4 ms·

I've got one of the Tesla Model 3 cars, which is afaik. the model which Tesla has gone farthest with the touch screen, and before I had that I drove a lot of di

I've got one of the Tesla Model 3 cars, which is afaik. the model which Tesla has gone farthest with the touch screen, and before I had that I drove a lot of different cars. After driving Model 3 for a couple of years, I have to say that the touch screen is not a usability problem. The controls I need to have quick access to are not on the touch screen, and the ones that are on that screen, are controls I would have to take my eyes of the road and look for anyway. I will have to grant that they have gone a bit overboard with putting controls in the touch interface, and I still don't get why the glove box opening button is in the touch UI, but that isn't a problem by any means. I was a bit skeptical of the Model 3 UI, before I got it. But for me it is clearly a step up in usability from the "a million little buttons with weird symbols that who knows does what", and while that view of traditional car interfaces might be a bit unfair. So is all the "any touch screen UI in a car is bad", sentiment going around. Touch interfaces can work well in a car, as long as you don't need to use it for the drive task, but only for auxiliary tasks that don't need, and shouldn't be split seconds tasks.

m463 6y ago
How do you flash your lights at someone? (not hit them with the high beams) How do you turn on defog if the windshield becomes obscured? these are the kinds of things I think about. The model S is a little better but it isn't perfect either, it has the same problem: defog and changing the temperature on climate control has to be done carefully by looking over and down. Now it will get more of these issues heaped on like turn signals windshield wipers and more.
- mdeeks 6y ago
  To be fair, I have to look over and down to do the same on my 2018 Audi A4 even though it has (far too many) buttons and dials to control that. My main complaint on our Model 3 is the windshield wiper control. The Auto setting is terrible at actually detecting rain so I can't use it. The manual adjustments require multiple taps and it hides itself again after a few seconds.
- surfearth 6y ago
  If you're flashing your lights as someone, why wouldn't you use the high beam? In particular, with daytime running lights on most cars, high beam flashing is the most practical tool for the job. On my Model Y, it is a simple pull of the left steering wheel stalk to do that, the same on all other cars I've previously owned. On my prior car, flashing the non-bright lights would've required turning an awkwardly positioned dial that also controls fog lights and running lights. That is easier than the touchscreen method but still poor UX while driving.
  - m463 6y ago
    flashing high/low/high/low means "your high beams are on" but you can take away their night vision. flashing on/off/on/off means "turn on your headlights" or "speed trap ahead"
    - jayphen 6y ago
      Flashing high/low/high/low from behind here in Austria at least means “you are annoying me but not in a way that immediately threatens my safety” (beeps are reserved for slow starters at lights or near-collisions). If going in the other direction it means cops ahead.
neilsense 6y ago
This sounds a lot like you live in a sunny climate. A Model 3 in Europe works like this: - Three presses for fog light control, where you might need it immediately due to weather and altitude changes - Utterly rubbish rain/drizzle sensing and wipers that can only be switched on for one motion via stalks. Only way to get them constantly going manually is A SWIPE and button press in a moving car when visibility has already dropped. That's just two of the worst, I won't go into the problem with their new UI (last big update) which has completely ruining the minimal ergonomics that existed for figuring out your speed/regen/etc.

m463 6y ago

How do you flash your lights at someone? (not hit them with the high beams) How do you turn on defog if the windshield becomes obscured? these are the kinds of things I think about. The model S is a little better but it isn't perfect either, it has the same problem: defog and changing the temperature on climate control has to be done carefully by looking over and down. Now it will get more of these issues heaped on like turn signals windshield wipers and more.

mdeeks 6y ago
To be fair, I have to look over and down to do the same on my 2018 Audi A4 even though it has (far too many) buttons and dials to control that. My main complaint on our Model 3 is the windshield wiper control. The Auto setting is terrible at actually detecting rain so I can't use it. The manual adjustments require multiple taps and it hides itself again after a few seconds.
surfearth 6y ago
If you're flashing your lights as someone, why wouldn't you use the high beam? In particular, with daytime running lights on most cars, high beam flashing is the most practical tool for the job. On my Model Y, it is a simple pull of the left steering wheel stalk to do that, the same on all other cars I've previously owned. On my prior car, flashing the non-bright lights would've required turning an awkwardly positioned dial that also controls fog lights and running lights. That is easier than the touchscreen method but still poor UX while driving.
- m463 6y ago
  flashing high/low/high/low means "your high beams are on" but you can take away their night vision. flashing on/off/on/off means "turn on your headlights" or "speed trap ahead"
  - jayphen 6y ago
    Flashing high/low/high/low from behind here in Austria at least means “you are annoying me but not in a way that immediately threatens my safety” (beeps are reserved for slow starters at lights or near-collisions). If going in the other direction it means cops ahead.

neilsense 6y ago

This sounds a lot like you live in a sunny climate. A Model 3 in Europe works like this: - Three presses for fog light control, where you might need it immediately due to weather and altitude changes - Utterly rubbish rain/drizzle sensing and wipers that can only be switched on for one motion via stalks. Only way to get them constantly going manually is A SWIPE and button press in a moving car when visibility has already dropped. That's just two of the worst, I won't go into the problem with their new UI (last big update) which has completely ruining the minimal ergonomics that existed for figuring out your speed/regen/etc.