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Little known secret --- "fancy screens" are often used as marketing gimmicks but they can actually reduce the manufacturing cost of modern autos. In an environ

Little known secret --- "fancy screens" are often used as marketing gimmicks but they can actually reduce the manufacturing cost of modern autos. In an environment where control systems are already digital/computerized for valid functional reasons, adding a display screen is more cost effective than analog instruments. I am old school and I prefer the analog style; however, it is fairly easy to simulate analog instrumentation on a digital display and some manufacturers are doing it very well. All that being said, EVs are still a low volume specialty product that hasn't reached mass market status yet. Once they do, cheaper, more stripped down models will become available.

SOLAR_FIELDS 3y ago
Which manufacturers are doing it well in your opinion?
- jqpabc123 3y ago
  Kia/Hyundai has a very nice and sensible layout using 2 modest sized screens side by side well integrated into the dash, focused toward the driver with analog gauges simulated in the center. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWlnOW2JEko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWlnOW2JEko They sorta mimiced the digital dash from the Mercedes S-Class for a fraction of the cost. https://st.motortrendenespanol.com/uploads/sites/45/2017/04/2018-Mercedes-Benz-S-Class-dashboard-1.jpg https://st.motortrendenespanol.com/uploads/sites/45/2017/04/... I hate the big fugly, poorly integrated screen offset to the middle that looks like someone glued a tablet to the dash (think Tesla and lots of others here). Marketing over function in my opinion.
  - SOLAR_FIELDS 3y ago
    This is nicer than Tesla and the like for sure. But still has a long way to go. Let’s boil down the UX in terms of actions. An action to me is a half second moment where I can divert my attention away from driving and make an adjustment to some aspect of the driver experience. Classic examples include: - volume adjustment - temp adjustment - context switch between maps and music - song selection action (skip, etc) - enable/disable cruise control - toggle display between common views (kph, fuel efficiency, car status) - perform navigation action Only the last of those really is improved by touchscreen. Every single one of those other actions is currently an absolute regression vs an analog control. Until each of those actions is at least as good as analog controls, I don’t consider the touchscreen an improvement. Actually, they are to me safety dangers because even the learned motions of the analog controls are safety risks, even if they’re small. Navigating the touchscreen while driving is so much more dangerous
    - jqpabc123 3y ago
      Only the last of those really is improved by touchscreen. Except for navigation, most of those (and more, like answer the phone) can be done from analog steering wheel controls on a Hyundai or a Mercedes. Hyundai locks out navigation while the car is in motion and a context switch is avoided by a split screen function that allows both at the same time. Hyundai also features limited voice recognition (call Mom) which is an under utilized control method in my opinion. https://owners.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/resources/blue-link/voice-activation-system.html https://owners.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/resources/blue-link/voic... When in doubt, designers should see Kia/Hyundai. They ain't fancy. They just get the job done on a very simple, practical, subdued level --- which wears well over time in my opinion.
joezydeco 3y ago
It's also a side effect of the 2018 rule that US cars are required to have a live video backup camera. If you already need to have the screen there, you might as well cram a bunch of other functions into it as well.
squarefoot 3y ago
> I am old school and I prefer the analog style; however, it is fairly easy to simulate analog instrumentation on a digital display and some manufacturers are doing it very well. I'm old school as well and although I love the feel of a real indicator, screens can be effectively used as really good output devices if well designed, but touch screens? Just no: they're fragile, slow, and don't give any feedback; if I had to pick one between fully mechanical and fully digital (therefore with touch screen), I'd pick the former without hesitation.
- jqpabc123 3y ago
  Almost all cars that I have seen still have analog controls for driving *inputs*. Digital/touch screen is mainly limited to entertainment, phone, setup, and GPS/mapping. A lot of touch screen functions are often intentionally made inactive while the vehicle is moving.
  - galenko 3y ago
    BMW XM is a great example of how not to do this. Want to turn on your fancy seat vents? 3 taps on the large screen in the middle. Want to change some temps/fan speed? Swipe(not as nice as iOS) right, look through 10 identical looking icons and arrows, to find the right one. Honestly, I thought people were exaggerating how bad it was until I got to experience it for myself. As a long term fan of the brand, it’s utterly disappointing.
  - BenjiWiebe 3y ago
    That motion-deactivation "feature" is extremely frustrating to the passenger.
  - moqmar 3y ago
    It depends, many cars put things like windshield wipers behind a touch menu, which I'd argue is a security-relevant feature when you drive your car into sudden heavy rain at 120 km/h. It seems to depend more on what's regulated, and less on what makes sense.
    - 3y ago

SOLAR_FIELDS 3y ago

Which manufacturers are doing it well in your opinion?

jqpabc123 3y ago
Kia/Hyundai has a very nice and sensible layout using 2 modest sized screens side by side well integrated into the dash, focused toward the driver with analog gauges simulated in the center. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWlnOW2JEko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWlnOW2JEko They sorta mimiced the digital dash from the Mercedes S-Class for a fraction of the cost. https://st.motortrendenespanol.com/uploads/sites/45/2017/04/2018-Mercedes-Benz-S-Class-dashboard-1.jpg https://st.motortrendenespanol.com/uploads/sites/45/2017/04/... I hate the big fugly, poorly integrated screen offset to the middle that looks like someone glued a tablet to the dash (think Tesla and lots of others here). Marketing over function in my opinion.
- SOLAR_FIELDS 3y ago
  This is nicer than Tesla and the like for sure. But still has a long way to go. Let’s boil down the UX in terms of actions. An action to me is a half second moment where I can divert my attention away from driving and make an adjustment to some aspect of the driver experience. Classic examples include: - volume adjustment - temp adjustment - context switch between maps and music - song selection action (skip, etc) - enable/disable cruise control - toggle display between common views (kph, fuel efficiency, car status) - perform navigation action Only the last of those really is improved by touchscreen. Every single one of those other actions is currently an absolute regression vs an analog control. Until each of those actions is at least as good as analog controls, I don’t consider the touchscreen an improvement. Actually, they are to me safety dangers because even the learned motions of the analog controls are safety risks, even if they’re small. Navigating the touchscreen while driving is so much more dangerous
  - jqpabc123 3y ago
    Only the last of those really is improved by touchscreen. Except for navigation, most of those (and more, like answer the phone) can be done from analog steering wheel controls on a Hyundai or a Mercedes. Hyundai locks out navigation while the car is in motion and a context switch is avoided by a split screen function that allows both at the same time. Hyundai also features limited voice recognition (call Mom) which is an under utilized control method in my opinion. https://owners.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/resources/blue-link/voice-activation-system.html https://owners.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/resources/blue-link/voic... When in doubt, designers should see Kia/Hyundai. They ain't fancy. They just get the job done on a very simple, practical, subdued level --- which wears well over time in my opinion.

joezydeco 3y ago

It's also a side effect of the 2018 rule that US cars are required to have a live video backup camera. If you already need to have the screen there, you might as well cram a bunch of other functions into it as well.

squarefoot 3y ago

> I am old school and I prefer the analog style; however, it is fairly easy to simulate analog instrumentation on a digital display and some manufacturers are doing it very well. I'm old school as well and although I love the feel of a real indicator, screens can be effectively used as really good output devices if well designed, but touch screens? Just no: they're fragile, slow, and don't give any feedback; if I had to pick one between fully mechanical and fully digital (therefore with touch screen), I'd pick the former without hesitation.

jqpabc123 3y ago
Almost all cars that I have seen still have analog controls for driving *inputs*. Digital/touch screen is mainly limited to entertainment, phone, setup, and GPS/mapping. A lot of touch screen functions are often intentionally made inactive while the vehicle is moving.
- galenko 3y ago
  BMW XM is a great example of how not to do this. Want to turn on your fancy seat vents? 3 taps on the large screen in the middle. Want to change some temps/fan speed? Swipe(not as nice as iOS) right, look through 10 identical looking icons and arrows, to find the right one. Honestly, I thought people were exaggerating how bad it was until I got to experience it for myself. As a long term fan of the brand, it’s utterly disappointing.
- BenjiWiebe 3y ago
  That motion-deactivation "feature" is extremely frustrating to the passenger.
- moqmar 3y ago
  It depends, many cars put things like windshield wipers behind a touch menu, which I'd argue is a security-relevant feature when you drive your car into sudden heavy rain at 120 km/h. It seems to depend more on what's regulated, and less on what makes sense.
  - 3y ago