Nearly 250,000 Owners Will Get MyFord Touch Upgrade

As we reported earlier, Ford will upgrade the performance speed and usability of its MyFord Touch system and will deliver the upgrade via USB jump drive to existing customers starting early next year. The 2013 Ford Escape, Flex and Taurus will be the first new Fords equipped with the upgraded system.

We’re now learning that the performance upgrade will affect some 250,000 existing Ford owners — purchasers of the Ford Focus, Explorer, Edge and Lincoln MKX, according to the Los Angeles Times blog. MyFord Touch debuted more than a year ago, on the 2011 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX.

The jump drive will be mailed to owners, and Ford says the upgrade should take about 45 minutes to complete. If owners don’t feel up to upgrading the system themselves, Ford says you can bring your Ford to a dealership that will perform the upgrade for free. Another 200,000 Fords equipped with MyFord Touch were sold outside the U.S.; Ford is still deciding on how to upgrade the system for those owners.

The improvements come after intense customer and critic complaints that the system was confusing, slow and buggy. In fact, the prolific introduction of MyFord Touch over the year, apparently much to chagrin of Ford buyers, was enough to dramatically decrease Ford’s reliability and initial quality scores with Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates, respectively. Ford says that nearly 85% of people who own vehicles with MyFord Touch find it easy to use, before the upgrade.

MyFord Touch Gets Upgrade

Ford has upgraded its MyFord and MyLincoln Touch systems to be faster and simpler to use, according to the automaker.

Prominent differences are simpler graphics and larger, bolder fonts used throughout the interface. We have images of the old and new screens below. It might be hard to judge if the newer versions are indeed an upgrade until people actually use them. What you can’t see is a noticeable jump in performance. The new software is at least two times faster than the current system, Ford says.

The upgraded system will launch early next year on the 2013 Ford Escape, Flex and Taurus. Existing owners of MyFord and MyLincoln Touch are eligible for upgrade at no charge.

It's Time To Buy 2011s, But Incentives Are Hard To Find

Around this time every year, dealers are hard at work trying to sell the remaining cars on their lots as new-model-year vehicles start to roll in. This year is no different, and while some 2012s haven’t arrived yet, it’s still the best time to buy a 2011 … as long as you know what to look for. That’s where we come in.

We diligently report on even the slightest changes between model years as soon as possible. Sometimes this means a car will look the same but get an all-new engine and transmission like the upcoming 2012 Mazda3 sedan that’s expected to get 40 mpg highway. Other times, nothing significant has changed between model years, and then there are the all-new cars that have been redesigned from the ground up.

You’ll find the best deals in that second group of vehicles that go from 2011 to 2012 without much change. It’s been a challenge this year to find bargains because manufacturers are making more significant model-year changes and incentives for these older models just aren’t that alluring.

Here are some of the best deals we could find:

Honda Accord, Civic Most Popular Stolen Vehicles

The most popular stolen vehicle last year was the 1994 Honda Accord, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Of the 52,000 Honda Accords stolen in 2010, some 44,000 of them were models made in the ’90s, the non-profit group said. Older cars and models are typically stolen for the value of their parts, while newer cars are typically stolen and then resold, the bureau says.

The 1995 Honda Civic and 1994 Acura Integra — which placed second and eighth, respectively — are popular among car thieves because their engines are easily swappable. You can place the more powerful Integra powertrain into a more lightweight Civic, for example. Both models are popular with street racers and car remodeling enthusiasts, so demand for parts is strong.

Incentives Diet: Buy This, Not That

This month, incentives continue to be sparse even as more 2012 model year vehicles arrive at dealerships. That means shoppers need to be savvy about what types of incentives are available, namely low financing offers, and how the right mix of financing can save big money, even if the sticker price is higher than the competition.

2011 Toyota Sienna LE V-6 vs. 2011 Chrysler Town & Country Base

In our recent Minivan Shootout the redesigned Town & Country took the No. 2 spot behind the Honda Odyssey, while the popular Toyota Sienna finished dead last. That doesn’t mean the Sienna isn’t a good vehicle; it’s one of our Best Bets. It also seems to be a better value than the Town & Country in terms of price when similarly equipped and even more so after taking lower financing into account.

Reader Review of the Week: 2011 Ford Taurus

“Going Back to Ford” from Indiana recently bought a brand-new 2011 Ford Taurus and gave us a detailed, bullet-by-bullet, pros and cons list for the large family sedan. Some of the reader’s favorite qualities of the Taurus include the stereo and the handling. Continue reading the full review to learn what else the Taurus owner liked and disliked. Once you’re done, you can submit your own car review here.

2013 Ford Taurus: Up Close

It may not look like it, but the revised 2013 Ford Taurus gains a number of changes, with the most noticeable ones centered on the front end. New headlights and a hexagon grille make the sedan look slightly more menacing, while the performance-oriented SHO trim gets a deep mesh grille bisected by the bumper that looks like an exaggerated version of Audi's signature nose. The changes don't really make the car any better or worse than the current version, just different.

2013 Ford Taurus at the 2011 New York Auto Show

• Competes with: Nissan Maxima, Toyota Avalon, Dodge Charger
• Looks like: A meaner, yet not leaner, Taurus
• Drivetrain: 237-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder; 290-hp, 3.5-liter V-6; and a 365-hp, turbocharged V-6
• Hits dealerships: Early 2012

It’s surprising to see so many new cars being revealed in New York this week that will go on sale fairly soon. The 2013 Ford Taurus isn’t one of them, and car shoppers will have to wait until the calendar reads 2012 before they can buy the 2013 model, which features a slate of upgrades from the current model.

More 2011 New York Auto Show Coverage

While the changes aren’t radical compared with the current Taurus that was launched in 2010, they try to make up for some of the Taurus’ low points. The car’s relatively cramped interior dimensions — at least compared with its enormous size — remain the same, however.

The base 3.5-liter V-6 returns, but it gains 27 horsepower, to 290 hp, and is more efficient, Ford says. The current V-6 gets 18/28 mpg city/highway.

An all-new turbocharged four-cylinder joins the lineup. Ford says it will get at least 31 mpg on the highway. It's rated at 237 hp but makes 250 pounds-feet of torque, just a few behind the base V-6’s 255 pounds-feet. Both engines are teamed to six-speed automatic transmissions. The steering is more responsive, and braking gets a boost with better pedal feel, Ford says.

Ford Limits Orders on Black and Red Paint Colors

Since Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, we’ve learned a little more each day about where many of the materials for our cars come from. Even the paint that coats cars and trucks is impacted, at least on Ford and Nissan vehicles.

Ford is telling its dealers not to order vehicles in Tuxedo Black paint or in three variations of red, according to USA Today.

The pigments for those paints come from a Japanese supplier. Vehicles optioned with these colors are the Ford F-150, Super Duty pickups, Explorer, Expedition, Taurus, Focus and Lincoln Navigator and MKS, according to a Ford spokesman.

Nissan also might experience shortages of some exterior color options, according to reports.

Ford to dealers: No more black, red paint due to Japan crisis (USA Today, via Bloomberg News)

Ford Offers Satellite Radio Censorship Option in MyKey Upgrade

Ford is giving the parents of teen drivers one fewer thing to worry about. A major upgrade to its MyKey system — parents can limit a car’s top speed, stereo volume and more — will allow parents to block explicit satellite radio content, Ford announced today.

This development probably won’t make your teenager happy, but what’s new? This new feature works like a TV’s V-chip and blocks 16 stations on Sirius Satellite Radio that are labeled explicit. Some of the stations include Playboy, Hip-Hop Nation and Howard Stern.

The upgraded MyKey will also allow parents to limit a car’s top speed to 65, 70, 75 or 80 mph. The previous version limited the top speed to 80 mph.

This new version will be standard on the Ford Taurus and Explorer by late 2011 and later on some Ford and Lincoln models.

MyKey also features:

• Seat belt reminder: A chime sounds at regular intervals and the stereo system is muted until the driver buckles up. 
• Early low-fuel warning: The driver is alerted when the fuel tank has 75 miles until empty, unlike the usual warning that occurs at 50 miles to empty. 
• Always-on safety systems: Active Park Assist, which helps the driver select a parallel parking spot, the blind spot warning system and traction control cannot be turned off. 
• Speed alert: A chime sounds at 45, 55 or 65 mph. 
• Quieter stereo system: The stereo system’s volume can be limited to 44 percent of maximum volume.