I found this on-air discussion to be interesting. It likely won’t change anyone’s mind if they have a preconceived preference, but I think it’s interesting.
We had this discussion in my previous job working with forklifts. The Industrial Design folks were dreamy about touch screens because all their appliances and tools were touch screens. The engineers were not convinced.
Now forklifts have NO suspensions. Yes, the concrete floors are nice and flat but try holding your arm out semi-outstretched in front of you driving on a bumpy floor and touch a 3/4 inch square spot painted on a board. That is not easy. Now do this all day long with dirty fingers. How readable is that screen at the end of the shift? Hint; it is filthy.
Now we put these in cars… bumpy roads, 70 mph and you can’t adjust the radio volume without looking at the screen. That takes your eyes off the road. I can find my radio volume knob without looking. And then there are those fingerprints again. Sunlight from the side makes the screen unreadable. So many reasons to go back.
My new to me Mustang has a touch screen (integrated INto the dash) but it has steering wheel mounted menu buttons. I still have to look down at the instrument cluster for the features I select but my hand is steadied on the steering wheel and my thumb works the buttons.
I know which is safer.
4 Likes
Gloves in the winter don’t always work on touch screens. Mittens are worse. Sometimes
Worked and sometimes didn’t. After so many miles and years, you really don’t need to look at the screen much. When mine went dark I knew where all the buttons were anyway. Still I like knobs.
Even safer than either buttons or touchscreens is the use of voice commands. I have been using voice commands for audio functions, adjusting the HVAC, and also for sat nav, for a few months. There might be other things that I could control that way, but I’m not sure.
2 Likes
Beat me to it!
Touch screen only controls have no place in any automobile. Unsafe.
Many vehicles allow the driver to switch off the center display, if it is deemed to be unsafe.
I’ve tried the voice commands but gave up. I usually got the lady asking me “I’m sorry,did you say . . .?” I guess she has a problem taking commands from a guy.
2 Likes
I habe trouble with voice commands understanding me properly. You know what works for me every time? Knobs.
1 Like
I see guys (and gals) changing out the very basic, and 2018 designed, 8" (basic is 7") infotainment centers in the 2018 to 2023 trucks like mine all the time for bigger knobless ones all the time, even putting in 14" ones that move the HVAC knobs down some, to me they seem very distracting… I am not crazy about our radios, but I am not going to change it out anytime soon, maybe never, as I like having a basic touch screen but also full buttons and knobs to work everything, I also like the knobs for the auto climate controls, I can feel for them if needed… Here is an internet pic of a dash very close to mine (too lazy to go take a pic lol), it’s old school meets new school… 
Now the speakers are a different story, they kinda suck… lol
Perhaps that technology hadn’t yet been perfected when GM installed it in your 1985 Caprice. Trust me… technology has improved a lot over the past few decades.
Both my old and newer Mustang have voice command capability. I am still learning the new one.
When I wanted to listen from songs or podcasts on my phone, I could say “bluetooth audio” to connect instead of selecting from a menu 3 levels deep!
Surprisingly effective given the environment and variation in voice styles.
1 Like
As soon as they come out with a southern redneck style one I will be able to use it… 
1 Like
speaking of radios . . .
I no longer even turn mine on when I’m driving
Too many other dangerous distractions, as it is
My 2011 Outback’s Sat Nav gave the option of either female and male voices for reciting the directions, and also the option for an American accent or a British accent. The default was an American female voice, but as an experiment, I tried using the British male voice.
Hearing someone who sounded like Laurence Olivier was pretty classy, but the jargon was also changed. Exit ramps became “slip roads”, and there were some other changes in jargon that I found distracting, so… back to the American woman.
+1
Just being able to say, “Tune to Bridge channel on Sirius XM” amazed me the first time that I used it. I’m now so used to it, that I’m no longer impressed, but it’s really nice to be able to change the HVAC temp and/or fan speed by just speaking.
The only mix-up recently was when I was using the Sat Nav, and I followed the name of my Cardiologist with “MD”, and it gave me a doctor with a similar name… in Maryland.
2023 Dodge 3500 HD. touchscreen radio with backup cam. stupid bumper sensors cut the radio and beep when Im pulling out of my driveway with nothing behind me except the pavement. I turned the fronts off as I park all day and know how to guage distance even thougth the hood is 5 1/2 feet tall. and it always pauses for bluetooth sync when started even though I have BT turned off? And the suspension doesnt keep coffee in the mug on freeways…not a fan but at leas t the A/C works!
GM actually was going back to knobs almost 10 years ago, at least with the Volt. The 1st gen Volt (2011-2015) had those horrible haptic switches and touchscreen options. The engineers went back to the drawing board for the 2nd gen Volts (2016-2019), I own a 2017. 3 nice knobs: Volume, fan speed and cabin temp. I’ve had my Volt for 8 years now, I think they hit a home run on the 2nd Gen Volt infotainment and controls. But they quit making them in 2019 (Grrrr!)
I get to distracted if I don’t have the music way up or driving fast, trust me, driving slow with NO music is not recommended when I am driving… 
1 Like
I frequently listen to the Spa channel on Sirius/XM. It’s very relaxing, and is perfect if I get stuck in heavy traffic.
1 Like