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According to Consumer Reports, Mazda's non-touch-screen infotainment controls are actually not good at all: * https://www.consumerreports.org/infotainment-syst

According to Consumer Reports, Mazda's non-touch-screen infotainment controls are actually not good at all: * https://www.consumerreports.org/infotainment-systems/how-to-solve-problems-with-your-infotainment-system/ https://www.consumerreports.org/infotainment-systems/how-to-... > Despite selling some vehicles with high ratings in other categories, Audi, Honda, Infiniti, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Subaru, and Toyota all joined Lexus at the bottom of our satisfaction ratings when it came to ease of use for in-car electronics. * https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/mazda/3/2021/road-test/ https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/mazda/3/2021/road-test/ (requires subscription): > The infotainment screen mounted in the center of the dash isn’t a touch screen; users must adjust audio and infotainment features using steering wheel controls or the rotary controller and buttons mounted between the front seats. Unfortunately, some steering wheel controls are hard to see and difficult to use because they have silver text on a silver background. The rotary knob and buttons in the center console are also challenging to use since many of the buttons are difficult to see at a glance, and the lack of an easy-to-decipher menu structure forces drivers to spend too long looking at the controls instead of the road. As can be seen from your first link, the main control method is a jog-wheel knob at your knee next to the gear shift lever, mounted facing up, so you turn it left and right to select things and push in to "click"/confirm. CR says that with this control system, and the menu hierarchies that Mazda's UI makes you go through, you end up more distracted than with the better touch-screen systems they review.

thesuitonym 6y ago
The idea is right, but the implementation doesn't seem great. I can't judge it fairly, because I've never used it, but based on your description, and the article, I completely believe that the way Mazda is going about this is horrible. >Mazda is looking to add more simple, tactile controls into the cars. A quick tilt of the volume knob to the right or left goes forward or back single tracks Ugh, if only there were some kind of dedicated control for some of these things that are being moved out of touchscreens. Something you can just tap on, sort of the way you do with touchscreens, but that never moves or changes, so you can tap it without looking. Boy whoever invents that will be a billionaire!
- jjoonathan 6y ago
  Advanced tactile feedback technology!
- otherme123 6y ago
  I have a Mazda, and the system works perfectly. You have to get used to it (maybe a week of use), and after that is like using a trackball. Do you need to look at your mouse to locate the buttons or the wheel? The Mazda knob is exactly the same: left is media, central is home, right is navigation. Obviously, if you only test drive the car for an hour, you cannot get used to it, and you have to look down. Same as you had to look at your mouse the first time you used it.
pdimitar 6y ago
That X is not good does not automatically mean that Y is better. Touchscreens in cars are really distracting. I had to yell to an acquaintance of mine once -- they were trying to change the music while going with 40-50km/h in a suburban area and she almost hit a dog. The reason? Cheap touchscreen that doesn't register half the touches. But it wouldn't matter for the poor creature that gets one ton of steel driven through them. Maybe the car infotainment system's controls belong to the steering wheel? Or a bunch of extra levers? Who knows, but IMO the touchscreens aren't that good as well. The jury is still out on what's the best way of approaching this.
- ntsplnkv2 6y ago
  The problem is that basic controls got moved into touch screen interfaces. Before I could turn my fan speed knob by feel. It was "stepped" so I knew what level it was at when I moved it, if it was min/max. Same with heat and cool. Knob to adjust what vents. All could be done with eyes on the road. Now? OK you can change climate control, go into touch screen, open up controls, tap to change 5 times to different vents, some crap slider to control fan speed, all requiring to look in order to see where to touch. The lack of tactile feedback just sucks. On a phone yea sure it's great because I'm looking at it when I use it - it's function is to look at it. Not in a car.
- xmprt 6y ago
  A major issue is that the UI of touchscreens is horrible and the hardware used is so slow that it makes the experience dangerously bad. I don't have issues using the Maps app on my phone even though that's a touchscreen. I also don't have issues playing music through my phone (accessibility settings help a lot with this). On the other hand, every time I've had to use a car touchscreen I make sure I'm not moving because I have to look at the screen to find the button location and then keep looking for another second to make sure the press was registered.

thesuitonym 6y ago

The idea is right, but the implementation doesn't seem great. I can't judge it fairly, because I've never used it, but based on your description, and the article, I completely believe that the way Mazda is going about this is horrible. >Mazda is looking to add more simple, tactile controls into the cars. A quick tilt of the volume knob to the right or left goes forward or back single tracks Ugh, if only there were some kind of dedicated control for some of these things that are being moved out of touchscreens. Something you can just tap on, sort of the way you do with touchscreens, but that never moves or changes, so you can tap it without looking. Boy whoever invents that will be a billionaire!

jjoonathan 6y ago
Advanced tactile feedback technology!
otherme123 6y ago
I have a Mazda, and the system works perfectly. You have to get used to it (maybe a week of use), and after that is like using a trackball. Do you need to look at your mouse to locate the buttons or the wheel? The Mazda knob is exactly the same: left is media, central is home, right is navigation. Obviously, if you only test drive the car for an hour, you cannot get used to it, and you have to look down. Same as you had to look at your mouse the first time you used it.

pdimitar 6y ago

That X is not good does not automatically mean that Y is better. Touchscreens in cars are really distracting. I had to yell to an acquaintance of mine once -- they were trying to change the music while going with 40-50km/h in a suburban area and she almost hit a dog. The reason? Cheap touchscreen that doesn't register half the touches. But it wouldn't matter for the poor creature that gets one ton of steel driven through them. Maybe the car infotainment system's controls belong to the steering wheel? Or a bunch of extra levers? Who knows, but IMO the touchscreens aren't that good as well. The jury is still out on what's the best way of approaching this.

ntsplnkv2 6y ago
The problem is that basic controls got moved into touch screen interfaces. Before I could turn my fan speed knob by feel. It was "stepped" so I knew what level it was at when I moved it, if it was min/max. Same with heat and cool. Knob to adjust what vents. All could be done with eyes on the road. Now? OK you can change climate control, go into touch screen, open up controls, tap to change 5 times to different vents, some crap slider to control fan speed, all requiring to look in order to see where to touch. The lack of tactile feedback just sucks. On a phone yea sure it's great because I'm looking at it when I use it - it's function is to look at it. Not in a car.
xmprt 6y ago
A major issue is that the UI of touchscreens is horrible and the hardware used is so slow that it makes the experience dangerously bad. I don't have issues using the Maps app on my phone even though that's a touchscreen. I also don't have issues playing music through my phone (accessibility settings help a lot with this). On the other hand, every time I've had to use a car touchscreen I make sure I'm not moving because I have to look at the screen to find the button location and then keep looking for another second to make sure the press was registered.