I have two cars with screens/buttons and two cars with no screens. HANDS DOWN the two cars with no screens are superior to operate in every single imaginable way. The screens make it too difficult to change from AM/FM etc etc or having to go through menus etc.

 

Physical mechanical buttons great for commonly used and emergency use functions.
The rest, espescially rarely used functions and programming best served by capacitive touchscreens which are more efficient and cost efficient.

 

Issue is the car with no screen doesn't have much of the functionality of the car with a screen. Bottom line is high feature cars must have a screen, there are just too many features and functions to just have buttons.

 

I have 8 assignable buttons on my car. It allows you to set/capture certain setting point. For instance, I have one when pressed, it would connect CarPlay, one would play media from USB, one would bring up PreConditioning screen, one would display PSI and temperatures. I don't have needs for radio stations but I find these buttons very useful because it takes a few steps to reach those things in settings. I would also prefer buttons for climate controls because that would be quicker and safer IMO. Other than that I don't have need for buttons. So as the system gets more complicated, I think buttonless will not be good for people like me. I do see a significant number of buyers trying to get the current model because the next one will have minor change but lose the buttons. If VCs are improved to allow users to go into any point in the system, it'd be fine. But I don't think it's there yet.
What would you like to display?

 

I like that about BMW infotainment a lot. I have something similar in the favorites screen, but its in the screen the buttons are nice.

 

Speed, compass, Rpm, gear, oil PSI, oil temp, engine coolant temp, IAT, boost level, EGT, G force, exterior temp, nav directions, automatic CC system status, media info, phone integration for message readout, weather warnings, parking sensor info.

Each would be toggled on/off and you can assign 3 groups of info controlled with a stitch on the wheel on your left hand thumb. That way you can switch from a mode that has all performance info to one that manages nav/phone/music for trips etc....all would be customizable so you can have info that are what you want in each mode.

For example on the "trip" mode I would want phone readout, nav, music, temp/weather, speed, gear/rpm, engine temp, oil PSI but not the other performance info since you wouldn't need them. Customization should be done through the central touch screen to allow you to select, size, and position each element as you like, so if you want just lines of text you can do so. If you want virtual gauges that would also be an option and you can arrange them however you want on the HUD area.

 

The fact that Toyota makes you toggle between FM/AM/SAT is ridiculous. My ‘14 and ‘19 cars have one list of all preset stations no matter what source.

 

I have that too.

 

i already have hud on both my cars so i don't have to imagine.

they show nav directions, speed limit, current speed, can show playing media info, blind spot detection, cruise speed setting, and more i can't think of right now.
love not having to look down at all for most things.

 

That is pretty cool the blind spot detection is in there. Does it do it on the Lexus you have? How aboutgas level or gaslite?

 

that is oversimplification. Physical buttons have nothing to do with OTA updates. Buttons are also programmed and controlled by software.

also bad button placement is an issue with the layout and design of controls, and not a fault of buttons themselves.

 

I click the right steering wheel button and say, "Play Paul Butterfield."
"Zoom in (or out) map."
"Set the temp to 70"
"Turn up the fan."
"My butt is cold."
"Back up camera." Switches it on. "Map" returns it.

And the list goes on...

 

Of course physical buttons have nothing to do with OTA updates. They are static. That's exactly my point.
OTA updates add new functionality.

 

Check this out. The lack of a sunroof button near the end Very well said BTW





8:30 says it all

But not to pick on tesla. The voice commands in my Toyotas are useless. The non screen stuff is the best IMO. Most of this stuff is needlessly complicated in my new SUV. Just don’t have the frustration with the vehicle that have no screen.

 

no they don’t have to be static. Physical buttons or ***** can do more than one thing depending on the context and can be changed via OTA if has been designed that way.