We stumbled on an Edmunds blog from last month that mentioned that 94 percent of buyers of the 2011 Ford Explorer buy the Sync radio option! And shoppers opt for the Sync 83 percent of the time on the 2011 Ford Edge.
That’s more than the take rate Ford announced in January of about 80 percent.
But the Edmunds story asks if the Ford Sync has lost its mojo. Why? Because Toyota and others may match or surpass the Sync. And Ford may have faltered by making MyFord Touch with Sync a little too complex for some to operate.
Toyota plans to offer the Entune in some models later this year. The Prius will be one of the first cars to get it. Entune gives you Pandora, iheartradio, Bing Maps and Bing search plus other apps like OpenTable for making reservations. And it reads aloud your text messages. And Entune allows automatic over-the-air software updates. The Sync requires the user to actively update the system or bring it to the dealer.
Then you’ve got Audi’s “Google Car” starting to rolling out next month. So Ford could get some serious competition in electronics this year.
Also, you may remember that the recent MyFord Touch with Sync system wasn’t exactly welcomed by Consumer Reports, which removed the 2011 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX from its recommended list because of the complexity of the radio/control system.
So Edmunds implies that it’s one thing to get a hit in consumer electronics, but it’s another thing to maintain your lead.
Then again, we assume Ford has more tricks up its sleeve and it has a 3 or 4 year head start over its competitors in advanced radios. And don’t forget that 94 percent take rate on the Explorer.
Source: Edmunds via Auto Remarketing, CEoutlook
Jamie,
Keep being the true specialist in the marketplace. Lots of respect from the Ford guys to send them your way…
I agree with the last post. We have had voice activated systems in the past (Eclipse and Clarion with Microsoft) and they never worked right. We have had mixed reviews in our territory about the SYNC from our customers. Biggest problem is our local Ford dealer doesn’t completely understand how to use it. They send customers to us to figure things out for them. Biggest complaint we hear is the dealer doesn’t know how to upload software updates when needed.
Clearly there is consumer demand for Sync, and Sync like technology. The aftermarket is not really “in the picture” to the extent of Sync. And the cost to offer it in the aftermarket would be thousands of dollars. What a stunning role reversal that the OEM’s will go through the growing pains, and then it will trickle down to the aftermarket. Interesting to say the least.