6 ms·

Mazda disables touch for Android auto and carplay and I think that's awesome. The wheel is much better to use.

schuke 4y ago
I have never driven a Mazda but I watch a lot of car reviews. It seems to me they're the only car manufacturer that gets car interactions right. They actually have a philosophy how human-cars should interact and design everything based on it. Hence everything comes natural and consistent and logical.
- CornCobs 4y ago
  Dad has a Mazda. Can vouch for this 100%. It's very clear to me when I drive it that their car interfaces are very deliberate and properly designed. That rolling knob thing which controls the screen is amazing and I wish it were standard
- para_parolu 4y ago
  It may sound strange but UX is main reason why I drive mazda. I have no other requirements (besides basic safety).
  - pintxo 4y ago
    Driver UX was the reason of my initial focus on BMW over other makers.
    - joecool1029 4y ago
      You say this but their drivers still can't figure out how to operate turn signals.
    - lisper 4y ago
      BMW is not bad (I own one) but try turning off the air conditioner some time.
      - prepend 4y ago
        I’ve got an off button in the center of my controls. The only oddity is that I have to press it to lower the airflow from 5 to 0 (off) but otherwise pretty easy to find and use. It says “OFF.”
        lisper 4y ago
        That turns off the entire climate control system, not just the air conditioner.
        prepend 4y ago
        I misunderstood what you were looking for. AC seems easier for me as there’s a button labeled “A/C” that is lit up when AC is turned on and not lit up when it is off.
        lisper 4y ago
        Really? What model do you have? I have a 330e and it does not have an A/C button, only a "MAX A/C" button. I can turn the A/C on with this button, but I can't turn it back off.
        prepend 4y ago
        2018 330. That’s weird you don’t have an AC button. What I find curious is that “Max AC” is on the left side on a big round button but “AC” is on the right side on a square button with another square above it. I don’t understand the layout sense but at least I’m lucky enough to have buttons.
    - smolder 4y ago
      They've had their hits and misses over the years. Not at all typical, I'm sure, but a fun anecdote: I had a 90s bmw at one point, with electronic controls for the adjustable driver's seat down near the floor between the seat and door. The buttons got wet one time when it was raining, and it led to the seat coming alive and trying to crush me against the steering wheel while in highway traffic. Mashing on the controls didn't work and the motor was quite powerful. I was barely able to pull over with the room I had to move. If I wasn't as thin as I am, I might have been pinned down and crashed.
  - lloeki 4y ago
    I can't say it's the main reason I would choose a car, but bad UX (the whole thing, from UI to knobs) is certainly one of the no-compromise ones I would bail a car on.
- kennend3 4y ago
  I moved from a Mazda to Hyundai and find my Elantra very much like my Mazda 6 in terms of ease-of-use. It has android auto/carplay. To change songs, increase the volume, mute you use buttons on the steering wheel. There is a physical volume up/down knob as well in case the passenger wants to use it and these can be done via the touch screen as well. They have done an excellent job blending new technology and continuing to use "what works" from the past. Too many of these touch screens in cars requires accessing menue's and sub-menu's to do basic things that should be on the steering wheel. My ex-wife's Lexus which cost 5x what i paid for my Elantra wont let her access the navigation system unless it is stopped and in park?? I can simply hold a button on the steering wheel to access Siri and state where i want to go. Far too often if you touch the screen on her lexis you get "vehicle is in motion".. Great.. and i'm in the passenger seat confused as to why this is an issue? this is such a problem that there are instructions on how to override it? https://www.wikihow.com/Override-Lexus-Navigation-Motion-Lock https://www.wikihow.com/Override-Lexus-Navigation-Motion-Loc... perhaps they should have done a better job planning this out before releasing it to the public? Personally i feel Hyundai provides better "value for your money". By not having the incredibly complicated model and options packages you find in North American cars they keep their costs down and the variations on their products low. No need to deal with the NA style "you want package A, you need to get packages B and C as well" crap.
oktwtf 4y ago
This was the first thing I disable when I got my 2016 Mazda 3. SSH'd into the infotainment and locked the GPS position. Now the car thinks I'm always parked, even when rolling. I also reduced the warning/notice on boot to about 500ms. Considering this, I don't think I've ever even had to touch the screen since; the wheel is just so nice. The volume knob down in that cluster is also very ergonomic.
- ah27182 4y ago
  I dont get locking the GPS. Was is to your car from keep beeping if your seatbelt was unbuckled?
  - kennend3 4y ago
    Some cars like My ex-wife's lexus wont let you access the navigation system unless the vehicle is stopped. This is VERY VERY stupid and TBH dangerous. Should se find herself lost on the highway she would need to leave the highway or stop on the side of the road to access the navigation system?? If you attempt to access the nav system while the vehicle is not stopped it simply displays some sort of "vehicle is in motion" alarm. My Elantra wont let me use the keyboard to enter an address while the vehicle is in motion, but it will let me use Siri so i can make changes while moving if needed.
    - digitallyfree 4y ago
      Is the system still disabled if someone is present in the front passenger seat (modern vehicles have sensors for this)? Oftentimes the passenger acts as the navigator and it wouldn't make sense for them to be locked out of the system.
      - kennend3 4y ago
        Yes, it has been a while since i've been in her car.. i think you actually need to put it in park to "unlock" it, not just be stopped. This is why I said the system is very stupid.. one would think that a passenger can access the navigation system given they are not driving. The lesson I took away from this is: Never buy a car with a built-in GPS system. Android auto/carplay are a much better - They are not likely to hold your car "ransom" for map updates or such, and don't have stupid rules like must be in park.
lloeki 4y ago
I have a Mazda 2, touch is disabled as soon as the car starts rolling, but is available at a stop. I like their rotating joyknob implementation, which can be used without looking nor stretching arms, and integrates well with CarPlay as well. It's so good I skip on touch even when touch would be a good fit. Even their homegrown UI isn't that bad, which is actually praise given the crap automakers can come up with. Side node: touch is useful for the passenger though, as reaching to the knob can be annoying for the driver, even at a stop.
tallytarik 4y ago
The previous gen Mazdas would disable the touch screen when the car was moving. The latest models go one further - the screen is not touch capable at all. It’s honestly great.

I have never driven a Mazda but I watch a lot of car reviews. It seems to me they're the only car manufacturer that gets car interactions right. They actually have a philosophy how human-cars should interact and design everything based on it. Hence everything comes natural and consistent and logical.

CornCobs 4y ago
Dad has a Mazda. Can vouch for this 100%. It's very clear to me when I drive it that their car interfaces are very deliberate and properly designed. That rolling knob thing which controls the screen is amazing and I wish it were standard
para_parolu 4y ago
It may sound strange but UX is main reason why I drive mazda. I have no other requirements (besides basic safety).
- pintxo 4y ago
  Driver UX was the reason of my initial focus on BMW over other makers.
  - joecool1029 4y ago
    You say this but their drivers still can't figure out how to operate turn signals.
  - lisper 4y ago
    BMW is not bad (I own one) but try turning off the air conditioner some time.
    - prepend 4y ago
      I’ve got an off button in the center of my controls. The only oddity is that I have to press it to lower the airflow from 5 to 0 (off) but otherwise pretty easy to find and use. It says “OFF.”
      - lisper 4y ago
        That turns off the entire climate control system, not just the air conditioner.
        prepend 4y ago
        I misunderstood what you were looking for. AC seems easier for me as there’s a button labeled “A/C” that is lit up when AC is turned on and not lit up when it is off.
        lisper 4y ago
        Really? What model do you have? I have a 330e and it does not have an A/C button, only a "MAX A/C" button. I can turn the A/C on with this button, but I can't turn it back off.
        prepend 4y ago
        2018 330. That’s weird you don’t have an AC button. What I find curious is that “Max AC” is on the left side on a big round button but “AC” is on the right side on a square button with another square above it. I don’t understand the layout sense but at least I’m lucky enough to have buttons.
  - smolder 4y ago
    They've had their hits and misses over the years. Not at all typical, I'm sure, but a fun anecdote: I had a 90s bmw at one point, with electronic controls for the adjustable driver's seat down near the floor between the seat and door. The buttons got wet one time when it was raining, and it led to the seat coming alive and trying to crush me against the steering wheel while in highway traffic. Mashing on the controls didn't work and the motor was quite powerful. I was barely able to pull over with the room I had to move. If I wasn't as thin as I am, I might have been pinned down and crashed.
- lloeki 4y ago
  I can't say it's the main reason I would choose a car, but bad UX (the whole thing, from UI to knobs) is certainly one of the no-compromise ones I would bail a car on.
kennend3 4y ago
I moved from a Mazda to Hyundai and find my Elantra very much like my Mazda 6 in terms of ease-of-use. It has android auto/carplay. To change songs, increase the volume, mute you use buttons on the steering wheel. There is a physical volume up/down knob as well in case the passenger wants to use it and these can be done via the touch screen as well. They have done an excellent job blending new technology and continuing to use "what works" from the past. Too many of these touch screens in cars requires accessing menue's and sub-menu's to do basic things that should be on the steering wheel. My ex-wife's Lexus which cost 5x what i paid for my Elantra wont let her access the navigation system unless it is stopped and in park?? I can simply hold a button on the steering wheel to access Siri and state where i want to go. Far too often if you touch the screen on her lexis you get "vehicle is in motion".. Great.. and i'm in the passenger seat confused as to why this is an issue? this is such a problem that there are instructions on how to override it? https://www.wikihow.com/Override-Lexus-Navigation-Motion-Lock https://www.wikihow.com/Override-Lexus-Navigation-Motion-Loc... perhaps they should have done a better job planning this out before releasing it to the public? Personally i feel Hyundai provides better "value for your money". By not having the incredibly complicated model and options packages you find in North American cars they keep their costs down and the variations on their products low. No need to deal with the NA style "you want package A, you need to get packages B and C as well" crap.

oktwtf 4y ago

This was the first thing I disable when I got my 2016 Mazda 3. SSH'd into the infotainment and locked the GPS position. Now the car thinks I'm always parked, even when rolling. I also reduced the warning/notice on boot to about 500ms. Considering this, I don't think I've ever even had to touch the screen since; the wheel is just so nice. The volume knob down in that cluster is also very ergonomic.

ah27182 4y ago
I dont get locking the GPS. Was is to your car from keep beeping if your seatbelt was unbuckled?
- kennend3 4y ago
  Some cars like My ex-wife's lexus wont let you access the navigation system unless the vehicle is stopped. This is VERY VERY stupid and TBH dangerous. Should se find herself lost on the highway she would need to leave the highway or stop on the side of the road to access the navigation system?? If you attempt to access the nav system while the vehicle is not stopped it simply displays some sort of "vehicle is in motion" alarm. My Elantra wont let me use the keyboard to enter an address while the vehicle is in motion, but it will let me use Siri so i can make changes while moving if needed.
  - digitallyfree 4y ago
    Is the system still disabled if someone is present in the front passenger seat (modern vehicles have sensors for this)? Oftentimes the passenger acts as the navigator and it wouldn't make sense for them to be locked out of the system.
    - kennend3 4y ago
      Yes, it has been a while since i've been in her car.. i think you actually need to put it in park to "unlock" it, not just be stopped. This is why I said the system is very stupid.. one would think that a passenger can access the navigation system given they are not driving. The lesson I took away from this is: Never buy a car with a built-in GPS system. Android auto/carplay are a much better - They are not likely to hold your car "ransom" for map updates or such, and don't have stupid rules like must be in park.

lloeki 4y ago

I have a Mazda 2, touch is disabled as soon as the car starts rolling, but is available at a stop. I like their rotating joyknob implementation, which can be used without looking nor stretching arms, and integrates well with CarPlay as well. It's so good I skip on touch even when touch would be a good fit. Even their homegrown UI isn't that bad, which is actually praise given the crap automakers can come up with. Side node: touch is useful for the passenger though, as reaching to the knob can be annoying for the driver, even at a stop.

tallytarik 4y ago

The previous gen Mazdas would disable the touch screen when the car was moving. The latest models go one further - the screen is not touch capable at all. It’s honestly great.