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MyFord Touch getting buttons and knobs back to counter criticisms

Ford deserves credit for being a front-runner in offering advanced infotainment technology with its Sync and MyFord Touch systems, but continued consumer complaints over its confusing touchscreen interface and capacitive controls has made the automaker relent. The Wall Street Journal reports that physical buttons and knobs for controlling tuning and volume will be coming back to Ford vehicles equipped with the controversial infotainment system.
The 2013 F-150 with MyFord Touch gives us a glimpse of what the new layout with buttons and knobs might look like, as Ford says a similar balance of touch screen capability and buttons/knobs are what's being planned for future models. And, while capacitive controls have no fans in the halls of Autoblog, many of Ford's models with MyFord Touch do have a large physical knob for adjusting volume with integrated buttons for tuning and advancing tracks, though most of those are models with the optional upgraded Sony Audio system. Lincoln models with MyLincoln Touch, however, feature only capacitive controls for all stereo and climate functions.
Despite receiving enough complaints to throw buttons and knobs back into the mix (a move that reminds us of BMW's iDrive trajectory, among others), Ford reports that Sync and MyFord Touch have still been sold on 79 percent of its 2013 model year vehicles, a number it claims is double the rate that Honda and Toyota are getting for their infotainment systems. Ford also states that owners who do opt for the duo of technologies are more satisfied with overall vehicle quality than those who don't have it.

2019 BMW X7 vs luxury SUV rivals: Comparing specs and photos

Today we get our first-ever look at the first-ever 2019 BMW X7 crossover. We've actually already had our first-ever drive in an X7 Prototype. And so, we thought it appropriate to follow that up today with the first-ever X7 comparison of specs between BMW's first-ever three-row crossover with legitimate room for seven and its many high-dollar competitors. On paper, the 2019 X7 definitely seems to most closely align with the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class. Their similar dimensions, interior space, engine choices and price would certainly imply where BMW placed the target when developing X7. We used those same elements to determine three-row vehicles likely to be cross-shopped or that should be cross-shopped. These include the Audi Q7, Land Rover Discovery, Volvo XC90 and Lincoln Navigator. Yes, the latter is a truck-based SUV as opposed to a crossover, but tell that to all the people lining out the door at the local Lincoln emporium. They do not care, and neither shall we. We also included the 2019 BMW X5, which was completely redesigned for this year and therefore not the first-ever. That makes it less appealing? Either way, lining the new X5 up with the SUV that leapfrogs it atop BMW's SUV hierarchy should provide a good idea of just how much more you get by going up a model number. Engines and model lineup Again, the X7 aligns closest with the GLS, offering a base six-cylinder in its xDrive40i model and an upgrade turbo V8 in the xDrive50i. The Mercedes engines have greater output, but the GLS still accelerates slower than the BMW. As the 2019 X5 offers the exact same engines, we would also expect the X7's fuel economy to be superior to the GLS once its estimates are announced. It should be noted, though, that the GLS offers a high-powered AMG model whereas we anticipate the X7 to offer a plug-in hybrid model comparable to the X5 upcoming xDrive45e model. The other luxury SUVs diverge in their engine choices and model lineup. The Audi Q7 offers a base turbocharged four-cylinder, as does the Volvo XC90 in its T5 model, which we left out of the above chart entirely for space reasons. That the Q7 3.0 TFSI supercharged V6 gets the same fuel economy estimates as the four-cylinder is proof positive that engine is purely around for its lower base price.

2020 Lincoln Navigator gets a price bump as sales stay strong

The Lincoln Navigator is still doing the business on dealer lots, and as sales climb, so do the prices. CarsDirect reports the flagship SUV's MSRP has gone up again as of February, a letter to dealers explaining that the bump "continues to keep the Lincoln brand competitive and aggressively positioned verses [sic] our key competitors." The entry-level Navigator Standard will start at $76,185 before the $1,295 destination charge, for a total of $77,480. That's $360 more than the luxury flagship cost in January. At the high end, the Navigator L Black Series goes up to $101,630 after destination, a $365 bump. This revised pricing makes the two-wheel drive Navigator Standard $1,000 more expensive than the current, outgoing Escalade, and the Navigator L Black Series $2,040 more than the Escalade ESV Platinum 4WD. It's likely the price jumps coming with the next-generation Escalade should restore the balance.   That won't change the fact that, on the face of it, the Navigator's entry-level price has risen by roughly $3,500 since it launched for the 2018 model year, and that's after an $8,500 increase introduced with the current generation. Last year, the product planners added features and a trim reorganization along with the price increases for 2020. Buyers get convenience items such as power running boards, heated and cooled front seats, wireless phone charging, and Lincoln's Phone as Key system standard throughout the range, and every 2020 Navigator includes the CoPilot360 driver safety suite. The safety kit wasn't available on the 2019 Navigator Standard, and was a $2,640 option on the Select trim. On top of that, the Reserve trim dropped in price thanks to the addition of a two-wheel-drive version. The Navigator improved sales in 2019 by 817 units over 2018. If sales remain robust this year — and depending on where the Escalade lands on the MSRP chart — we won't be surprised at another increase before the year is out. Related Video: