When It Comes To Your Infotainment, Do You Prefer BUTTONS, MENUS or SWIPING?

In the previous thread I posted here on AutoSpies, CAR magazine reported on its second month of its long-term test of the Volvo XC60. Having driven the XC90, XC60 and the S90, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with its all-new infotainment system dubbed Sensus.

Operating much like an Apple iPad, it's a perfect example of a form of the bring your own device (BYOD) movement. Essentially, gven the proliferation of mobile devices, Sensus mimics those actions.

The problem, as seen in CAR's review, is that not everyone jives with that. You would think otherwise given how many iPhones and Samsung cellphones are in the market but that's just not the case.

And I've noted in the comments here at AutoSpies that some people plainly prefer different ways to access their infotainment when behind the wheel.

Some prefer buttons. Others like a menu-based system a la BMW's iDrive. And the new age types lean towards systems like Sensus or Tesla's infotainment setup.

All that said, I've got to ask: WHICH method of operation tickles your fancy?

MDarringer - 9/1/2018 3:31:05 PM

+1 Boost

buttons and swiping

Vette71 - 9/1/2018 5:55:00 PM

+2 Boost

Buttons, touch screen button images, then menus.

TomM - 9/1/2018 7:10:59 PM

+2 Boost

The infotainment system in my Chrysler van - has an on-off/Volume combination switch - and that makes sense and would be my preference.

MDarringer - 9/1/2018 7:46:44 PM

+1 Boost

Swiper, no swiping.

Agent00R - 9/2/2018 9:33:06 AM

+1 Boost

Well played, sir.

Are you Dora? ;)

MDarringer - 9/2/2018 11:58:09 AM

+1 Boost

No, I just have 5 boys at "that" age. The middle one told me that when I liberated a french fry from my wife's plate the other day.

absent - 9/1/2018 7:49:49 PM

+4 Boost

Buttons, buttons only for me.
I hate the current trend of "simplifying" the dashboard and reducing the number of physical controls like buttons and knobs to nothing and replacing them with haptic controls or menus controlled by swiping or central command unit like in MBs.
Had a rental Panamera in LA and in sunshine you could not see anything on these Black surfaces because the smudges and fingerprints obscured all the functions.
I had to pull over to safely change the most simple settings while in my more conventional and "outdated" S8 I can find the appropriate button/switch simply by feel, without taking my eyes off the road.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 9/1/2018 9:40:55 PM

0 Boost

With current advances in machine learning and NLP, I can easily see a future Apple Play system using Siri and having everything that you would have to touch be controlled by speech. Changing temp, audio volume, radio station, read me a text message, answer the phone etc. Better to keep your eyes on the road and focused on the task of driving than digging through menus.

Vette71 - 9/1/2018 10:36:08 PM

+2 Boost

Steering wheel buttons already do a lot of those things. Hit the volume up or down button or change the station. Can't imagine saying "Siri raise the volume"over and over to get it where you want it. That's a case of technology making things worse.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 9/1/2018 11:13:05 PM

0 Boost

@Vett71- I hear where you are coming from, but I personally dislike how many buttons there are on steering wheels these days. Ferrari seems to do a good job of it, but be it a new Porsche or the Viper, what was once a very nice 3-spoke wheel is now packed with tiny buttons on the two horizontal spokes. And while some may not like it, I would bet Apple is working on it with various automakers.

Agent00R - 9/2/2018 9:35:51 AM

-3 Boost

Great comments, @Canadian!

You nailed it. Wozniak predicted back in the early 2010s that due to ML and NLP everything's going to speech, which would make sense. Still a lot of work to be done in the NLP space but it's getting better every year.

And, yes. Ferrari has the best multifunction steering wheels in the biz right now. No doubt about it. Once you use one you wonder why no one did it sooner.

Vette71 - 9/2/2018 10:58:03 AM

+2 Boost

I'd argue for the Mopar system with Jeep Uconnect. Steering wheel buttons on back; volume on right, stations/track on the left. Steering wheel buttons front; Adaptive CC on right; phone/voice on left as well as car status menu control that displays directly in front of driver. Touch screen buttons on central screen for the rest with very shallow menus so you one or two touches to get what you want. Haven't seen anything as eloquently simple on other brands. Find the swipe/squish controls major distractions.

MDarringer - 9/2/2018 11:49:24 AM

-3 Boost

Wozniak is like George Harrison in The Beatles i.e. the footnote to the geniuses. Wozniak was lucky by association, but he is far from being any sort of visionary.

TomM - 9/2/2018 2:57:09 PM

+4 Boost

I am really suspect about everything being controlled by Speech - until a car can actually identify the person speaking - and eliminate other possible speakers in the car. I can imagine a Grandchild telling me to go faster - and the car accelerating as instructed.

TheSteve - 9/1/2018 11:34:19 PM

+3 Boost

I prefer a great UI, and real controls. Infotainment systems are the scourge of the auto industry for their inability to adequately support real-time user interaction while simultaneously driving without distraction.

See YouTube for tons of hilarious videos of people falling down stairs, into fountains, walking into lamp-posts and street signs, while gazing into their smartphone and walking. Do you really think driving two tons of glass and steel at 30 MPH or more is simpler than walking?

PUGPROUD - 9/2/2018 5:59:56 AM

+2 Boost

Old school, buttons. Once acclimated you never have to take eyes off the road.

TauronB2G - 9/2/2018 9:52:27 AM

+4 Boost

Buttons for sure. I rather like the combination of buttons and the Command system in my Mercedes. The wheel thing works easily while I’m driving, but I like that there are still real buttons for the radio and climate control. The steering wheel also does just about everything too.

valhallakey - 9/5/2018 1:04:28 AM

+2 Boost

I think buttons and knobs that have a distinct size and feel for each major commonly used functions in order to be able to keep your eyes on the road. Most steering wheels have these functions built in as well. I like the Range Rover one quite a bit. An iDrive or iPad like system (with voice control if you like) should be there for redundancy and the less commonly used functions. Hopefully the iPad can be retracted into the dash or is integral to the dash, center column and not sticking out like it was glued on top of the dash.

MDarringer - 9/8/2018 11:05:11 AM

+1 Boost

Because when the touch pad fails--and it will--because it is proprietary getting a new one will be problematic.

Blackhammer - 9/13/2018 1:32:33 AM

+1 Boost

Screens look a lot better but buttons are more practical