People are getting fed up with all the useless tech in their cars — For the first time in 28 years of JD Power’s car owner survey, there is a consecutive year-over-year decline in satisfaction, wit...

Comments

• fubo@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Some proposed design principles:

  1. It’s a car.
  2. It’s not a goddamn TV.
  3. It’s not your goddamn ads platform or subscription service.
  4. It is, however, a piece of life-safety-critical equipment.
  5. Because it’s a car, the driver wants to deal with car stuff like driving, navigating, fuel, roads, obstacles, and not killing people.
  6. They also want to make it passably comfortable by messing with the heat or AC, the fans, the windows, and the fucking moon roof.
  7. Messing with your phone while driving is Actually Illegal these days in civilized parts of the planet. This is for good reason: people get killed that way.
  8. If the car requires messing with your phone, or messing with something that is basically your phone, then you have failed.
  9. There should be a big knob with a fan icon on it. Turning this knob all the way to the left causes the fan to turn off all the way. Turning the knob all the way to the right causes the fan to turn on all the way.
  10. If I ever have to use a touchscreen to control the side mirrors, I will become an extremely unhappy ape.

  source

  • zxo@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I would pay more to get a car with more buttons than you can comprehend and a small little infotainment system that allows you to play music than a super futuristic car with a iPad in the center and nothing else in the center console area.

    source

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      physical buttons for the important stuff; stuff like setting interior RBG lighting color and intensity? that can go on soft buttons.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • crossover@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Mazda. They’ve brought back physical buttons and have support for CarPlay if you want it.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • nbailey@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Get a 2004-2009 car, yank the stereo out and throw an aftermarket headunit with android/carplay in. Best of both worlds!

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • Kalkaline@lemmy.one ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Fuck cars

    source

    • fubo@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Your kink is not my kink, but your kink is okay.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • b34k@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Agree… but I live in America… so there’s basically no reasonable alternative

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • FireWire400@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    No. 9 but for media volume, touch controls are garbage and gestures are even more garbage.

    Looking at you, VAG.

    source

    • mawp@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      A special place in hell is reserved for whoever the hell keeps putting capacitive buttons on cars, ESPECIALLY when they put them on the steering wheel!

      source
    • abcd@feddit.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Oh yeah those shitty VAG touch controls. Went to a customer with my employee in summer. When returning home we opened the sunroof to cool the car down quickly. Couldn’t close that mf for 10kms on the autobahn until everything cooled down. Absolutely horrible.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • derpysmilingcat@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      …who tf…which car maker has gestures? If you’re gonna gesture how about you gesture your damn hand over to the button?

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • Thadrax@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      No. 9 but for media volume

      Thankfully, all cars I’ve driven that had a touch screen also had some media buttons on the steering wheel. I’d prefer to have good old physical buttons in the center console, but at least you didn’t have to use the touch screen.

      source
  • Nioxic@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Dont worry.

    They will make it all voice controlled in the future!

    source

    • TrenchcoatFullofBats@belfry.rip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      "Alexa, take me Starbucks and play the latest episode of “Ow, My Balls”.

      source
  • Proweruser@feddit.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Why 10? It’s not like you do that while driving.

    Thing is every knob saved saves time and money during manufacturing. So the companies want to put as much as they can on the touch screen. I don’t mind if they do that with things I do before driving, I mind a lot if it’s something I have to do during the drive.

    source
  • Proweruser@feddit.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Why 10? It’s not like you do that while driving.

    Thing is every knob saved saves time and money during manufacturing. So the companies want to put as much as they can on the touch screen. I don’t mind if they do that with things I do before driving, I mind a lot if it’s something I have to do during the drive.

    source

    • bobs_monkey@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Yeah they do it to save money, and then charge you out the ass for “oOh LoOk ItS tHe FuTuRe”

      source

      • -> View More Comments
• otacon239@feddit.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I have been saying this for years. The last thing your car should do is take your eyes off the road. This is a 1-3 ton box of metal hurdling at 60+ miles down the highway next to a bunch of other metal boxes that can all kill each other.

  And car manufacturers seem to be in love with the idea of you forgetting you’re even driving. Add on all the bs lame assisting, warning bells, alerts, automatic correction, and the driver is convinced that the car will protect them.

  These are all systems built on software. Last time I checked, that shit has never been reliable. If the software fails, the manufacturer can just hide behind “They weren’t paying attention!”

  Mfer, YOU TRAINED THEM TO IGNORE IT. I don’t know what I’m going to do when all the cars from before touchscreens and digital gauges are no longer running or affordable because I hate the idea of having to look at a screen to change volume or turn on the AC.

  Modern cars can suck a fuck.

  source

  • ramjambamalam@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Mfer, YOU TRAINED THEM TO IGNORE IT

    Remember when a self-driving car killed someone walking their bike in Arizona, while the car’s “handler” was watching a movie on their tablet?

    Yeah, the employee should have been paying attention, but it’s not realistic to expect someone to stay alert for an 8-hour shift where the task is as monotonous as watching a car drive itself. That’s why commercial transport drivers have mandated breaks and why two pilots are in charge of an airplane at a time.

    To be clear, I am in favour of self-driving cars and don’t think they need to be perfect, just better than the average human, but the companies training them need to have standards that are both realistic and safe.

    source

    • RidcullyTheBrown@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      but it’s not realistic to expect someone to stay alert for an 8-hour shift where the task is as monotonous as watching a car drive itself.

      It wasn’t an 8 hour shift and watching the car was the actual job, come on! The driver was the tester. They were testing a system which wasn’t yet ready to go untested. The accident is entirely the fault of the driver in that case.

      And it’s not like their reflexes were slower because of boredom. No. They were not paying any attention at all. They were watching a video. That is gross negligence and not the fault of the car or of the manufacturer.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • Locrin@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I mean, these things are going to happen. But that person was attempting to cross 5 lines of traffic after crossing 2 just before. It’s a terrible idea to try that. Here is a picture: static01.nyt.com/…/accident-diagram-1050.png

      The driver also ignored safety instructions. You can only plan for so much. Let’s say you put two drivers in the car. They could both be watching the movie and not paying attention. I have no sympathy for the driver being “bored”. I used to have a long boring commute. I listened to audio books and podcasts. I did not fiddle with my phone or watch movies. If you pilot a veihicle with autonomous driving or not pay attention. Most people can handle that just driving themselves around. This person had it as a job. No excuse.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • Skavargen@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I’d argue that the safety assistance tech is very, very good and should continue.

    Fucking touch screens for HVAC and audio controls are a menace though. How do regulatory agencies allow this?

    Then there’s the fucking warning message not to look at your screen that starts every time I turn it on. 90% of the time I am not looking at the screen, so I don’t realize I have to click through their warning message until I’m already driving. All they achieved is distracting me and making me look away from the road.

    source

    • IcansmellyourBundt@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I was in a wreck three weeks ago that may have been avoided if I had not needed to look back and check my blindspot. I made damn sure that my new car had blindspot monitoring. 360° cameras is a bit much but just that little bit of tech can make a big difference.

      source
    • limelight79@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I’d argue that the safety assistance tech is very, very good and should continue.

      Not in our Mazda. Frequent false alarms (and in that time, not a single “real” alarm triggered), a nails-on-a-chalkboard sound that irritates me every time I hear it, and the lane “assist” feature likes to steer me back toward obstacles I was trying to avoid, like cyclists, animals, large potholes, oversized loads…

      I would like to see the statistics that demonstrate that that technology is reducing crashes and/or reducing the severity of crashes. Because I know ours has trained me to ignore that alarm. I haven’t asked many people, but a few people I know have turned the alarms off.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • Locrin@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I don’t understand why some cars have these warnings and not others? I drive a Tesla Model S 2014. I never get any annoying warnings or distractions that pop up. My dad drives a Audi Q4 Sportback. It has an annoying popup every time you start the car and will also randomly notify you about stuff that you do not really care about while driving? My mothers old Subaru also has a popup every time you start the car that you have to press okay on just to use the fucking radio. So you can’t get in and go you have to wait for it to display it’s shitty little warning. Then press go, then start driving. And this is on old diesel. So it’s not like this is new.

      I understand not everyone wants a touchscreen / large display in their car but coming from a Kia Sportage 2012, I am very happy in the Tesla, even if it ment losing some buttons. Most things are controlled with the buttons on the steering wheel.

      source
    • Wrench@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I find it stupid as hell that there are conditionary alerts and changed UI when in “car” mode on phone apps, as well as Bluetooth pairing being disabled while driving.

      I get it, they want you to not use the apps while driving. But you know what’s even more distracting than messing with a device while driving? Trying to troubleshoot unexpected UXs while driving

      Not to mention that passengers exist. Convincing my friend to pull over and put the car in park so I can be navigator and DJ for our little road trip was certainly more distracting than just having an open and predictable UX

      source
  • Natal@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I was driving with Waze once, on the highway but first gear like 10km/h because trafic. A popup came and I wanted to discard it because I was nearly at my turn and didn’t want to lose it so I pushed the cross. By the small time I spent doing this, I was already going sideways off my lane.

    Lesson learned. Next time it happens I’d rather stay in my lane and take the next exit. But fk the people putting Ads in my car. Let me focus.

    source
  • Marsupial@quokk.au ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Oh, please, tell me, otacon239, how exactly does one suck a fuck?

    source
• SGG@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I’m a techie at heart.

  But the only thing my car needs to do is act as a Bluetooth speaker/mic for my phone, and have a wireless charging mount.

  When I need to use the phone for GPS/etc it goes on the mount.

  When I turn on my car it connects to my phone over Bluetooth and starts playing music. Even if it’s in my pocket (shorter trips)

  It works, it’s fast, it’s simple.

  source

  • PretentiousDouche@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I’m not a big fan of too much tech in cars, I hate touchscreen climate controls, and I still drive a manual transmission; but using Android auto with maps and Spotify has been amazing. And the wireless mostly works most of the time.

    source

    • PorkTaco@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I have the Motorla wireless adaptor and it would be hard to go back. Works every time. Never have to take my phone out of my pocket… only downside is it uses a moderate amount of battery, but for a 20 min commute it’s a non issue.

      source
  • reddig33@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    The irony is all these fancy head units wait until you pull out of the driveway and then throw up a big on screen warning about distracted driving. That you then have to take your eyes off the road to dismiss by pressing OK.

    source
  • assembly@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    It would be nice if there was a spot provided for a mount that didn’t require some stupid vent clip or suction cup. A standard that would allow us to use a smartphone or tablet and maybe even leave one in the car (outside chance).

    source

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      when I got my current car, it had a stupid, dumb radio with a cd deck. I installed a cheap double dim with a touch screen on it and asked if they could replace the ashtray/powersocket thing. The piece they had that fit under the cover/door had a USB hub/charging station that I could drop a stack of phones in (including one connected to carplay/android auto on the new deck.)

      that was worth the $20 to install it.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • Rozz@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I was just thinking of that the other day. They could probably get it to look pretty natural if they tried.

      source
  • Locrin@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Good for you. I love getting in the car that is cool on a hot summers day because I activated the climate control from my phone 5 minutes before leaving or having a nice toasty warm car on a freezing winter day. I enjoy telling my car I want to go to an address I have not been at before and it navigates me there without having to press more than one button or inputting an address. I then enjoy a huge nice map both in the center cluster and a big display that shows a large map so I don’t have to squint at my relatively small phone on a mount. I enjoy telling my car what I want to listen to and it plays that music. I enjoy not putting getting my phone out of my pants pocked and into a mount. Especially for shorter rides. I also especially enjoy not having my car in for oil changes, not having to stop for gas, the car having a full “tank” every morning and other such comforts.

    The car has it’s own spotify account which for me is great, because I listen to different types of music when driving compared to when I am using my phone at work or in the gym. Music services working the way they do these days it means it will suggest more great driving music when in the car and not music that is similar to what I listen to in the gym. If I want to listen to that the phone is of course connected to bluetooth and is just a input change away.

    I hope you can continue enjoying your type of desired driving experience. But realize there are other perspectives. I am also a techie at home and at work ( Cloud IT-consultant, previously Systems Architecht, previously Technician ). I also do minor work such as changing headlights, filters, and 12-volt batteries myself. I know how to change oil on a car and do some simple home improvement stuff such as simple carpentry and putting in new flooring. But when I get in my car I just want it to be in the background and don’t be in the way. Just get in and go. Being in a Tesla is where I am happiest for now.

    source
• irotsoma@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  When the features are actually anti-features making you pay subscription fees for things that are already part of the car, and everything is buggy as hell, of course no one wants it.

  source
• PrivateOnions@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Turning AC and Heated seats and whatnot from knobs to a screen was one of the worstd ecisions ever by automakers

  source

  • Rozz@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    If you can’t figure out how to put all the extra stuff in the console as a knob or button then it probably doesn’t belong there, or isn’t wanted in the first place.

    source
• Hazdaz@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  The mindless march for ever-more pointless tech in cars has pushed me into getting into classic cars more and more. Hopping into a old car is such a transformative experience. My smartphone connected through Blutooth into the stereo system is the most advanced thing in the car. The windows are huge and visibility is amazing. The ride is smooth and very forgiving. I can actually feel what the road is like because there aren’t 10 layers of computers and electronics between the steering wheel and the tires.

  Nowadays, all these companies are doing is trying to use technology to solve a problem created by technology to begin with. I don’t need a million cameras and sensors around my car, if I have good sight-lines. I don’t need a sensor to remind me to look at the road, if the driving experience wasn’t so goddamn boring and devoid of fun and excitement to begin with.

  I simply don’t need more shit in my cars.

  source

  • phil@cryptodon.lol ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Good strategy! I currently own 5 cars; 91, 93, 97, 09, and 11 (and the last two are a utility van and a base model hatchback with no electronics).

    I had a job in college working on information security for automotive systems. I'm actually pretty good at fixing cars with electronics, but the DRM where you have to go back to the manufacturer is too far for me. If I can't fix it with what's in my garage, I'm not interested.

    It's also more eco-friendly than constantly scrapping/upgrading cars.

    source
  • gendulf@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I don’t need a million cameras and sensors around my car, if I have good sight-lines.

    While I agree with your earlier point on more technology not always being good, I disagree on the point of sensors and cameras. A backup-camera and sensor can tell me about approaching cars that I’m not aware of/cannot see physically. Additionally, I’ll take extra reminders of cars when switching lanes at highway speeds.

    source

    • solstice@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Yeah exactly, tech should only be in the form of safety measures like proximity alerts, lane stabilizing if you drift, cameras, etc. It’s when they complicate basic controls like HVAC, radio, seats, mirrors, etc that pisses me off. That’s not even starting to talk about other paywalls like a subscription for heated seats or whatever; also didn’t I just read that Mercedes requires a yearly subscription if you want to fully accelerate your vehicle?

      source
    • derpysmilingcat@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I have been unlucky enough to drive behind a person on the way home for the past 3 days who does not look when she moves to another lane. She just moves. There has been a car directly to her left, and she just fuckin slides right on over.

      These are the people I want cameras and sensors for. These people out here (America) in these giant ass cars feel so protected in them they just stop caring. If we can’t get them to stop being stupid I will have to depend on technology. I don’t want to depend on technology but here we are.

      source
    • visiblink@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      In a classic car with thin pillars between the windows and lots more glass, you don’t need the sensors because you can actually see well.

      source
• weedazz@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Just give me a screen for Android auto and that alone. Everything else should be knobs, especially climate controls

  source

  • AbidanYre@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Moving parts cost money and wear out.

    source

    • AnAngryAlpaca@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Maybe they could remove the engine and gearbox with all their moving parts…

      source
    • Iamdanno@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Touch screens break and wear too, and it’s more expensive to replace a touch screen than an AC fan knob.

      source
• FauxPseudo@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  The more features the more they can charge. The more features the more things there are to break. The more there is to break the more the dealers make fixing things.

  I want to replace my truck with an electric one. But no one is making bare bones electric vehicles. My current truck has an AM/FM stereo and HVAC. Those are it’s only features and I’m fine with that. I use a FM Bluetooth adapter in my cigarette lighter. If it dies I can replace it myself for $20. My phone does the GPS. There will never be an electric vehicle that basic. And Trucks keep getting shorter beds that are higher off the ground. I need to be able to sling drywall and plywood into the top of my bed. That gets harder and harder as the bed gets taller.

  source

  • Phlogiston@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I’m driving a 2004 with a broken antenna (no radio). All I want in my next car is a good mount for my phone and Bluetooth speakers / mic.

    My 2017 van is surprisingly good with CarPlay. So I could go that route.

    I really don’t want to deal with any of the car manufacturers software.

    source

    • Bucket_of_Truth@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I have a 2001 VW TDi, the radio is a standard Double Din so I just replaced it with a touchscreen bluetooth receiver for around $150.

      source
  • frickineh@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Ugh, I would kill for a small truck. I don’t need a truck I have to use a ladder to climb into with a bed that’s 4 feet long because the extended cab takes up the rest of the space. I love my 11 year old RAV4, but I would consider buying something new if small trucks actually existed anymore. Or, yeah, an electric car that wasn’t full of useless tech. I love tech, in it’s proper place, but my car is not it.

    source

    • visiblink@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I just gave up my 91 Mazda B2200 and bought a Crosstrek and a trailer. What is the point of a four or five foot box? I don’t get it.

      The trailer has the length and is nice and low for loading. The crazy thing is that I now see people with $100,000 pickup trucks towing trailers like mine. Insane.

      source
  • Zink@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    There won’t be ANY car made that basic from this point on, though. Electric or not isn’t a factor.

    In the US at least, backup cameras are required, so immediately you have a screen and a computer driving it. Adding in things like Bluetooth, gps, and phone interfaces are almost free at that point. It’s kind of like how power windows are just standard on everything too.

    source
  • scottywh@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I sure do miss my old 2001 F150

    source
• cantstopthesignal@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I use rental cars quite often. There’s so much garbage in newer cars. Why is there something trying to control my steering wheel, seriously who thought that was a good idea. Also nothing is tactile responsive anymore. It’s like being sold a bloat ware filled phone where you can only use garbage native apps. They made it so much more dangerous.

  source

  • ocassionallyaduck@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    The Polestar by Volvo is absolutely going to convince someone to never touch an EV again. Not because of the charging, that was fine. But oh my god the interior design and the UX of their infotainment is among the worst I have ever had to tolerate. I wanted to drive the car into the ocean.

    source

    • Perkele@lemmy.whynotdrs.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      It’s still better to drive than a tesla, but I agree that the Polestar UX is crap.

      source
• archomrade@midwest.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I don’t give a shit about the bells and whistles they’re adding to cars and the infotainment systems. I am absolutely LIVID that they are starting to lock bits of hardware (or the complete functionality of that hardware) behind subscription paywalls. If i ever buy a car and discover they’ve locked the heated seats behind a monthly fee, i’m tearing the infotainment system out of the fucking dash and leaving it on fire in front of the dealers house.

  source

  • MrGooglyPants@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    In the future I can totally see black market auto shops that specialize in bypassing all the bullshit paywalls that restrict your car from functioning the way it should to begin with.

    source

    • itsJoelle@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Yup. I worked as a locksmith for a decade there that reproduced immobilizer keys that were ‘dealer only.’ My tool allow me do all sorts of wild shit that was outside my field of interest – but resetting/setting the door panels on Fords was super nifty.

      source
    • visiblink@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      There already are: I’ve bought a regular remote start (the car came with subscription cellular remote start) and a little box to make my auto start-stop setting persistent.

      I checked into those things before buying. I guess that’s the world we’re in now.

      source
• cyborganism@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I have a 2009 Mazda 3 with Bluetooth connectivity and steering wheel button activated voice commands to make calls, configure the phone book and connections etc. This was the sweet spot for technology in cars in my opinion. Oh but the best part is all the dials and LCD clock are all in red light which is wonderful when driving at night.

  Everything else I do via voice commands on my smartphone that’s mounted on a phone mount on my dash. Like asking for GPS navigation, playing music, sending text messages.

  Nowadays the car infotainment system is trying to reproduce what your smartphone already does with controls that are less intuitive.

  Also, what’s the deal with all the bright white and neon blue colors lighting up everything? Can I get a red filter for night driving maybe? Is that so hard to ask?

  source

  • Matthew@programming.dev ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I have the 2018 Mazda 3, and Mazda is actually still one of the better companies when it comes to the infotainment stuff. No touch screen, and the controls are in the center console, where they’re super easy to reach.

    source

    • survive@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I don’t know for sure about the 3, but the CX5 and CX9 definitely have touch screens but can only be used that way when stopped. The 2018 Mazda3 smart start guide says it also works that way. My wife didn’t even realize she had a touch screen until I showed her. I had an Infiniti with touch screen and knobs and I only used the knobs, they are superior for sure.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • gendulf@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I have a 2016 Mazda 3, and agree. I don’t want a BS touch screen. I want intuitive controls that work without me having to look at a screen. The knob control is amazing.

    source
  • time_fo_that@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Yeah my 2011 BMW has Bluetooth for calls/music streaming, and a navigation system that I can split screen so I’ve got a mini map showing the names of upcoming cross streets next to my music info. It’s pretty much all I need and works great.

    source
  • solivine@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    how much money does your car typically take to repair and how often?

    source
• arc@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  What boils my blood is infotainment systems with icons and functionality for premium services that you can’t hide or remove. It wastes space and it’s just evil. I rented a Toyota Rav4 in Florida and I swear 1/4 of the front screen was for some satellite radio service that wasn’t enabled.

  source

  • DietBajaBlast@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Blank switches in vehicles has been a thing for 50 years.

    source
• Bazzatron@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I’ve never had a car with a touch screen or whatever fancy centre panel - but I have scrapped old cars because the ECU decided that there was an airbag fault which was not resolved with a new airbag. I’m a full time sysadmin/developer - my car does not need a computer to go, and if it must have one, it shouldn’t be a brick covered in epoxy.

  I somewhat long to return to dumb electromechanical components like distributors, rather than unimaginably expensive, irreparable, interdependent systems.

  #RightToRepair

  source

  • key@lemmy.keychat.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    The battle against requiring a computer for your car to run was lost over 30 years ago. It’s just been gradual expansion since then.

    source
  • drathvedro@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    This is exactly the reason why they do it. They can put a hidden countdown or just outright brick your vehicle over the air and you can’t really prove they did.

    source
• Chickenstalker@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Airlines have started to ditch their on board entertainment system and allowing people to use their smartphones instead. Cars should be like this too. Simply allow us to plug in our phones to act as the computer for entertainment, navigation and climate control. Keep tactile knobs and buttons for fall back.

  source
• Cornpop@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  CarPlay is the truth. All that built in shit is utter trash.

  source
• MyDogLovesMe@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Why do I need a camera in the dash , focused on the driver, Toyota? (Eyes off the road for 5secs results in audio reminder to watch the road)

  How long until Insurance or LE can access it?

  Yaaaa, extra insurance (or none) for you! “You look away from the road too often, and you cry in your car on the way home from work. Both say you are a risk. “. Now insert your LE scenario….

  Fuck everything to do with this shit!

  source
• ICastFist@programming.dev ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Man, just wait until Mercedez and BMW get away with paywalling features like heating, seat adjustments and fucking max speed. Then you’ll see satisfaction take a dive, to the surprise of no-fucking-one

  source
• rustyriffs@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I guess I like the idea of having tech in my vehicle, but it doesn’t work right. I’ve found so many flaws in the software that can’t be remedied. It’s not designed with user control/customization as the main priority. Furthermore, it’s tied to main functionality of the vehicle which is restrictive in what it allows you to do upgrade wise.

  As an audio enthusiast, it sucks that I can’t upgrade my stereo/audio system.

  What would be ideal in my world is open, user focused technology, upgradeable and repairable, and not this proprietary bullshit that we currently have. This is not intelligent design.

  source
• RFBurns@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  …useless tech

  Oh, it is “useful”; to the real ‘owners’ of “your” car…

  source
• Perhaps@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I couldn’t care less about all of the proprietary “infotainment” stuff, but I’ll never buy another car that doesn’t have Apple car play or maybe Android auto if I ever switch back to Android one day. Some manufacturers have talked about killing support.

  source
• JigglySackles@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  This trend is why I am saving to swap the engine on my car when it blows. I don’t like any screens in my car but a digital clock, and maybe a readout on the dash. I just want a fun, reliable vehicle with excellent AC, good safety ratings, and decent fuel mileage. Power windows are a bonus. Lol

  source
• ky56@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  My buying habits mostly consist of living in the late 2000s and what little open source tech there is a available such as framework and pine64. I’m allergic to manufactured ewaste. If i can’t maintain it, i don’t want it.

  I love the idea of a computerized car and fully integrated infotainment system. In the same way I would love a fully automated house. The automation and debugging benefits would be incredible. But only if I’m in control. Otherwise it’s just manufactured ewaste to me.

  source
• doktorRobot@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  My problem with it is that “standards” aren’t really standards. I have a car from 2015. It has an LCD panel that’s supposed to connect to your phone. Too bad that the standards changed in 2015… Now it sits there totally useless.

  source
• HurlingDurling@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  Fuck all of this, and insurance companies that want to track your driving behavior with a module installed in your car.

  source
• FlickOfTheBean@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I am currently keeping my 2004 going as long as possible. These people need to just make everything configurable, like a smartphone, and then I’d make the switch. It’s the last piece of bad design that’s keeping me on an ice vehicle at this point.

  <vent>I don’t want to have to look down to change the radio station just because some jackass buried it under 3 fucking menus. That’s dangerous, damn it! Fuck your research, let me configure my own shit! </vent>

  source
• Tebza255@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I don’t have a problem with Auto Technology, but I have a problem with a small minor feature that has nothing to do with moving a car having an ability to disable the car completely.

  source
• ala@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  swapped out my dumb dash unit for android auto and never going back. next car will either have android auto and airplay or it will be easily removable/replaceable or no buy.

  source
• SpeedLimit55@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  This is because knobs, switches and buttons are easier to use than touchscreens. I like having carplay/androidauto while still being able to turn a knob or press a button for AC, volume, radio etc.

  source
• TheSaneWriter@lemmy.thesanewriter.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  It’s honestly really stupid. I think that car manufacturers are trying to design their cars to look futuristic, while not understanding that the futuristic designs from the previous 30 years are impractical, fantastical, and stupid to pull into real life. You can really tell they aren’t actually trying to improve based on user feedback when designing these things.

  source
• MrJameGumb@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  I have a 2006 Chevy Malibu. It goes “vroom” and gets from point a to point b. I bought a Bluetooth thing that plugs into the cigarette lighter and a little hook for my phone so now I can make calls hands free, use the GPS easily, and I can listen to my music.

  It’s perfect lol

  source