Not only are we heading to an age of EVs, but many cars are replacing their physical buttons with LED screens for all functions of the vehicle.

Not to sound too old school, stodgy, or curmudgeon, but buttons certainly have their place in your vehicle. It wasn’t that long ago that adding a few buttons to the steering wheel made our lives much better. Now, we’re seeing many automakers delete the buttons you need for simple tasks, only to hide these functions in the vast array of menus on the infotainment screen.

Studies Prove that Buttons are Faster

Regardless of your preference, studies show that using buttons takes a lot less time than working the functions on a touchscreen. Vehicles that offer both screens and buttons for the same controls have been tested in Sweden. The results of the test show us that a specified series of four tasks could be done in ten seconds using buttons or 45 seconds using screens. This information shared by Car and Driver makes for an interesting conversation, especially since some cars will no longer have buttons for redundant controls.

How Was the Test Performed?

The test performed by the Swedish automotive magazine Vi Bilagare was extremely specific and fair to all vehicles. The reviewers performing the functions in the cars had four common tasks to complete and had time to familiarize themselves with the cars and how each function was found and activated. The four tasks required were:

• Turn on the heated seat, increase the temperature by two degrees, and start the defogger
• Turn on the road and tune it to a specific station
• Reset the trip computer
• Turn on the instrument lights to their lowest setting and turn off the center display

Were the Cars Used Offering the Latest Tech

If you’re wondering if the team tested models with the most advanced infotainment systems, they did. The comparison of buttons vs. LED screens included some of the screen-heavy models in the market, such as the Tesla Model 3 and the BMW iX. They did bring in a 2005 Volvo V70 to see how the testers found and performed the tasks in a vehicle from several years ago. This gave them some interesting results and the conclusions that were unbiased when the testing was completed.

Were Testers Driving During the Tests?

Yes, they were. We know that while driving, many tasks are performed; sometimes, the tasks required in this test must be completed while continuing down the road. The reviewers drove at 68 mph and performed the functions required. The drivers of the 2005 Volvo completed the functions in only 10 seconds using the buttons, while drivers in newer vehicles took much longer. The worst time was the MG Marvel R which was the car that took 45 seconds to complete the four tasks. The BMW iX required a little more than 30 seconds for the driver to finish the four tasks requested.

Infotainment Design Can be a Huge Issue

The lack of physical buttons in new cars might not be a problem if the presentation on the LED screens was better. Some automakers are making these screens too complicated and nearly hiding the simple tasks in favor of showcasing functions that drivers might use very often. Some automakers that still include buttons have done away with the backlights for them, which makes it hard to find the right button to use at night. This could be a problem for drivers that need to change a setting and can’t see the right button.

If Buttons Aren’t Available, You Have No Choice

Sure, if all automakers delete all of the buttons used in vehicles and only offer controls on LED screens, we don’t have much choice in the matter. The trouble with doing this is partially the time it takes to find the right control on a screen and mostly the challenge of the time spend with the driver’s attention on the screen and not on the road. This is an alarming problem. Could you imagine driving for 45 seconds with your eyes, not on the road? Would you still be on the road, or would you end up in a ditch?

But It Offers a Clean Look

Blame Tesla or blame another one of the EV automakers that’s relatively new. The clean look of a dashboard with no buttons and only a large screen in the middle have become popular in the auto market. In fact, many of the new electric vehicles turn to this setup because of the futuristic and minimalistic appearance it gives these cars. Does it make sense to offer style over function? Could it be that controlling everything in a car from a screen isn’t a good idea after all?

Should Automakers Take a Step Back?

Some vehicles have taken a step backward and continue to offer the redundant controls of physical buttons. Others bring more controls to the steering wheel, which is good, but mostly this area has been reserved for audio and driving settings, which leaves out the climate and lighting needs. Even though it’s a little more expensive, having actual buttons to use makes things faster and much easier in our cars.

Touchscreens Can be the Distraction We Don’t Need

Here comes the curmudgeon! If we don’t have touchscreens in our vehicles, all controls are handled by physical buttons. These LED screens bring technology to our vehicles, but if you’re fumbling around with the icons and menus of the infotainment system while trying to drive, you’re distracted. There’s no way that LED screens will be replaced by buttons because we’re already going toward screens and away from buttons and knobs, but we could use more buttons in our vehicles.

One final thought; we’re entering a world where an entire generation of drivers will grow up only using these LED screens and not have buttons for the common controls we all take for granted. Will these drivers get through the controls faster, or will automakers find ways to create simpler screens for the regular functions we need in a car?