Automakers are starting to admit that drivers hate touchscreens. Buttons are back!

[Runs_4_beer]

Haha, yep. I use Google assistant at home, but I don't feel any desire to log into Amazon in my truck.

I'm the same way, I figure Google already knows everything about me, I don't need to share that with Amazon too. Although I'm sure they have a pretty good amount of data on me even with Alexa.

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[CrazyOne]

With Rivian, my annoyances are lack of proper dedicated controls for headlights, wiper, gear selection, lock button on door and climate. It's cost cutting in overdrive.

 

[itselectric]

Please, no. Let the blackberry die for goodness sake.

 

[s4wrxttcs]

I wish new automakers like Tesla, Rivian, etc would focus on AI assistance.

The car should be able to predict when I'm going to work, and it should tell me how long its going to take me to get there. It should also tell me an alternative route if road construction or an accident screwed up the way. Tesla goes part of the way where it simply turns on the navigation to work, but it completely ignores the drivers own way to get to work.

The car should also know that when its cold out that I always turn on the heated steering wheel. There also shouldn't be a single setting for the heated steering wheel. Instead there should be a calibration period at the beginning of any new driver profile where the car figured out the users preference. Maybe after a drive it can query me on various elements.

The car should also know when I've entered a parking lot, and to turn on the 360 degree view.

Most of the buttons I hit in my Rivian are because the car is too stupid to figure out the most obvious of things. Even my Jeep knows if its 30F that I likely want the heated steering wheel.

I'm not one of those "all driver input is error" kind of people, but cars could be so much better at predicting the totally predictable. If the window is all fogged up then its pretty obvious what to do.

I think the Rivian would be served really well with some added Intelligence because the UI/UX isn't that great.

It has a mechanical control for wipers, but its terrible. With a good design you should be able to almost immediately select the wiper level you want. With the Rivian it takes a bit to click through to the setting you want.

The heated steering wheel control is terrible because you have to click two touch screen buttons.

The camera view control is also terrible as sometimes its present and sometimes its not. They should have just locked it into a single location. You never want to have to hunt for a button.

 

[Zoidz]

The vent automation in the Rivian is great example of one of my favorite sayings at work - just because you CAN automate something does not mean you SHOULD.

 

[GHuff]

You say that, but I'm finding it quicker to use Alexa to change fan speed than to look down and find the climate overlay and hit the fan speed buttons. You can do that, turn on/off the seat/wheel heat, change temperature, etc.

Oh, I agree that with ZERO physical buttons, Alexa has it's use. But, a simple button would still be best. My Alexa is so finnicky. Half of the time, she doesn't understand my commands, doesn't have signal, makes me repeat the command, or does the wrong command.

 

[electruck]

The vent automation in the Rivian is great example of one of my favorite sayings at work - just because you CAN automate something does not mean you SHOULD.

And the introduction of servos to control the vents was definitely not done as a cost saving measure. This is one area I wish they had chosen to pinch pennies.

 

[NY_Rob]

The whole motorized vent thing is just 'keeping up with the Tesla's' IMO. 100% didn't need to be implemented. It would be less dreadful if Rivian's HVAC system worked correctly (you know... it's 45deg outside and 454deg in the cab and you set the heat to 70deg and it starts blowing A/C chilled air ), but with the HVAC wonky operation.. it's a constant balancing act to keep the airflow and temps at comfortable levels... .which means constant fiddling w/the touch screen controls when you're driving.

 

[zefram47]

which means constant fiddling w/the touch screen controls when you're driving.

Wonder if they have changed something already then. I've been leaving mine on 72F and the only thing I really mess around with is turning off temperature control if it's warm out and just doing fan-only. Oh well, supposedly a soon to come update is supposed to minimize the cold air when warm air is desired issues.

 

[SDH]

American roadway deaths surged during the pandemic and have barely receded since

That's probably because people just drive like idiots and a 16yr old gets a license driving an automatic round the block a few times.

I've said it here before, where I live, folks drive like idiots with zero road awareness. I see people talking into phones or texting all the time. Not a week goes by when someone on the 101 hasn't rear-ended someone else. I don't think it's because of touch screens in cars but that certainly doesn't help.

 

[dleewla]

i generally agree with the sentiment that some vehicles rely too much on touchscreens, like Tesla. they might position it as being more advanced but i think they did it really to save cost. thats pretty much the main reason i think Tesla makes a lot of design decisions - even if it sacrifices usability and safety.

Rivian is very close to that design ethos but think they are more reasonable and customer centric and glad they kept some of the buttons. i think one of the issues here with Rivian is they probably baselined Tesla too much. they probably put in the screen controlled vents because Tesla does it.

i think the climate controls are a pain being on the touchscreen. sure you can set temperature and position of the fan before you set off but are going to stop the vehicle to adjust it? of course not, youre going to reach over to adjust it, hence the potential issue. and as far as i know temperature changes throughout the day so why would you set it and leave it exactly as is? i change the climate controls multiple times a day, pretty much every time im in the vehicle. maybe some folks dont but that aint me.

is it a deal breaker for me? no way, i love the truck but it is a pain sometimes.

 

[Better Late than Never]

This article makes me so happy. My wife has a tesla and, as a passenger, I constantly piss her off trying to adjust the temperature which eats the whole screen and obscures whatever she was doing - following navigation, changing the music, whatever. I hate it. And I can easily turn on the front HVAC but the back requires a whole screen.

I can understand where Tesla is going because they're trying to create a world where cars drive themselves so you're going to be watching a giant screen while being driven everywhere. That makes sense. But until it's a reality, everyone else doesn't need to follow and can build a car like the etron or the EV9. All of the aspects of the Rivian that give me hesitation to receive my delivery are addressed in the EV9 and the dedicated temp control buttons are far and away #1.

#2 - skylight shades
#3 - 800v charging
#4 - captains chars in second row

 

[lefkonj]

Honestly I don't understand the challenge here at all. I rarely touch the HVAC other than to hit defoggers. Audio is controlled by the steering wheel buttons. Then again I don't get the craze about avocados, think they are gross.

 

[NY_Rob]

Honestly I don't understand the challenge here at all. I rarely touch the HVAC other than to hit defoggers. Audi is controlled by the steering wheel buttons.

Wait till you get your Rivian.....

 

[lefkonj]

Wait till you get your Rivian.....

Already have my R1S..... had touchscreens in my A7 prior and in our I4, who needs buttons.

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