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Consumer Reports explains its disdain for infotainment

One of the perks of reviewing all manner of cars and trucks is that we're exposed to all the different infotainment systems. Whether Cadillac's CUE, Chrysler's UConnect, BMW's iDrive or MyFord Touch, we sample each and every infotainment system on the market.
Not surprisingly, some are better than others. It seems consumers have come to a similar consensus, with Consumer Reports claiming that Ford and Lincoln, Cadillac and Honda offer the worst user infotainment experiences. Not surprisingly, you won't find much argument among the Autoblog staff.
Take a look below to see just what it is about the latest batch of infotainment systems that grinds CR's gears. After that, scroll down into Comments and let us know if you agree with the mag's views.

Ford Mustang returning to Australia in 2016

Australia's Herald Sun newspaper has reported that the next-generation Ford Mustang is heading Down Under in 2016, just as Ford is hanging the "Closed for Good" sign on its Australian manufacturing operations and sending the Falcon to its grave. Ford hasn't offered any official word on the matter, but the paper says that Ford's global VP of sales and marketing, Jim Farley, is flying to Australia to make the announcement himself.
While Ford converted Mustangs in the early 2000s from left-hand to right-hand drive for the Australian market and then sold them at high prices, it's been almost five decades since Ford imported a dedicated right-hand-drive Mustang to Oz. The arrival of the global model specifically made for places like Australia and the UK means Ford will also be able to offer them at better prices than the converted models; the Herald Sun says the price is expected to be "close to $50,000."
And that's for one of the "V8 performance models," which are the only ones Australia will get; Ford apparently won't send the turbocharged four cylinder or the V6. The Aussies could find out in a month from now whether this rumor is true. We will all find out what this Mustang fuss is about when the car debuts at next year's New York Auto Show.

2016 Ford Explorer First Drive [w/video]

I was still young and impressionable when Jurassic Park hit the big screen, and that movie forever imprinted the Ford Explorer in my mind. You remember the scene, but I'll describe it anyway: It's dark, raining and there's no power. The off-screen footsteps of a tyrannosaurus send shockwaves through the standing water in a plastic cup and the rain-soaked muddy roads. Seconds later, the toothy end of the movie's biggest predator crushes through the roof of a highligher-green-and-yellow Ford Explorer, causing all manner of mayhem to the SUV's occupants inside. It's not lost on me that the Ford Explorer used in the movie is, in reality, a dinosaur itself. When the seminal Explorer hit the scene in 1991 it was based on the guts of the Ranger pickup truck, which was no spring chicken itself. Ford's first real foray into the then-burgeoning SUV marketplace was meant to compete against vehicles like the Jeep Cherokee and Chevy Blazer, along with Japanese models such as the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota 4Runner. In those early days, none of these vehicles were sold based on the merits of their car-like ride and handling or superior fuel economy. Nowadays, the discerning car shopper wants the looks of an off-road-ready SUV, but the inherent compromises and need for any serious rock-crawling capability faded away years ago. The current Ford Explorer is a prime example of this successful visual hypocrisy, with its SUV-like styling listed as the number-one reason for buying on customer surveys. SUV-like styling is one thing, SUV-like guts are another. In 2011 the Explorer went from its traditional truck-based chassis to Ford's D4 platform, based loosely on the Taurus and shared with the Flex. As with the rest of the unibody crossover world, that means the current Explorer offers an excellent ride, the higher seating position that buyers want, and a useful third row for growing families. None of that inherent family-car goodness goes away for 2016. With class-leading sales already in the bag, Ford hopes its latest Explorer will attract new buyers due to the availability of a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine and an upper-crust Platinum trim level. Based on some time sitting inside and inspecting the high-content Platinum model (albeit without a drive in this trim level) I believe Ford's claim that this is most luxurious vehicle ever to wear a Blue Oval. Only not all its ovals inside are blue.