Touch Screens Are Making [Vehicles] Worse. It’s Time to Bring Back Buttons and Knobs.

Kent Wien said:
My headlight switch is on a touch screen. The horror you say? Well I’ve never had to turn my lights on or off in 90,000 miles since it does that automatically.
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That goes back to what I said early about a well designed user interface vs. most user interfaces. The Legacy car makers have a history of buying parts from venders which each vender managing the software for the parts they provide. The manufacturer then has to integrate all of the systems from different venders. They don't write much, if any, of the user interface software themselves and it usually shows.

On my car, in the rare event that I want to manually control my lights, maybe turn on the fog lights?, i just flash by brights and a light control pop-op comes up in the lower-left corner of the screen. Same with the wipers. Tap the washer button and the wiper control pops up.

The overlooked advantage is that the user interface can be upgraded and improved throughout the live of the car. My car is 4.25 years old and the user interface and features have improved significantly since it was new. Just got my 2025 Holiday update last night. Here's what it added.

stats.tessie.com

2025.44.25.3 release notes & statistics

Official release notes and distribution statistics for Tesla version 2025.44.25.3.
stats.tessie.com stats.tessie.com

bonefishpete said:
I remember back when Florida outlawed tv’s in cars that could be viewed from the driver’s seat for reasons. Now all cars come with basically tv’s practically in front of the driver’s seat.
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They do, but you can't watch videos on them when the car is not in Park. Only on rear screens while driving. Ya know. For reasons.
 
If I could afford it, my plane would be full of avadyne stuff because they have touch screens and buttons. I hate my Garmin. It's got the knob which is silly and it's got the touch screen which absolutely sucks in any kind of turbulence. Flying in Texas means there's almost always turbulence.

If I were in charge of everything in the world blackberry would have won the phone wars.
 
serious question for people who drive cars with all the fancy touchscreen gizmos......if you're trying to warn folks that there's a cop by flashing your high beams real quick, can u do that on the touchscreen?
 
eman1200 said:
serious question for people who drive cars with all the fancy touchscreen gizmos......if you're trying to warn folks that there's a cop by flashing your high beams real quick, can u do that on the touchscreen?
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Yes. A Tesla has that on the stalk, along with physical buttons for opening doors, rolling down windows, hazard lights, dome lights, volume control/play/pause/next track/skip and speed adjust, etc…. So it still has quite a few button controls. Oh and wipers can be activated on the stalk and adjusted with a scroll wheel.
 
eman1200 said:
serious question for people who drive cars with all the fancy touchscreen gizmos......if you're trying to warn folks that there's a cop by flashing your high beams real quick, can u do that on the touchscreen?
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Sure, but I usually just enter the cop’s location in Waze. ;)
 
Larry in TN said:
On my car, in the rare event that I want to manually control my lights, maybe turn on the fog lights?, i just flash by brights and a light control pop-op comes up in the lower-left corner of the screen. Same with the wipers. Tap the washer button and the wiper control pops up.
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Goes back to what I said: The only people that like this crap don't want to drive, they want to be driven.

Larry in TN said:
The overlooked disadvantage is that the user interface can be upgraded and improved throughout the live of the car.
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Because we should all buy products not for what they are but instead for what the companies pinky-promise they will be in the future. And those promises will never be broken, right? They pinky-swore!
 
I don't want my car to drive itself, at least not yet, but I do love adaptive cruise control, obstacle sensors, backup cameras, etc.
And really am surprised at how many (even newer) vehicles don't seem to be using their cruise control on the interstates...speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down.
 
Larry in TN said:
The overlooked advantage is that the user interface can be upgraded and improved throughout the live of the car. My car is 4.25 years old and the user interface and features have improved significantly since it was new. Just got my 2025 Holiday update last night. Here's what it added.
Click to expand...

Wait until the "upgrade" gives you a barrage of ads :smilewinkgrin:
 
I am generally not a fan of this stuff but will admit that I do like what Ford did with it in my Mustang. The center console has a big touch screen and it incorporates separate screens for Audio, Climate Control, and GPS/Maps. But they integrate well and when you're using one function it will usually give you relevant information for other functions such as putting a small window with the map/directions in the corner while you're adjusting audio or climate. It also still has enough physical knobs/switches for commonly used features, plus a number of buttons on the steering wheel, that it seems like the right balance between old school and new.
 
2-Bit Speed said:
Goes back to what I said: The only people that like this crap don't want to drive, they want to be driven.
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Your dreamboat crown vic has an automatic transmission and suspension tuning by whoever discovered Novacaine. These rantlets would be more credible if you said you were getting a Miata as your next car :)
 
Larry in TN said:
I never told you what you should buy. Buy whatever you want. I promise I won't come here to tell you everything I do not like about the car you picked or that cars shouldn't be built like that.
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You were gloating about buying a product that wasn't very good because it improved over time.
 
Flatiowa said:
I miss the foot click switch for high beams in cars, crank windows, and the little smoker vent windows that swung out (not sure their proper name), I’m of the opinion that stuff has gotten way more complicated (and expensive) than it needs to be. (Cowl vents also worked very good in summer to stay comfortable without air conditioning as long as you could keep moving).
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Wing windows, and I love them
 
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Larry in TN said:
On my car, in the rare event that I want to manually control my lights, maybe turn on the fog lights?, i just flash by brights and a light control pop-op comes up in the lower-left corner of the screen. Same with the wipers. Tap the washer button and the wiper control pops up.
Click to expand...

Larry in TN said:
That goes back to what I said early about a well designed user interface vs. most user interfaces. The Legacy car makers have a history of buying parts from venders which each vender managing the software for the parts they provide. The manufacturer then has to integrate all of the systems from different venders. They don't write much, if any, of the user interface software themselves and it usually shows.

On my car, in the rare event that I want to manually control my lights, maybe turn on the fog lights?, i just flash by brights and a light control pop-op comes up in the lower-left corner of the screen. Same with the wipers. Tap the washer button and the wiper control pops up.

The overlooked advantage is that the user interface can be upgraded and improved throughout the live of the car. My car is 4.25 years old and the user interface and features have improved significantly since it was new. Just got my 2025 Holiday update last night. Here's what it added.

stats.tessie.com

2025.44.25.3 release notes & statistics

Official release notes and distribution statistics for Tesla version 2025.44.25.3.
stats.tessie.com stats.tessie.com


They do, but you can't watch videos on them when the car is not in Park. Only on rear screens while driving. Ya know. For reasons.
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I think we have the same car. Down to the same year.
 
Skyrys62 said:
I don't want my car to drive itself, at least not yet, but I do love adaptive cruise control, obstacle sensors, backup cameras, etc.
And really am surprised at how many (even newer) vehicles don't seem to be using their cruise control on the interstates...speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down.
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Isn’t that what adaptive cruise control does?
 
Skyrys62 said:
And really am surprised at how many (even newer) vehicles don't seem to be using their cruise control on the interstates...speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down.
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I hate those people with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. If you know how your cruise control works, there's absolutely no good reason to not use it on the highway. And if you don't know how it works, stay in the right lane.
 
One thing that irritates me with touch screens is after a while the screen becomes smudged and hard to see. Then in sunlight it is almost impossible for me to see that finger smudged screen.
 
Zeldman said:
One thing that irritates me with touch screens is after a while the screen becomes smudged and hard to see. Then in sunlight it is almost impossible for me to see that finger smudged screen.
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See if a screen protector is available for your car. Many use them in Teslas. I don't, and haven't seen the need.

I keep some screen cleaner wipes in the car but don't use them very often. They work well when I do use them.
 
Lindberg said:
Only when behind someone not using cruise control. Although my car will keep up with speed-limit changes if I want it to, and slow down for sharp curves on the highway.
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It will slow down behind someone using cruise control that’s set slower than yours, won’t it?
 
Daleandee said:
My '74 VW Beetle has them. Back in the day (as they say) these were referred to as 6/2 AC ...
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Both of mine have them.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Lindberg said:
Yes, if you stay behind them. But it won't slow down, speed up, slow down, speed up....
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It’ll slow down to stay behind the slower car, and then speed up after the driver cuts off the person trying to pass them both, and do the same thing over and over because the driver isn’t paying attention.
 
Lindberg said:
You seem to have a real ax to grind with other people's satisfaction.
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I have a real axe to grind with computers infesting every aspect of modern life for the sole purpose of spying on everyone so that their information can be sold to highest bidder while claiming that this 'infestation' is a good thing. I want a car. I don't want a tablet on wheels.
 
I really like the functionality of Apple Carplay/Android auto and it's a feature I've specifically looked for with my last two vehicle purchases, I've even installed an aftermarket head unit in one of my classic cars just to have that functionality. The convenience of having navigation and my podcasts/audiobooks/music available on a built-in screen is huge.

However, aside from that I'd prefer physical buttons for most functions. I hate having to go through multiple screens to adjust climate controls, listen to regular am/fm radio, etc. Also, while Carplay has the benefit of the fairly well designed Apple UI most of the UIs I see automakers come out with range from awful to ok. The last thing I want to do while driving is fight with poorly thought out UI.

I've also got plenty of rants on tech in cars in general but since this thread is about touchscreens I'm trying to keep it focused.
 
I hate futzing around with the touch screens. At least point registration has improved a great deal since the early ones. The early touch screen ATMs and gas pumps come to mind. What a PITA that used to be, especially in cold weather.

Voice commands with Apple Car Play usually work pretty well in my wife's 2022 Volvo and my 2024 Ford Ranger. The native voice commands in the Volvo suck though. And its "environmental controls" are downright stupid. I think a lot of that is that the car is Swedish, and Swedes think in Swedish, no so much in English (especially my version of it).
 
Lindberg said:
Yes, if you stay behind them. But it won't slow down, speed up, slow down, speed up....
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It will if the car in front of your does.

I've come to like adaptive cruise control, but you do have to pay a little attention. More than once I've found myself cruising 55 in a 70 on the interstate because I got behind a slow car, wasn't paying attention, and didn't realize the cruise slowed down so much.
 
2-Bit Speed said:
I have a real axe to grind with computers infesting every aspect of modern life for the sole purpose of spying on everyone so that their information can be sold to highest bidder while claiming that this 'infestation' is a good thing. I want a car. I don't want a tablet on wheels.
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Ok, Grandpa.
 
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