Mazda is purging touchscreens from its vehicles

Re:Mazda is purging touchscreens from its vehicles by sundvor on Monday June 17, 2019 @08:57AM (#20202415)

Nice! Honda have always put some great effort into their designs. I had an Accord Euro Luxury '05 some 14 years ago, and it was such a pleasure to drive around. Still regret selling it. It was the first semi affordable car on the Australian market to offer stability control and full set of airbags (as long as you got the luxury model).

I'd love to read that article you proposed. As much as I'd love a Tesla, my last #2 car (now sold) was a '14 Mazda 3 Astina and the rotary knob just worked so well - and so did the buttons, not to mention that simple heads up display, that I felt this is better than what the expensive cars are getting.

I have an eye for the new Civic Type R; it looks like the engineers had a field day designing that. For now, just riding a bike as health for this ageing office chair worker had to take priority.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mazda is purging touchscreens from its vehicles by mikelward on Monday June 17, 2019 @09:47AM (#20202867)

Not in the CR-V they didn't. The entertainment system is an underpowered Android tablet.

Lots of questionable decisions like the keyless lock system not locking if the tailgate was closing as you walk away, there being no way to turn the car off but leave the radio or AC on, and the engine cutting out as you try to drive off if you started it via remote start.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mazda is purging touchscreens from its vehicles by RankingMember on Monday June 17, 2019 @11:17AM (#20203792)

Your "no way to turn the car off but leave the radio or AC on" complaint doesn't make sense to me, as the AC compressor is powered by the engine's accessory drive belt, which won't turn if the engine's off.

Otherwise, those sound like fair complaints. I'd add that Honda tried to go to a touch-based volume control in 2015/2016 and it was universally panned for its poor responsiveness and requirement that users take their eyes off the road to adjust radio volume. Can't win'em all I guess.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mazda is purging touchscreens from its vehicles by mikelward on Monday June 17, 2019 @12:32PM (#20204635)

Yeah, I wasn't sure about the AC. My actual use case is it leave music playing over Bluetooth or Android Auto.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mazda is purging touchscreens from its vehicles by mikelward on Monday June 17, 2019 @12:34PM (#20204651)

The volume control is fairly good in the 2018 model. There's a dial on the head unit, and a strange-but-fairly-effective touch sensitive volume control on the steering wheel.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mazda is purging touchscreens from its vehicles by mikelward on Monday June 17, 2019 @06:46PM (#20208080)

I imagine the fan could still work?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Mazda is purging touchscreens from its vehicles by RankingMember on Tuesday June 18, 2019 @12:43PM (#20215005)

Yep, the fan will work, but you won't get cold air.

[ Parent | on HN ]