[Nifty]

I notice loads of mk1 Ecosports for sale but they have only got FM radio in them, no choice if you like different styles of music !, oh and they have AM radio in them 😟, what good is that it went out with the Ark, and were talking 2016/2017 models at that, DAB should be standard in models of these years, other makes of cars are, bit tight on Ford's behalf don't you think 🤔

 

[colinJYD]

Most cars with FM have at least two or three FM modes with at least 6 presets and one AM mode with six presets. So you get a lot more FM presets than AM. Also agree no-one uses AM in a car anymore LOL.

The UK Government was going to phase out FM completely to be replaced by DAB, but there has been very poor uptake of DAB radios on the consumer home front (not talking about cars here), likely because of dearer price, so FM has been reprieved, until the Government say different. I look on the changeover as similar to years ago when they tried to get Bluray video discs taking over from DVD, a lot of people like me never bought any bluray discs as it was too similar a technology at a dearer price. Still do not have bluray.

My own experience of DAB in cars is lukewarm as some cars have very poor ariel's, especially like my wifes car (a 453 smart Fortwo) which has a hidden DAB ariel under the front wing, looks good for the car being hidden away, but gives poor reception sometimes. Luckly she has a memory stick option, so she can play those stored tracks when radio reception is poor.

There is also another fault with DAB called ghosting, where if you are going from one DAB region to another, you can get a 4 or 5 second repeat of the conversation or music playing, and you go "what was that", or you can get a break in the reception for a second or two during changeover regions.

Anyway you pays your money to buy a car and the type of radio in it. As long as i get good reception which does not fade, I do not care if it is FM or DAB. Mind you some cars no longer give you a CD player,
but that's another story

 

[Nifty]

Trouble with FM is if you like Rock music or Jazz you don't get none of it, it's just all that chart crap and crappy boy Bands playing over and over all day long, I have had my car about 18 months and never put FM radio on its crap, I listen to My own choices on Amazon music on bluetooth all the time.

 

[colinJYD]

If you like jazz (and I do) then record the music from the following websites and put the music on a memory stick for playing in your car

Postmodern Jukebox, on youtube and they also have facebook page. Really good stuff as they do a take on modern songs and also old songs. Example song, they have a lot of songs....

 

[colinJYD]

Another example...Vintage spice girls song version >

 

[Nifty]

On DAB their is a Jazz channel, like I said in today's world it's about choice and with FM you don't get it, you have to listen to the Garbage they want you to hear over and over all day long 🤬

 

[ecojimbo]

I had a 14 plate Kuga with dab..I had 4 cars before it with dab in and all worked great no going silent no 4/5 second repeating.. traveled all over the country with no problem.. the kids was awful.. constantly cutting out and had the repeat problem.. loads of back and forth to the stealers... Even opened a case with ombudsman.. anyway all my model had these faults, but because no many people used dab it was never highlighted enough.. the 4/5 second repeating was fixed with a software update.. the cutting out was caused by very poor reception on the Kuga aerial design (rear windscreen).. I have dab in my 18 plate eco, it works perfectly due to the external aerial..I can assure all here the dab in the eco is excellent... And yes dab is brilliant for choice... I would never have a car without dab

 

[Nifty]

Totally agree cars are crap without DAB in them I put my own in mine, mainly for music choices which you don't get on crappy FM, but with the prices Ford charge for these cars, used ones at that DAB should be standard, and Ford once said all new models from 2015 would have DAB as Standard, so they tell fibs as well 🤨

 

[colinJYD]

Its all down to whether you want to buy a base model like I did, Zetec trim, its the only one without DAB and no sat nav, a door unlocking press button fob and has a key turn ignition start. Its lacking a lot of these modern features, to keep price tag down.

Years ago I wanted everything in a car, but as electronic gadgets expanded in modern cars, these are things I did not want, because if you do not have them, they cannot go wrong LOL.

I did the same with my wifes Smart car and bough a cheaper low trim model that looks identical exterior wise to all the higher trim models, but does not have touch screen DAB/sat nav radio, and instead has just a basic radio, nor does it have auto lights and auto wipers. On the smart website owners are always on about having faults with these devices, meanwhile a basic trim car just carry's on, with less to worry about going wrong

PS..Just wish we could have done without mandatory start stop tech rubbish, and Tyre pressure monitoring, as a tyre gauge does the same thing without the complication.

Ok, put me down as an old fart, that hates high tech in cars >

 

[Nifty]

Not bothered about all the electronic gadgets, but all modern cars should have a DAB radio in them as standard, FM and especially AM which isn't even Stereo should be abolished 😟