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Another high-tech car company that thinks replacing all the dashboard controls with a big touchscreen is a good idea. How is having to stare at a screen while u

Another high-tech car company that thinks replacing all the dashboard controls with a big touchscreen is a good idea. How is having to stare at a screen while using fine motor control in the middle of driving a good idea? Rear-view cameras are neat, but the one time I tried one I found rapidly switching focus between a car 50 feet ahead and a screen 1 foot away to be rather tiring for my eyes. Maybe I'm just not the target market for this sort of thing.

pathartl 4y ago
I dropped a new cheap Android head unit into my partner's 2011 Civic and having Android Auto is such a massive upgrade that really breathes new life into the car. That being said, there's definitely issues with it. It's VERY bright at nighttime, which I think could probably be fixed with an OLED panel and working ambient light sensor. Additionally the volume controls are capacitive buttons to the left of the display. I've seriously considered modding in a manual volume knob because of how annoying it is to adjust while trying to pay attention to the road. I can't even imagine having to adjust things like windows, windshield wipers, or climate control all with a touch screen.
Ken_At_EM 4y ago
Model 3 owner. It really doesn't present a safety situation for me. I glance at the screen for speed and maps as you would a dashboard. I use the click wheels on the steering wheel to adjust music, volume and autopilot speed. It's super fun when parked to have the big screen and play games with the kids, it adds a ton of bonding time that would otherwise be not quite as fun. I wouldn't mind a physical wheel similar to the newer Ford Explorer's where a rotatable wheel is affixed over the touch screen so that it feels like it's part of the touch screen.
- Ken_At_EM 4y ago
  Also, the far more dangerous thing in a vehicle is someone's personal phone, which I admittedly use far too often when driving.
pussycat 4y ago
I have a new mercedez with a fully digital dash, 360 degree cameras, etc. I find it incredibly helpful and not distracting at all.

pathartl 4y ago

I dropped a new cheap Android head unit into my partner's 2011 Civic and having Android Auto is such a massive upgrade that really breathes new life into the car. That being said, there's definitely issues with it. It's VERY bright at nighttime, which I think could probably be fixed with an OLED panel and working ambient light sensor. Additionally the volume controls are capacitive buttons to the left of the display. I've seriously considered modding in a manual volume knob because of how annoying it is to adjust while trying to pay attention to the road. I can't even imagine having to adjust things like windows, windshield wipers, or climate control all with a touch screen.

Ken_At_EM 4y ago

Model 3 owner. It really doesn't present a safety situation for me. I glance at the screen for speed and maps as you would a dashboard. I use the click wheels on the steering wheel to adjust music, volume and autopilot speed. It's super fun when parked to have the big screen and play games with the kids, it adds a ton of bonding time that would otherwise be not quite as fun. I wouldn't mind a physical wheel similar to the newer Ford Explorer's where a rotatable wheel is affixed over the touch screen so that it feels like it's part of the touch screen.

Ken_At_EM 4y ago
Also, the far more dangerous thing in a vehicle is someone's personal phone, which I admittedly use far too often when driving.

pussycat 4y ago

I have a new mercedez with a fully digital dash, 360 degree cameras, etc. I find it incredibly helpful and not distracting at all.