System: "Navigation, destination, all restaurants is that correct?" System "Navigation, main menu options are Destination or More Options." For example, when trying to call up restaurants in the vicinity, the procedure went like this: The second gripe we had with the voice-recognition system was its way of asking for confirmation at each stage of a multistep command. Pressing the steering wheel's Voice button opens a rather uninspiring conversation with the Expedition's navigation system.įor some reason, the voice that speaks each menu option differs from the turn-by-turn voice guidance from the navigation system: The latter has a human intonation, but the voice-recognition menus are spoken in a voice that sounds like a drunken robot slurring its words. Pressing the Voice button on the right-hand side of the steering wheel brings up a spoken menu of available voice commands. Once in the city's center, it was time for voice-recognition system to take on the next stage of the challenge. We managed to cover the 120 miles to Monterey-including a stretch over the winding, mountainous Highway 17-without once losing the GPS signal, which is more than can be said for the navigation system in the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid. At intersections, the display changes to a split-screen format, showing a large turn arrow on the right-hand side and a larger map on the left. Once on the freeway, the navigation system continued to impress us. Making our way through the city to the highway, we found the directions to be timely and accurate, albeit a little too chatty (there appears to be no way to lessen the frequency of the voice prompts). Like other leading navigation systems, the Expedition's features text-to-voice technology enabling it to call out specific road names during voice guidance. Having set our destination as downtown Monterey, we put ourselves in the hands of the navigation system and set out to follow its directions exactly. Adding to the speed of programming destinations is the system's ability to process each selection almost instantly, ensuring that we didn't have to endure the frustration of waiting around for the processor between menu screens (a welcome change from the navigation system in the 2007 Mercedes-Benz E320 BlueTec that we reviewed last week). Rather than having to twist knobs or repeatedly press buttons, we were able to punch in our address directly on the screen. The main reason for this accessibility is the system's touch screen interface. However, when we got to programming the unit we found it extremely responsive and user-friendly. Despite the car's enormous size, the in-dash LCD screen is small, and its fonts and menus have a very basic appearance. Our first impression of the navigation system when we climbed (yes, climbed) into the cabin was not altogether positive. Our plan was to program the Expedition's touch screen navigation system to lead us to Monterey some 120 miles away and, once there, to ask the voice-recognition system to recommend a restaurant. For our adventure, we took our Expedition tester to Monterey for lunch, or, more accurately, we let it take us to Monterey for lunch. While the Expedition's voice-recognition system doesn't understand spoken addresses (the Honda/ Acura system is the only one that we've seen that can), it will understand spoken directions to a specific point of interest category. For those willing to tick the boxes on the options sheet, there is a world of digital diversion available, including a voice-activated navigation system, an MP3-compatible stereo, and a rear-seat entertainment system.įor our tech test of the 2007 Ford Expedition, we decided to take the car at its word-on an expedition-using some of its advanced cabin tech features. Inside, the Expedition has been given even more of an overhaul. With the demise of the Excursion line, the 2007 Expedition is the biggest passenger car in Ford's lineup these days, and the behemoth SUV sports many of the design cues that are currently in vogue among Ford's designers, including a three-bar chrome grille, chiseled front fenders, and a bug-eyed headlight arrangement.
The Ford Expedition got an update for its 2007 model year.