On the Mazda MX-5 2020 the touch screen only works when the car is not in motion. When in motion, you have to use their "Command Controller" knob that's near the shifter.

This is an annoying misfeature because it doesn’t allow the passenger to manipulate the touchscreen either. I hit this all the time. We get started with my wife driving and I want to input the address or browse to some music but NOPE you need to be fully stopped for even the passenger to do anything. Thoroughly stupid.

Every new car has a sensor in the passenger seat to turn on the passenger airbag when it's occupied. It would be no issue to also turn on the touchscreen.

This is how my 2016 CX-5 operates. The touchscreen aspect stops working above 5 mph. It does suck if you have a passenger co-pilot, as it's impossible to enter detailed nav directions without stopping. Thankfully Mazda offered an Android Auto/Apple Carplay upgrade after manufacture that allowed you to use better voice control then their built in solution. (Touch in Android Auto is entirely disabled even when the car is stopped)

That’s because the 6 is the old/current 6 with the old nav/infotainment whereas the CX-5 is new. Once the new generation mazda6 comes out I assume it’ll get updated to the new dash/infotainment.

As someone currently shopping for a new car, the current CX-5, the current MX-5 and the Mazda 6 come with a touchscreen setup.

*EDIT: Also all the VW models in the Golf and Passat Range come with a touchscreen, the low-end Fiats are the same, Mercedes is no different, even the low-end at Dacia comes with a touchscreen. If you can find a car manufacturer that does not think a touchscreen is the way to go, I'll be surprised.

\EDIT2: Since I looked at everything else in my neighborhood as well... Audi does a touchscreen center console for everything. You can get the Renault Twingo without any electronics but if you take the climate control you also get a touch screen. Honda and Hyundai will include a touch screen with everything as well. The only cars I got offered without a touchscreen center console is the Mitsubishi outlander and there it is only 1 model.

All new cars are mandated to have back-up cameras. This means they have to put a screen in the car for every new car. It probably doesn't add much to make it a touch screen... but the irony here is that we added backup cameras for safety, and now we've got a dangerous distraction piece on the car.

My mazda 3 has a touchscreen too - but its disabled while the car is moving. Every function is quite accessible from the physical controls, and they're in a good location, good tactile feedback and different sizes of buttons to knobs etc.

It is clearly designed away from "touchscreen", but if you are parked it functions fine with touch.

That's optional touch - which is ideal, best of both worlds but there is a BMW iDrive still controller between the passengers for the screen, you can see it later in the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=582&v=eIfP2vcZD7M&feature=yo...