# Physical buttons/knobs vs touch screens **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [May 9, 2025, 7:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197 "2025-05-09T19:03:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Clueless33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Clueless33](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Clueless33)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2025, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/21 "2025-05-10T19:40:41Z")
Physical buttons are safer by far. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2025, 7:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/22 "2025-05-10T19:49:03Z")
> [@Clueless33](#): > > Physical buttons are safer by far. can you please explain how safety comes into play here? ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2025, 9:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/23 "2025-05-10T21:46:56Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > > [@Clueless33](#): > > > > Physical buttons are safer by far. > > can you please explain how safety comes into play here? Cause you can reach over and adjust the HVAC temp and or blower motor speed control knob without looking whereas taking your eyes off the road looking at the touch screen to see where to touch the screen to change the settings, same with the radio, and that includes the physical buttons on the steering wheel vs a touch screen… IMO… ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2025, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/24 "2025-05-10T22:27:31Z")
I like automatic climate control Set it on auto and be on your way, for the most part I don’t find myself reaching over to adjust blower speed or temperature My hvac controls are all push-button and entirely separate from the touch-screen head unit Thanks, @davesmopar But I still wanted to hear it from @Clueless33 ---
**Author:** ![Clueless33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Clueless33](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Clueless33)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 12:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/25 "2025-05-11T00:54:33Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > can you please explain how safety comes into play here? Dave pretty much answered your question. Might I add that my Lexus IS has a touch sensitivity thing for the AC controller and it’s very difficult to adjust the temperature while driving as there is no physical button to search for while keeping my eyes on the road. The rav4 doesn’t cause me this inconvenience 😉 ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 12:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/26 "2025-05-11T00:57:05Z")
Sounds like you need to stick to Toyota, not Lexus As I said, my Camry’s automatic climate controls are all easy to reach push buttons ---
**Author:** ![Clueless33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Clueless33](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Clueless33)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 1:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/27 "2025-05-11T01:06:36Z")
Automatic climate control is activated but there are times when the settings I chose a few days ago doesn’t feel comfortable later on. Like I want more warmth or more coolness. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 1:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/28 "2025-05-11T01:14:13Z")
The Lexus IS350 has two temperature adjustment slide bars on the HVAC control panel, this is located below the LCD display, not part of the display. The temperature slide bar has a raised surface, easy to locate. To adjust the temperature: touch the slide and move up or down or tap up or down to move in one-degree increments. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/6/0/60a06e7311d0ff5e64bfe3715b166680a485981a.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 1:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/29 "2025-05-11T01:23:32Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > The Lexus IS350 has two temperature adjustment slide bars on the HVAC control panel, this is located below the LCD display, not part of the display. Is it the same for the IS300 that Clueless has?? I change my temp while driving often due to our weather and if the sun is shining or not, I also depending on the day and sometimes time of day have to turn the A/C on, it is automatic so I mostly let the vent mode and blower speed do it’s thing… Also, I keep one or both rear windows down and even the rear slide open for the dog(s), so that makes it more unstable temp wise, so having a twisty knob is very nice… ---
**Author:** ![Clueless33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Clueless33](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Clueless33)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 1:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/30 "2025-05-11T01:31:08Z")
> [@davesmopar](#): > > Is it the same for the IS300 that Clueless has?? Yes it’s the same. Finding that bar while driving can be difficult, unless you take your eyes off the road to look where your fingers are reaching. Also, with a physical button like the rav4 has, I can adjust the temperature accurately. With the Lexus, omg, it’s super difficult to. If the tempt is set at 72 and I want to set it at 75, a slight tough and scroll would send the temperature to 100. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/31 "2025-05-11T01:42:18Z")
I have a bar across the bottom of my touchscreen for stuff the driver often adjusts. The temperature is at the bottom left and I press the arrow on either side of the temperature to adjust the setting. I only have to locate the spot for my finger, the same time it would take to locate a dial or lever. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 1:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/32 "2025-05-11T01:50:10Z")
But hitting a bump in the road and your hand moves slightly, now you have to look over to find it again, whereas a raised knob can be felt for and your probably still touching the knob anyway, and I can see a raised knob sticking out much faster than something on the touch screen even when I know the area it is in… Just what I have found since having my truck… ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 1:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/33 "2025-05-11T01:53:14Z")
> [@Clueless33](#): > > If the tempt is set at 72 and I want to set it at 75, a slight tough and scroll would send the temperature to 100. Tap the upper portion of the temperature bar three times, once for each degree of change. A temperature change will appear at the top of the center display so you will not need to look down. ---
**Author:** ![Clueless33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Clueless33](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Clueless33)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 1:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/34 "2025-05-11T01:59:37Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > Tap the upper portion of the temperature bar three times, once for each degree of change. A temperature change will appear at the top of the center display so you will not need to look down. Yes, I was going to mention this. Although I already knew this, I appreciate you mentioning this feature. Tapping the upper portion of the temperature while driving requires skills as one would be tapping a flat surface and no indicator to help you find it blindly. When I say skills, I mean extremely good memory of the surface of the whole unit. Like Ray Charles and his piano. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 2:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/35 "2025-05-11T02:22:44Z")
Remember pushbutton starts? transmissions? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 5:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/36 "2025-05-11T05:22:07Z")
> [@Clueless33](#): > > my Lexus IS has a touch sensitivity thing for the AC controller and it’s very difficult to adjust the temperature while driving Are you _sure_ that your Lexus IS doesn’t respond to voice commands? All I have to do is to with my NX is to say “Hey Lexus… set temperature to 70 degrees”, or “Hey Lexus… increase/decrease fan speed”. In response, the synthesized voice responds by saying “setting temperature to 70 degrees”, or “setting fan speed to 4”. This is really convenient, and is far safer than taking one’s hand off of the wheel in order to manually adjust things via a physical button or a touch screen. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 5:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/37 "2025-05-11T05:41:47Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > Are you _sure_ that your Lexus IS doesn’t respond to voice commands? It doesn’t respond to sign language. There is an audio feed-back tone when temperature adjustments are made, confirms contact with the temperature adjustment control occurred. This is helpful as the HVAC controls are positioned low in the dash, but that Lexus driver won’t hear it. ---
**Author:** ![glasspilot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/glasspilot/32/27886_2.png) [@glasspilot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glasspilot)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 12:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/38 "2025-05-11T12:10:28Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > I like automatic climate control > > Set it on auto and be on your way, for the most part > > I don’t find myself reaching over to adjust blower speed or temperature I keep mine on Auto too. But you still have to select a temperature. I just reach over, without taking my eyes off the road, and turn the temp knob. You’re right, I don’t adjust the blower speed much, the auto function seems to pick the right speed fine. And the 3rd knob? I adjust the volume all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 1:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/39 "2025-05-11T13:51:43Z")
Do you mean the mechanical push button transmissions of the 50s&60s? Yep, my brother’s first car was a 57 Dodge with a push button PowerFlite, my first car was a 60 with a TorqueFlite. Always worked fine. Worst idea of the time was putting the push buttons in the steering wheel on some 58 Edsel models. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 1:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197/40 "2025-05-11T13:56:03Z")
2025 Still plenty of physical switches/knobs/etc in additional to the touch screen and voice command control ![20250511_085501](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/0/8/08e4f21b00a855b33f07369f100da4089aa65d94.jpeg) [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/physical-buttons-knobs-vs-touch-screens/200197.md?page=3)