I'm still waiting for my truck to be built... while i'm waiting, i'm wondering something. is their less value in having sync when I don't have the nav screen... and i don't really use any ipods? I'm all for the sirius and I think I'll be using that for most of my entertainment...

So, is it really worth the 500 bucks to me to get it added? i'm guessing i'd use it mostly for the hands free cell stuff, but then again, i usually just put my phone on speakerphone and lay it on the console next to me.

Also, considering i'm going to have the reverse camera and big honking towing mirrors, should I even bother with the reverse sensing system?

any replies would be welcome!

 

I have sync in the same configuration as you do...Im almost wishing i didnt get it, for $500 i could have spent a few extra bucks and got a nice double din headunit. The sync is nice for the hands free when it comes to making calls. But as far as i music and whatnot, i have tons of problems getting it to recognize some artists, using the usb and so on. If i could do it over i would have skipped sync and bought an alpine touch screen like i used to have.

 

Your better of going all out and getting the sync nav if your gonna do it. The Sync nav has some great features and is def worth the money but the non nav sync is a bit to xpensive for what you get.

 

Hard to answer...I have the nav w/synch and love it! It's hands down the best nav/voice unit on the market - smokes my '08 BMW's nav/voice systems....but w/o nav I just don't know what the synch does. It must do more than just allow you to use the voice commands? Which, by the way, you can set up to two custom "voice profiles" for...you repeat the voice commands back to the system and it stores your responses so it can better recognize your voice commands...helps with accents, etc. Still I don't know what functionality you get with just synch...do you still get the integrated HD (where you can upload music files, etc)? Integration of my phone w/contact data is well worth the $500 (to me) and being able to make calls and hear them clearly (and be heard clearly) through the truck's audio system is a big thing for me...her in CA holding a cell phone has been outlawed, and setting my phone on the console in speaker mode wasn't working worth a darn...so I'd probably say it's worth it - but it's your $$.

I have both the reverse camera and the reverse sensors and generally the camera is pleny good enough...but the sensor system was not all that expensive either?

My take on these kinds of things are that, in a few months I forget what I paid for the truck, but every time I get in it to drive I end up regretting the fact that I didn't get the options I really wanted...your call though and good luck!

 

Or, just a thought, cdiddy - you could have spent the extra to get the nav w/synch and had a great, full, function rich system...sometimes changing out head units can really mess with the stock options like steering wheel audio controls, etc. Plus, I'm not a fan of most of the aftermarket units and how they generally don't look as good as the stock stuff. Curious, how much would you really end up saving if you had ordered the factory nav/synch system vs. having to change out the stock hu for an aftermarket unit...$500, $1000? I'm really enjoying the Sony sound/nav/synch and the sound is actually pretty good for a factory system...not at all like the junk Ford puts in thier Mustangs "Shaker 500/1000" now those were awful sound systems...lot's of boomy, distorted, rumbly bass and weak midrange and squeeky treble....anyway to each our own...

 

I really like the Sync. With hundreds of my favorite tunes on my MP3 player to call up as I wish, whenever I want hands free, it makes the CD player obsolete. between a good library of music you can assemble for under $100 and the am/fm radio, you could save yourself the monthly cost of the music subscription.

 

Sounds like it wouldn't be worth it without NAV and with no ipod/zune use.

I love it, use it mostly for NAV and phone functions. I find I hardly ever use my ipod - I'd rather listen to new/current stuff on the radio, although it might be nice if you travel a lot and hit some bad frequency areas. The sirius isn't worth crap to me, but again, if you travel a lot maybe it's worth it to some. The dearth of channels on sirius is sad, radio has a far better selection, and it's free. I won't even notice when my 6-month free runs out. The movie listings/gas prices/etc. is fun to show off when u first get your truck, but unless you don't have a PC at home it's really just eye candy at best. Who in their right mind would buy one of these huge trucks if gas was a concern anyways? If you NEED a truck, they all suck on mpg. If you DON'T need a truck, and buy one anyways, then having gas prices at your fingertips was never a concern to begin with. I have no idea what sirius costs, but found it to be incredibly lackluster. But the NAV and Sync are awesome!

Like HotLap said, once you have the truck, the only things you'll notice are the ones you didn't get. Very smart advice, I learned that when I bought an XLT in 1997. Bought a Lariat in '98, Lariat in '04, and PLAT in '09. Learned my lesson back in '97. Sound advice to heed!

 

It isn't. If i could do it over again, i would've got the nav system too.

 

So with the non Nav, you cannot use the USB to listen to music? I don't fully understand. I have the Sony and Sync coming (no Nav though). I really did not want to put in an aftermarket HU, even if it saved me money. But I still want to have some functionality.

 

If you don't have the nav screen, you can still use sync to get traffic reports, turn by turn directions, sports scores, the weather, make and receive phone calls, get text messages, listen to music, etc.

Watch this, they are using the sync without the nav screen...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9renvWel9cY

Big yes on the reverse sensing system.

 

I didn't realize you can get directions, scores, weather on the non-nav.

For the OP, the nav system is nice (with sync) but the non-nav Sony with sync is nice too and it's $2k less. Do a search on ford and sync and you should find some interesting information and videos. Back to the question: get sync on your vehicle. Hands-free cell phone chatting is well worth it. Like other little things in life, you learn how nice they really are as time passes.

 

Its worth it even if you dont have Navi. The first Ford vehicle to have sync was the 08 focus which my girlfriend purchased when it first came out. The focus doesn't come with Navi but the sync was well worth it even if you dont have an mp3 player. The phone features alone makes it a great system. I say keep it and you will enjoy it at some point of another.

 

Normally the first thing i do to my trucks is put a stereo in...speakers, amps sub and headunit. Being that i wanted to keep this install hidden i opted to keep the stock headunit. The SYnc isnt bad, but i loved my alpine W200 touchscreen.

Some things i have noticed with SYNC is when you load all your music onto a portable HD or USB stick and they load into SYNC your good to go. If you take the HD or USB stick out and add some songs to it SYNC will not recognize the added songs. It will ONLY recognize them if you wipe clean the stick or HD and re-add the music. I know i cant be the only one that this has happened to.

For example, i plug in my usb stick with 20 songs that i like. I then take the usb stick out and load 5 songs from the computer onto the stick then plug it back into SYNC and it wont find those songs. Its little things like this that drive me crazy. Maybe when the nav gets a bit older and they are more readily availiable on the internet i might i pick one up.

 

Thats weird why it's doing that. Not heard of that problem before. You tried different mem stick?

 

Is there a specific folder, maybe a hidden folder, that sync looks for on the usb stick? If there is, adding the new songs to that folder should solve the issue.