Test shows how rubbish car touchscreens are compared to buttons

Swedish car publication Vi Bilägare recently performed a test which showed that physical dashboard buttons in cars were much easier and faster to use than touchscreens.

The publication had drivers perform four tasks — including changing the radio station and adjusting climate control — in 11 different cars while driving at 110km/h.

The distance they travelled before completing the tasks would also factor into how well they performed during the test, with shorter being better.

Importantly, the drivers were allowed to familiarise themselves with the vehicles’ functions before the test began.

The models included ten modern cars with varying levels of touch capability and a 2005 Volvo V70, which had only physical buttons, dials, and switches.

“The easiest car to understand and operate, by a large margin, is the 2005 Volvo V70,” the publication said.

“The four tasks are handled within 10 seconds flat, during which the car is driven 306 meters at 110 km/h,” the publication said.

The car that performed worst was the Chinese MG Marvel R, an electric vehicle that also happened to have the largest touch screen.

It took the driver 44.6 seconds to complete the tasks in this car, by which time they had driven over 1.3km, more than four times the distance of the old Volvo.

MG Marvel R interior

Navigating the features in the BMW iX EV, which is sold in South Africa, was also challenging.

The tasks took more than 30 seconds and almost a kilometre to complete in this model.

The publication said despite the iX offering more physical buttons than the Tesla, its infotainment system had one of the “most complex and complicated user interfaces ever designed”.

The Dacia Sandero, known as the Renault Sandero in South Africa, and Volvo C40 performed much better despite having touch screens.

But the publication pointed out that this was likely because they were not overloaded with features.

Worries over safety

Modern cars are increasingly dumping physical buttons and dials and switching them out with touch-operated modules.

Although it can make for a cleaner, more luxurious look, many car reviewers have questioned the practicality and raised concerns over their impact on safety, with users having to take their eyes off the road for longer to work the screens.

The Tesla Model 3, for example, even operates its windshield wipers through a touchscreen.

The table and image below show the results of the test performed by Vi Bilägare.