Entune

Here's a quick checklist of infotainment functions to test and questions to ask when new-car shopping.

One of the great things about technology is – with the exception of Apple products – consumers get more for their money every year. For example, the first 1GB USB drive I bought in 2005 cost me $30. Today you can get 10 for that price, delivered to your door thanks to Amazon. The same goes for car tech.

When it was first introduced in 2007, there was nothing like the original Ford Sync system, since it allowed car owners to connect and use a portable device better than anything that came before it. It took competitors awhile to catch up. But now Ford is the one playing catchup.

"Alexa, why can't I have CarPlay?"

Here's what we appreciate, and the things that need rethinking.

Toyota has announced official pricing on the company's 2013 Venza. Buyers can look forward to laying down $27,700 for the refreshed crossover, excluding any destination fees. That marks an increase of $275 over last year for the base, front-wheel drive LE model equipped with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine. Meanwhile, the XLE trim will carry a price tag of $29,775, or $1,585 more than the the 2012

Lexus is trying a new recipe with the all-new 2013 GS. We aren't here to go in depth with drive impressions--head to Autoblog for those--we'd rather tell you about the tech ingredients that make the new GS a savory entrée.

All hail the Prius van. That's what V stands for, right? Actually, Toyota says the V is for versatility. That sounds about right; after all it's pretty much a Prius with a larger cargo area.

Toyota is ready to bring the fight to Ford's SYNC system with the introduction of its all-new Entune infotainment system, combining music, internet search and a range of other services into the new touchscreen head unit. But is it any good?

It's been nearly four years since Ford and Microsoft introduced SYNC to the world, and since then nearly every major OEM has been playing catch-up – including the planet's largest automaker. For Toyota, that ends today with the introduction of Entune, a new integrated multimedia system that uses the driver's Net-enabled and Bluetooth-equipped smartphone.

Toyota Entune – Click above for high-res image gallery