2020 Ford Explorer

The 2020 Ford Explorer should be a hot seller for them. It's a beefy looking vehicle with an imposing new face that isn't overdone. Not a huge fan of the way the grille seeps under the headlights, though. It just makes them look like they are falling off.

The side has a nice aggressive character line that gives it added presence and I like the way the greenhouse seems to taper at the rear, which reminds me of the Range Rover Velar.

Now onto the interior.  It's been a few years since automakers started putting touch screens in their interiors, so I am baffled at how this came to be.

Come on, Ford.  What is that?  Is it removable?  It reminds me of the tablets they have at the airport so you can order food while you wait for your delayed flight to depart.

Whenever I see one of these, I remember who did it best, believe it or not:  Cadillac

This is the interior of the 2011 Cadillac CTS.  As you can see, when not in use, the screen lowers, showing a minimal amount of information.  When needed, it would rise out of the dashboard.  

To me, this is a simple and elegant way to have the best of both worlds, but these days, those screens control pretty much everything from radio volume to HVAC controls, eliminating as many buttons as possible.

Call me old fashioned, but I don't mind a physical button to adjust HVAC or the radio while I am driving.  

The weird thing is that, despite the massive screen, there are still a lot of buttons, so why is it so big?  I can't imagine it wouldn't be a massive distraction while driving at night.