Drivers Hate The Tech In Their Cars
Drivers Hate The Tech In Their Cars
For the most part, drivers find the technology in their cars to be pretty useless.
It turns out that more technology in cars isn’t necessarily something customers want, and it’s not really improving their driving experience. We know my thoughts on the matter, but I’ll do my best to stay impartial on this latest survey from JD Power that shows most customers don’t appreciate technology in cars unless they can see a clear benefit to them.
JD Power’s 2024 U.S. Tech Experience Index Study evaluated over 81,000 drivers’ experience with “advanced vehicle technologies” in 2024 model year vehicles after 90 days of ownership, It turned out to be a pretty mixed bag when it came to what people liked using. There are a number of tech features that customers like using because they feels that it answers their needs, but at the same time there is a whole lot that don’t get used very often or are continually annoying, according to the survey.
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I'm ok with a decent amount of tech in a car. Like I'm fine being able to connect my phone to the car and have android auto take over the infotainment system.
But the HVAC stuff needs to be buttons I can access/control without looking or very minimal looking.
I don't want/need my car to have a SIM card, or connect to wifi, and report what I'm doing. If they want to do that, then they can give me the car for free and I'll drive it around letting them collect my driving habits.
Edit: Oh, and I'm sure as hell not paying some subscription fee on top of the price of the car.
Good news, lawmakers in the US finally started looking at this issue.
Bad news: probably will take years for change
As of 2022, Toyota still put physical buttons on their HVAC system and audio system.
I know because, against my advice, my wife bought a Toyota Rav4 Hybrid in 2022. I can't tell her how to spend her money, but at least the car she got didn't have some of this other bullshit.
I love my subaru outback. It's a great car. It does all the car things exceptionally well. It holds a lot of stuff. Snow, mud, fuck you it's all pavement to me baybeee.
I fucking hate my Outback's climate control, entertainment, map, and information screen. I understand newer models have improved slightly. It's still awful. The only good thing about that fucking screen is that I can turn everything on from my phone. Literally every other function is awful to try to access and use while you're driving.
Got a '24 outback late last year. For the most part I love it-it's comfortable, holds my giant dogs and it's way better to drive in bad weather than my previous car.
I'd read reports on subaru forums that infotainment was bad, so my expectations were low. But even basic stuff isn't functional. It has gotten less responsive over the months (reminder: we've had it just barely a year). The screen has several seconds of lag with every touch, and sometimes controls just don't work at all. I don't like that we have to use it for temperature control, and android auto integration is clunky (though that may not be Subaru's fault).
Add that to the horrifying data collection practices and it makes me question ever getting a Subaru again.
I just bought a forester a few months ago, and my 2 stipulations on the cars I was looking at were all-wheel drive because I live in snow country, and a car no newer than 2018 (IIRC) because that was the year car companies largely switched from manual controls to a 16-inch screen with everything, including climate control, accessed from an app.
When I was talking to the guy at the dealership I bought it from and mentioned how much I disliked the new screens, he outright said, "Yeah, a lot of people don't like them."
Similar complaint here. We were ready to replace our 2011 outback and decided it would make sense to get something at least a bit more modern. Loved our outback, and honestly would have bought another if it weren't for that damn screen.
After getting a gander at that thing, we seemingly confused (or probably just disappointed) our salesman by insisting we wanted the most simple, stripped-down style console they had to offer. Apparently we're not the most common customers, but i know I'm kinda weird so fair enough. After he went back inside to find out which models they had on the lot that might fit that description, the only one that had a "simple" console was the base model Forester. It was just not enough to transition over from our comfy 6-cyl beast that just had a 6-cd changer with a 1-inch-tall screen and an aux jack, but everything was operated by buttons. Even the rear view mirror had a clever backup camera integrated into it. Makes more sense that way, imo. It was everything we needed and only a smidge more.
I really wish we could have just bought a newer model of the exact same car feature-wise... That outback was a great car 🙂
2018 Impreza Base here. Manual ac controls (where, how fast, how hot), but the touchscreen infotainment is still AIDS. Several seconds from press to recognition. I need the screen to actually do stuff when I press it, not leave me guessing if I hit it right. If they can't put a faster cpu, they need to have programmers that can optimise these units so they run responsively. There's no excuse for that legendary input lag.
Good car though, other than that.
I'm ok with a decent amount of tech in a car. Like I'm fine being able to connect my phone to the car and have android auto take over the infotainment system.
This reminds me of my 2016 Honda Civic. It had just the right amount of tech.
But the HVAC stuff needs to be buttons I can access/control without looking or very minimal looking.
100% this. I shouldn't have to click through 2 menus on a touchscreen to change a basic environmental control. Give me a damn knob, so if I want to change something I can reach my hand over and turn 2 clicks without taking my eyes off the road.
When carplay works, it's great. But mine constantly has issues connecting to phones. Both my wife's iPhone, and my Android. Both are flagships that are a couple years old, so still very current and sufficient specs.
Meanwhile, my old aftermarket Bluetooth radio connects every time with no issue.
I do like the convenience of GPS and audio on the car tablet when it works. But honestly, it's a distraction when it's being fussy.
Exactly my experience.
Phone dash mount all the way!
I have a 2023 Mazda CX-5 and it has the perfect amount of tech for me. The headunit isn't touch screen, but you get used to the control knob after about a day and eventually it just feels second-nature. Also, all of the hvac controls are physical knobs and buttons, which is amazing.
I stopped using Android Auto on my infotainment system. I thought it was just me but when I'm using navigation (Google maps or wyze), the second I lose service for any reason, it completely exits out and cancels my navigation. I found that if I use it in my phone, it doesn't have that issue.
2020 Subaru Forester, but friends with other cars (VW, Honda) mentioned the same issue. Not sure if this has been fixes in recent Android Auto updates or in newer cars, but I'm not going to chance it anymore.
I've only experienced real issues when out of network coverage for a long time.
I make sure I download the areas I'll visit especially if the network coverage is spotty.
My Ford sync 3 amd my old Tundra with a Kenwood AA radio bot work fine out of service as long as I have the maps downloaded
If they want to do that, then they can give me the car for free and I'll drive it around letting them collect my driving habits.
I mean, that's kind of what they're doing in that having another revenue stream will reduce the car price relative to what would have been the case if they couldn't do so.
If some people want to make that trade, I think that they should have the option to do so.
I don't personally want to make that trade myself, though.
I disagree, most of these subscriptions options are all built in and "enabled" if bought. There ain't no car manufacturers looking to reduce their car prices for us. It's profit above everything
Peak technology enjoyment in a car includes
- multiple zone ac
- heated/ventilated seats
- real buttons and not FUCKING CAPACITIVE TOUCH
- android auto/apple car play
There's some other minor tech that's fairly nice that I haven't seen in cheaper cars. Lights under the door to light up the ground on dark nights for when you're getting out. Just solid utilitarian tech right there.
I've been driving spoiled with Lane Keep Assist. I'd like to continue to keep that as a thing in all cars.
Also, I used a Ford Escape as a rental this weekend, and holy shit I hate having to wait for the startup animation to complete so I can finally mess with the A/C and have it going on full blast after sitting in the hot sun all day. My Santa Cruz has actual buttons for all the climate control stuff and I had no idea I'd miss it so much until now.
Lane keep assist is annoying AF when you live in a place where you're required by law to cross the double yellow when going around bicycles. You get in a steering wheel fight with the car until you find the menu to temporarily disable it. After next stop-start cycle mid-errand, it's on again by default thanks to US law.
lane keeping and radar cruise control are pretty great driving aids, I gotta admit.
I have to say I prefer launching climate control from my phone before I ever get in the car. And also I'd rather have the cabin try to keep a temperature automatically instead of forcing me to dick with the temp of the blowing air.
I'd rather just have a standard size bank up front, like, 3DIN, and choose my own "car computer". Have security locking support, guarantee certain power supply, impact, and temperature conditions. And then open up the "car console" market.
And let me be able to upgrade it five or ten years down the road.
If they want to provide a standard first-party center panel offering, fine. But computers and phones have a shorter life than do cars, and I don't want to be locked into ancient or badly-chosen controls and computers. This "car is a big cell phone" thing is just godawful from a consumer standpoint.
That would be amazing. I miss the days of swapping my head for one I want. Blaupunkt MiniDisc here we go!
After having used both Android Auto and Apple Car Play.
I really prefer having a good phone mount, that puts my phone in a glance-able place near the wheel.
That, and quality Bluetooth Audio.Nobody is mentioning heads-up displays? That's peak tech. The info is right there without having to move your eyes off the road.
because barely anyone even knows about HUDs, since there are barely any vehicles in the "won't cost you both kidneys" price segment with HUDs in them...
...but yes, they really should be in every car. it's just a no-brainer for safety, for the exact reason you said: simply having your speed right in your field of view alone is worth it!
- rear camera.
How about the unnecessary tech that just shouldn't be allowed.
- Doors that are not primarily manual to open or unlock.
- Touchscreen of any type. I'm okay with capacitive touch buttons but they should be in a fixed location and physically distinguishable from other surfaces.
- Electronic e-brake
- Replacement of any of the main driving functions with anything that is not physical and tactile (turn signals, windshield wipers, headlights)
At least in the US I feel like technology has leapfrogged regulation.
Touchscreen of any type
I think a touchscreen is fine as long as real buttons exist for things a driver might want to manipulate while driving. My Outlander has a fairly large touchscreen that offers media and navigation control, but everything else (climate, drive modes, cruise control/drive assists, windows, locks, etc) is real buttons and dials, and there are also an extra set of basic media controls on physical buttons as well (volume, next/prev track, tuning).
I'm quite happy with that. And the passenger still gets all the touchscreen bells and whistles if they want to explore the map or set up playlists or whatever.
Based on this MKBHD/Auto Zone video the way to get real buttons and sensible features is to buy a minivan.
Can't say that I would buy a minivan, because I hate them.
But my car (Hyundai Azera) has all physical AC buttons and it's great. But it shows the temp on the touchscreen which is unfortunately kinda fundamental to this car from what I've found.
One of the reasons I mentioned android auto, I just have a AAwireless adapter right now, had a Motorola M1 which died. But that is basically all I need other than a charger which I have a 100w type c for that.
Sorry kinda rambled for a bit
I'd say that that kind of imposes a size restriction, but honestly, the crossovers that everyone seems to buy are about the same size as those these days anyway.
My current ride is peak technology imho:
- Crank windows
- Cold, manually adjustable seats
- 5 speed transmission
- Knobs and levers, minimal buttons
- MSRP under $10k--
Comfortable seats
A suspension that is comfortable over bumps, but not floaty or bouncy and slightly firm under compression.
- lane assist
- adaptive cruise
You'd like the 2020+ Q50 then
We need some serious federal regulation against bullshit in vehicles.
Every function that is normal to use while in motion needs a physical button.
Absolutely no fucking spyware reporting back to the manufacturer.
I don't want to ban it. Some people apparently want it (well, or at least the price reduction that comes with the auto companies having a new revenue source). I'm hesitant to try to impose my preferences on them.
I just want an option to pay regular price for a car myself and not have everything I do be data-mined. If it costs $N to pay your costs and make your profit, just charge me $N. I just want to be the customer in the relationship, not the product.
They operated just fine like that for decades. I don't see a need for that to change.
It's funny, because there actually is 0 price reduction in most cases.
It is literally even more expensive cars and the corporations double dipping to make extra profit.
Except for maybe some lesser-known Chinese brands that I have no point of reference for, I don't believe there is a single corporation that has made their "smart" cars with tracking on-par or cheaper than their counterparts.
A reasonable opinion on lemmy? Prepare for the downvotes, it's a pitchfork circlejerk here!
Most of the bullshit exists because of federal regulations requirements that they ran away with. Even backup cameras (which are arguably useful) because of shape/size/economy restrictions causing rear windows to be less easy to see out of.
No shape of window will let you see a toddler directly behind your car.
Backup camera was mandated because of stronger pillar requirements to increase protection in rollovers, which was mandated because of an increase in rollover crashes, which was caused by an increase in SUV and Truck sales, which was caused by an increase in consumer demand for trucks and SUVs, which was caused by an increase in marketing for Trucks and SUVs which was caused by decrease in (relative) profit margin on sedans/coupes/wagons which was caused by the light truck loophole in CAFE standards, which was put in by manufacturers in the first place.
So I blame the corporations, their lobbyists, and the payroll politicians for it.
Backup cams are great though, quit complaining.
give me buttons and dials, not touch screens and ai. I want to drive, not check social media. I'll be keeping my 2009 until the engine locks up.
It’s not perfect, but the new (2019+) mazda system is very nice. It’s all controlled by buttons and dials, zero requirement to ever touch a screen. It all feels quite thoughtfully done, especially when you compare it to fords or teslas with a big dumb laggy iPad stuck to the dash.
Yep. I'm hoping my current car holds out until this 'smartphone on wheels" trend reverses.
'smartphone on wheels'*
*Apple CarPlay and Android Auto not supported.
All I need is Bluetooth in the audio system and a place to hang my phone. Beyond that, things that don't make my car move or my body comfortable can go to hell.
That's the biggest (and dumbest) reason I'm looking forward to my next car. So I can play music seamlessly through Bluetooth.
I have a 2016 with Bluetooth but it literally will only let me use it for calls/texts.
Edit: Thanks for the suggestions, but I do have a Bluetooth receiver. It's just cheap and a pain. I have to power it on separately, occasionally re-pair my phone, and the chords get worn out and need replaced every so often.
Does your car have an AUX port by chance? Mine was the same with the Bluetooth limited to calls, but with a $20 adapter on Amazon I converted my unused AUX port to Bluetooth audio. Aside from that ONE thing I love my car and am thrilled to have this solved, especially so cheaply.
Meanwhile I am in my 91 with a single DIN cheap aftermarket stereo enjoying Bluetooth
See if your car is on the website niftycity you might be able to get a piggyback adapter from them to run Android Auto & Apple Carplay through your OEM setup.
They no doubt sell rebranded versions of the same stuff you can find on AliExpress but they do the hard parts of working out all the bits to make it all nicely integrated with the OEM setup rather than having to research which obscure cables you need to buy.
And rear parking sensors. I don't want a fancy camera+screen system, but simply an ultrasonic sensor which beeps if you're going to hit something
I do like my cameras, but I have a truck where they are wildly helpful. In a small car, I don't value them as much.
A build-in gps is also pretty nice
Have it pull the map app from your smartphone. Up to date, personalized, knows your schedule.
It's nice as a backup. My car has built in GPS, and it's actually really good with navigation, the directions are better (in terms of clarity) than my phone. I still use my phone for 99.9% of my GPS, since the maps are updated more often (and for free!), the interface is easier to use, there are more options for intermediate stops, construction and road obstruction warnings, and I can queue up my directions before I get into the car.
I don’t hate tech in my car.
I hate unnecessary, poorly designed tech in my car.
Current tech design unnecessarily complicates and obscures what should be simple and easily accessible functions. That’s more than just irritating, it’s dangerous.
BRING BACK THE FUCKING BUTTONS HOLY SHIT
Yeah, let me keep my eyes on the road. I'm not a huge fan of mini coops, but the dash setup of the ones I've driven are my favorite. They've got unique toggles and knobs, made it easy for me to memorize functions without having to give it any thought
I guess I'll be alone in saying I don't want a bmw cockpit with a button for every feature of the vehicle.
I like the rocking, turning console selection wheel Audi does, and I like the two wheels that also click forward and back on the steering wheel that Tesla does (and also gear stalks with buttons on the end). The only other thing that should maybe be a knob or button is climate temp or blower speed, but that is nicer when it's adaptive like a thermostat.
Minimal interface for me please, just don't force me to touch navigate the touch screen while I'm driving.
As a driver, all I really want is good music, good navigation, and easy access to all my controls.
I don't want to have to go into submenus to change my temp settings, or open the trunk.
IMO, a vehicle should be a fairly simple tool to operate. All of the nuances with driving should be how you use those controls to get to where you're going. Even with the (frankly, impressive) self driving tech we currently have, I still don't think it's ready to replace a driver at the wheel; bluntly, that's the only tech I really want in a car.
Automatic options for fairly standard functions, such as turning on your headlights at night, shutting off the highbeams when there's oncoming vehicles, and even automatic windshield wipers, can make things easier. Which I appreciate. I can override all of these systems, which is good. The advent of climate controls rather than "how hot" and "how cold" you want your blower to be and at what speed, is also nice. Even driving assist, like automatic lane keeping and adaptive cruise control is a nice-to-have. But these are all augmentations of systems and they're pretty transparent to the driver. If you don't want to use them, you can easily ignore or override the systems and do it yourself.
What I don't appreciate is all the infotainment garbage. I can literally play games on the touch screen of my partners 2019 accord. I tried it out and bluntly, it's not comfortable, it only works when the car isn't moving, and I'm not going to sit in my car to play games. That's dumb. I kind of get it for EVs for when they're charging, but honestly, I can have a better experience on my phone/tablet.
I don't need weather, I don't need a touch screen, and I don't need whatever garbage GPS system you were paid to sell with the car.
Give me Android auto/some carplay, with maybe FM as a backup in case of emergency, and I'm good. My phone already has data, my car doesn't need LTE. Give me buttons to press for all climate and driving functions and I'm a happy person.
I don't want to navigate some menu to try to turn on my defogger. Fuck off.
Driving tech should be transparent to anyone who doesn't give a shit, and just wants to drive down the road.
My phone already has data, my car doesn’t need LTE.
Actually that's one arena of technology that should have taken a different course. Auto manufacturers should have an upgradable modem module that you can swap out with the latest "G" (as the modules are already self-contained) and the car should have antennae that cover as wide swath of the RF spectrum as possible. Cars are Faraday Cages. Cellular reception on a tiny little rectangle phone in your center console won't ever be as good as a dedicated modem and antenna. Also, the car's dedicated modem can transmit at higher power levels (up to 3 watts, vs a couple hundred milliwatts) so you'll get cellular reception in places your phone will just say no service. It also moves the higher-powered RF outside the car with the Faraday Cage shielding the human, for those that are concerned about such things. (Also, also, phones have to limit their total RF output to the sum of the current transmission rate of the radios, so when you're doing Bluetooth + cellular, the cellular modem won't be allowed to transmit at its maximum power level, further reducing range.)
Bonus points, there has literally been a Bluetooth SIM profile in existence for decades, although very few car modem have ever been designed to support it. This means, if this was implemented as standard, when the phone pairs with the car, the car inherits the cellular account of the phone while the car is turned on. So you're not paying for two cell bills, you get better reception, same phone number, better data speeds, better voice calling, etc. The phone also has supremely better battery life because it doesn't have to be constantly screaming at cell towers.
Of course, automakers and cell carriers would never implement these things that already exist because they'd eat into their precious profit margins.
Personally, I don't want my car to have any connectivity options because car makers have already proven they are just going to abuse it to sell your data.
At most, they're very bad Faraday cages.
The vast majority of LTE bands are below 2600mhz, around 10 cm wavelength, which usually doesn't have any issue penetrating glass, and suffers very little degradation from the metal in the body of the car.
Aluminum materials, which are not uncommon for body panels, and other automotive components due to its light weight and relatively low cost, is non-ferrous and won't impact signal strength any more than glass will....
The Iron/steel in the vehicle, usually in the frame/engine, are the primary issues with regards to signal blocking. That's what microwaves make their Faraday cage from for good reason.
Many wireless providers also have sub 1ghz channels which are harder to block, they're generally slower for bandwidth, but that's another matter entirely.
Most of the dashboard is made of plastics and other non-ferrous materials, but it's littered with devices, supports, and wires that can impact signal integrity. These are usually fairly sparce and don't generate a lot of interference. Since the dashboard is directly adjacent to the windshield and driver/passenger windows, signal is more or less unimpeded in the desirable directions (horizontal, mainly). Unless you're putting your phone on the floor of your vehicle, you're generally okay for signal, as it passes through the majority of the dashboard, around components in the dashboard, and through the glass relatively unimpeded.
The exception to this is that some manufacturers seem to think it's a good idea to put materials in their safety glass that impede RF. God knows why. It might be a biproduct of a coating that is there for a different reason, but it's not great. That's when you need a fairly simple LTE repeater.
Which brings me to my point. You can forego the complex and unsupported LTE SIM over Bluetooth stuff by simply putting a relatively low power LTE repeater from a good signal location, such as the roof of the vehicle, to a bad signal location, such as the middle of the cabin it can literally be built into the overhead cabin light. Resolving the issues you've stated, without providing any data access to the vehicle itself. Such an add-on would be a small increase in cost, as such units can retail anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars, but as that cost would replace the built in modem most people never wanted to begin with, the addition may actually make the whole car cheaper... With little more than Apple carplay/Android auto, to replace all the functionality they'll lose by removing the cars data connection.
It's a very silly and pointless argument overall, because vehicle manufacturers will not be removing the LTE modems from their vehicles, since that allows them to remotely gather your data, which they can sell. That increases profits and that's what they care about. So they're never going to listen to us regardless... As long as someone is buying their wiretap vehicles and basically handing them free money in the form of your personal data, they're going to keep doing it.
No one hates the tech in their cars, ABS is universally loved. What people hate is tech working not in tandem but against them
I'd argue that touchscreens in cars is pretty dumb for the most part. Detents and buttons are incredibly effective physical feedback systems that are being thrown away for them, sadly.
It's not about ABS, its about BS like an everything touchscreen, tracking, bullshit subscriptions and the like
Car companies don't care, they think the tech gives them an excuse to charge more even though a lot of the tech is actually cheaper (a single touch screen instead of all kinds of knobs and buttons) plus it's a way for them to collect more of your data to sell. Before buying my next vehicle, I want to make sure I can easily disable its internet functionality through hardware so that it doesn't phone home.
They can charge SUBSCRIPTIONS this way too
Data privacy is a concern of mine.
Car makers see technology as a data mining opportunity to force us to use their shitty infotainment systems to track our every move and interest, and then milk us with subscriptions.
I don't like tech in cars either.. I like EVs bit the thought of dealing with that center screen for everything is just lame. Another thing that sucks are the fobs.. Who asked for those? If I want to go swimming I now have to take apart a little plastic thing and stick it in my car
Another thing that sucks are the fobs…
I really don't like those either. I guess it's okay to give people the option, I know that it's handy to unlock the car from a distance if you're loading kids or pets in the car. But give me a simple key/transponder if I just want to have a key on a keychain.
Also, I keep seeing more reports about those wireless unlock and remote start fobs being relatively easy to spoof, and the whole system seems comically insecure and fragile.
Most cars won't lock with the key fob inside them, and no one in the driver seat. So you might be leaving your car unlocked. That being said, the fobs are gasketed and water resistant, they should be able to handle a swim, no problem, but if you're concerned, a ziploc baggie should do the trick.
I'd say the benefit of the fob outweighs the "cost". Take it from someone who has had access to all 3 generations of entry tech (key, fob, keyless) at the same time, you'll really miss it when you don't have it.
It's not about the drivers, it's about cheaper costs and normalizing subscription services for your vehicle.
It's a nice, standardised way with which to lock you out of features and force you to engage with their out-of-vehicle services.
Summary: Computerized touch screens and 'smart' features with poorly thought-out UI and UX are a solution in search of a problem.
Start with what directly benefits the user and driving experience.
Go from there.
"What directly benefits the user?"
"Heated seats."
"Okay, start charging a subscription fee for that."
I know it's not what you meant, but it's what I immediately thought of.
Why can't some manufacturers just have a phone cradle instead with the backup camera on a screen in the rear view mirror? I hate waiting for my car to boot up just to put on some music.
I drive an EV for work, any my biggest gripe is the touchscreen. What is wrong with buttons. Why must everything be hidden behind a menu I have to navigate on a touchscreen. It feels less safe, frankly. In my own car I have muscle memory for each button and can do things like skip songs or adjust the AC without looking away from the road... But in the EV I can't.
What does being an EV have to do with anything? ICE cars are exactly the same.
I totally agree with you though. Tech and UI in modern cars is pretty awful.
I would say eve typically do have more controls on touchscreens vs buttons. Now this issue is mainly observed in Teslas more than any other car, but Teslas are the most popular ev so ya it's definitely more of a problem on evs.
I wish my stereo system in my RX 450h were easily swappable. i haven't had a swappable stereo in a car since my 2005 suzuki wagon
I have one in my 2017 Mitsubishi mirage! Its a manual too! I love it, looks like its from the 90s.
I'd genuinely buy one of those, but they're just too expensive still. I'll just buy a car from the 90s for a fraction of the price.
While it would be nice to have a screen for music and nav, I absolutely hate any car where you NEED to use the screen to do things. It feels like distracted driving is designed into cars these days…
This is why I chose a Mazda. Buttons for everything. I didn't even realize I had a touchscreen until cleaning the interior one day with the radio going.
My Ford clearly has a touchscreen, and it’s nice, but I’ve also got buttons for everything I need while driving. That’s the way it should be.
subway surfers at a traffic jam
I want fucking buttons!
Physical buttons are simply better.
I wonder if engineers protested getting rid of the buttons. Who's responsible for that terrible design trend?
I was helping my mom shop for a new car, and we discovered she needed the requirement of "physical AC controls".
Everything is all on the touch screen.
ITT: lemmy designing a car, like Homer Simpson.
Meh. Big screens don't make cars better. It's still a car, and basic functionality is more important than a big screen that lags or hides functions.
Big screens that are crap don't make cars better. Maybe. Often you don't realize it until you've paid for it, at that point the manufacturer is laughing to the bank.
And a lot of models are actually better, especially post 2020, when a screen is not a novelty and the early failures are (mostly) over.
I don’t know, I love having a big screen in my car. Navigation is bigger, so it’s much easier to glance down and find navigation references.
I still have all of the critical functions, too.
And a separate dome for the kids!
There's this thing called a smartphone. You might have heard of it.
I like the tech in my car, it has knobs and buttons. But then again it is from '91.
I drove a 2020 pickup while taking turns on a family trip. I jumped on the chance to get a 87 Chevy C10. Nothing I want, that I can't get with a cellphone mount. The 2020 truck feels like I'm driving a lifeguard's chair around.
Visited my parents while they were in Florida recently. Drove their rental car to the store, it was a newer model with "Lane Assist Technology." It was terrible. Tried to swerve around a pothole, and the steering wheel vibrated and steered me back into it. Same thing happened as I angled the car to enter a roundabout, the damn thing just steered against me! It felt like at any time the car might just "decide" to swerve me into oncoming traffic! I'll never buy a car with that trash masquerading as tech. Absolute garbage feature.
I have to back into a parking spot in a shitty, shared driveway. If I don't throw my (automatic transmission) car into neutral and coast into place, my car will decide I'm too close to the curb and just slam the fuck out of the brakes while still several feet away from where I intend to be. It sounds awful and it scared the absolute shit out of me several times before I internalized the workaround.
Good thing I'm not a fan of the backup camera in general, or this problem would be even more irritating, since the camera turns off when I go from reverse to neutral.
My parents' cars (which I drive often) both have backup cameras but my own car doesn't. I often find myself backing up in my own car while staring down at my screen-less dashboard instead of looking behind me or in the rearview mirror.
Should have a setting to disable that.
Conversely, I'm a big fan of backup cameras. They're a mandated safety feature on new cars for a reason.
A fisheye lens on the very back of the car gives much better situational awareness while backing out of a parking spot while flanked by two huge pickups/SUVs/vans.
I got a loaner last time I had my car worked on at the dealership and had the same experience. Also the option to turn it off was buried in the touch screen menu and didn't stay turned off next time you drove. When I brought it back the dude was like "So, thinking about trading up?" Fuck no, I hate this thing. I'm keeping my old Civic until the wheels fall off.
First thing I turned off in my new car when I got it. I hate the feeling that the car is no longer responding to my inputs.
Sounds like you used it on poorly marked surface roads.
Most lane systems do pretty well on well marked highways. Very useful for doing long drives.
It was actually a well marked/maintained road, the pothole I refer to was more like a sewer manhole with a deep depression. Didn't drive it on the highway, but my mother did, and said she was equally alarmed by how often the steering would "right itself" when she was trying to merge or change lanes.
Yeah. I wished Lemmy was different then Reddit but nope, bitchin gets the upvotes.
2014 impreza. No screen at all. I bought a phone mount that shows waze and charges my phone.
I have cruise control and heated seats. And I can operate both with gloves on!
Don’t need a backup cam because my windows and mirrors are good.
I will drive this car until it dies, and then I’ll replace the head gaskets and drive it until it dies again. And then I will replace the cvt and drive it until it dies a third time.
Unfortunately there’s nothing you can do about the NY road salt. The frame will be left, flake by flake, in the gutters of 490. It’s the only thing that can take this car from me, and it is its inevitable fate.
And I can operate both with gloves on!
That right there is one of the biggest reasons I hate this trend towards touch-screen interfaces in cars.
You know your maintenance schedule well!
The only features I really want is ABS, Bluetooth and a physical interface. Everything else I would rather not pay for.
I live in Sweden so it's not like I need AC, I don't use cruise etc. and most other modern features mainly serve to annoy me.
Wireless CarPlay.
Aftermarket stereo with Bluetooth in one car, road noise and a single earbud in the other, but usually just road noise.
I guess it depends on how far North you live. I'm a Swede too, and cars in summer with no A/C would be unbearable.
Malmö :)
ABS has been an EU legal requirement for at least ten years. It's not generally marketed as a feature unless it's part of a safety-stability system e.g. ESP and collision mitigation.
If these control systems are implemented skillfully you won't know they are present on the vehicle. People think they understand how a car works right up to the point they have to make one and then go back to talking about bicycles.
I mention it mostly because my car doesn't have it.
Well, I think you'll need AC anyway, since it works as a heat pump to heat your car up in winter.
Only in electric vehicles. Gasoline and diesel engines generate a lot of waste heat, which is why they have radiators at the front of the engine compartment for water cooling. The cabin heater in most vehicles is an optional air path though a small heat exchanger on the radiator water loop, so it’s as efficient as possible. That’s also why the car has to be running for a few minutes before the heat starts working.
Power windows, Bluetooth audio systems, seat warmers.
These are all really positive tech advancements in my lifetime.
Touch screen interfaces, power door handles (without a manual override), firmware disables features or limitations that are determined by the DLC you purchase from your dealership...
These are fucking bullshit and almost no one I know likes them.
It is insane how anti-consumer cars have gotten.
power door handles (without a manual override)
I'm fairly certain that's illegal. In the US at least.
There have been stories that sound like it's a thing. But those have always been people not knowing where the mechanical release is located.
Yup.
I refuse to buy any vehicle made after 2015, and even that's quite a bit newer than I'd like.
I wouldn't mind having tech in my car, but I have a zero-tolerance policy for proprietary spyware-infested shit. Therefore, I can't buy any vehicle made after 2015.
I'd like to have a double-DIN car computer with a Raspberry Pi, RTL-SDR (for the radio) and OBD2 connection, but haven't gotten around to making one yet.
Car tech peaked in 2018. Everything since then has been a down grade in my opinion
I agree, I bought my car in 2018 and its got a small screen and carplay / android auto. No OTA updated, no capacitive buttons, i don’t have to dig through touchscreen menus to change settings. I want to go electric soon, but everything i have driven is obnoxious with what you have to deal with in the cabin.
Very similar for me. I wish I had carplay, but otherwise my car does everything I want it to do without any fuss. I don't need a wrap around screen on the dashboard because I'm looking at the road.
My 2017 Toyota is loaded with touchscreen crap so I guess YMMV
I threw out 2018 somewhat arbitrarily because it's when I still saw physical buttons but also got carplay.
Physical buttons please and thank you
I just found out that the Tesla 2024 Model 3 has a gear selector that's incorporated into the touchscreen.. I saw it (someone I know bought one) and I cannot understand.