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> offer far more value i.e. premium branding and better interiors This can't happen soon enough. Ever since driving a Tesla, I'm completely disappointed by the

by tomp 8y ago

> offer far more value i.e. premium branding and better interiors This can't happen soon enough. Ever since driving a Tesla, I'm completely disappointed by the interior/control panels of most (all?) other cars. Buttons, seriously? A 9-inch screen?!

erobbins 8y ago
Seriously? Tesla interiors have a high tech feel, but they are pretty spartan and lack luxury I expect in a $100k car. You can get into a 3 series BMW and it's got a higher quality interior than any Tesla.
paganel 8y ago
> Buttons, seriously? Buttons allow a driver to not take his/her eyes off the road while changing the radio station or adjusting the AC. Totally eliminating dashboard buttons is dumb, but fortunately some car-makers have started realizing this and have started to re-introduce some of those buttons.
- tomp 8y ago
  Yeah, I'm not opposed to a few buttons - like +- temperature, all blinkers, etc. But in most cars, the number of buttons is just overwhelming, so you probably need to take your eyes off the road just to find the button you're looking for!
  - Ntrails 8y ago
    I could type on my old Nokias etc without ever looking at the message. It was flawless. If one wanted to do it whilst driving (not that anyone ever would, of course) it could be done without ever looking away from the road. That's the power of actual physical feedback. I'm sure there's someone somewhere who can prove me wrong and touch-type flawlessly on their touch screen phone. But in most cases you're relying heavily on auto-correct to make a parseable sentence. Which means you'll need to look at the screen a lot. The radio/Cassette player in my car is all buttons. I can change stations, volume, switch to tape etc without looking much at all. Some buttons I might no remember their place - but here's the crucial thing. I don't have to keep looking until I make contact. I glance, see where the button is, and then feel for it. A touch screen simply doesn't give you that, you either need to see yourself making contact or wait for the software to do something you may (or may not) have wanted. If it's wrong, you're now trying to fix that and try again. I do not believe that touch screens reduce risk in interacting with car functionality, indeed I'm pretty sure they increase it.
    - marvin 8y ago
      Siri works well enough for me that I can perfectly dictate a text message without taking my eyes off the road. That's just one data point and I know others have diverging experiences, but it seems likely that voice control with improve enough that this could soon be a feasible way of controlling a car's secondary systems too.
- bronco21016 8y ago
  Additionally, buttons and knobs allow critical systems like HVAC to be operational and affordably serviced when the infotainment system inevitably dies. This was the primary reason I got rid of my 2015 Ford Fusion. The SYNC system in it became a generation behind and even when it was the latest generation it was nearly impossible to get it serviced at the dealer for software updated.

by tomp 8y ago

erobbins 8y ago

Seriously? Tesla interiors have a high tech feel, but they are pretty spartan and lack luxury I expect in a $100k car. You can get into a 3 series BMW and it's got a higher quality interior than any Tesla.

paganel 8y ago

> Buttons, seriously? Buttons allow a driver to not take his/her eyes off the road while changing the radio station or adjusting the AC. Totally eliminating dashboard buttons is dumb, but fortunately some car-makers have started realizing this and have started to re-introduce some of those buttons.

tomp 8y ago
Yeah, I'm not opposed to a few buttons - like +- temperature, all blinkers, etc. But in most cars, the number of buttons is just overwhelming, so you probably need to take your eyes off the road just to find the button you're looking for!
- Ntrails 8y ago
  I could type on my old Nokias etc without ever looking at the message. It was flawless. If one wanted to do it whilst driving (not that anyone ever would, of course) it could be done without ever looking away from the road. That's the power of actual physical feedback. I'm sure there's someone somewhere who can prove me wrong and touch-type flawlessly on their touch screen phone. But in most cases you're relying heavily on auto-correct to make a parseable sentence. Which means you'll need to look at the screen a lot. The radio/Cassette player in my car is all buttons. I can change stations, volume, switch to tape etc without looking much at all. Some buttons I might no remember their place - but here's the crucial thing. I don't have to keep looking until I make contact. I glance, see where the button is, and then feel for it. A touch screen simply doesn't give you that, you either need to see yourself making contact or wait for the software to do something you may (or may not) have wanted. If it's wrong, you're now trying to fix that and try again. I do not believe that touch screens reduce risk in interacting with car functionality, indeed I'm pretty sure they increase it.
  - marvin 8y ago
    Siri works well enough for me that I can perfectly dictate a text message without taking my eyes off the road. That's just one data point and I know others have diverging experiences, but it seems likely that voice control with improve enough that this could soon be a feasible way of controlling a car's secondary systems too.
bronco21016 8y ago
Additionally, buttons and knobs allow critical systems like HVAC to be operational and affordably serviced when the infotainment system inevitably dies. This was the primary reason I got rid of my 2015 Ford Fusion. The SYNC system in it became a generation behind and even when it was the latest generation it was nearly impossible to get it serviced at the dealer for software updated.