Last two are via steering wheel controls on both our cars (BMW, Honda). But, on different sides of the wheel, so I frequently hit cruise control buttons when intending to hit volume.
First two are via physical buttons in both cars. However, buttons are located in very different locations, one uses dials and the other paddles. Also, the BMW has what I feel is a needlessly complicated fan control/temp system with a left/right split and also a chest vent temp setting that functions independently of what the HVAC panel displays, which means even in "auto" mode, there are manual settings that need tweaked (and this is all in a small 230i coupe - total overkill).
I can't imagine the mental load using a Tesla, where the seat heat control is burned 2-3 menus deep at the bottom edge of a touchscreen where the virtual buttons actually change function depending on what your doing. It's a UX mess and never should have been allowed.
Try a new Golf 8. It turns out manufacturers can even screw that up.
I will say that my wife had a Pacifica (the crossover, not the minivan) that is one of the best thought-out cars I have ever driven - not the best built (though it was tolerable), but definitely the best thought-out. (And we've owned dozens of cars from America, Italy, Japan, Germany, and Korea) Absolutely everything about that car oozed the thought and consideration of the designers thinking about how the car would be used. We'd still have it if it hadn't been totalled by a careless wench shoving her Jeep's winch deep enough into the Pacifica to total it.
We’re talking about these stalks, right? https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attachments/test-drives-initi...
How do you hold your steering wheel to manage that?
The turn signal stalk isn’t low at all, it’s exactly where your hand is supposed to be https://i.pinimg.com/originals/56/73/61/567361ad8bb3e7313a38...
I find the BMW way more confusing, since I can never remember which direction does a single wipe and which direction actually turns them on (one of them is up on the stalk, one is down, don't ask me which one was which). And you can't actually know by feel which wiper setting you are in since the BMW stalks are fixed. The Mercedes has completely different actions for single wipe (push button) and activating wipers (rotate the knob) and since the knob rotates, you have tactile feedback of which setting you are in.
The only thing that seems annoying about Tesla is the A/C is toggled via the screen.
Otherwise it has those same controls for changing songs/volume/assist on the wheel.
If you open the driver's door with your key fob in your pocket, your presets are loaded and the seats and mirrors move to what you want. If your spouse opens the driver's door with their key fob, everything changes to their settings. If you have more than 2 drivers, you can buy extra key fobs at the dealer (expensive!!) and the car will keep track of settings for those too.
It's not just luxury cars that do this ;)
I found the car related announcements in Apple's most recent WWDC key note monumental in their reach. Many manufacturers signed on (notably except Tesla, Mazda, BMW) to support the next version of Car Play, which in a sense might reflect a surrender of the UX ownership:
> Ford, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti, Honda, Acura, Jaguar, Land Rover, Audi, Nissan, Volvo, Porsche, and more
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/06/06/apple-announces-multi-d...
Every car I've owned in the last 10 years has had this feature, except it's tied to the key fob, so there's no tapping beyond unlocking the door. If they truly have to tap a few times just to get an electric seat into their saved position, then Tesla screwed that up (but I'm pretty sure Tesla ties those settings to the owner's smartphone/key).
My friends wife only drives once in a while so I doubt they have to change from the default preset often.
But I’m pretty sure it’s universally agreed on HN Tesla took the touch screen thing too far.
This was a feature on a truck my dad bought in like 2002. It was mapped to physical buttons near the seat controls. Tapping a few times is a regression.
Once in a while, the system locks up, and you can't change AC anymore (can't turn it on/off, can't change the intensity). You have to shut down the engine, walk away from the car (with the key) for more then 20-30 meters and then wait 10 minutes.
I love my Seat Leon for many reasons, but the lack of buttons is not one of them.
In my current and previous cars, there's been a separate button which turns the AC heat to max, fans to max and directs it all at the windscreen.
When you suddenly lose visibility while driving, you definitely appreciate having a physical button in a known location that fixes the issue.
If you listen to the radio, switching stations is common (a not-safe-for-kids story comes on the news, a song you hate comes on, there are obnoxious commercial breaks).
- Adjust temperature
- Turn off automatic high beams if it misbehaves and starts blinding oncoming traffic
- Switch suspension to comfort mode if bumpy road is ahead
- Turn on/off fog lights
- volume
- change the song
- air conditioning
- signalling
- cruise control
All of those are on the steering wheel besides air conditioning which is still a dial.
For the touchscreen I open Spotify and then Waze and use voice commands to set a destination before I drive (which is pushing one button to toggle voice and one button to select the top result). I might ID a police car or hazard using Waze if I'm in slow traffic but usually my passenger does that. That's the only touch screen apps I use.
Then as I get away I turn the volume back up
Lights, wipers, and cruise control are critical adjustments. I also often change A/C and audio settings because I can do it without looking (though it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I couldn’t mess with those while the car was in motion).
1. Activate the heated seat, increase temperature by two degrees, and start the defroster.
2. Power on the radio and adjust the station to a specific channel (Sweden’s Program 1).
3. Reset the trip computer.
4. Lower the instrument lighting to the lowest level and turn off the center display.
Also the AC and the recycled air.