not a hierarchical arrangement of information here. At first glance type size is (barely) the only indicator of what's important and what's not (and in this case, it arguably highlights the wrong thing*), and it is not immediately clear what is clickable and what is not. Gray areas are clickable, black areas aren't, but that's not a convention that extends beyond MFT. It's not part of our learned language--it's a 'dialect' peculiar to MFT.

 

*I notice that on the left the "AM/FM" selection is highlighted in red, now if the driver is using the 93.3 preset on the right, why not highlight *it* in red as well, and give the artist and song title the largest fonts? After all, when I hear a song I like, my first thought is not, "Wow this sounds cool. What station am I listening too?"

 

And why is the HD sub-channel selector the top item on the display?

 

IMO, the primary information panel could not have been more disordered if that was their aim.

 

I think the ordering should be:

 

Song Title

Artist

Frequency

HD sub-channel

 

That, IMO, would prioritize the most often sought information over information that is less sought (and less likely to change).

 

There are multiple ways to perform SOME tasks, but not all of them. For me, that was the most confusing part of MLT when I first started using it. I wasn't sure where my limits where until I spent allot of time with the car. For example, you can only activate the climate controlled seats and heated steering wheel form the touch screen, not from the panel or IP...despite the fact that both have climate control zones. Otherwise, the interface and layering isn't too bad beyond the elements pointed out by Richard. It can be hard to read and slow to respond, in addition to the unpredictable behavior of the horrible resistive touchscreen. The system still requires allot of eye contact, especially when it's lagging and the touch panel doesn't respond to inputs because you aren't pressing it just right. It's not a robust system, it can destabilize if you aren't patient...kinda like a really old PC

Edited November 4, 2011 by BORG

[FordBuyer]

The whole idea of technology is that it should make our lives easier. If MyFordTouch makes controlling your car easier then conventional controls then it is a successful idea. If it add unnecessary complexity to something that should be simple and straightforward then it is not an improvement. I don't know because I don't own a vehicle with it, however I have heard a lot of pro's and con's about the system and I think it might be a good idea that just needs to be rethought a little bit.

 

I believe that Ford is already doing that by offering redundant switch gear for basic in car controls. Probably safer also in that if touch pad is acting up, you can change something with more familiar switch or knob/dial. Also, as your vehicle ages and MFT acts up out of warranty, redundant controls need to be available to do things like change fan speed, heat, and so on.

[RichardJensen]

when it's lagging and the touch panel doesn't respond to inputs because you aren't pressing it just right.

Those aren't design issues, those are implementation issues.

[RichardJensen]

I don't really disagree with your other points, so I'll stick to this one. Sitting behind the wheel, the font for the song title/artist is just fine. It's kind of bad enough as it is at its current size that it cuts off so much of the song title on anything over 3 words long. With a larger font, you'd see even less. If the title/artist could be set to auto-scroll if they don't fit, then I'd be okay with it being a bit larger, but as it is now, you have to hit the arrow next to it to get it to display the rest of the line. One thing I certainly hope they change. Every other head unit I've seen with song/artist info does this by default.

I wonder if the lack of a crawl was due to time constraints during development.

[Sixt9coug]

Jaloptards only like rusting European and Scandinavian stationwagons from the 60's, 70's and a few 80's.

 

Oh yeah, you also have to work on it as much as a 70's-80's snowmobile.

 

Yet the old and new 5.0 Mustangs also are huge and held in high regard there too. As is the Focus, American models and the RS in particular. In fact, I see very little Ford hate over there in general.

 

And what's wrong with rust? lol

 

 

i-Drive interaction is accomplished via a horrible joystick wheel, not a touchscreen.

 

Mention I-Drive on the site sometimes. It's not held in high regard at all. In fact, most newer BMW's are not cared for much over there either. The whole synthetic engine sounds that are piped through the sound system on the new M5 are quite a sore spot.

 

Yeah I visit Jalopnik a ton, and I like the site. I also think that engine covers suck (It is just opinion that an engine should be visible. Want sound insulation? Use a better hood pad.), elimination of dipsticks on a car is a bad idea (DIY guy here of course), and even HERE I read enough complaints about MFT to make me not want it on my next vehicle.

[2005Explorer]

unpredictable behavior of the horrible resistive touchscreen. The system still requires allot of eye contact, especially when it's lagging and the touch panel doesn't respond to inputs because you aren't pressing it just right.

 

Resistive touchscreen? Yuck! The capacitive touch screen would be SO MUCH better. I had a phone one time with resistive touch. It was horrible! The capacitive touch screen is what made touch screen phones and tablets good.

[silvrsvt]

Resistive touchscreen? Yuck! The capacitive touch screen would be SO MUCH better. I had a phone one time with resistive touch. It was horrible! The capacitive touch screen is what made touch screen phones and tablets good.

 

The simplest is that they don’t rely on the organic properties of your finger, so can be operated with just about anything – just not necessarily successfully. A more important plus point of resistive screens is that they offer more potential for accuracy.

http://www.knowyourcell.com/features/687370/touchscreen_lowdown_capacitive_vs_resistive.html

 

That might be useful when its cold out and you have to use gloves to do anything.

[BORG]

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http://www.knowyourcell.com/features/687370/touchscreen_lowdown_capacitive_vs_resistive.html

 

That might be useful when its cold out and you have to use gloves to do anything.

 

Remember that many MyFord Touch vehicles have capacitive touch panels below the touch screen, therefore the glove argument doesn't add up. I think the biggest issue is the availability of a robust (or inexpensive) capacitive touch panel for automobiles. For the CUE system, Cadillac had to develop a capacitive touch panel that is suitable for a car interior.

[jpd80]

Does the system lock when you're at speed or does it allow drivers to fiddle with it instead of watching the road?

[silvrsvt]

Does the system lock when you're at speed or does it allow drivers to fiddle with it instead of watching the road?

 

Heck with my Mustang, if I wanted to change the dash color, I had to be stopped! So I'd assume its the same with MFT with certain options...

[BORG]

Does the system lock when you're at speed or does it allow drivers to fiddle with it instead of watching the road?

 

No, you have more freedom with MyFord Touch, partially because (in theory) you can control much of it with your voice.

[jpd80]

OK, thanks, I think we have similar in AUS but just the Voice command bit...

 

Oh BTW,

just noticed that our Focus 2.0 DI Engine comes with 5-speed manual, Powershift and a 6-speed auto...

I'm surprised that USA didn't offer a genuine auto as well, might have improved sales by a lot....

[sullynd]

Oh BTW,

just noticed that our Focus 2.0 DI Engine comes with 5-speed manual, Powershift and a 6-speed auto...

I'm surprised that USA didn't offer a genuine auto as well, might have improved sales by a lot....

 

Maybe they only make a RHD version of that transmission

 

I wonder which transmission it is?

[2005Explorer]

OK, thanks, I think we have similar in AUS but just the Voice command bit...

 

Oh BTW,

just noticed that our Focus 2.0 DI Engine comes with 5-speed manual, Powershift and a 6-speed auto...

I'm surprised that USA didn't offer a genuine auto as well, might have improved sales by a lot....

 

If the 6 speed auto can be fitted to the US spec. Focus and Ford feels that the sales benefit outweighs the additional engineering expense there is a good possibility it could be offered. The only bad thing about offering it as an additional option is that it might make some people say... "See we told you the Powershift was bad."

[jpd80]

If the 6 speed auto can be fitted to the US spec. Focus and Ford feels that the sales benefit outweighs the additional engineering expense there is a good possibility it could be offered. The only bad thing about offering it as an additional option is that it might make some people say... "See we told you the Powershift was bad."

Well, some are already beginning to say that but I am surprised that Ford didn't adopt the Euro

philosophy of offering a true auto trans and Powershift; that puts powershift in the right context.

I feel FNA has pants on backwards offering Powershift as auto replacement when it should have

always been a manual trans replacement....

 

I bet you the bulk of Cruze's sales are genuine 6-speed autos with nary a complaint from owners...

New tech is fine but to introduce it without a safety net is fraught with danger, i would have thought

that with so much riding on the success of US built Focus, Ford would have added an auto as a

no brainer option.

Edited November 6, 2011 by jpd80

[2005Explorer]

Well, some are already beginning to say that but I am surprised that Ford didn't adopt the Euro

philosophy of offering a true auto trans and Powershift; that puts powershift in the right context.

I feel FNA has pants on backwards offering Powershift as auto replacement when it should have

always been a manual trans replacement....

 

I bet you the bulk of Cruze's sales are genuine 6-speed autos with nary a complaint from owners...

New tech is fine but to introduce it without a safety net is fraught with danger, i would have thought

that with so much riding on the success of US built Focus, Ford would have added an auto as a

no brainer option.

 

I agree that the Powershift is more of a manual transmission replacement then a true automatic transmission replacement, however Ford is testing the waters selling it as an automatic replacement here in the U.S. If sales suffer because of it and Ford finds data to suggest that sales are suffering because of the Powershift, I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see a traditional torque converter automatic offered again as a new option.

[Noah Harbinger]

[/size][/font]

http://www.knowyourc..._resistive.html

 

That might be useful when its cold out and you have to use gloves to do anything.

 

Glad I live somewhere where gloves aren't required for much of anything, and certainly not driving.