Yeah, another win for Microsoft. *sigh* But while that sounds like a pain, it's actually minor. Most of the time it works fine, and it's a lovely convenience (you can tell it to do a TON of things) when it's working.
As for everything else that drives the purchase of a particular vehicle, this one is a home run! Marc took the Explorer to work on Friday to show her off, and one of his people described the ride as "silky." That's the best adjective I've heard, and it's quite accurate. It's not mushy--she handles very well for an SUV (and I'm just coming out of a sports sedan)--but the ride is silky smooth. She has nice power and is an all-around pleasure to drive. Add to that things like the dual-panel sunroof (so backseat passengers can get sunshine, too), the powered shade, the... oh, never mind. The list of comforts, conveniences and features could go on for pages. This is the kind of vehicle that makes us want to take long road trips.
Today, we took her for a quick jaunt down to Robert Moses State Park, where we saw the deer and parked briefly for a couple of photos:
Click on the photo to see a larger version and enjoy all her beauty!
When we got back near the house, I finally (okay, I've only had her 6 days, but still) tried the feature that makes her park herself. With the push of a button, she found a space and whipped that steering wheel back and forth, maneuvering perfectly to the curb. Amazing!