boemPeople are getting fed up with all the useless tech in their cars
DojanShocking. They’ve been trying to make the car a second living room, and in doing so sacrifice the driving experience by foregoing buttons, levers, and switches for capacitive surfaces and touchscreens.
The turn signal on the Tesla Yoke is shocking to me. It screams of tech boys adding “cool things” before thinking about whether or not it’s useful.
Then there’s all the anti-consumer practises. Buy a car, but don’t own it. Yes we shipped it with heated seats, which you obviously paid for, but to use them you’ll have to pay a monthly fee. And no, you’ll still pay for all the energy used, that’s not on us. But hey we’re actually giving you a better deal on it!
It’s all BS.
orcaI just learned that higher-end Kia vehicles don’t have wireless CarPlay but the cheaper, smaller models do. It has something to do with the built-in navigation those models come with… which I would happily ditch to not have to be tethered to the car with crappy Apple iPhone wires. Love the vehicle but the head unit software is terrible. They can’t get the most basic things right because they’re too busy giving us pointless stuff we didn’t ask for.
As someone who drives a higher-end Kia SUV, and sells them, this is untrue. Off the top of my head without looking, I’m fairly positive the ONLY model to not get wireless is the Rio. Even then I think it may still get it.
So much wrong in your post. My ‘22 Stinger GT2 doesn’t have wireless AA or CarPlay. It absolutely does have to do with the built in GPS as the newer, less expensive vehicles/trims WITHOUT built in GPS allow wireless AA and CarPlay. Redline Reviews has mentioned this in his YouTube videos of KIA/Hyundai products, too. It is some kind of dispute between the maker of the maps for the factory GPS, KIA/Hyundai and Google/Apple. I have read numerous times that the hardware is present but it is blocked software side.
Aside from that, if you truly are selling these vehicles you need to brush up on the tech side.
Tesla: Park button and cruise control button, better combine them.v
My gf’s Subaru makes me literally yell. No touch screen, but my god, all the controls are identical pushbuttons, pale grey symbols or tiny letters on silver. You have to squint at a pale LED readout to figure out what the HVAC is doing. Nothing is intuitive.
Meanwhile, in my 2002 Spyder and 2004 F-150, twist knobs, receive joy.
I love my subaru, but I do have everything on a stupid touch screen. I would have gone in that 2022 Forester that still had a bunch of real buttons, but it didn’t come with a turbo option so I went with the Outback where everything was integrated. Even then the Android auto experience could definitely be better.
All I want is solid gps and Bluetooth.
I don’t need a fucking dominos app. Or to take my care to the dealer so my AC works again because of a fucking update
My 2015 Tacoma has a great gos, but I cannot find a way to update the map, it is 7 years out of date.
Oh it’s simple. Just run a USB cable from your pc to the car’s tailpipe.
My 2012 Mazda uses a SD card for the maps and last I looked it was over $100 for updates. I wouldn’t buy a car without carplay or android auto these days.
My aunt’s 2017 Mazda didn’t have my house in the GPS. It was built in 2011.
Mine has an SD card as well, still unable to find a way to update them. At this point i am willing to pay for it
dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️Wait until you see what it takes to do so! I had an OEM nav unit in one of my cars, and the map update is sold on a DVD (!) and costs something like $400. I’m going to go with… no. (And yes, I checked to see if an .iso was available on any pirate sources; it wasn’t.) I’ll just run Google Maps or an OpenStreetMap client on my phone, thanks.
I have yet to find a way to update/update the system, even paying for it.
I purposely bought the base dash on my Focus ST. Screen is smaller than a phone like 4 inches at most, has no apps. It Bluetooth syncs my phone for music and calls. There’s no touchscreen, all interactions are dedicated knobs and buttons.
For GPS I just use my phone and audio directions, my smart watch has the upcoming direction as well. If I really don’t know where I’m going I have a dash mount for my phone if I need it. But that’s not often.
It’s great honestly and the dash doesn’t blind me driving at night.
I was also looking at a Mazda before I got this car and their dash is absolutely horrendous. It’s like they just took a Alibaba knock off iPad and welded it on top of the dash. It’s literally in your view of the road causing a small blind spot.
We are using a Garmin in our Mitsubishi ASX rather than the built-in navi, probably a custom TomTom. Bluetooth is largely useless and buggy.
I would have bought a used Lada if it was just for me.
If it’s an EV I’d much prefer an open source platform. No such things, so far.
I travel for work and thus rent a lot of cars. Can confirm there are far too many options. What’s worse is that new cars don’t have an option for the USB to type C. It’s just type C to C, which is a cord that almost no one owns. Why not have both in the cars!! Bur yeah the new cars all do something a bit different in annoying ways.
FYI: My favorite vehicles. 1 Honda Civic, 2 Kia Soul.
Why have both in cars? A car is expected to last 10, 15 years at least and C to C is already starting to become the new standard. I feel like if you buy a car, you can probably buy a phone cord for it...
This. Type C has been getting very popular since around 2016. Every phones cord is type C for few years now. Personallt I wish to never see the USB A type port again in antthing I purchase. Especially an expensive car. It is obsolete tech.
const void**most smart phones…
Thats true. But does your phones connectivity with a car matter at all if it isnt ”smart”?
lol - I was thinking iPhones which are still USB C <-> Lightening (at best), and not yet USB C<->C.
You can’t even spell basic words and you’re here giving people life advice?
You do realize that smartphone keyboards are fairly small and this isnt that serious of a forum to proof read for typos while sitting on a toilet? :D
DankryIt’s just type C to C which is a cord that almost no one owns.
Are you an Apple user by chance? Because USB-C to USB-C cables have been fairly common for several years… Except on the iPhone/iPad and even that’s going to change soon.
bdonvrI am totally on board with the C to C things.
And plenty of people own them… Apple has been shipping C to Lightning for a couple years now in the box. Androids have included a C to C cable.
C is supposed to be next gen USB. It’s not just a new charger for phones, it is the new USB.
The type c to c is becoming quite common and even better, it can charge much, much faster. If you have such an issue when traveling, I’d suggest getting a small USB c to USB a adaptor. They are about the size of a quarter.
USB A is, in the tech world, an outdated standard that is being replaced. I actively try to have any device I purchase now only use type C. If I never see another micro USB port on my life, it will be too soon. Even Apple has started to embrace type C for their devices and the EU is forcing them to use type C on iphones in Europe.
I’ve gotten happier the more cars that I rent that have wireless chargers built in somewhere. It’s especially nice not to have to worry about a cable at all anymore.
Touch screens in cars are stupid: you need to take your eyes off the road to use them. Buttons and knobs, once you have learned them, can be operated by touch and maybe a quick flick of your eyes.
and let's not forget the back and forth rocking game you play anytime you try to push a touchscreen when the road is not perfectly flat
Love my Mazda3 for saying “no” to touchscreens. The knob is great!
Mazda has the best system for infotainment systems. I own 2 Mazdas and a Toyota. Every time I get in the Toyota I hate that I have to touch the screen for everything.
PineapplePartisanMazdas also focus on providing the best driving experience for the actual driving part. Their infotainment is actually kind of mediocre compared to others, but I don’t care about that because I just need CarPlay and my phone does the rest.
I agree. I only need a screen that is capable of CarPlay and lots of physical buttons, which Mazda has. Then I want the rest of the car to be a blast to drive, which Mazda is known for and definitely delivers on. I’m a Mazda fanboy and will keep buying them unless they decide to move away from the driver experience.
QuarterSwedeWe’re looking for a vehicle and the Mazda design language really hits above the price point. The CX-90 is just beautiful with the fabric layer on the dashboard. Very impressed with it.
I’ve owned probably 15 vehicles. No Mazdas. We just went from a 2012 highlander limited to a 2019 cx-9 GT with 25k mi for around 35k.
Man, what a nice ass car. I honestly never knew. Tons of features and thoughtful details. Dollar to value we’re very happy with it.
Might turn it in for a cx-90 in a few years.
Our problem is we’re cheap because we hate being in debted to someone/thing and we do want to actually retire so most of our money goes to retirement accounts. That makes actually buying a nicer vehicle trying. I just can’t stomach the prices these days. 🤮
Mazda has been killing it the last 5-7 years on their premium interiors without the premium price. That was until the CX-90 came along. Don’t get me wrong, I love it but it’s way too much for what it is in my opinion. I got a 2019 CX-5 signature (fully loaded, top trim) for 35k brand new and it has some features the CX-90 lacks without paying for it’s top trim at 60k.
With that said, I’m sure it’s still one of the most fun 3-row SUV’s to drive. Mazda won’t sacrifice drivability for nothing.
Same. If I need to get a bigger car, the CX-50 always has me turning my head. But I want to keep my little hatchback for as long as I can.
I love the knob but hate that in 2021 they ‘upgraded’ the auto start to being in an app.
haganbmjNot having a touch screen was a pretty sizeable component of my decision making process when I bought my 3.
UsernameblankfaceMy opinion is that touch screens should be for passengers only. Display screens are fine, but if physical buttons are so unacceptable, then we need voice control that actually works.
Also, I'm surprised no one has started a company to retrofit buttons and switches into modern cars. Whatever kind of headache that would be to design and install, I'd like to see it work.
A lot of these cars are starting to get massive touch screens too. I’m looking at buying a Prius and several of the trims have a 12 inch touch screen. Why would I ever need that as a driver? Why would I ever possibly want that? Pedestrian and cyclist deaths keep skyrocketing and we continue to out these massive screens in cars that in many cases can’t be turned off. Lawmakers really need to make auto manufacturers responsible for the part they are playing in enabling distracted driving.
And then they double as GPS, but they’re installed so low that you can’t see the GPS out of the corner of your eye, and therefore need to look away from the road. Great design!
I see "but it does gps!" As an excuse in favor of the oversized screens. But a heads up display, reading aloud turn by turn directions, or even a set of lights to indicate where you should go would do the same thing better
And guess what? I navigate with my Android and don’t even have to SEE the screen. “In a quarter mile turn left on Bright Screen Road.”
They objectively make night driving significantly worse. Why would I want a big, bright, light pointed directly at my face while I’m driving?
Sure, but I don't always have a passenger in my car and want to listen to the radio
I think the driver should definitely have radio controls, just not through a touch screen. Passenger touch screens should be for their entertainment and their own heating/cooling settings. I think the passenger controls should have nothing to do with the way the car drives and handles, or headlights, wipers, anything like that.
Enhance S3XY Buttons would like to have a word.
And I'd like to have a word with them... About how good their idea is!
That's a great start. I am dreaming of some kind of a full dashboard and center console replacement. While I'm at it, I may as well dream of having the money to afford a car that would be new enough to need such an upgrade plus be able to afford the upgrade itself.
My 09 focus actually had a fantastic voice control. Never seen anything nearly as intuitive or operational.
My current vehicle is 7 years newer and I don't even know what the voice button does.
No joke, I walked into vw dealership couple years ago to test drive the ID.3, nearly ready to buy it by end of 2021 (replace my eGolf).
The interior controls and their ergonomics were shockingly bad. Unlit touch strips for volume and temp, touch buttons on steering wheel, mirror adjust switch that freely rotate so you don’t know which mirror is adjusting, only two power window switch to control four windows on driver door, gear shift that’s totally hidden by steering wheel…
Just awful.
Jesus, touch buttons on the steering wheel it’s the most asinine type of control ever, you be activating this suit by accident all the time.
MostlyBirdsMaybe if you havea heath condition that makes your hands thrash around uncontrollably, butbthen you shouldn’t be driving in the first place.
Dude, what’s wrong with you?
He seems to always be like this. I already recognize the username, and not for positive reasons.
Thanks for the heads up. I blocked him, life is too short to waste time with assholes.
Yes, but it's not the tech I hate, is how bad it's implemented. I had a Cupra Leon for two years and the infotainment system (relatively comparable to the ID 3, only a different theme installed) crashed more often than I drove the car. Before that I had a Golf 7 and I loved it. Who greenlighted the interior of current gen VWs deserves to be fired and hit with a bag of slugs repeatedly. I've been driving a lot of different VWs over the last eight years but the last car was so bad I've switched to a completely different manufacturer. And by bad I mean exclusively the infotainment, the car itself was great.
As someone working in the industry I dislike it as well. Many of the features have some really good usecases but the problem is just that they’re enabled/available for every user even if most people only use a small subset of features so the settings/interface gets so cluttered.
In my opinion though, the move away from physical interfaces towards touchscreens is way worse than the clutter.