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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

#431

Post by mrweasel »

phatfish wrote: post #303
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…

But VW are bringing them back? The ID.Polo (seems like they dropped the Playstation style incrementing number for the old brand names) is the first of their new electric range with physical buttons for windows, climate, etc. Basically the door and centre console have them back. Along with a touchscreen of course.

The VW ID.4 also seems like a gaming console. The steering wheel is full of capacitive buttons, you never know what you might accidentally activate or adjust.

If you just want to drive it's a really nice car, but the overuse of capacitive buttons on the steering wheel and key fob really lets the rest of the car down. The key fob is easily worse than that of a 2012 Renault.

Assuming that VW is returning to buttons, I can assure you that it was not for the 2025 models.

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#432

Post by aembleton »

ssl-3 wrote: post #396
aembleton wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Somehow, the Dacia Sandero has physical controls for climate control and physical buttons on the steering wheel. It manages to do that whilst being one of the cheapest cars you can buy.

Having fewer functions means fewer controls are required. Fewer controls means fewer buttons. KISS tends to promote this. If it's the choice between $50 worth of buttons and $100 worth of touchscreen, then $50 worth of buttons wins on cheapness. And at that end of the market, it works (and it makes sense that it works). --- But at the other end of the market: Common luxury cars have lots of features, and KISS isn't r…

The dacia sandero has the buttons AND the touchscreen.

https://www.topgear.com/sites/default/files/cars-car/carouse...

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#434

Post by butlike »

Saline9515 wrote: post #405
_the_inflator wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Despite China, IT development is a complete disaster in Germany. All car so called German car manufacturers UX/UI is horrible to say the least. Dieter Rams is the only UX/UI designer, who became famous - outside of Germany. Hartmut Esslinger kind of popularized DR, what an irony, that two Germans made history, but of course not in Germany and even in Germany DR wasn't well known. Braun was a brand and statement, but…

Your comment reminds me of the hostile, to say the least, Munich U-Bahn map: https://drmory.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/TARIFPLAN_Inne... I remember seeing it back then in the subway, looking for directions and feeling really confused about it. "Damn why didn't I get a transportation systems PhD before coming to Germany!"

Hostile is the PERFECT way to describe that map. You got me chucking this AM.

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#435

Post by topdownijk »

Animats wrote: post #362

But do you have to look at the display to tell what the buttons and knobs are doing. If you have, say, a HVAC fan speed knob with mechanical stops at the low and high end, and a detent, you never have to look at it. If you have an increase/decrease switch, you may need to look at the display to find out what you're doing. In a car, this means head-down time, eyes off the road. I have a Black and Decker branded humidi…

You did buy it though

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#436

Post by a96 »

grassfedgeek wrote: post #80
fasteddie31003 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tesla does a great job not having buttons. I think the real issue is that other car companies have bad interfaces that make physical buttons necessary. Tesla just has a great UI that does not need physical buttons.

Even a great UI requires you to take eyes off the road.

Not when the great UI is a button or switch that's where you know it is and does one thing only. Can even argue that a HUD doesn't require eyes off the road at all, but regular dash instruments are readable at a short glance.

Having to aim at controls on a smooth surface, let alone menu diving and things moving around, being hidden or otherwise depending on state is the problem.

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#437

Post by a96 »

Bluestrike2 wrote: post #10

I for one am quite happy that Mercedes is committed to a physical button for hazard lights, parking assist overrides, and the other controls that are used so very...rarely. Perhaps they'll do something about the less commonly used buttons like climate control for the next model redesigns in five to seven years. I really struggle to understand what's so damned difficult about this. They've admitted touchscreens annoy…

> Mercedes is committed

They are not.

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#438

Post by ssl-3 »

jcgrillo wrote: post #408
ssl-3 wrote: post #396

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having fewer functions means fewer controls are required. Fewer controls means fewer buttons. KISS tends to promote this. If it's the choice between $50 worth of buttons and $100 worth of touchscreen, then $50 worth of buttons wins on cheapness. And at that end of the market, it works (and it makes sense that it works). --- But at the other end of the market: Common luxury cars have lots of features, and KISS isn't r…

> But at the other end of the market: Common luxury cars have lots of features, and KISS isn't really one of the design goals (if a customer wanted cheap and simple instead, perhaps they'd be shopping for a Dacia instead). It wasn't always like this. Mercedes-Benz used to make high quality, straightforward automobiles without all the inspector gadget james bond crap. See e.g. W123, W124, W126. Luxury meant high build…

Even a W123 can be complex compared to something like a spartan 1979 Dodge Aspen.

Electric power windows, vacuum-operated power locks, telescopic steering column, power-adjustable mirrors, a radio that does AM and FM...

Fancy stuff seemed pretty common on those (awesome, stout) German luxury cars.

The more I think about it and read comments here, the less sure I am that the gilded age of simple, reliable cars has ever actually existed. :)

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#439

Post by GenerWork »

Saline9515 wrote: post #405
_the_inflator wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Despite China, IT development is a complete disaster in Germany. All car so called German car manufacturers UX/UI is horrible to say the least. Dieter Rams is the only UX/UI designer, who became famous - outside of Germany. Hartmut Esslinger kind of popularized DR, what an irony, that two Germans made history, but of course not in Germany and even in Germany DR wasn't well known. Braun was a brand and statement, but…

Your comment reminds me of the hostile, to say the least, Munich U-Bahn map: https://drmory.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/TARIFPLAN_Inne... I remember seeing it back then in the subway, looking for directions and feeling really confused about it. "Damn why didn't I get a transportation systems PhD before coming to Germany!"

The concentric rings remind me of atomic bomb destruction maps where they have different rings for different damage levels.

Re: Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons

#440

Post by docjay »

ErroneousBosh wrote: post #281
userbinator wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chasing very tiny fuel (or battery) efficiency gains.

Apparently some engines now have a solenoid-operated shroud that pops up to surround the water pump impeller, so if the coolant is still warming up it doesn't circulate. This is supposed to reduce the parasitic load on the engine from the ancillaries. I can't help but think that the water pump must require about 3 brake gerbil power to turn, and the weight of the solenoid, plunger, spring, shroud, and extra cabling -…

I agree with everything you said, but I believe the pump shroud is for faster engine warmup, not saving a fraction of a horsepower. Cold engines run rich, producing more hydrocarbon emissions, and the cold startup phase emissions are heavily penalized. There’s also additional wear on the engine due to cold oil and looser tolerances, which affects nearly every aspect of the engine.
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