MFT Likes and Dislikes

[fusionTX]

With today's announcement by Ford that it will be reinstating volume and tuning knobs for radio, I am wondering what current owners think of MFT.

 

Of the four screens, phone, navigation, entertainement and climate, which do you struggle most with?

 

What do you dislike and wish was done a different way?

 

I already have a volume knob in my HyTi. Do SE's not have a volume knob?

 

I probably have struggled most with climate settings. Having two sets of controls, physical buttons and MFT, can be a bit confusing. Entertainement took me a while to figure out, but I am pretty happy with how it works.

 

I do agree with the general premise that having to click a bunch of buttons while driving is distracting.

[aaronj1159]

Yes, SEs do have volume knobs.

 

I don't have Nav so no issues there.

Entertainment works really well for me, no complaints.

Climate is unused on the screen for me. I always use the physical controls below for that. No need to get too complex.

Phone I could take or leave. It's nice sometimes but the display is only really good for modifying the settings, in my opinion.

[hermans]

I've fully embraced the speech function and normally use that over touch or knobs. I have found that every thing works well. I only have one request - Ford, please install a single cup coffee maker in the unit. Hmmmmm,,,,maybe a coffee maker that uses less than 150 watts that I can plug into the 110v outlet.

 

I found it!

 

Edited June 18, 2013 by hermans

[fusionTX]

Fan speed is one instance where a knob is much easier to use than having to press multiple buttons. Likewsie a knob works better for setting a temperature. With a knob you don't really have to take your eyes off the road but for an instant. When the fan in the Fusion gets itself into Auto mode, you have to click over and over to get the right temperature, unless you use voice commands, which are not the solution for everybody.

 

I am going to guess that for younger demographics, MFT and voice commands, etc come easier,and even though Ford is going younger, it can't just ignore the older demographics. Lincoln has traditionally been associated with an older demographic.

[hermans]

 

I am going to guess that for younger demographics, MFT and voice commands, etc come easier,and even though Ford is going younger, it can't just ignore the older demographics. Lincoln has traditionally been associated with an older demographic.

Well....I'm in the older demographic 60+ crowd, but then I'm very computer knowledgeable and like advanced technology. I'm covered as I have one of both.

[jsolan]

Climate is unused on the screen for me. I always use the physical controls below for that. No need to get too complex.

 

 

I love that the climate controls are just below the MFT screen. It makes climate control so easy, especially when dual mode is on. The passenger and I can adjust our temps without going out of the entertainment or navigation screens.

 

MFT my first advanced system of any kind in a vehicle and I have very few issues with it. The touch screen and voice recognition is much better than the 2011 lexus I test drove and the the 2012 acura used a horrible joystick-like device to navigate around the screen. Dodge's new interface in the dart is more responsive, but that was the only one of all the cars I drove that I thought was even close.

[aaronj1159]

Going back to buttons and knobs isn't always the solution, either. My dad's BMW 328i has no screen of any sort there but it has to be the least intuitive control cluster I've ever dealt with.

[mokee]

I try to use the voice function, but it prefers my wife's speech. I find it peculiar as I use my phone's voice function without problems.

[DeeCee]

A few times I have used the volume knob to adjust volume or turn off/on the radio and a short time later my seat is getting hot and the seat heater is going full blast. The basic layout is okay but just need some "human engineering" to get things located properly. The seat heater control below the volume knob is a good example. Not sure why it is really needed there as there are seat heat controls on the MFT screen.

[clummus]

when I touch the screen for nav, (easier than using voice) it always activates or turns off climate. can't seem to keep from just barely brushing it accidentally and that is annoying.

[srogers]

when I touch the screen for nav, (easier than using voice) it always activates or turns off climate. can't seem to keep from just barely brushing it accidentally and that is annoying.

I have that same problem too. It sets the system to auto which is really annoying if you if don't need the A/C. You then have to press the A/C button the vent and floor ventilation buttons before the A/C will shut off. I don't know why you can't just press the A/C button to shut off the A/C like any other car in the world.

[hermans]

I try to use the voice function, but it prefers my wife's speech. I find it peculiar as I use my phone's voice function without problems.

It works great for me and here's the reason why I think it does. I speak to juries and I'm in the habit of speaking slower and more deliberately than some people. On the other hand, my wife is a bit of a "fast talker" (not to be confused with the "close talker" on the Seinfeld episode). She has some difficulty in working the voice functions in both of our cars. When I'm in the car with her I've told her to try slowing her speech down and when she does she gets the system to work.

 

Another example would be our son who has lived in Tennessee for the last few years and has picked up a slight southern draw. He and his family visited recently and the voice system would not work for him in either car.

 

I liken this to troubles people have with the Dragon computer program. I've used this program in my work for years and remember there was quite a learning curve. Just my thoughts on this.

[jeff_h]

OK off the top of my head, here are my Sync/MFT gripes.

 

1 - I don't like the new type of buttons where you just run your finger close to activate them, far too easy to accidentally hit one as you reach for something else in that area, as the OP already noted above. I don't know what button(s) I've hit by accident on three separate occasions, but it sets the climate to auto and the temp to 85 and the system all of sudden goes nuts trying to churn out hot air... which makes me all of a sudden churn out bad words -- so give me the old fashioned buttons any day (and this goes for the dome lights near the rear-view mirror too, have turned those on by mistake a few times when putting away sunglasses).

 

2 - It now takes about 4x as long to index my iPod each time I plug it in, as compared to my 2010 FFH... no idea why.

 

3 - I leave the nav screen on the map, with red arrow pointing the direction I'm traveling (I think this is option 1) so if I am traveling northeast, I want the arrow to be pointing that way... the other two "the world revolves around me" settings drive me nuts. And I like to have a wide view of the metro area so I can see the traffic indicators. About 80% of the time when I start the car it goes to that screen with those settings, the other 20% of the time (at random) it goes to a close-up view of one of the "wolrd revolves around me" views... no idea why.

 

4 - The sync lady refuses to talk to be, forcing me to run that delayed reboot thing (thanks again neod192), and have had to do that 3x already...

[acdii]

What I dont like, no < > or pause/play button unless you go to MFT.

 

For climate those who have it can use the steering control for fan and temp, but still need to use the console for the defrost and MFT for vents. The pre MFT Nav was a much better layout, redundant controls for everything.

[JimArch]

Didn't realize until this week that there was an information icon at the bottom of the MFT screen, but it lit up to tell me that my siriusxm account period had ended. But I'm glad that it did because I tried the 'Where am I? button for the first time. This is going to be helpful when looking for a particular house address when not using navigation. Constantly updated as you drive, it gives you the address numbers of your current location and tells you the name of the upcoming cross street.

 

Never knew that was there. nice feature!

[KLH]

My biggest gripe is that there's no setting to turn the screen off if not in use. The screen can be bright at night. Still, MFT works well for me; it's much better than I thought it would be.

 

The best part of MFT is the support for voice commands. The worst part is that you cannot reorder the entertainment sources. Since I stream via bluetooth from my phone often - and that source is on the bottom part of the sources - I have to press "Entertainment", then, scroll down sources, then select "BT Stereo" as my source. If for some reason, the bluetooth drops, then the previous source (usually the FM radio) is selected. Then I have to press "Entertainment", then, scroll down sources, then select "BT Stereo" as my source.

 

If we could reorder the music sources, then I'd simply set the BT Stereo as the top of the list.

[SteveB_TX]

My biggest gripe is that there's no setting to turn the screen off if not in use. The screen can be bright at night. Still, MFT works well for me; it's much better than I thought it would be.

 

The best part of MFT is the support for voice commands. The worst part is that you cannot reorder the entertainment sources. Since I stream via bluetooth from my phone often - and that source is on the bottom part of the sources - I have to press "Entertainment", then, scroll down sources, then select "BT Stereo" as my source. If for some reason, the bluetooth drops, then the previous source (usually the FM radio) is selected. Then I have to press "Entertainment", then, scroll down sources, then select "BT Stereo" as my source.

 

If we could reorder the music sources, then I'd simply set the BT Stereo as the top of the list.

Press Sync button and say "Bluetooth stereo". You never need to touch the MFT/MLT to select a source.

[acdii]

I just start Pandora and plug my phone into USB. It automatically starts to play. If I just plug the phone in it will start to play tunes on the phone. Sound quality is much better over USB than BT.

[aaronj1159]

My biggest gripe is that there's no setting to turn the screen off if not in use. The screen can be bright at night. Still, MFT works well for me; it's much better than I thought it would be.

 

 

My biggest suggestion here is to download and install a dark wallpaper if you haven't done so. That helped me.

[acdii]

My biggest suggestion here is to download and install a dark wallpaper if you haven't done so. That helped me.

There is a Ford logo under wallpaper that I use, screen is much darker with it.

[KLH]

Well, both of my gripes are user errors, so... now I love MFT!

[vangonebuy]

MFT should be open sourced.

 

Give me a set of gauges instead of the electric flow chart.

I would set up a tach. (gas and or elec)

Battery charge meter (measured in % or Amps)

Instantaneous MPG meter (all numeral, NOT graphs)

Trip MPG meter

Accessories meter for drain on battery.

 

A matching picture of my car in the background. Not the standard white Fusion with the wrong rims,no spoiler.

 

A front camera for parking. I cant see the curbs in front. And this car is low.

 

A web browser in the MFT screen.

 

Ability to leave the backup cam on. Screen capture feature would be nice for tailgaters.

 

May not be part of MFT. But the Max Heat button right under the MFT screen gets hit too often. And I feel it's really not needed.

 

The other screens seem to work well.

[hybridbear]

After a few hundred miles with MFT I'm so glad we have it now. I didn't know just what I was missing out on before! Here are 2 wish list items:

• When I say "Climate set temperature ##" I wish it wouldn't ask me again to confirm the temperature, that's annoying considering it has never misunderstood me
• I wish there was a voice command to switch audio sources. I often flip back and forth between Sirius and local FM stations. I switch now with the steering wheel controls, but it would be much simpler if I could also do it with a single voice command (please tell me if there is a way to do this that I'm unaware of)

[SteveB_TX]

 

After a few hundred miles with MFT I'm so glad we have it now. I didn't know just what I was missing out on before! Here are 2 wish list items:

• When I say "Climate set temperature ##" I wish it wouldn't ask me again to confirm the temperature, that's annoying considering it has never misunderstood me
• I wish there was a voice command to switch audio sources. I often flip back and forth between Sirius and local FM stations. I switch now with the steering wheel controls, but it would be much simpler if I could also do it with a single voice command (please tell me if there is a way to do this that I'm unaware of)

 

 

 

Press sync. Say "Sirius". Then say "Sat 1" (or 2 or 3).

Press sync. Say "USB". Then say "1 or 2".

Press sync. Say "HD Radio".

Press sync... You get the point! :)

Edited December 7, 2013 by SteveB_TX

[corncobs]

What Steve said for the stations it works very well. It needs a few attempts to find the right sequence at first and don't try to combine too many information details.

 

For the temp settings > what is you setting for sync?

I remember seeing a setting with advance and sync wouldn't repeat or confirm your entries. Maybe this has be turned on by the dealer for showing the functionality with the annoying confirmations.

Edited December 7, 2013 by corncobs