Ford Sync
Ford's Sync is one of many systems offered by automakers that connects MP3 players and cell phones to the car's audio system.

No, we’re not talking about the auto manufacturers who might be able to get you into the hottest nightclub, or ones that have the ears of powerful Washington lobbyists.

Instead, we’re going to focus on the ones that excel at connectivity. As Consumer Guide’s resident technology and gadget geek, I dedicate a fair amount of evaluation time to how I interact with a vehicle, and vice versa. Most manufacturers understand that society is more mobile than it has been in the past. There are very few people nowadays who don’t own a cell phone and/or a digital music player.

While changes to cars can’t happen overnight, these companies have been pretty good about at least offering a stereo input plug for MP3 players as well as dealer-installed electronics to connect cell phones to the stereo system.

Some companies are better at this than others, and we’re going to focus on five that are at the head of this class. Their systems score points for not only offering cell-phone and MP3-player connectivity, but also for being simple enough to operate without an engineering degree from MIT.

08.20.2009