Give me buttons !

[Cherokee]

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1FdnNiLA62/

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[Montana]

I'm only 40, and the direction they are heading is gaudy and stupid. More than that - it's dangerous. It's also a stellar example of sh*tflation (shrinkflation). Cheaper to use a screen for everything.

Actually, I'm surprised they haven't paywalled settings yet.

"To use your DRL's you must subscribe for $17 a month. We also have a package that allows to use all of your comfort and audio settings for $60 a month."
1 year limited support and warranties on screens cost extra and are not included in any manufacturers warranty. F*ck you, pay me. - FORD

 

[Scott Asheville]

You see this all over the industry. Suppliers come to OEMs and say "We can save you money if you buy this tech from us". Or, "customers will love this and you will sell more cars".

About 8 years ago suppliers showed OEMs all sorts of screen or haptic buttons to OEMs and pitched "you will save money and increase profit". OEMs bought into it, and all that stuff showed up in cars about 4-6 years later. Customers and insurers and car reviewers hated it. And now it's vanishing. See the VW ID4 as a great example. But there's a multi-year lag between "we screwed up" and "we fixed it". Because it's the auto industry and they paid for that tooling or are locked into that supplier contract for X years.

Another example is piano black. Looks good in the showroom. Just don't touch it. Another example is screens filling every spare inch of the console - in some cases A pillar to A pillar. The OEMs get wowed and think it'll wow customers (sometimes it does). And now you're rolling down the road with five linear feet of distraction between you and the road.

In the BEV world right now, the current fad of the day is a million different types of electric or automated door handles. Except that your infant gets irretrievably locked inside when the 12v battery dies, and frantic parents smash the windows to get to the kid. Or ice happens. Oh, and you'd better read the manual so you know to pull off the interior plastic cover bit to activate the hidden emergency door handle. Because, you know, simple and intuitive manual door handles - who would possibly want those?

And I won't even go into Captain Fabulous (aka Elon). We don't need a rear window and mirror in the Cybertruck (when the louvers are closed). We don't need turn signal stalks. Or shift levers. Although in his particular case, his common-sense challenged disciples line up to drink the Kool Aide.

An easy solution. Just don't buy stupidly designed or poorly engineered product. Unless you follow Captain Fabulous - then buy the product and tell everyone that all the glaring engineering and design failures are "futuristic features". Not saying that Captain Fabulous's company doesn't do some awesome things, just that they excel at suckering customers into believing cost-cutting is futuristic.

The good news - if it's a good change, it will stand the test of time and be widely adopted (power steering, hydraulic brakes, air bags, etc). If not, it'll soon only exist in automotive history books. Just don't be the sucker that bought it.

 

[Joe Strummer]

Horses for courses. I quite like my no button smart phone. I wouldn't swap it for an old 1G mobile phone with buttons.

 

[710-oil-614]

I'm only 40, and the direction they are heading is gaudy and stupid. More than that - it's dangerous. It's also a stellar example of sh*tflation (shrinkflation). Cheaper to use a screen for everything.

Actually, I'm surprised they haven't paywalled settings yet.

"To use your DRL's you must subscribe for $17 a month. We also have a package that allows to use all of your comfort and audio settings for $60 a month."
1 year limited support and warranties on screens cost extra and are not included in any manufacturers warranty. F*ck you, pay me. - FORD

They give you Ford connected services free on purchase. You get 3 years of Alexa, 1 year of connected navigation, and 1 year of premium connectivity.

Navigation goes to $80/yr after the trial period ends. Navigation has an awesome weather map that is much better than MyRadar (free) on CarPlay but RadarScope keeps promising they are going to be CarPlay available soon.

With CarPlay as good as it is I won't purchase any of the connected services.

People really making too big of a deal out of the buttons when they are mounting their phones to f*ck with while they are driving - when those don't have buttons either.

 

[stats]

They give you Ford connected services free on purchase. You get 3 years of Alexa, 1 year of connected navigation, and 1 year of premium connectivity.

Navigation goes to $80/yr after the trial period ends. Navigation has an awesome weather map that is much better than MyRadar (free) on CarPlay but RadarScope keeps promising they are going to be CarPlay available soon.

With CarPlay as good as it is I won't purchase any of the connected services.

People really making too big of a deal out of the buttons when they are mounting their phones to f*ck with while they are driving - when those don't have buttons either.

When you drive the 25—if you own a 22-24 Mav— you will immediately notice and miss the buttons. And the terrible instrument cluster design. They have an amazing LED pallet to work with. The design, for any GUI designer, is juvenile from an aesthetic point of view and they stripped out functionality to boot. They could have looked at Rover instrument panels which are beautiful and emulate instruments, whose designs have evolved and been improved for decades, yet still largely retain the same aestetics.

Sorry—as an owner of 22-23-24 Hybrid Mavs, the 2025 update is a perfect example of “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

 

[710-oil-614]

When you drive the 25—if you own a 22-24 Mav— you will immediately notice and miss the buttons. Just as concerning is the poo

I owned a 2023 Maverick and I now own a 2025 Hybrid Lariat AWD and I don’t miss the buttons at all. I love the new screen and sync 4 infotainment system.

 

[bbhaag]

I realized the amount of buttons needed to control everything in a modern vehicle would be insane but then I would start bitching about to many buttons which is why we have screens.

Lets do it like the French and just have buttons and switches for everything!! Then all you old timers would start bitching about to many buttons and switches. LOL

The 2024 INEOS Grenadier has so many buttons and switches that it is starting to look like an airplane cockpit and it still has a touch screen. haha

 

[Packer Bill]

I prefer screen over buttons. I love the touch screens on my phone and tablet! BTW, I will be 66 next month...

 

[Prickly Pear]

This reminded me of something I read. I understand the arguements about phones not having buttons, but I can chose to ignore my phone but like many of you when I want climate control I'd rather have buttons and maybe even braille it if I can remember where everything is.

https://www.carscoops.com/2024/11/h...cause-american-buyers-dont-like-touchscreens/

 

[Prickly Pear]

I realized the amount of buttons needed to control everything in a modern vehicle would be insane but then I would start bitching about to many buttons which is why we have screens.

Lets do it like the French and just have buttons and switches for everything!! Then all you old timers would start bitching about to many buttons and switches. LOL

The 2024 INEOS Grenadier has so many buttons and switches that it is starting to look like an airplane cockpit and it still has a touch screen. haha

Looks kinda like the inside of a Cessna

 

[dochawk]

"Give me buttons"

OK, here:

 

[bbhaag]

Looks kinda like the inside of a Cessna

Yeah that is the the trouble with modern vehicles. If you want physical buttons for everything it is just not practical because of all the modern features.

I know a lot of members on here have an aversion to touch screen controls in their vehicle but honestly I don't find it all that bad. I own a Mach-E which has way more screen controls than the Maverick and it isn't bad at all.

 

[Fcnrwy]

I realized the amount of buttons needed to control everything in a modern vehicle would be insane but then I would start bitching about to many buttons which is why we have screens.

Lets do it like the French and just have buttons and switches for everything!! Then all you old timers would start bitching about to many buttons and switches. LOL

The 2024 INEOS Grenadier has so many buttons and switches that it is starting to look like an airplane cockpit and it still has a touch screen. haha

Wow, reminds me of a DC-3...

Jerry

 

[Fcnrwy]

Yeah that is the the trouble with modern vehicles. If you want physical buttons for everything it is just not practical because of all the modern features.

I know a lot of members on here have an aversion to touch screen controls in their vehicle but honestly I don't find it all that bad. I own a Mach-E which has way more screen controls than the Maverick and it isn't bad at all.

That maybe the case... Guess I am old...

I still have an adversion to taking my eyes off the road, controling 2 1/2 tons of metal...

Jerry

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