Recipe for Disaster RANT 

My suggestion: heads up displays should become ubiquitous. With the right combination of buttons and a heads up display, you virtually never have to take your eyes off the road.

Hey MotoMan, I'm really glad you've said this. Something I think is already on everyone's mind.

Speedy Recovery George! You are so right - I love to have the car functions "blind" meaning I know where they are and can operate them without looking at them. I like the older Porsche Layout - I have them in my car too. But this ship has sailed. Tesla was groundbreaking here - they were the first with just a screen - which nobody liked first and now they are all going this way. If we as the consumer buy it.... screen are getting bigger and buttons are gone. Also it is cheaper to have just one screen in all models then millions of buttons.

Bang on I’ve always been of the view car manufacturers are doing what their doing as the use of touch screen for everything is cheaper. Yet the screen is sooooooo dangerous as George and many others have found out painfully.. They look so good new cars but practically they are becoming more dangerous.. Steering wheel Relevant controls Heater/ac Should all be on a button function.. How can u be able to use touch screen to read text messages Wow it’s BS

So if we are buyers, and we are fans, and we all agree that best approach is exactly as you described, then who and on what sample is making decisions to go differently?! Even haptic feedback after some time is not good enough substitution for real switch. Not to mention good engineered switch/button which is just delight to press.

his hands don't stop m ovin

God don't destroy Florida until I get my Scott Osborne letter

This was too curated and dense to be a rant. This was an important PSA.

I am with you here 1.000 % For years I have been telling people the same thing: five menues before you can switch on heated seats, accidents!!! And the press is to blame here big time. "Look, this car still has 30 buttons, don´t buy, stoneage blablabla...... The screens are killing people every day! Older folks cannot adapt, young ones think "I am god, can´t happen to me". Luckily some manufacturers see their dangerous mistakes now. But if you don´t see your car as a CAR ( and hence a 2 ton weapon) but as an Iphone with wheels, YOU as a driver are to blame. This upsets me, as you may have noticed already ;-) I wish you further success in your recovery. Great and important topic!

Valuable and important editorial. Taycan is a case in point.

excellent point 👍 , write that to Elon Musk about his every "no buttons" TESLA model

Totally agree! I think those screens are just as dangerous as using a smartphone while driving.

Speedy recovery 🙏 Manufacturers saw how much money and time they can save moving from real switches and dials to touch and voice controls since it's software or what we call UX; they can just program the touchscreen to make it look like, let's say, the climate control, yet they will still charge you extra premium, calling it as the next gen UX.

Wow, didn't know you were in an accident. So glad you're on you way to recovery. Your reviews are always well presented and informative. This one was no different.

You are absolutely right in that rant!!! Wish you a speeding recovery.

Been saying this since early 2000’s when cars like Audi and Saab had way too many buttons for simple things where toggle switches and dials would’ve worked. As a lifetime BMW driver I remember test driving an A5 Audi in 2009 and couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to put down the navigation pop up screen. Only to realize there was a separate down button on the far side of the dash near the glovebox to put the screen down while the up button was under the drivers ventilation. Strange.

100% with you on this.

Absolutely agree 110%........touchscreens aren't helping but if voice commands and head up display can improve, I'm guessing driving will be much safer.

What is that TAPPING sound when u start driving the car? Background music!? Jeezzz.... Good points raised abt ergonomics but it won't be you who changes carmaker designs. Zillion examples of this in many many cars. Here's to a speedy recovery

To mitigate the safety risk of using buttons and touch screens.... Porsche and many manufacturers needs to put in the driver safety system’s standard...... safety systems in 2020 and up should be priceless and included imo! But none the less, Porsche and many other luxury manufacturers still makes safety systems optional still , Mercedes..... bmw......... even Audi

Sir were you military.. You no doubt are familiar with the term keep to simple stupid. Our tech manuals were so dumbed down to accommodate draftees. Todays over tech on basic analog interfaces imo is a greater distraction then Cellphones and texting issues. Senior drivers distracted by overwhelming bling can be an issue. We like you repeating HUD with that heads up display and filter options you get what you need.. The layers some features display is less intuitive to us old school analog gauge peeps. Muscle memory Exactly.. most used either on your multi macro stick hats buttons or throttle. MFD with out a co pilot MFDs some commands in user interface are buried too deep and cause vital safety reaction seconds lag for a sharp younger well visioned person. Just say NO to autonomous driven public roads craft sir. Do say yes.. to integrating Voice activated functions off your smart phone that work. Put a Bitchen Betty on all 16-21 drivers. "any brand name commonly known voice AI .. Girl or young Man your driving is ...Im text alerting your parent!"

Although I Mazda would offer more infotainment control via the screen, I completely agree with their philosophy of keeping your controls via buttons, switches, and knobs. I am stunned with all the messages about “Don’t text and drive” and keep your eyes on the road that the NHTSA hasn’t started regulating the overwhelming use of touchscreens everywhere in vehicles.

UI/UX design is a big topic of concern for Human Factors engineers. Any basic research into human cognition/perception/tactile sensation would tell we should be using our in-built human systems of feedback to minimize workload and attention in both driving and aviation. Dedicating a majority of controls to touch based (even Haptic Touch) absolutely creates conditions where we induce more inattention in drivers (no different than using a cell phone while driving), by removing our abilities to receive feedback unless we apply more attention (e.g, taking our eyes off the road).

I have a better idea. Ban screens altogether. Keep the number of controls simple and easy to use. I drive a 1990 Volvo 240 wagon, one of the safest cars out there. I can operate every control by touch alone, and that includes the radio once the presets are programmed. Having a slider for temperature means you do not need to look at anything to know roughly where it is set. I was picking up a part at the Volvo dealer a year ago and thought it would be fun to see the new V90 in the showroom. That is essentially the successor to the 240. I got behind the wheel and actually laughed out loud at the dashboard controls. I asked the salesperson how the Hell the driver is to operate everything. She had the unmitigated gall to say that the PASSENGER should be taking care of it. So much for Volvo and safety. What disgusted me is that the sight lines out are as terrible as any other new car. Looking at the engine bay, I was dismayed. It is so packed in that the crumple zone is next to useless, which is why collision forces are passed into the passenger cell structure by design. In the 240, passive safety was considered of primary importance. The safest collision is the one you avoid. On the active front, the front crumple zone was very well thought out. The front subframe is designed to tilt UP at the front end, then the engine and transmission drop under the car. That absorbs a good deal of force, and with the big bits out of the way, the entire length of the engine bay can crumple in a composed manner, keeping the force away from the very strong passenger cell. Having that much distance to compress also means a reduction in G Forces on the passengers, as the passenger compartment has that much more distance to come to a stop. May not seem like much, but even a reduction of 1 G makes a difference in survivability. That is one reason the 240 can boast of ZERO fatalities in 3 years running.

Relevant information in the heads-up display, steering wheel button controls & artificial intelligence is the direction. These touch screens are interim & will play a lesser roll in future models & could possibly shrink. Time will tell. My own preference is the Audi VC/MMI set-up with controller not the haptic screens. Then there is first gen MBUX AI. It needs work.

Absolutely agree wholeheartedly! Not a rant George, but the truth! Using touch screens exclusively is just lazy design and cost-cutting (or margin increasing) at the expense of safety. Cut it out manufacturers otherwise government regulations are going to end up stepping in and then everything will go to crap (like those stupid rear bumper-ettes and exhaust dampening and ... etc. etc.).

great points. I love our 2012 cayennes buttons for the reasons you stated, even though the dumb press canned them as they all followed each other's sheep comments. However, and there is always a however!, Porsche are going down the screen route. I think they are listening to the press rather than their own logic. Whoever thought it was a good idea to only adjust the centre vent via the screen should be sacked along with the product managers that approved such crap. Not that I will be buying anyway, as I find in Australia the Porsche pricing and option pricing just down right insulting. I'm amazed that in the US people just use their phone with out handsfree at least. Its like driving drunk! then agin it is the US...

I’m a big fan of properly designed heads up displays and I’m amazed more manufacturers aren’t using them. I have a special beef with Tesla in this. The Model 3 (and now the Model Y) have a design motif that wants a clean unbroken surface in front of the driver instead of a binacle. The central screen is relied on for everything at a likely cost of reaction time for safety. The easiest fix I can see is a HUD which could be implemented without compromising the interior design. GM has done this for years on some cars...why not Tesla?

Just like seat belts originally, the majority of auto manufacturers don’t have that “out of the goodness of their heart” department. It will only happen if the governments forced them. Time to lobby!

I used to have a 4th gen Acura TL and if you read reviews of that car around 2010 you'll see a lot of journalists complaining about too many buttons. I love have a dedicated button for essential functions and it was specifically one of the reasons I bought the car. Today, I drive a BMW and appreciate that they at least still have the climate controls as physical buttons.

This is why voice commands will become increasingly useful. Buttons will get scarcer with every year moving forward. It's cheaper for manufacturers to make a single screen than to make a screen and a bunch of buttons.

The new MK8 Golf is sinful with how bad the touch screens are. No buttons for most of your major functions. It's a disaster. This is not progress. Given it's in the bread and butter Golf, you know this system will make it into all of its lineup in the future

There is zero chance automakers will move back to all-buttons; they are scared witless of seeming "out of touch" with a public who worships their smartphones. This is - really - all about the automakers needing to be seen to be "hip" by turning a car into a phone on wheels. The only chance of change, is that regulators start to become aware of the UX deficiencies in a pure safety context, and dictate change.

Great video, but as we were on the crossroads of new tech coming to the cars , every car magazine/car reviewer was complaining about all the buttons, cluttered dashboards etc and was over the moon with the touchscreens and less buttons ..... So are we going full circle already ?? I've always like the buttons because what you said muscle memory and being able to do things without taking my eyes of the road. Today you get a ticket for playing with your cellphone, but now we're using a loophole and we connect our phones to the car ...how is this safer ?? It's like open invitation , please play with your phone through the touchscreen in your car , it is so easy .yes it is , but it's very distracting at the same time

I agree with your logic. However voice activated controls a much better today And it shall continue too improve. Have a wonderful day!

Could not agree with you more. Bring back smple dials to adjust temp and fan speed and where you want the air or heat to go. Fast and efective. Mic drop.

I think voice control would fix this. That way you can keep your hands on the wheel. No need for buttons.

the most important safety feature in any car is the thing between the ears of the person sitting in the drivers seat. no matter how thoughtfully a car's user interface is designed, the risk of disaster increases every time someone farts with the tempurature or radio. you can't mess with any of that if there's traffic around, if you're approaching an intersection; anytime there's a low margin of error. most drivers do not have the mindfulness to adhere to that. i just don't think it matters much whether there's touchscreen or buttons, or where they're located.

Couldn’t agree more! Have you seen the new Golf? Not sure what they were thinking.

Tesla says screw that. Logical and ergonomic layouts is not cool enough

I have always felt this way and it's nice to see someone talk about it.

FIRST. Keep on healing bro. I love your videos. Great to see you back.

Meanwhile the Audi A8 is all touchscreen..

100% agree, and you should have a serious sit-down with the designers at Land Rover who seem OBSESSED with making everything possible a screen. I would argue that a large percentage of modern Land Rover driver are mostly unaware of their surroundings already, being too self-absorbed to worry about the peasants. To distract them FURTHER by hiding everything behind menus on a screen is a recipe for disaster. And as much as I love Tesla, they suffer this same problem. Yes, putting everything on a screen makes OTA upgrades easy, but some common-use items just have to have physical buttons, for the sake of safety.

First of all, glad to hear you are healing well. That’s a horrible thing to experience. Second, these frustrating menu screens..... I’ve been saying this all along, and thank you for identifying this “form over function” disaster. My wife and I have been Porsche owners for years of multiple models, and read all the reviews for the last 15 years. Seems every review over that time would invariably whine.... “Look at all the buttons!”, “There are way too many buttons”, “looking down at the console, it’s like a piano with all the buttons”, “C’mon Porsche, can’t you clean up all these buttons”... etc. I’ve always defended the buttons, saying exactly the same thing you are. I would so much rather have dedicated buttons for each function than have to spend 15 seconds with your eyes glancing down from the road while your fingers are drilling through multiple menu layers. Meanwhile, with the buttons, It takes just a couple of drives to learn where they are and exactly what they do. That’s why you see dedicated guages and controls in jets.... pilots require instant and unfailing access to controls and feedback, even if it’s just to check status. Yet sadly, Porsche finally caved to journalistic criticism got rid of all the buttons. My latest vehicle, a 2019 Cayenne Turbo, requires you to access common features like the A/C through the screen, or a combination of a generic “Climate” button and then the screen. I’m not a fan. And now, these same whiney auto journalists (you are the exception) are turncoats, saying they wish there were more buttons. Porsche and other manufacturers should have just stayed their course and listened to their customers. I still love my Cayenne, but I do miss the dedicated buttons and it seems they are going the way of a manual transmission. Thanks for pointing out something that has been a peeve of mine (obviously!!). Cheers and continued best of health.

I think you mean to criticise touch screen control rather than haptic feedback. Haptic feedback is when the device gives the user feedback after you touch the screen, e.g. a phone vibrating or making a sound. Sorry to hear about your accident your videos are excellent and entertaining. I agree with your suggestion about making the head up display modal in response to user inputs that's great idea BMWs do this to a limited degree it's pretty much limited to navigation and audio functions I think.

you are not wrong here

VOICE CONTROLS.....would fix a lot of that.

great idea

That’s what I love about my MK7 Golf-I can change the fan speed without even looking, and even the temperature by feeling where the marker is with my finger and turning it left or right to adjust.

Good logic in your rant it was well thought out and explained ! Best wishes glad to see you in action again I don’t know if your moving better (when you’re on camera mostly your stationary) get better soon!

I've been banging on about this disastrous design dead end for a number of years now - ESPECIALLY in so-called "driver's cars"! Eyes-off-the-road for controls is every bit as deadly as texting whilst driving, whether it be the risk of causing a collision, hitting a pedestrian or just driving off the road! The OTHER major drawback is that tying so many functions into a screen/control panel using haptic buttons means that any screen or software failure immediately cuts access to so many other controls AND runs a significant risk of very expensive (at least for the next few years) replacement costs or repair delays! Design sophistication has become an obsession in many brands and I'm feeling an increasing body of opinion that says, "Why can't we just have simple, reliable cars without all this excessive techno-junk built in?". Simple, straightforward cars that are cheaper to buy, maintain, service and repair that are longer lasting and don't oblige us drivers to sacrifice our children or our driving pleasure... The answer is that manufacturers will always want to sell us more cars - but don't they understand that having a good, reliable and cost-effective vehicle will sell by the millions - even alongside more technologically sophisticated and higher performing models within their own ranges?

Todays Average auto has more Tech in the form of digital then the Apollo landing on the moon..

Glad to see you are continuing well with your recovery. I am 100% in agreement with you and cannot believe how some touch screen UI solutions are even legal. I am moving back to BMW after Audi removed the dial and many buttons from their latest models.

Amen. Great suggestions.

Fully agree. I have thought this for a long time. I’d challenge companies to do about 80% with tactile buttons and only the bare minimum of what is needed with a touch screen.

When even Hyundai and Lincoln can make a luxury interior the real luxury becomes a simple button/lever. Oh the irony.

Good point. Nowadays, radio, nav, camera, temp control, etc all incorporated to a screen, which is a lot busier and harder to navigate, distractions for the driver.

Completely agree with you. Thanks for putting this out.

What kind of car hit you and who was driving it ? Man, woman, college kid ? Was was the cause of the hit, the real cause

Voice control in the Tesla’s works great. Just train the drivers

Gimme buttons, dials and toggle switches.

I agree 100%. Glad you’re recovering ok.