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Re:Stop Hiding My Controls: Hidden Interface Controls Are Af... by gaudystead on Saturday July 05, 2025 @09:21PM (#44476984)
One of the reasons I purchased a (newer but used Mazda) was because it still has buttons and knobs right next to the driver's right hand in the center console. I can operate parts of the car without even having to look.

(another reason was because it still has a geared transmission instead of a CVT, but that's a separate discussion)

Re:Stop Hiding My Controls: Hidden Interface Controls Are Af... by grugagag on Saturday July 05, 2025 @10:26PM (#44477318)
Look ma, I can change the air conditioning controls without looking moment.

A friend got a tesla on lease and it was quite cheap, 250/month. Been driven in that car a few times and was able to study the driver using the controls and it’s hideusly badly designed, driver has to take eyes off the road and deep dive in menus. Plus that slapped tablet in the middle is busy to look at, tiring and distacting. The 3d view of other cars/ pedestrians is a gimmick, or at least it looks like one to me. Does anyone actually like that? Perhaps im outdated or something but I wouldn’t consider such a bad UX in a car.

Re:Stop Hiding My Controls: Hidden Interface Controls Are Af... by jeroenhd on Sunday July 06, 2025 @07:30AM (#44479785)
The 3D view is a marketing gimmick and maybe something to show off to your passengers. You've for a massive screen, so you can't just leave it empty, the owners would realize it's a gimmick.

In practice many drivers seem to be dealing fine with the touch screen because they've stopped paying attention to the road, trusting their car to keep distance and pay attention for them. Plus, most of the touch screen controls aren't strictly necessary while driving, they mostly control luxury features that you could set up after pulling over.

Re:Stop Hiding My Controls: Hidden Interface Controls Are Af... by milkshakes on Sunday July 06, 2025 @07:54AM (#44479932)
luxury features like... the windshield wiper

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53666222

Re:Stop Hiding My Controls: Hidden Interface Controls Are Af... by bluGill on Saturday July 05, 2025 @10:07PM (#44477203)
My newer phev saves me a large pile of money ever month in gas. Not as much as payments, but closer than you would think.
Re:Stop Hiding My Controls: Hidden Interface Controls Are Af... by sokoloff on Sunday July 06, 2025 @08:36AM (#44480250)
At an average 14K miles per year and a guessed 25 mpg, that’s 560 gallons/year. At $4/gallon (guessed and well over the US average), that’s $2240/yr.

If you exclusively charged with completely free electricity and still managed to drive that 14K miles in a year, you’d save $187/mo.

If it moved you from 25mpg to 40mpge, it’d save you a little over $70/mo.

Our two cars are a BEV and a hybrid, so I’m no battery-hater, but neither is cheaper than a reasonable gas-only equivalent would be.

Re:Stop Hiding My Controls: Hidden Interface Controls Are Af... by bluGill on Sunday July 06, 2025 @01:24PM (#44482486)
that is a large pile of money saved there, but not as much as payments.

Still cars don't last forever - my pervious minivan needed a transmission rebuild so we can cut the cost of the replacement by 10000 since either way that money is spent and now the newer van is break even on payments and it should still work after it is paid off for a few years.