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Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

drive.com.au

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Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#261

Post by gonzalohm »

geodel wrote: post #258

Last time it was VW bringing it back, then Mazda bringing it back, and so on. Also luxury cars will not use touch controls, thats only for cheap cars . It appears wishful thinking that physical buttons are coming back. This would be an idea whose time has gone. It does not even matter companies that physical buttons are better, or they can offer as choice (at higher price) if someone wanted. Like remote working, offi…

When did Mazda get rid of buttons? They always provide both choices no? Touchscreen and the dial (which I love). Temperature controls are also physical.

Except for the new 2026 models. I think those removed physical buttons

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#262

Post by dotancohen »

NetMageSCW wrote: post #234
donkyrf wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My 992.2 has AA/CarPlay, and an outstanding user interface, with a nice mix of configurable displays and physical buttons. Fairly certain it is a top 100 product in it's market.

Yes, I think Porsche has a responsive excellent design with their infotainment / button combination though recent SUV / sedan models have moved to capacitive buttons and more touch screen controls and worsened the experience. To be fair, it is outsourced to Harmon/Kardon.

Last month I spoke to a woman driving a Porsche SUV. I was appalled to hear that she is trading it in for a Tesla model Y. I drive a Tesla, and I love it, but it is nowhere near the level of a Porsche. She claims that the model Y is quieter then the Porsche and she loves the self-driving. I advised her to take the Tesla for a long test drive before selling her Porshe, she said that her son in law has one.

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#263

Post by red_admiral »

ryandrake wrote: post #66
aenis wrote: post #47

'He also explained that "I'm a big believer in screens, because I really believe if you want to connect, you have to make the magic work behind the screen." ' I am a big believer in keeping "product people" away from UI design for dangerous machinery. The eyes and the attention of the driver should be on the road. All the audio visual noise from the car is just plain dangerous. I don't want my car to draw my attentio…

> I am a big believer in keeping "product people" away from UI design for dangerous machinery. I mean, there are product people who can do UI design for dangerous machinery. Put them back in charge. It seems like in the last decade, these product people were replaced with product people from Internet Attention-Monetizing companies and Gacha games, where you are rewarded if your product "attracted eyeballs" and "fuele…

Start suing car manufacturers for the deaths caused when the driver's eyeballs were distracted from the road.

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#264

Post by LoganDark »

gonzalohm wrote: post #261
geodel wrote: post #258

Last time it was VW bringing it back, then Mazda bringing it back, and so on. Also luxury cars will not use touch controls, thats only for cheap cars . It appears wishful thinking that physical buttons are coming back. This would be an idea whose time has gone. It does not even matter companies that physical buttons are better, or they can offer as choice (at higher price) if someone wanted. Like remote working, offi…

When did Mazda get rid of buttons? They always provide both choices no? Touchscreen and the dial (which I love). Temperature controls are also physical. Except for the new 2026 models. I think those removed physical buttons

You answered your own question...

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#265

Post by xxmarkuski »

Glad that Mercedes-Benz is doing this change. The management team has been misguided for a couple years. The "only luxury" strategy has not been working out as anticipated, partly due to quality not living up to the level to be truly luxury. The EVs, including the top line EQS, have also not been received to great success.

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#266

Post by Geonode »

gonzalohm wrote: post #261
geodel wrote: post #258

Last time it was VW bringing it back, then Mazda bringing it back, and so on. Also luxury cars will not use touch controls, thats only for cheap cars . It appears wishful thinking that physical buttons are coming back. This would be an idea whose time has gone. It does not even matter companies that physical buttons are better, or they can offer as choice (at higher price) if someone wanted. Like remote working, offi…

When did Mazda get rid of buttons? They always provide both choices no? Touchscreen and the dial (which I love). Temperature controls are also physical. Except for the new 2026 models. I think those removed physical buttons

I think you answered your own question. 2026. My 2025 CX-90 has amazing controls.

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#267

Post by moogly »

grassfedgeek wrote: post #44

I hope Elon Musk can take a lesson from Mercedes. Tesla went in the other direction: there are barely any physical buttons to remove, so they removed the stalks for signaling and even for changing gear! You have to use the touch screen to shift gears!

Tesla is dead company walking.

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#268

Post by red_admiral »

roughly wrote: post #221
ajross wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So screens can replace "mirrors" and not "buttons"? Seems like excuse-making to me. I repeat: I'd prefer to see more analysis and less sloganeering, especially where you "assume that was obvious".

No, screens cannot replace mirrors, but we’re doing it anyway.

Van (Mercedes Sprinter) where there's no way to fit a central mirror in the first place?

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#269

Post by johannes1234321 »

Conlectus wrote: post #231
aenis wrote: post #47

'He also explained that "I'm a big believer in screens, because I really believe if you want to connect, you have to make the magic work behind the screen." ' I am a big believer in keeping "product people" away from UI design for dangerous machinery. The eyes and the attention of the driver should be on the road. All the audio visual noise from the car is just plain dangerous. I don't want my car to draw my attentio…

The thing that everyone always misses in these conversations is that screens over buttons is a cost cutting measure, not a first-principles design decision. It means the UI can be designed and developed mostly independently of the physical controls, which helps reduce rework. I also expect it reduces costs for manufacture and assembly. I’m in favour of more physical controls, but it surprises me that this rarely come…

It's even more in regards to production planning. Building the production pipeline takes long and is inflexible as you need to ensure to pick suppliers which will provide spare parts for a sensible price for the whole lifecycle. Thus you limit capabilities very early in the design cycle.

A software based solution you can finalize last minute and with later updates add extra features. Thus if a competitor provides a feature you don't have to wait years for the next new design, but can deliver based on software development priorities any time, to any series you like (even add after delivery)

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#270

Post by ErroneousBosh »

singleshot_ wrote: post #202
aenis wrote: post #47

'He also explained that "I'm a big believer in screens, because I really believe if you want to connect, you have to make the magic work behind the screen." ' I am a big believer in keeping "product people" away from UI design for dangerous machinery. The eyes and the attention of the driver should be on the road. All the audio visual noise from the car is just plain dangerous. I don't want my car to draw my attentio…

> if you want to connect, you have to make the magic work behind the screen. What if you don't want to connect? What if you just want to go somewhere? Why would a car be tasked with connecting?

People look at me like I've suddenly sprouted an extra head when I say this, but I don't want any screens in my car at all.

I don't even really want much of an instrument panel, because that's all distracting clutter and noise. I'm now of an age where I need reading glasses to see what the tiny 20x2 LCD screen it does have is saying, if it's not telling me what gear it's in and what the current odometer reading is - mostly today it's been lying about the gearbox overheating or the bonnet being open, such are the ways of 1990s cars - and if I've got my reading glasses on to see things inside the car clearly it means I cannot see things *outside* the car clearly, and the things outside the car are what I need to pay attention to.

So, no LCDs, please, I don't want any lit-up screens when I'm driving.

My car has a mechanical ignition switch that, when you put a key in and turn it, withdraws a big metal pin to unlock the steering and turns a small rotary switch. First click for the radio and other accessories, second click turns on the ignition, and the spring-loaded third click cranks over a beautifully simple engine that started life as a Mercury Marine inboard (and auxiliary engine, in larger vessels), and is still pretty much in production today in small quantities. Simple, and I like simple. No "keyless ignition" for crooks to relay and get the car started and drive off in it.

Nothing needs to connect to the outside world in it, and indeed its Atari ST-era computers would probably be baffled by it. It'd be like plonking a steam train engineer down in the cockpit of an A380, they wouldn't have a clue where to start.

I don't want a connected thing. I love driving. I don't want distractions. I write all my best code when I'm driving because there's no distractions. No-one is phoning me, I'm not doomscrolling Reddit or HN, there's no expectation except keep it oily side down and on the grey gravelly stuff, and out of the grassy stuff (well - at least until I get to the grassy stuff I actually *need* to drive on).

No screens for me please.

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