Multiple experts have been reporting that MyFord Touch may be popular among some groups but that most pros are convinced the system is simply too distractive and do not add anything to the driving experience.

Reviews show that the system is spreading to several vehicles. Despite recent updates, experts say, MyFord Touch is still frustrating and distractive. Interiors of vehicles equipped with MyFord Touch have no conventional controls with buttons and knobs because the system offers multiple different ways to submit an order or command including touchscreens, voice commands, flush capacitive switches and steering-wheel controls.

Multiple options combined with poor design can be a recipe for disaster and according to the experts, the more advanced the system gets, the more frustrating they become.

Basic versions of MyFord Touch come with two knobs that command the fan speed and the volume. Different models come with a separate set of buttons for climate controls. Basic versions also offer other controls on a background bases filled with flush buttons.

The whole system uses touch-capacitive bars that could be fussy to some, which could then make drivers feel like they are confused about the purpose of each bar, especially because they are so difficult to distinguish. Part of the issue regarding how distractive this system is lies in the fact that drivers are not able to control the dashboard by simply feeling the buttons, they must look down in order to know what they are doing, which could be extremely bothersome. In some cases, drivers could lose track of what’s going on with the traffic because they are trying to reach the right bar by looking into the dashboard below the main screen.

In models of vehicles like the 2013 Escape, the MyFord Touch system is recessed in a restrict screen with corners seemingly designed to be difficult to touch, which could be even more bothersome since the most important controls like audio and climate are held by the corners of the screen. Small fonts and numbers, too many options and buttons and a hard-to-identify list of controls make it one of the worst versions of the MyFord Touch system experts have tested so far.

More reviews report that in different versions of this system like the Sony model, the program can change the radio station you’re listening to accidentally if the driver brings his or her fingers close to the touchscreen to turn the volume knob up or down.

Specialists say that although there are different options when it comes to setting up your menus, none is actually well designed. Be it on the screen, on the steering wheel or on the fly, all controls are distracting and most of them take a lot of attention and involvement, which could be fatal if the driver becomes distracted with this system while behind the wheel.

If you would like to learn more about what experts are saying about the newer MyFord Touch system, click here for the full article.