5 ms·

I need to buy a vehicle with a back seat in the next couple years and I'm not sure where to start. I don't want a touch screen control panel. I want knobs and

I need to buy a vehicle with a back seat in the next couple years and I'm not sure where to start. I don't want a touch screen control panel. I want knobs and buttons. I want to be able to repair most of it myself. My current vehicle is a base model from 2005 and I don't know whether I can get a vehicle under 5 years old that isn't loaded down with tech. If you know of anything, I'd love to hear about it.

flyingfences 5y ago
I don't know of anything that's actually the "old-school car" we're looking for, but I've been hearing that the new Civic has knobs and buttons (electronic, not directly mechanical) for the important controls and has a surprisingly roomy back seat and trunk.
- msrenee 5y ago
  I'd rather stick to a couple years old at the most recent. My husband loves his old Civic though. If it ever gives out on him, it's good to know there'll be some options out there.
  - flyingfences 5y ago
    With the market as it is now, cars a few years old cost almost as much as new cars; it may be worth considering.
    - msrenee 5y ago
      Very true. I just got burned when I was younger buying a used car that was under a year old. Everything went wrong with the damn thing and apparently it was just a crappy year for that model. I'm a little gun shy about buying something newer than 2 years old at this point.
carljv 5y ago
Mazda is pretty allergic to touchscreens and views them as a safety risk. Environmental controls are physical button and knobs in all models I’ve seen, and even the infotainment feature are controlled with buttons and a central knob. I never have to reach up and touch the screen. The screen isn’t even responsive to touch while the car is in motion.
MaxikCZ 5y ago
I drive Skoda Octavia III. The whole AC is electronic but with physical buttons and knobs (encoders) for everything (except steerwheel heating, but that turns on/off on setting last used when seat heaters turn on/off, which are on physical button). That said, only buttons I use are for defrosting front/back windshield in winter, seat heat and sometimes recirculation for smelly cars. The automatic temperature control works really great, I basically never have to adjust temperature manually. Its matured, ergonomic, thought out, responsive and always working. Stay away from octavia 4 tho, its their pioneer of "software for everything" (whole climate control on touchscren), and its buggy af. 25% of time something basic wouldnt work, (such as the whole climate control, or even turning on lights!), with more challenging things (like phone pairing) failing basically every second ride. The 3 is a solid quality no bs car, tho
- msrenee 5y ago
  Whoops, I forgot to mention that I'm in the US. Sounds like those would be good options for me though.

flyingfences 5y ago

I don't know of anything that's actually the "old-school car" we're looking for, but I've been hearing that the new Civic has knobs and buttons (electronic, not directly mechanical) for the important controls and has a surprisingly roomy back seat and trunk.

msrenee 5y ago
I'd rather stick to a couple years old at the most recent. My husband loves his old Civic though. If it ever gives out on him, it's good to know there'll be some options out there.
- flyingfences 5y ago
  With the market as it is now, cars a few years old cost almost as much as new cars; it may be worth considering.
  - msrenee 5y ago
    Very true. I just got burned when I was younger buying a used car that was under a year old. Everything went wrong with the damn thing and apparently it was just a crappy year for that model. I'm a little gun shy about buying something newer than 2 years old at this point.

carljv 5y ago

Mazda is pretty allergic to touchscreens and views them as a safety risk. Environmental controls are physical button and knobs in all models I’ve seen, and even the infotainment feature are controlled with buttons and a central knob. I never have to reach up and touch the screen. The screen isn’t even responsive to touch while the car is in motion.

MaxikCZ 5y ago

I drive Skoda Octavia III. The whole AC is electronic but with physical buttons and knobs (encoders) for everything (except steerwheel heating, but that turns on/off on setting last used when seat heaters turn on/off, which are on physical button). That said, only buttons I use are for defrosting front/back windshield in winter, seat heat and sometimes recirculation for smelly cars. The automatic temperature control works really great, I basically never have to adjust temperature manually. Its matured, ergonomic, thought out, responsive and always working. Stay away from octavia 4 tho, its their pioneer of "software for everything" (whole climate control on touchscren), and its buggy af. 25% of time something basic wouldnt work, (such as the whole climate control, or even turning on lights!), with more challenging things (like phone pairing) failing basically every second ride. The 3 is a solid quality no bs car, tho

msrenee 5y ago
Whoops, I forgot to mention that I'm in the US. Sounds like those would be good options for me though.