Touchscreens are the 'wrong technology' for the main controls in cars, says the man who designed the iPhone

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az9393@reddit

And he is 100% correct. There is absolutely no advantage driver wise to having a touchscreen vs a physical button.

I mean something like a plane cockpit I can understand (because there are millions or functions needed). But for car no way.

I believe the way BMW and others have done it (a joystick with a few buttons to control the screen plus a few physical controls for things like gear change, AC, seat heating etc ) is absolutely the best way to move forward.

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Emotional-Water-5457@reddit

Actually in airplanes out side of a few things the majority of all controls are physical buttons and knobs. Pilots would never use a full touch screen for flying. If it fails then they are SOL.

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Domyyy@reddit

It depends on what you're comparing it with. An actual button is going to be better than a touch button on the UI which mirrors the same functionality.

But if we're talking controlling the system. Navigation. CarPlay? I find anything other than a touchscreen to be absolutely miserable. It makes no sense from an UX perspective to control something that is right in front of you that you could TOUCH with another layer of abstraction that is a rotary dial, for example. It takes more time and you will still have to look on the screen anyways. I honestly think this is the main reason why consumers prefer touchscreens.

I had a 2016 Golf before and the Touchscreen was a great experience. Now on a 2020 MB and their rotary dial (COMAND) is just miserable. The funny part is that said MB actually has AC buttons (which I generally appreciate) but it's like 10 of them and they all look exactly the same, so I still have to look at them for way too long to do anything at all.

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Emotional-Water-5457@reddit

No one is talking about Carplay or Android Auto. Those don't contorl the whole car. No one has an issue with those. They don't take away from the physical buttons.

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JokesAside22@reddit

I am with you on that 100%. Love physical buttons for A/C and all that but I can’t stand the rotary dials on the Mazda personally. I know people on this subreddit are crazy about it but using CarPlay which was designed for touchscreen on a dial is just unnecessarily difficult.

The simple list menus on the Mazda are fine with a dial but when things are out of order and spread across the screen you don’t really know where the dial is going next so I would spent way too much time scrolling around and watching where the dial went. Took me way too long to find how to mute the announcer for Waze one time because the dial would simply skip over it every time.

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intercede007@reddit

Carplay? I find anything other than a touchscreen to be absolutely miserable.

BMW iDrive wheel. I never touch the screen while driving using CarPlay. I don’t even use the capacitive touch pad on the controller.

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rickhamilton620@reddit

Yup save with Mazda Commander Knob.

People go WTF but once you own the car and spend time with it, it becomes second nature even in CarPlay. Love it.

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degggendorf@reddit

I've previously had an Acura and Mini with a dial and non-touch carplay screen, and now have a Miata with the same.

I really dislike them all, especially having to do something like zoom out the map or see the next direction. On a touch screen it's just a pinch or a swipe. With the dial it's like bump up to select the Maps screen, then scroll down four clicks to get up, then bump the dial over, then click, then scroll. It's not intuitive enough to do without watching the little selection box dance around, so I might as well just touch the screen.

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Larcya@reddit

The knob is no different than having a touch screen on a motorcycle. It's inherently unsafe when you actually sit down and realize that 85% of drivers on the road can't even drive without being a fucking a threat to themselves and everyone else on the road. Now you want them operating a fucking knob to do everything?

No different than if some motorcycle manufacture had the moronic idea to make the TFT dash a touch screen only thing.

Now could I as a decently good Driver/Rider learn to do both things? Sure. But I know for a fact that 90% of the other drivers on the road are an actual threat to themselves and those around them the moment when they have to do more than focus only on the road.

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FrankReynoldsCPA@reddit

Have you used the knob in a BMW? It's so fucking intuitive. I'm no staring at the screen, 90% of what I would do during driving is muscle memory with the knob. Cycling media sources, stations, zooming in and out on the map. Effortless.

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Larcya@reddit

You or I sure?

The average moron? Not chance in hell. You are dealing with people who can't even drive.

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hutacars@reddit

I’ve spent plenty of time in Mazdas. That stupid knob is the main thing that convinced me not to bother recommending one to someone who I know would otherwise love the car.

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Straight6er@reddit

It's fascinating to me that I had almost the exact opposite reaction. I liked using the knob better than any other modern car interface I've been exposed to.

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NCSUGrad2012@reddit

Same. Changing the radio station on that thing was a chore. You have to go through menus and if you select the station you want you have to go back through the menus to make another change

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rickhamilton620@reddit

It’s significantly easier if you save your favorite stations. Then it’s just a matter of twisting the knob and choosing the desired favorite or using the steering wheel controls to seek up / down the favorites list band.

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JournalistExpress292@reddit

Same, and you can even use it without looking at times when typing letters using the touchpad.

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s1ravarice@reddit

The best bit about this and the old Mercedes version is that you can use the UI in your peripheral vision after a while, so you can still focus on the road.

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ghostogresnowrabbit@reddit

Why are you interacting with carplay while you drive? What do you need to do on carplay thats so urgent? If you're stopped you can do anything complicated on your phone.

While you are driving and inputting simple commands, a dial is infinitely superior.

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Domyyy@reddit

You’ve never had to change a route due to traffic? Or a literal song because you don’t like the music? (Mercedes does not have any other way to change songs. I mentioned that)

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trichtertus@reddit

A controller makes so much sense. You can rest your arm and have a firm grip at the controller. It gives feedback and does distinct and predictable actions: You want to select the 5th item in a list? Turn 5 clicks and click. You don’t need to stare at the screen for the entire time. You just need a glimpse of the menu and an other to verify it did, what it was supposed to.

With a touch screen, you need to aim, while the car moves. I had it so many times, that the moment I wanted to hit something on the screen *bump and i hit the item next to it. Ohh no, now I have to also hit the back button and try again. I can’t take my eyes off the screen, because hand eye coordination with such a complex target only works with visible feedback.

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Shadow_Ass@reddit

Just yesterday I was driving and it was a bit too warm in my car. I was on the Autobahn doing about 150 and I managed to lower the temperature without looking away for a single second. It's a knob and it clicks so I know that one click is 0.5°. A touchscreen is something you have to look at to use it, just like a smartphone. Putting everything in menus is absolutely insane and shouldn't be allowed.

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IMI4tth3w@reddit

Guess what, you can also do this entirely hands free using voice commands in many vehicles, including my Tesla, which is the best option IMO.

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Emotional-Water-5457@reddit

Or we can just do it faster with a physical button.

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Alex_MC_69@reddit

To be fair, the BYD did something nice where you could use 1, 2 or 3 fingers for this kind of things. Managed to change temperature, volume etc without looking at the screen. But still, I have bought a Skoda :))

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Emotional-Water-5457@reddit

Yeah no one wants that crap. Just give us a physical button. There is a reason co pits in air planes all have physical buttons and switches. Because its easy to learn and remember.

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Egoist-a@reddit

You still have to look at the screen to confirm it did what you asked and not something else

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Pyju@reddit

Haptic feedback on the screen combined with visual feedback in the gauge cluster (or better yet, the HUD) could solve for this.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d still prefer physical switchgear, but there are definitely solutions to improve user intuitiveness with touchscreen controls. It’s baffling how few of them have been implemented by automakers.

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DrDerpberg@reddit

That's still a billion times more awkward than a physical knob with distinct feel. It saves pennies and makes everything so much worse.

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3rdreprieve@reddit

You can do 150 in your Mazda3? Is it a 2.5T?

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Shadow_Ass@reddit

150 kmh lol

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3rdreprieve@reddit

Oh lol

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KadettYachtz@reddit

Americans never cease to amaze me.

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daveylu@reddit

says the person on an American website

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FNc2nsZQLtOX24S4@reddit

Chinese* website

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KadettYachtz@reddit

Yup.

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ZeroWashu@reddit

wow, I can do this with voice controls and muscle memory too because yes simple options even on a screen are muscle memory with use. with most modern cars automatic climate control is a thing and its set once and forget.

I get it, some cars have atrocious UIs that make you wonder if the team worked on it ever had to use it in an automobile.

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sobookwood@reddit

Exactly! Mazda has (had?) the right take, but the new 2026 CX5 abandons this and goes full tablet. Im surprised they didn't learn from the VW case.

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JournalistExpress292@reddit

Same with my BMW, I’m pretty sure I can count on my hands the amount of times I have used the touchscreen in my ownership of it, of which 80% of the time it was for the vanity to see how it would feel.

I use the iDrive knob and buttons, including gesture control and steering wheel buttons for everything.

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BahnMe@reddit

The problem is that when these companies do focus groups or user research, most of the participants are like WOW WOW WOW when they see monstrosities like the new Mercedes or Hyundai interiors that are all just giant swathes of touch screens or a big ass tablet where the cupholders used to be on AMGs.

These spineless design leaders lean on this type of customer feedback that isn't deep, only superficial to push these nonsense screens everywhere look that is just ass and will look horribly dated in a decade. I applaud Mazda for trying to go a different route here although I'm sure they will also fold. Porsche interiors used to be physical central, maybe even too much but even they have just gone all touch screens even for the front passenger.

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hellish_ve@reddit

I think physical switches and buttons are superior YES, but I have to agree with Doug Demuro take on this, there are currently too many options especially in the infotainment systems, so I think a well thought hybrid of both is the reasonable way to go, like the interior shown by Ferrari and Jony Ive (which Im really liking at this point).

Create something that feels intuitive, its as secure as possible and covers the needs with ease.

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Emotional-Water-5457@reddit

All you need the screen for is backup camera and tonuse Android auto and Apple car play. Heck you can make SiriusXM, FM, and AM radio with physical buttons. Its safer for everyone.

That should have been the clue and wake up call for how to do things. Because no car company cane make a better OS then Android Auto and Apple Car play.

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forgot-my_password@reddit

Recently rented a GLS 480 for a week and a half and it was a great set up. Touchscreen from the dash to center and main hvac controls were switches that felt great. Volume on the center was a scroll that felt much better to use than the capacitive touch on the steering wheel. Going to hate any car with purely touchscreen controls for main hvac/volume

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hellish_ve@reddit

Hard agree! knobs, switches and buttons strategically placed are the best option, plus a responsive, fast and sharp touchscreen, its not an either or situation in my opinion.

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U_SMUG_MOTHERFUCKER@reddit

💯hard agree. The Jony Ive Ferrari interior looks like the future with a nice balance between tactile controls and touch screen.

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Rebellion2297@reddit

It's like trying out a chair by sitting on it for 10 seconds. The comfiest one is probably terrible for your spine

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Vikare_@reddit

Mazda did fold. The new cx5 is just a giant touchscreen. Hardly any buttons. It's enough for me to not want to buy another cx5.

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Fun-Ice-6013@reddit

I wanted a bigger touchscreen but they 100% should have left a volume knob & climate controls

Those asymmetrical screens always bothered me, the dial was fine but that design was terrible which is why the Mazda 6 had the best layout of their catalog

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Shmokesshweed@reddit

More like, "We can throw this same tablet in half our lineup. Make all the buttons digital and save X number of dollars."

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shlerm@reddit

Why not throw 2 more in? And if they break or stop working the entire car becomes unusable.

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Shmokesshweed@reddit

Screens are cheap if you buy something with a screen like this, so that's one plus.

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Fun-Ice-6013@reddit

Specifically non dash integrated screens, but it also gives any luxury car its put in an extremely cheap feeling

It’s basically gone viral on all forms of social media about people gooning over the 2015 S class while the last model is a joke in comparison, all plastic materials & instead of that beautiful dash (still had a massive screen) you get an ugly IPad that doesn’t even have good haptic feedback

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knowledgeable_diablo@reddit

Cheap to buy from Denso when your an OEM buying a years supply for several models, massively expensive if you’re a customer buying one off to replace the unit in your car that controls everything and is suffering sun fade or separation of the capacitance surfaces.

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Shmokesshweed@reddit

I wouldn't be buying new. No point.

eBay has lots of options for Mavericks and Corollas between $100 and $200, just as a random example.

YouTube is full of tutorials for just about every car. They're mostly all built like Legos that snap together at this point too.

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taticalgoose@reddit

Cool. My mom will love it when her 5 year old screen breaks and the shop quotes her $1.5k to replace then I just tell her "do it yourself mom. eBay has lots of options for Mavericks and Corollas between $100 and $200, just as a random example. YouTube is full of tutorials for just about every car. They're mostly all built like Legos that snap together at this point too."

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Honest_Totti@reddit

Don't be so hard on your mom. Why don't you offer to do it for her? Geez

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HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit

And this is why doing basic repairs (unless you have physical disability that affects your fine motor control) should be part of the driver licensing process, as the amount of people driving around with only one headlight or worse no taillights because "I don't know how and I don't want to learn" and "well the lights worked when I bought and I think I can see well enough, why do I need lights on the back anyway???"

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taticalgoose@reddit

This is a ridiculous take. Most people aren't equipped to fix cars, either mentally or because they don't have a place to do it. Tying the ability to drive to the ability to make mechanical repairs is not good policy.

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HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit

So you are classing swapping wiper blades (which you can do outside the parts store / Walmart) and swapping light bulbs as doctoral level mechanics, when it is basic stuff and condition of light sources,.wiper blades and fluids should be something every driver bar those with fine motor control impairments should be capable of doing.

Big giveaway with the "this is a ridiculous take" ad hominem opening.....

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taticalgoose@reddit

Or, you know, just don't make mechanical knowledge a requirement and assume that some people are going to have to have to pay to get any work done. You're already allowing for that scenario with the elderly and the physically impaired.

I know several people who simply aren't going to do any level of mechanical work on a car. Your proposal to require it or else they can't drive would be a complete political nonstarter.

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HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit

Many countries would point to mass transit.

The UK driving test requires candidates to show understanding of where screen wash etc goes and explanation of how to fill it and what with. Ditto other things.

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taticalgoose@reddit

We've gone way off my original point here which was that you shouldn't expect the average driver to be able to change out their infotainment screen themselves. Diluting it to "everyone should know where to put washer fluid" is completely different. Let's leave it at that.

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knowledgeable_diablo@reddit

That’s true for that small proportion of drivers that both understand this and have the technical skills and gumption to disassemble and rebuild their dash (and hope they can get it to converse with the various ECUs and other systems). For the majority of people, whom OEMs rely on, buying genuine parts from branded dealerships is the only way. And then they are paying the absolutely insane mark up prices. Like when I bought my car, it was literally the only model released with an old all button stereo. Sales man thought he was onto a winner but telling me he could get the touchscreen installed for me to collect that arvo after they did the PDI.

All for the low low price of $1800 plus instal fees. I just laughed and advised him if he put a touch screen in it I’d cease the purchase. I also run the largest wharf import company in the state for new cars direct from factory so know what these parts cost direct and how long wharf fitment radios take to install. So while I may be in the minority of hating touchscreens (mainly due to poor operability and seeing the number of pre-release rework campaigns we undertake just to make them functional) Im more than happy with a radio that I can 100% operate every function of without taking my eyes off the road.

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snoo-boop@reddit

That’s true for that small proportion of drivers that both understand this and have the technical skills and gumption to disassemble and rebuild their dash

Or you can, you know, hire an independent expert. Check out "car repair" in your favorite search engine.

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knowledgeable_diablo@reddit

Well I could, or I could just direct one of my mechanic staff to just do it. But I’m more talking about the vast majority of owners who either can’t do this or have no time or technical aptitude.

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snoo-boop@reddit

The vast majority of owners are incapable of hiring a car repair person?

I did not know that.

Great to hear that you have mechanics on staff.

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knowledgeable_diablo@reddit

Probably the benefit of running a large automotive company with teams of mechanics, fitters, panel beaters, painters and just the usual and general Yard staff who just drive vehicles from point A to a point B to keep the whole show rolling so more new cars can flow straight from the factory then out into the market.

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HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit

Most stuff is either pop off trim and pull or pop off trim and remove 2 to 4 screws, pull screen and unplug 1 or 2 plugs It's literally done to make assembly way faster on production lines and be do able by untrained staff (who also cost less)

There are also independents who will either rebuild your display for you or send yours off for repair (some may even just exchange yours for a rebuild they have in stock and send yours back and at less cost than the dealership would charge

(Though apple style software "locks" abound, though again many jurisdictions require manufacturers to make the same tools available to independents)

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10000Didgeridoos@reddit

I hear you but we live in a time where people are too risk averse to even order food over a phone call if the app/website isn't working, and in general are delegating more and more basic tasks to AI.

The average person is never going to take apart their dashboard to replace a screen even if the process isn't bad. They don't want to.

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HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit

I think there are several factors at play - 1) those who don't want to learn, 2) those who are afraid to try, 3) those who would like to try but need some help 4) those who want to try but need a space to try some stuff

Group 1 are beyond help, 2 needs an in person mentor to show and reassure them, 3 needs some help to get started but could be passed onto instructional videos as long as they know they have the option to ask for help, 4 needs a maker space whether with or without tools

It's not just a generational thing either - case in point my 2 younger brothers (I'm mid 40s and they are early 40s and about to turn 40 respectively) have no clue about repairing stuff.

the early 40s one has belatedly realised my dad won't always be able to help him do stuff or do it for him and well we don't get on as he only contacts me when he wants something. Otherwise I would teach him (though I have tried and been calm as can be and all I heard was woe is me)
the one about to turn 40, he just buys random shit from Amazon and worse trusts the reviews (even when it's pointed out these are paid for fake reviews and I can see clear dangers in the way it's been made)

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MrReadilyUnready@reddit

I'd love to see you try doing that in the EQS or Cadillac Escalade or new Audi A5.

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chretienhandshake@reddit

Most of us are never buying these models….

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rooftop_druid@reddit

That doesn’t change the point for people that do

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snoo-boop@reddit

My car is 12 years old with a large screen that is a standard size and interface. The screen part is still cheap now. The people who pick parts can choose wisely, or unwisely.

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Significant-Pen-6049@reddit

Can you only swap the screen? I thought there was awhile bunch of bs to install it

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Hrmerder@reddit

Lol.. Yeah that only works for a select amount of year models. I believe most manufacturers require you to 'marry' the screen to the canbus now (as they do with LITERALLY everything that makes zero sense except to force consumers back to the dealer).

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HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit

Also ties into the immobiliser and means your stereo for example isn't as attractive to thieves (and means no code is required)

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Shishamylov@reddit

That’s exactly it. It’s cheaper to design and code a digital interface than to design and manufacture a physical one. They’re not doing it because of focus groups

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toromio@reddit

I just don’t buy that it saves that much money. Switches cost pennies, literally.

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Shmokesshweed@reddit

They don't.

Switch itself
Installation at the factory
Warranty at the dealer if it breaks
Wiring harnesses.
Cutouts for the switch - meaning different parts for different cars.
Warehousing.
Shipping.

And that's likely not exhaustive.

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SubterraneanAlien@reddit

Correct. This is not a design-led decision, it's COGS-led.

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HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit

COGS???

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SubterraneanAlien@reddit

cost of good sold

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HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit

Thank you

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Macgyver452@reddit

Half your lineup? Unacceptable. This screen better be in the entire lineup. Profits only increased 2.3% last quarter.

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TheFoundation_@reddit

Also, now we added tech oooo shiny, now we can charge more

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Harvestman45@reddit

He’s 100% right. Muscle memory doesn't exist on a flat glass surface. In a car, 'eyes on the road' should be the priority, but touchscreens force you to look away just to adjust the AC or volume. We spent decades perfecting tactile dials you can use by feel, only to throw it away for a cheaper manufacturing solution masked as 'high-tech

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skankhunt1738@reddit

Mazdas “knob” they’ve had for the last decade and universally loved and never complained about was removed in the 26 MY for the CX-5… in place of a big touch screen.

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TempleSquare@reddit

While I dislike touchscreens, the knob in the 2015 Mazda 3 really bugged me.

Android Auto just isn't built for knobs.

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N0_ThisIsPATRICK@reddit

My Mini (with a BMW infotainment system) has a touchscreen and it can also be controlled with a knob. I find it very useful, but it's no longer present in the new models since 2024. I had one as a loaner and it looks pretty but is harder to use.

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PurpleNurpleSector@reddit

I like having both options. Sometimes it's easier to use one over the other, and having the option to choose your input is great

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gfewfewc@reddit

It's not really built for fingers either if you ask me, the UI is a fucking mess.

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TempleSquare@reddit

True. The on screen selection icons are way too small!

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manilove__frogs@reddit

Did you own it or rent it? I love the knob in our CX5.

Though my main daily is my 2019 Frontier, and I prefer just mounting my phone in an accessible location to android auto/car play. Apparently I'm in the minority for that. I find using the car's infotainment to just be a clunkier experience.

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TempleSquare@reddit

Parents had it.

The knob also kept breaking (replaced it twice, but that's an aside).

It was nice for the Mazda menus. But the Google stuff just isn't meant to work with the knob.

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corduroy@reddit

I retrofitted AA in my BMW (model year before with the touchscreen) and the idrive controller works great with AA.

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klowny@reddit

The only thing I found annoying with AA and the knob is Google Maps. But Google Maps is a sluggish buggy usability annoyance in every experience.

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mito@reddit

Android Auto just isn't built for knobs.

lmao

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PolarWater@reddit

Ouch...

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Avedas@reddit

Really? I hate Mazda's infotainment and their knob lol. Trying to input an address in the navi takes 100 years.

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Ghost1k25@reddit

It’s 2026, why would you not use your phone for that?

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Avedas@reddit

It's a Japanese car maker, and Google Maps is strictly worse than local navi systems in Japan by a significant margin. I only use it when I have to, like when I have to drive a Mazda lmao

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Ghost1k25@reddit

So completely irrelevant for 99.999999999999% of the English speaking world. My point stands.

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Avedas@reddit

Well I don't live in the English speaking world. I live in Japan, and Mazda is a domestic brand. There's no reason to use a phone for that purpose here, and I believe most people don't. Mazda's local competitors have better usability. I think my criticism is fair.

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Tough-Document5829@reddit

Why can't we have both!

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jondes99@reddit

Who loves it? Between the controls they lock out when you aren’t stopped and the time it takes to scroll, it’s atrocious.

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RandomGenName1234@reddit

Mazda were also pretty open about not liking touchscreens.

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1121372_why-mazda-is-purging-touchscreens-from-its-vehicles

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Magnus_The_Totem_Cat@reddit

That article is 7 years old and no longer relevant. The new CX-50 is all touchscreen with zero buttons.

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RandomGenName1234@reddit

Try re-reading my comment lol

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Magnus_The_Totem_Cat@reddit

Idk. Considering how poorly I did the first time I should probably leave it alone. Lol

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RandomGenName1234@reddit

Hahaha

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hutacars@reddit

universally loved and never complained about

Gonna try rewriting reality, huh?

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Nyexx@reddit

The knob was definitely NOT universally loved.

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aeroplane1979@reddit

I recently got a 2026 CX-70. I give the car a lot of shit for things that it does wrong (namely walk-away auto lock that only works 10% of the time and a comically poor smartphone app which is the only way to access the nearly worthless remote start function), but the knob or wheel or whatever is absolutely brilliant.

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KeythKatz@reddit

The nice thing about touchscreens typically used for navigation is that you aren't touching them that much, and when you do, you're usually in a position to not need to see the road, and touch is the more efficient method. Compare this to HVAC and volume controls which are typically adjusted while driving.

I also agree with the other commentator, Android Auto was a pain in the ass using the knob.

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aykevin@reddit

No it's not. I design car interiors for Toyota, land rover, jaguar and have a master's degree in transportation design.

Touchscreens test poorly consistently. It's always corporate decisions because touchscreens are much cheaper than buttons.

Please don't chat shit when you don't know what you're talking about.

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AnonymousEngineer_@reddit

Let's be honest. How many people would genuinely buy a car with an interior that looks like this?

https://www.topgear.com/sites/default/files/2026/01/3-Ineos-Grenadier-review-2026-UK.jpg

The Grenadier interior is designed like that for a specific purpose - so that people wearing gloves can use all the controls.

But would most people want that over a touchscreen? I suspect not - most people think this looks old fashioned and low-tech. People want their cars to be a rolling iPad.

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cbf1232@reddit

I have a 2019 Rav4, and I like the fact that most of the important controls are physical buttons. I live in a place with actual winter, and regularly drive with gloves on in winter.

The 2026 version has moved many of the infotainment controls, heated seat controls and HVAC controls onto the touchscreen which I think is a regression.

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testthrowawayzz@reddit

The 2026 version has moved many of the infotainment controls, heated seat controls and HVAC controls onto the touchscreen which I think is a regression.

and moving the HVAC status display into a permanent bottom bar of the infotainment display has the effect of making the screen too tall and making the center vents too low.

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epihocic@reddit

That's a pretty easy solve though, you just put the vents next to the touchscreen. You don't actually need central vents, nobody sits in the centre of the front row.

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captainnowalk@reddit

This looks like exactly what I’d want. Though there may be a host of customers that just want a Tesla-style interior, I don’t think Ineos is courting them, honestly. They’re not trying to take away Land Rover’s current customer base, they’re trying to edge in on those that want purpose-built off-road capability, like the Wrangler/Bronco crowd, but nicer.

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testthrowawayzz@reddit

That interior looks a bit busy. Not everything need redundant text labels when the switches are already labeled with universal ISO icons

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dagelijksestijl@reddit

Well this looks heavenly

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Slam_Beefsteel@reddit

That's why it's nice that a big name like Ive is weighing in. It's just a question of marketing and perception.

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UnnamedStaplesDrone@reddit

Mazda already folded. Next cx5 is all touchscreen

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dont-YOLO-ragequit@reddit

Because when scrolling through the CX5 sub, it was flooded with post about cross shopping the CX50 and "why have a screen that's not touch screen" " lack of touch screen is a deal-breaker" were constantly brought up. YouTube reviewers also persistently complained about the multi function wheel (it takes less than a week to not even notice it). So their focus groups most likely said the same thing.

And Mazda shifted from screen away and a wheel to avoid driving distraction to big touchscreen( remove the wheel and HVAC) and voice commands(to replace it) following these demands.

They caved because this is what was wanted for the last 8+ years and the trend( or the inconveniences) only flipped in the last year.

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UnnamedStaplesDrone@reddit

Yeah, they could have had both though. Pretty sure later cars have a working touch screen. Our 21 doesn’t not even when stopped

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TheCudder@reddit

This has always been my preference. I don't think anyone has done this but Lexus in their mid to late 2010's models.

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Gorgenapper@reddit

You can absolutely have both touchscreen and physical HVAC controls, just look at the CR-V. It even has a real volume knob.

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jondes99@reddit

Evidently Mazda can’t, because they went from one extreme to the other. Entering an address using that stupid ass wheel in my 3 is absolutely ridiculous.

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Milk-Man75@reddit

My wife has a 24 CX-5 base model, and the screen has touch controls when you are stopped.

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dont-YOLO-ragequit@reddit

There are plenty of Android auto or Carplay USB adapters that take care of Google Maps + audio streaming and other apps without even needing any touch screen function while driving.

If the playlist is well curated and the destinations have been searched previously in the phone. There is no need to even use the wheel.

I use the wheel only to report road hazards( it's a pop up) and once in a while to switch playlist (I ignore my chat conversations while driving)

Both can be done on the phone if you are stopped at the street light ( while it is dash mounted).

Everything else can be handled before taking off or when arriving at destination.

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UnnamedStaplesDrone@reddit

If I’m in the middle of driving and I want to scroll the map ahead to see traffic etc, I can’t even do it on my phone, since when my phone is plugged in, it takes the map view away and I only have directions.

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dont-YOLO-ragequit@reddit

There are likely other options since the time I bought it but [this one] (https://youtu.be/QBBytFgbcn8?si=WuqCMtYOc9oYE4bO) Is what I bought the first month I got the car( also unlike the( Volvo? )in the video, the Cx5 never had key fob interference issues.

It plays in the car what ever you was playing on your phone on startup, has lots of apps that synch with the phone and give the same interface as wired AA while letting you open other apps on the phone.

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ghostogresnowrabbit@reddit

Some people dont prefer a touch screen but touch screens arent a deal breaker for anyone.

Some people really like the rotary and some people hate it. Turning away the people that hate it is worse than being meh to everyone.

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BahnMe@reddit

Every CX50 sold in NA has a touch screen. In the first model year, you had to manually enable it to work while moving in settings.

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dont-YOLO-ragequit@reddit

Yes it was a typo hence why the 0 has a strike that was the edit to the comment.

The CX5 reviews mostly complained about it having a screen that is not touchscreen.

Fun fact. The screen was purposely small and far away from the driver because it was not meant to be touched while driving.

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SuluTheIguana@reddit

My brother's boyfriend was really against Mazda's due to this reason. They ended up with a Hyundai Santa Fe instead, despite my brother wanting to get back into a Mazda after maintenance issues with his Tuscon.

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RecDep@reddit

get me into one of those focus groups ASAP, we'll have brown diesel manual wagons within a year

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saveyourtissues@reddit

Focus groups are straight up evil

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ezcool54@reddit

Mazda recently folded: https://www.mazdausa.com/vehicles/cx-5

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Mental_Medium3988@reddit

I feel like early to mid 10s cars have the right balance of a double din sized screen and touch controls for everything else. Some touch controls are nice and make a more pleasant experience, who wants various monstrosities like I drive where some will do it well and others horribly, while also keeping needed controls physical and easily reachable.

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shantm79@reddit

I love the tactile feel of the bmw iDrive with a small and focused screen. I'm not hunting for icons across a massive grid, I just need to scroll vertically to find what I want (for most entertainment apps such as radio and Satellite).

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markyymark13@reddit

What I believe about these focus groups are similar to what you said, average consumer gets wowed by tech and big screens. But what I REFUSE to believe, is that these focus groups say that they also want every single button and action to be thrown into the menus.

The former is used to justify the cost cutting measure of the latter.

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Domyyy@reddit

It's ironic that I drive the W205, too and I just mentioned it as a prime example of horrible usability lol.

The COMAND dial is horrible to use. It takes ages to do anything at all. The touch pad above the controller is so generally hated that many buyers didn't even spec it and then you have the AC buttons which all literally look alike so you're still stuck looking off the road because how would you know of those 10 buttons is the one you need right now?

Have you actually tried the system in one of the new MBs? And I mean actually tried it? There is an over-reliance on touch for sure but it is a 10x better experience than the miserable bs that's called COMAND.

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BahnMe@reddit

I use CarPlay and go. The only controls I use after that are pause, fast forward, or voice command. Yes, I used to own a newer E class coupe with the newer Command system and had a few loaners as well. To me, they’re just Fine compared to the rest of the touch screen interfaces, nothing special or good. Some odd choices on design but that’s German UI design for you.

I don’t see how you can possibly be confused by the buttons for heated seats or AC. I would kill to have those buttons on my daily the Golf R which is all touch buttons or screen crap.

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Domyyy@reddit

CarPlay is a good example because we recently got a 2025 Ford Focus with a proper touchscreen and it takes me 5 clicks to get started: Maps -> "Work" -> YT Music Quicklink -> "Main Playlist" -> Bottom left button (Overview Page). This is a 1 minute act on the COMAND system because you have to "scroll" the wheel all the way across the CarPlay UI-elements ... and back again. And you want to change the song? Bad luck to you. There's no next song button on MB cars so you need to scroll back to the next song UI button. But now there's an instruction from your navigation system which completely blocks the scroll wheel so now you have to wait for it to be over.

The heated seats buttons are great and they still exist on any modern MB fyi. What I simply don't like is the center console AC layout because these buttons literally all look the same. So ofc I will have to look away from the road to find the right one. Especially the rarer used ones like rear window heating I certainly couldn't operate from "muscle memory" even after 3 years of driving this car. I even sometimes accidently change the AC mode because I thought I was changing the temperature. You also don't get any feedback on the AC unit itself so you will have to look back up on the screen to see what actually happened.

To give a great counter-example of a manual AC control done right: The system in the old Audi A4 (B9) was great. I prefer it over any touch implementation for sure.

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HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit

My mk4 focus had a refresh where the pre 2022 models have buttons and dials for climate, mine has this hulking great screen just stuck to the top of the dash.

Android auto takes a while to load, heck even the car screen can take several seconds to boot up when you get in the car.

Voice control....doesn't, jumps between fords own attempt, Alexa and Google - the problem is Google can barely comprehend my accent and can't control the car, ford can't understand me at all (nor my neutral accented wife, even when the car is still and no other noise is present) and Alexa tells me I need a subscription to do well....anything even change a track

The sensors on the front of the car trigger at random and at times the crash imminent has flashed up when nothing is there at all

It drives nicely....the onboard systems are just crap ....

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Domyyy@reddit

The electronics of the Focus are awful and we have tons of issues. Nothing to do with that giant Screen tho. We love that screen and CarPlay has been flawless so far (probably the only thing without issues in this car but it's a subscription car so we don't really mind).

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BahnMe@reddit

There is a next at least on NTG5.5, it’s on the steering wheel. IIRC, NTG5 might have had it on the middle control cluster. For me, using the climate controls once committed it to memory especially since the only thing I adjust is 1 or 2 degrees up or down.

For your carplay scenario, I start the car, it wirelessly connects, and I click it once or twice on the command wheel or steering control if I’m going home. If I’m going somewhere complicated, I use the phone to find my destination anyway. I hate using CarPlay Maps or GMaps to enter in the destination unless it’s voice.

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Domyyy@reddit

There unfortunately is no next on the steering wheel in any NTG5.5 (and 5 for that matter) car.

There was a next button on that "touch controller" in the center console but the previous owner didn't spec it because it almost completely blocks the rotary dial. We have it in our GLC and it's pretty bad. I'm also not sure if it even works with CarPlay (GLC doesn't have it).

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BahnMe@reddit

So the left black thumb swipe thing, if you swipe down with media playback being the active option in your instrument panel, it’ll skip 30s for a podcast or go next for a song.

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rootbeer123@reddit

I had a W222 and that COMAND dial pissed me off whenever I had to use it. I absolutely agree the MBUX system is leaps and bounds above that. I wish a couple of the buttons on the wheel weren't capacitive and that there was an actual heavy volume knob, but the system itself is generally laid out in a way that makes sense.

My C192 has most everything I use frequently either as a button(heated/cooled seats), permanently on the screen (HVAC), or I can assigned it to the programmable button on the wheel (use this for the front lift). The voice command system works well enough for something like the massage seats

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Domyyy@reddit

Luckily, some of the buttons are back on the upcoming models. The steering wheel now has an actual volume knob and an ACC control.

Still a far way to go ofc. While I do like touchscreen UI these steering wheel capacitive buttons really over no real advantage over actual buttons (besides maybe the slide functionality) and make the cost-cutting way too noticeable.

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RiftHunter4@reddit

The problem is that when these companies do focus groups or user research, most of the participants are like WOW WOW WOW when they see monstrosities like the new Mercedes or Hyundai interiors that are all just giant swathes of touch screens or a big ass tablet where the cupholders used to be on AMGs.

I might seem crazy, but IMO, this method of designing is a mistake. As the saying goes, if Henry Ford had asked people what they wanted, they would've asked for a faster horse. Apple didn't ask for opinions when it came up with the iPhone. I feel like most successful luxury brands just tell people what they want and make a good product to back it up. For some reason, car manufacturers haven't figured it out. The closest Ive seen so far was 2010s Tesla and maybe GMA. Kexus might get there with that LS Van concept if they actually make it.

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onthefence928@reddit

Tablet allows them to simplify their supply chain and development process.

You only need to stockpile one part: a tablet assembly. Instead of a dozen or two sets of switches and dials with wiring harnesses.

Also if you decide to change the interface or some behavior later in development you don’t need to R+D a new physical switch, you just push a software update.

Lastly the really important part is, drivers media and navigation demands are just too much for physical controls to keep up with. People don’t just want radio and bt/aux connections, they want their audiobook app to have a +-10 or 30 second buttons instead of just next or previous. They want to be able search on Spotify, pinch and zoom a map, handle text messages etc.

Some people won’t ever buy a car without android auto or CarPlay.

And lastly it’s not actually a supported use case for drivers to be able to handle all the controls in the car while driving. If it’s not on the steering wheel or gear select control, you technically should not be touching it while moving no matter what the interface is

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DishwashingUnit@reddit

Have you ever done a focus group? anybody who’s actually critical of anything doesn’t get invited back.

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nanocookie@reddit

When they pick up people for these focus groups, they intentionally pick the dumbest and technically illiterate people they can find. Just because a cross section of the population are morons doesn't mean tha product designers have to cater to serve the whims of morons.

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hutacars@reddit

they intentionally pick the dumbest and technically illiterate people they can find.

It’s called “know your customer.”

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corduroy@reddit

I don't understand why they can't do both. I don't mind screens, but the either-or mentality is stupid.

I don't see why we can't have a large screen to give us information and a bank of nice metallic switches with a thin lcd strip directly above it each toggle (to say what each toggle does), that can be programmed to do different functions through the interface (like how BMW does their programmable buttons, or did, I'm not familiar with their latest OS 8.5).

So if I want to raise lower the temperature, I can say that I want toggle 1 to control the temperature and the image above the LCD would tell me the temperature current temperature. If I wanted quick access to the volume, I could set toggle 2 to control volume and the part of the lcd above that would tell me the current volume level. etc...

That way, car manufacturers could still save some costs on offering a "universal" blank of switches (instead of hard coded custom switches) and owners can still have some physical controls.

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1stTimeRedditter@reddit

Not exactly sure which Hyundai you’re thinking of. They do a pretty reasonable job of having physical buttons for the things that matter.

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42LSx@reddit

That "Tablet glued to the dash" Style is the laziest design decision I have ever seen in my life and it looks cheap as fuck.
It's just roleplaying as a Dad from 1996 with a giant Tomton stuck to windshield.

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Mytre-@reddit

I'm confused on the Hyundai part ? It has knobs for AC and volume? And the screen is like perfectly sized to match the interior? Like it's not a huge tablet Tesla style , it's a rectangular screen that matches the gauge cluster screen and unless you like changing map directions each second you barely use it since steering wheel has all controls for media and AC has dedicated knobs. I'm confused on why call out Hyundai?

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dagelijksestijl@reddit

Do they even let the focus groups drive around an obstacle course while giving them tasks to do with the infotainment system? Maybe there’ll be more hostility if they keep having near-crashes rather than doing it while the car is stationary.

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The_Crazy_Swede@reddit

They also see the huge savings on putting a big screen over a bunch of buttons, both when building and when keeping inventory for spare parts.

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Drdres@reddit

I still think the Merc method of ”just put an iPad on the dash” instead of keeping it integrated in the center console, that they more or less introduced in like 2018(?), is fucking atrocious too. The new ones are worse but it was the start of a slippery slope.

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BahnMe@reddit

It’s far better than putting a giant portrait ipad right in the center console cup area, wtf. I think they’ve actually moved away from that as well.

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Emotional-Water-5457@reddit

I mean lets be honest if Google and Apple could they would put in a small ten inch screen that is used as a back up camera, navigation and for selecting music and everything else would be a physical button.

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Intelligent_Top_328@reddit

Nope. They are the right technology.

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TypicalBrilliant5019@reddit

Tactile knobs, switches, buttons, and sliders? Yes, they are the right technology if you care about safety.

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Weak-Specific-6599@reddit

I have no issues with screens as long as they work when I need them to, and I have quick access to the defroster.

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TypicalBrilliant5019@reddit

How do you find that "quick access to defrost"? I have three knobs on the lower dash, just above the center console: temperature, fan speed, and HVAC function. Crank all 3 full clockwise, and you have max. defrost.

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jnyc777@reddit

I just bought an rvr se, still has a pull up parking brake ! Of course tactical buttons and a key ignition 😱

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TypicalBrilliant5019@reddit

Manual parking brake. Yes, yes, yes!!!!

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CeleryFederal3882@reddit

I agree

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w0lrah@reddit

"No shit, sherlock" says everyone who actually cares about driving, as they've been saying since Tesla started this stupid trend.

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HighHokie@reddit

The problem isn’t with Tesla’s design. It’s that manufacturers attempted to ‘copy’ it without actually spending the money on it to make it good.

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w0lrah@reddit

No, Tesla's touch-only nonsense is terrible. Whoever came up with the idea of touchscreen-controlled vents needs to never be allowed to make a decision more consequential than breakfast again in their life. I'm not sure how they remember to breathe.

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HighHokie@reddit

They work fine. Set it and forget it. Nearly everything on the car is on auto. I regularly take drives and never have to touch the screen. Because it’s well designed.

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w0lrah@reddit

And when you do need to change things while driving, it's worse than basically any car that existed prior to 2013.

There's nothing to argue here, tactile controls that you can find by feel without looking are better to operate while driving, period. Touch screens are great for information-dense controls like nav, browsing a media collection, etc. but things like volume controls, tuning/track controls, basic HVAC operations, seat adjustments, gear/drive mode selection, etc. that you are likely to use while driving should remain distinct physical controls.

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HighHokie@reddit

Again it’s a well designed system. Everything is right where you need it. The wheel controls on a real alone are more intuitive than most vehicles out there.

I’ve been using it for years and drove traditional vehicles with traditional controls for years. The tesla has been the easiest vehicle to operate.

The real issue is with people that fidget. Some folks just can’t take the extra five seconds to establish their needs before they put the vehicle in drive. And then they constantly want to mess with the a/c, the nav, the music. Etc.

volume controls, tuning/track controls, basic HVAC operations, seat adjustments, gear/drive mode selection, etc. that you are likely to use while driving should remain distinct physical controls.

Everything you’ve listed here has an automatic or physical button in the tesla.

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

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JaniceRossi_in_2R@reddit

I absolutely love the sleek, uncluttered design of the Tesla interior. No need for 5 different screens and 37 knobs.

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Hyperspeed1313@reddit

We need a term to shame the auto industry out of doing this. Petition to make that term “the screenbarf era” of auto interiors

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BigLeague5570@reddit

I personally think touchscreens are good for secondary controls such as ambient lighting and other small stuff. Anything that you need use while driving should be on a physical button or knob.

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Titdirt69420@reddit

I always preferred knobs for the controls. I can feel where they are to find them, and you can feel the full range for say temperature, and you can set it to exactly what you want. All while keeping your eyes on the road.

The reason car companies moved this way is for cost. These are likely super cheap Chinese tablets with some shitty android variant os on it. Compared to knobs with potentiometers that have to be assembled and wires tied into the harness etc.

The tablet is far cheaper I'm sure.

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AlwaysHamboning@reddit

From a consumer's perspective, it's garbage. Stabbing at a 10ft screen while driving is just impractical and moronic, and I don't know how that got through focus groups and studies.

From a manufacturer's perspective, it's financially smart. Cram everything into an "OS" on a mass-produced screen, and cut costs on physical buttons and controllers. I'm sure the savings for BMW to get rid of the iDrive controller and switch to that monolithic display was cost-effective - especially when they get to make the dash cluster and instruments all entirely digital as well.

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Minute_Discipline536@reddit

Guys am In a bad situation I am confused should I buy a thar rox or a virtus gt help me

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Lanky-Top-1861@reddit

So damn true.

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Puzzleheaded_Year475@reddit

Bet that's good

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RhinoCracker781@reddit

So true

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cnrdvdsmt@reddit

True, just because touch screens are fancy doesnt mean we should make everything with those.

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dottiedanger@reddit

Yeah using touch displays for main controls is stupid, always prefer them old beautiful effective buttons

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ryta1203@reddit

Bro earned himself the Captain Obvious award.

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lingmestation@reddit

Yeah, that makes sense. Tony Fadell knows a thing or two about intuitive tech, and touchscreens just aren’t great for critical car controls—drivers need tactile feedback so they don’t take their eyes off the road.

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GOONKEK_TT@reddit

Honestly that’s kind of iconic 😭 like imagine inventing the ultimate touchscreen moment and then being like actually… maybe not for everything. He’s not wrong though, I miss real buttons in cars so bad.

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msooth@reddit

its annoying as fuck to have to go through a touchscreen to change air conditioning instead of a haptic real physical dial. same with buttons

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TimTomTank@reddit

More like "says anyone who cares about cars".

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PurpleNurpleSector@reddit

He understands something very simple that most car makers don't. Products need an interface that is intuitive for the user to use in the most natural way possible. Computers use keyboards and mice, fridges have big handles, staircases have handrails. All these products are designed for humans to interact with them in the most natural way. So why is it that car designers are willing to sacrifice that for aesthetics? When you're driving and the car is bouncing around, you need to tap through various menus with your hand flying around the place, trying to drive at the same time. Not very clever. I get it, clean interiors can look nice, but that being said you can still have buttons and make it look clean. I really hope more car manufacturers follow the tactile UX heaven that is the Ferrari Luce.

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prowler28@reddit

I agree completely. I recently test drove a vehicle with all of the HVAC and stereo controls on the touch screen and I hate that. If the screen doesn't work, I have no control. In 10 years 20 years time (forget planned obsolescence, it's beside my point), how will these be replaced? Same with all digital gauges. I hate that trend so much.

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One-Quiet-3604@reddit

I thaught so from the very beginning when they started releasing the main car funktions on touch-sensitive displays.Maybe I think so because I`m a youngtimer fan.Who is more inerested in tehnalogy than in technical manual buttons.To me, tablets remind me of an office desk,not a car.

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ChamberofSarcasm@reddit

He's completely right.

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RapidKnight69@reddit

physical buttons are just better

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Boring_Pair_982@reddit

Or you have stupid decision makers at companies like Tesla get rid of the stalk to have to use the touchscreen on the latest model Ys and 3s to reverse and shift to D. The idiocy

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Sought-After-27@reddit

I briefly had a 2024 M2 and got destroyed trading it in because I couldn't deal with the screens. I test drove it and bought it during the day, commuted with it all summer and thought I could deal with it. The final straw was post-DST when I would be driving home in the dark and my (not particularly old) eyes would immediately get tired from the screen overload. Not only is it WAY too much going on, the minimum brightness on them is still significantly brighter than I'd run any type of traditional analog dash.

It was about a ~15k lesson (that fortunately I was able to cover and learn from) getting rid of it after less than a year and I do not regret it. Such a brilliantly fun car otherwise, ruined by all the bullshit.

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Senior_Order7241@reddit

Were HVAC controls in the menu? What specifically did you hate about it?

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The_Spectacle@reddit

I just went from an IS with the super dated interior to a new X3. I'd like a happy medium. I always thought the one giant screen was frickin hideous and I still do but I've found it's not quite as noticeable when I’m sitting in the driver's seat. I really preferred the style of the old X3 but the new one finally grew on me enough to buy one

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arpaterson@reddit

Everyone who built an in car pc before the iPhone was even a thing also said that. I was one of them.

I mounted a touch screen to a hollowed out frame of DIN unit and immediately found I had to move it down in front of the gear stick so my arm wouldn’t be moving so much.

The resistive touch screen sucked. The reflectiveness/brightness of the LCD. The sight line down near the shifter sucked.

I had to make the size of UI elements enormous. I basically couldn’t/shouldn‘t use it while driving.

A lot of that could have been improved by throwing more money at it (I was a bachelor eng student).

But worst thing about the whole thing was that it was touchscreen based. I just wanted physical buttons back, at least for volume and playback controls. So did that.

I stopped there because interest faded.

And yet, OEMs ran with the idea for another 20 years and here we are. They have not solved any of the problems modders discovered.

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Then_Entertainment97@reddit

In other news: bears shit in the woods, and water makes things wet.

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Captain_Albern@reddit

I'm gonna wait for the iPhone guy to confirm that, thank you very much.

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Consistent-Throat130@reddit

My first method to contact emergency services is a mobile phone.

The touch screens are unreliable when wet, so I guess I won't have any emergency when it's rainy or I've been sweaty.

Seriously, fuck that guy and fuck touchscreen technology. Bring back physical buttons!

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conmorse@reddit

Big if true

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br0wntree@reddit

I think 75% of the issues with screens is due to badly designed and slow UI/UX. Most manufacturers outsource this which leads to horribly integrated products. I shouldn’t have to wait for anything to load or navigate 3 different menus to change the temperature. For example, Tesla’s system is so good that you almost forget about physical controls.

That being said I think some functions that are frequently accessed when driving should still have physical controls like volume and climate.

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Then_Entertainment97@reddit

I'd like to see one company get really good at this and become the defacto standard for infotainment. It could make it a lot more consistent going from car to car.

But I agree, the current situation where each car brand finds the most cost effective place to outsource this is untenable.

You can pry my climate knobs from my comfortably warm, dead, hands.

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pr1ntscreen@reddit

water makes things wet

Nice touch!

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F1McLarenFan007@reddit

Ever try to use your touch screen when vehicle has been sitting all night in -20 lol

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Ok-Pea3414@reddit

Depends on how a touchscreen is designed versus how buttons or knobs are designed.

Temperature, volume, lights, seat heating, next/prev/pause/mute - prefer physical buttons.

Everything else can be touchscreen but it has to be designed good, with the a good processing chip.

Take mirrors for example.

On an touchscreen island, large button and enough empty screen around it, that if I touch half an inch away, still opens up mirrors, without hanging in the middle, cool, perfect almost.

The problem is automakers keep putting critical functions in touchscreens, buried in menus that make it necessary to take eyes off the road to access that function.

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KaleidoscopeOwn4941@reddit

Touchscreen reduces the cost of making cars. You put one giant touchscreen, one bus to handle the signaling and your software team can work independently with a simulator developing the software even before rest of the car is ready. Also the exact same thing can work with your entire suite of cars that share the similar platform aspects. Not only that if you want to make changes it is just one software update away.

Compare this with physical buttons. First you need to know what real estate you have, what shape and size and dimensions. Then the wiring. Then you have to get everything manufactured at small scale first and fit in and see how it feels.

Jeep Grand Cherokee turned their gear shifter into a circular knob. The moment you touch it, it feels a bit wobbly, not firm , too plastic installing making the car look cheap than it is. Every car reviewer on youtube complains about it and says "this is cheap". For all those Kia and Hyundai everyone says "too much touchscreen I am old fashioned, I like buttons" that does not sound as harsh.

The problem is further compounded by the model where car manufactures want to sell you "dealer installed crap" at exorbitant prices. It should be trivial for them to provide a simple bluetooth enabled interface where you can buy off the shelf physical buttons and just add them to your dashboard. Want physical button for garage door open ? Sure just buy a $6 button off amazon and put it wherever you want and it seamlessly works with Cars OS. Want a circular rotary knob for car volume control ? Same thing. A magnetic knob you can buy and program. Unfortunately car manufacturers see this as evil.

Cars like SLATE might change this.

[-]

YYZYYC@reddit

and water is wet

[-]

ewplayer3@reddit

Frankly, I’ve held a similar opinion of touchscreens in cars since they started appearing. It’s changed a bit over time, but here’s where I landed:

Any commonly used function should be tied to a unique (location, type, etc.) physical control with tactile feedback. Controls like this can be worked into muscle memory and used without having to look at them.

Less used controls can be put into a touchscreen interface, but should have voice command alternatives available so users have a safer way to use them while the car is in motion.

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Ambitious-Yam1015@reddit

Our 2025 5-series dash is simply awful.

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OkSchool619@reddit

You realize the iPhone sucks right

[-]

A_Balrog_Is_Come@reddit

Can't I have both?

I like physical controls with a tactile feel.

I also like a large responsive screen for maps and music.

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FlintHillsSky@reddit

That is the only rational solution.

Use buttons for functions that are commonly used while driving. In particularly for simple on and off controls or increase/decrease controls. Even basic shared media controls like volume, play/pause, skip. They are well suited to physical controls.

Use the touch screen for functions that don’t need to be done while driving like settings, attaching devices, etc. Some things are open ended like navigation but you don’t normally set that while you are driving. You set that up with the touch screen or voice before and then minimally once you are moving.

[-]

BlackCatFurry@reddit

My car technically has both, the screen is not like large large, but it's 8" or so, big enough for changing settings while stopped, using android auto etc controls that work better on a touch screen.

However everything important is still as nice physical buttons and knobs that easy to use even with gloves on.

Nothing quite as annoying as adjusting the seat heater or ac when you forget to preheat the car in the middle of the winter and the controls are on the touch screen, but you need proper winter gloves to not freeze your hands on the steering wheel that has the surface temperature of -20C.

In my car i can do all the above by clicking physical buttons.

I have the cheaper trim of my car, there are a few "empty buttons" next to the gear selector, but who cares. They don't bite me there so i can let a few buttons exist on their own.

[-]

moparornocar@reddit

this is how my jeep is. has a big touchscreen I can use, but also has knobs/dials/buttons to change everything as well. can use either.

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FellateFoxes@reddit

Jeep surprisingly gets this right more than a lot of other companies.

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TFiPW@reddit

Subaru...

A copy of Volvo's Sensus infotainment, running on new old stock Intel Atom CPUs from unsold 2009 ASUS eee PC netbooks.

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IRENE420@reddit

Why is like only 1% of this thread actually talking about the FERRARI HE JUST DESIGNED??

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tpeandjelly727@reddit

But for a car, touch buttons are dangerous and unreliable. I hate that the only way to turn traction control on and off is while my vehicle isn’t moving and I go through the touch screen options. More steps and not driver friendly. Before I could hit the physical button while I was moving and turn it on and off as I wished. No more.

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bokan@reddit

No shit. Everyone said this 15 years ago. Marketing and business won. Safety lost. Screens are cheaper than buttons.

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ThatOldEngineerGuy@reddit

Touchscreens in cars are horrible. But its also become a selling point, so while horrific from a UX POV, it seems to be something that sells cars.

Granted, my daily is a 2004, bit thats one of the reasons why. But my better half wants something with a Touchscreen. Yay.

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Psilox@reddit

I mean, Jony Ive is a great designer, so I'm not at all surprised he'd say this. If anything, having designed the iPhone would give him a greater understanding of touchscreen limitations and applicability.

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farrrtttttrrrrrrrrtr@reddit

He’s wrong.

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PurpleHairedLoon@reddit

Yet he's LITERALLY just designed one and put it in a Ferrari of all things.

https://www.carscoops.com/2026/02/ferrari-luce-ev-interior-tactile-controls/

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restless_oblivion@reddit

Kay

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BiglyBallsLOLs@reddit

I prefer using the touch screen in my car instead of buttons in order cars. I'm also not a boomer.

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myCarAccount--@reddit

No, a big part of the problem is using a touchscreen while driving.

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HighHokie@reddit

The question is what is compelling you to mess with the touchscreen while driving to begin with?

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myCarAccount--@reddit

I don't but we all drive with people who do, right? Why are you being intentionally thick about it? If temperature for example is gated behind a touch screen, people will use it while driving and be distracted. There are so many bots like you who defend having a TV in front of them controlling their car like it is part of your heritage or something, I can never believe it.

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HighHokie@reddit

I’ve found that the real issue comes with folks that constantly fidget with their controls. A well designed vehicle UI is one that you don’t really have to interact with to begin with, regardless of input design. Tesla has a such a UI. Some folks may prefer buttons over touchscreens and that’s fine, but teslas UI is so well designed you rarely if ever NEED to use it while driving.

The issue to me is that companies are shifting to touchscreens to reduce cost, but aren’t investing or spending much time on the UI to accommodate such a change, so it’s no surprise that folks have issues with them.

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BiglyBallsLOLs@reddit

If that's a problem for you then you shouldn't be driving.

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myCarAccount--@reddit

PEOPLE in general shouldn't use touch screens while driving. It's proven, again and again. So piss off with your attitude.

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verdegrrl@reddit

No insults

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BiglyBallsLOLs@reddit

Fuck off, you're not the boss of me I do what I want. Touchscreen with good software is superior to buttons, it's been proven over and over. Cry about it loser 😭

[-]

verdegrrl@reddit

No insults. No trolling.

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Drzhivago138@reddit

Both of you are claiming it's "proven", yet neither have provided a source for that.

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myCarAccount--@reddit

It's really not hard to search for, and it's such an obviously intuitive truth. They are shown to be worse than alcohol for reaction time.

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BiglyBallsLOLs@reddit

It's such an obviously intuitive truth that touchscreens are superior to buttons in every way. You'd have to be a complete imbecile to insist otherwise when all the evidence is to the contrary.

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myCarAccount--@reddit

Ok lol enjoy! Boomer

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BiglyBallsLOLs@reddit

Ok I will continue to enjoy my superior master race touchscreen, Luddite 😁

[-]

crossandbones@reddit

Why?

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BiglyBallsLOLs@reddit

I don't know, ask the manufacturers why they make shit software.

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reddit_user42252@reddit

I already have a touchscreen in my car. My phone. I dont care the screen in cars or use it very much at all.

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cakes42@reddit

This is coming from the same guy that thinks shallow buttons in the Ferrari Luce is the solution and the "feedback" were looking for. For those who don't know Ferrari had Jonny Ive design the new Ferrari cockpit.

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fastLT1@reddit

No shit Sherlock! Fucking Elmo ruined it for everyone. He started the fad with tablets on dashboards.

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vicelordjohn@reddit

I mean, he's right.

I see car with giant screen and I go look at a different car.

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SevaraB@reddit

Touchscreen as the ONLY interface is bad. I don’t mind voice with a wake word plus touch, but lots of car UIs require touch to initiate voice control (make it make sense, please)… and then DISABLE touch while the vehicle is in motion. Hella dangerous if you’re lost or off-course and can’t adjust your map on the fly while you’re stuck in dense city blocks without a place to pull over.

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jcGyo@reddit

Howeverm when

Did they not even do spellcheck on this article?

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k987654321@reddit

‘Says the man who designed the iPhone’

Are you trying to imply they’re in any way related OP? Because they aren’t and he’s absolutely right. Touch screens have not no, but very limited place in a car.

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flGovEmployee@reddit

I mean I think it goes towards making the point that the man doesn't have any inuilt bias against touchscreens generally.

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Cardiff-Giant11@reddit

wife’s BMW is all touch screen, it’s fine and the voice assistant works pretty well but my mazda is just so much easier to use with the knob and physical hvac controls. even carplay for my uses works very well with the dial and Siri instead of touching the screen.

hoping there’s a move back to some physical controls but touch screens are here to stay. Otherwise we would all be using blackberry devices still

[-]

AceJ940@reddit

Exactly man. I had a 22’ Mazda 3, which was totaled :( now I’m in a Audi Q3 with only a touch screen and I can’t tell you how much worse it is than the Mazda. Honestly, the Mazda 3’s interior was nicer than my new car in almost every way.

It really annoys me when people complain about the dial because everything was simpler and faster to do. You’re right about CarPlay too. Sort of shows how absolutely stupid the average consumer is (though I can maybe see the complaint of at least not having it as both a touchscreen and dial operated).

[-]

JournalistExpress292@reddit

CarPlay is designed for touch and its UX for physical controls is absolutely horrible. I paid for BMW Connected Services just so that I don’t have to deal with it

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Grabthar-the-Avenger@reddit

I guess I don’t know what people are even doing while driving that they’re having to constantly navigate through the screen. I’ve never had an issue but I also just put on music/podcast and drive. I’m not trying to play games or whatever you’re trying to do with it

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Cardiff-Giant11@reddit

mine is a 25 CX-30 Turbo so the screen can be touched while in carplay mode but i’ve not touched it once since i got the car in Halloween. the dial and voice command works great.

even the native mazda system is intuitive once you figure it out. see an xm station you like? favorite it. have a fm channel you like? favorite it. use the favorites menu where it combines both and it negates the complaint about the tuning controls.

i could easily switch around using the mazda menus without looking after a test drive. the bmw i still have to look and tap multiple times sometimes if i hit a bump.

i’m bummed mazda seems like they’re moving away from the dial but since they’re a bit slow in development i’m hoping in a few years they’ll integrate a physical controls along with the new system somehow.

[-]

flatpetey@reddit

Look Ive is a smart guy - a bit too overly concerned with aesthetics over functionality, but whatever.

But this isn't some sort of stunning revelation.

You know what would be the simplest screen - control interface?

Map a 4x2 row of buttons to a grid on the screen. Then just click the sequences to get what you want. Add some knobs that are relevant where needed.

And maybe actually study how people use their HVAC and make it so I can set it and forget it because it knows how people actually use it versus what it thinks I should do (blast cold air in the heat, etc...) Temp should be a buried setting if the auto functionality works perfectly, but it never does because nobody actually cares to make it work...

[-]

throwawayfuqreddit@reddit

I'm one of the people that actually likes more screens. I just dont like when the gauge cluster is tiny and rectangular (Mach e, EX90). Lucid has the nicest dashboard screens imo.

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FourEyesAndThighs@reddit

Jony Ive has designed some turds in his illustrious career, especially after Steve Jobs passed away. I'd take his opinion as just that: His.

FWIW, I believe that there is a place for touchscreens and physical buttons to coexist.

[-]

epihocic@reddit

It's also important to bear in mind he's literally unveiling a car interior which favours buttons over touch screen. Obviously he's going to say that. And you'd never design a Ferrari with just a giant touchscreen in in it. A Ferrari must evoke emotion, and passion. Exquisite details are important for such a car. However the car that drives me to work and back, or down to the shops has a completely different set of requirements.

[-]

AmazonPuncher@reddit

No ferrari has evoked any of that in the last 20 years.

Also his ferrari design, if anything, is proof he believes what hes saying. I dont know why redditors like to assume everyone is lying for their own benefit.

[-]

gosukhaos@reddit

He's also a car guy with a big collection of classic cars and the Luce interior he designed has physical buttons with some touch ones in the center display

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rooftop_druid@reddit

Well considering his recent design of the Ferrari Luce interior is a marriage of digital screens and physical elements I’d say he agrees with you there too.

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The_Bucket_Of_Truth@reddit

Funny how Jobs dying just seemingly allowed him to be lazy and either recycle old designs and present them as new or just keep stagnant the product looks.

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strangway@reddit

Isn’t that almost literally what he said?

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FourEyesAndThighs@reddit

No, he said primary interface, and I don't agree with that. I think the infotainment screen is fine being a touch screen but things like HVAC controls, steering wheel buttons and other items that are frequently adjusted should be physical controls.

[-]

yourlocalFSDO@reddit

My controversial take is touch screens are fine if the rest of the tech is good enough. I was a forever buttons and knobs guy until I got into a Tesla and realized I can control everything I need with voice commands and take my eyes off the road less than I would with buttons and knobs.

[-]

br0wntree@reddit

I think 75% of the issues with screens is due to badly designed and slow UI/UX. Most manufacturers outsource this which leads to horribly integrated products. I shouldn’t have to wait for anything to load or navigate 3 different menus to change the temperature. For example, Tesla’s system is so good that you almost forget about physical controls.

That being said I think some functions that are frequently accessed when driving should still have physical controls like volume and climate.

[-]

CatHistorical184@reddit

Don’t be a boomer. Learn how to use a touchscreen. It’s just muscle memory of a location.

[-]

Spiritual-Relief8076@reddit

I’m only 13 but fuck these all touchscreen cars… maybe just CarPlay but removing all the physical buttons for things like headlights is frustrating and potentially dangerous.

[-]

Drzhivago138@reddit

Oh boy, it's just what this sub wants to hear! Vindication!

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Animanganime@reddit

Yeah please give me buttons and knobs back so I don’t have to take my eyes off the road and my 6” smartphone screen please thank you.

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Ro-54@reddit

I cant stand them for anything other than a navi screen.

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42LSx@reddit

And yet that guy from Apple who designed the new EV Ferrari didn't get the memo.

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V12MPG@reddit

And yet that guy from Apple who designed the new EV Ferrari didn't get the memo, as a big touchscreen is the main centerpiece of the dash.

It’s the same exact guy and this article is in fact about his approach to designing that very Ferrari and why he put in a bunch of physical controls instead of putting everything in a touch screen. It’s basically the same exact article from yesterday with a different headline.

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Broad-Worry-5395@reddit

NOOOOO…ya think?

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AramisSAS@reddit

I bought a Mazda CX-80 because of that reason. The infotainment concept is what I excpect.

[-]

hardcoreufoz@reddit

Better hold on to it, Mazda caved

[-]

XfinityHomeWifi@reddit

They made texting and driving illegal but somehow hiding every single control for your car in an IPad on the dashboard is perfectly fine

[-]

TheCountChonkula@reddit

I’m ok with a screen when it comes to navigating and in fact whenever I’m ready to get a new daily CarPlay will be a requirement for me. However, I do agree that frequently used controls like climate controls, volume and media controls need to be physical buttons and knobs. Touch screens are not the right way to interact with those because they provide no feedback and you do have to look away to make sure it’s on or you are in the right menu to do something. This is not ideal at all because you’re hurling a 2 ton hunk of metal at 70 MPH down the highway that can easily kill somebody if you are distracted.

Also another trend I’d love to see die is replacing the gauge cluster with a tablet glued on the dashboard. I’m not against gauge cluster screens, but the way most modern cars implement it is ugly IMO and I kind of find it funny that my 11 year old Lexus does gauge cluster screens better than modern cars do.

[-]

Jmauld@reddit

How about you design your car the way you want and stop spouting off becuase you aren’t able to make the implementation work.

The market will decide.

[-]

ajyahzee@reddit

It's not just a design choice, it's cheaper and give them more time to work on software without physical buttons

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imightgetdownvoted@reddit

Depends how it’s integrated. My car is all touch screen and it’s a better user experience than my wife’s car that uses a combination of touch and physical buttons.

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Complex-Muffin4650@reddit

Which is why he designed a touch screen? (With a wrist rest) in the new Ferrari Luce???

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bebopblues@reddit

it depends what it is you are trying to do.

Volume control: button/knob Climate control: button/knob Gear selector: shifter Turn signal: stalk

Navigation: touch
Music search/select: Touch
Phone call/answer: touch
Car System settings: touch

[-]

HirsuteHacker@reddit

Touchscreens are used in cars for cost saving, it means they don't have to settle on their final UX until extremely late in the car's development, and they can change it easily. It's worse for the user for sure but it's easier and cheaper for manufacturers.

[-]

Lipstickquid@reddit

Screens with tiny CPUs are cheaper to make than physical buttons and switches now, which is why they're ubiquitous in cars.

Ofc super expensive cars intended to be timeless dont have them. See GMA T.50 and Bugatti Tourbillon and what their designers have to say about the stupidity of screens in cars.

[-]

turboash78@reddit

Duh.

[-]

dezastrologu@reddit

Love the Cupra Formentor.

Never getting one because touchscreen AC controls are a complete dealbreaker.

Fuck this touchscreen retardation.

[-]

samuraijon@reddit

The whole infotainment unit is from the VAG group and it’s copy pasted in almost every other VAG vehicle. I totally agree with you, I like the cupra Formentor, the size and shape, but the interior controls are a dealbreaker.

[-]

owleaf@reddit

Not sure why they’re trying to make a gotcha with that headline. It’s almost as though different user input methods are suited to different contexts. No one wants a smartphone full of hard buttons and switches, and no one wants a car where they can’t use physical controls to make adjustments without looking away from the road.

[-]

J1mj0hns0n@reddit

He's right, buttons knobs and dials are the way

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testthrowawayzz@reddit

Same guy who doubled down on flat design in software UIs, which led to colorless abstract icons, more confusing UI elements (like buttons that doesn't look like buttons), and low contrast UIs; and deleting useful ports from computers and that touch bar.

Maybe he had a change of heart?

[-]

soggycookie11@reddit

The problem is that all these brands have followed Tesla in designing their interiors, but without Tesla’s end goal or utilization expertise.

If you watch the videos people have posted in the new unsupervised Tesla Robotaxis, you can now watch movies on the large front screen while the car drives. That is not something that will ever be possible in other cars that adopted a similar interior design approach and therefore they should have kept the physical controls, which are easier for manual driving.

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Lorax91@reddit

That is not something that will ever be possible in other cars that adopted a similar interior design approach

Tesla's current self-driving implementation is only a couple of years old, and many other companies are working on developing this capability. It's more likely that at some point almost every new car will have some variation of this.

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soggycookie11@reddit

Whether or not future cars have it is irrelevant. I was referring to existing vehicles built with large interior screen, they universally lack the necessary sensors or computers. Furthermore, few auto companies seem to be interested. Tesla themselves has said they have no success licensing out FSD, despite the proven success, rapid iteration, and recurring revenue they already collect from their own fleet.

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Lorax91@reddit

Whether or not future cars have it is irrelevant.

You said it will never be possible in other brand vehicles with similar interior design. It clearly will be some day, but true it's not in current models.

As for no one else wanting to license FSD, it wasn't good enough until recently to be worth even discussing that. And if I ran a car company, I'd look for anyone else besides Tesla to partner with.

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soggycookie11@reddit

I was mainly referring to current models in my original reply, which you seem to agree with me on. As in: current cars that have large screens, besides Tesla, are not capable of autonomous operation and so don’t warrant an anti-driver-usability approach.

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Lorax91@reddit

Fair enough for current vehicles. I would also say that Tesla went too far in moving things to screen controls, but at least with them you should know that's what you're getting.

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soggycookie11@reddit

I think most non-Tesla owners make a bigger problem out of the screen controls than really exists. For most things, like mirror controls, steering wheel settings, etc. you’ll set them once and they’ll be saved to your profile, so you never have to mess with them again.

For other things like climate settings there are shortcuts, like voice commands, swiping on the temp to quickly go up or down. You rarely have to use the actual climate menu.

Other infotainment functions are just as distracting in any other car.

It’s not perfect, but at least this system can be improved (and it often is), physical controls can’t be changed.

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Lorax91@reddit

It’s not perfect, but at least this system can be improved (and it often is), physical controls can’t be changed.

One of the best things about physical controls is that they can't be changed later by some hotshot software manager trying to "make his mark" on the user interface. But some flexibility can also be useful, so use physical controls for critical functions that don't need to change and allow screen controls for things that may evolve over time (like "infotainment"). And yes, things like voice commands as an alternative to either can also have its place.

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Cloudsareinmyhead@reddit

Is this the same Mr I've whose designed the new Ferrari Luce's interior, which is rather lacking in physical controls and has a steering wheel that looks like Thrustmaster made it?

[-]

iceixia@reddit

...and he would be right.

In car controls should allow you to adjust them without looking away from the road. Something you don't get with the silly touchscreens, but you do get with physical controls.

[-]

Jong Ive-designed Ferrari Luce looks full of touchscreens!

Is that like, Jony Ive's Korean doppleganger? Kim Jong-ive?

[-]

Ferrarisimo@reddit

Well he’s not wrong.

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Shmokesshweed@reddit

Many car designers credit Jony Ive’s 2007 creation – the first phone to feature a touchscreen

Uhhh, no.