Clicks Over Swipes: The Resurgence of Physical Controls in Cars

I’ve got a confession to make. I miss buttons. You know, the kind in cars, where you press one and something actually happens. No swiping, no squinting, no guessing if you hit the right part of the screen. Just good old-fashioned, satisfying, clicky buttons.

Remember when touchscreens started becoming a thing in cars? There was this sense of “Wow, it’s like driving in the future!” But after the novelty wore off, we were left playing a dangerous game of ‘Whack-A-Mole’ on the highway. You just wanted to adjust the fan speed, but instead found yourself in a high-stakes game of find-the-menu, all while keeping an eye on the road. Not exactly the stress-free driving experience we were promised.

Touchscreens, while flashy and modern, aren’t exactly ideal for a task that requires, you know, watching the road. Unlike buttons, they demand your full attention, turning a simple task like turning up the radio into an obstacle course of menus and sliders.

Here’s the funny part: we all agree that using phones while driving is risky. But then, we ended up in cars that asked us to tap and swipe on a screen while navigating through traffic. A bit of a mixed message, don’t you think?

But it seems like the tide is turning. Car companies are starting to realise that maybe, just maybe, touchscreens aren’t the perfect solution for everything in a car. Case in point: Porsche. They’ve decided to bring back buttons in their new Cayenne model. Sure, there’s still a touchscreen, but it’s no longer the gatekeeper for every single function in the car.

Porsche isn’t alone in this renaissance of common sense. Hyundai, Nissan, and Volkswagen have also expressed interest in bringing back physical controls. In fact, Volkswagen even said goodbye to excessive touchscreen controls on their steering wheels after customers made their preferences pretty clear.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Some manufacturers are still clinging to their beloved touchscreens like a kid to a security blanket. But hey, old habits die hard, right?.

And then there’s Toyota. Amid the touchscreen madness, they’ve been quietly sticking to their guns. Take the Landcruiser for example. Sure, it’s got a touchscreen, but it’s not the control center for everything. Crucial functions like climate control still have physical controls, letting drivers make adjustments without taking a sightseeing tour on the infotainment screen.

So here’s the takeaway: buttons are making a slow but steady comeback in our cars, and it’s a change we should welcome. For those of us who’ve been grumbling about this for years, it feels like a small victory. But we’re not there yet. Here’s hoping more car manufacturers get on board with this ‘back-to-basics’ approach. Until then, drive safe and don’t forget to appreciate the buttons in your life.