Mazda Finally Admits Its Infotainment System Is the Worst (thedrive.com)
- Reference: 0180810832
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/02/17/1528202/mazda-finally-admits-its-infotainment-system-is-the-worst
- Source link: https://www.thedrive.com/news/mazda-finally-admits-its-infotainment-system-is-the-worst
The current lineup -- the CX-50 Hybrid, CX-70 and CX-90 -- still relies on a console-mounted scroll wheel and dedicated action buttons to navigate a tablet-like screen perched atop the dashboard. Upper-trim CX-70 and CX-90 models do have 12.3-inch touchscreens, but touch input only works when parked and only inside CarPlay; it disables automatically once the car is in drive.
The new CX-5 goes the other direction entirely, eliminating all hard buttons including the volume knob and physical climate controls that current models still offer. Mazda says the touchscreen is safe because core functions like climate are pinned to a persistent bottom bar -- an approach Ford, Rivian, and most of the industry adopted years ago.
[1] https://www.thedrive.com/news/mazda-finally-admits-its-infotainment-system-is-the-worst
Just leave a blank 2 DIN opening in the dash (Score:3, Insightful)
And then I can install whatever I want.
I like (Score:1)
Not putting fingerprints all over my infotainment screen. I like wheel toggle. You can change songs on the steering wheel and select the main functions without taking your eyes off the road.. vroom vroom mazdafkrs
Just give me buttons (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't want a touch screen, I want buttons. Buttons for my hvac, buttons for preset stations, buttons for my heated seats, buttons for my everything.
Then give me voice controls.
I have never touched the touch screen on my BMW. I either use voice controls, buttons on the wheel, or the physical buttons and nobs provided. Who wants to clean a greasy screen?
Re: (Score:2)
You forgot the obligatory "Get Off My Lawn!" .. so here it is.
And yes, BUTTONS and DIALS are best for drivers.
The alternative is voice and steering wheel controls, but I don't like either as much as dials and actual buttons.
"Progress!!!!"
Re: (Score:1)
I remember it took BMW a lot of development efforts to get the i-drive system right. Early model years were not good. But now they work really nicely.
Mazda tried to do the same thing on the cheap, had much worse results, and then decide that doubling down on the digital shit is the way to go apparently.
Unless they reverse this bad decision, I don't see Mazda existing much longer.
Re: (Score:2)
Buttons are best for core vehicle functions, but touch screens are better for music/nav.
BMW voice control is very good (Score:2)
Mazdas isn't. I've driven recent models of both makes and the mazda voice control is next to useless - unless you speak slowly and carefully one of a limited set of phrases it understands (preferably while the car is stationary as noise kills the system dead) which means you have to memorise them, then you'll get nowhere. BMW meanwhile is a lot more freeform and usually gets it correct.
I like it (Score:2)
I personally prefer my Mazdaâ(TM)s system to the full 12 inch touch screen in my other vehicle.
lots of cars have alternate input (Score:2)
The new rivian has really cool steering wheel input devices that do good things. Mazda wasn't wrong, they just did it wrong.
just bought at 2025 cx-50 (Score:1)
i have a knob on the console and some options to scroll through. i haven't fully utilized the features yet. what part are people saying sucks again?
Re: (Score:2)
> i have a knob on the console and some options to scroll through. i haven't fully utilized the features yet. what part are people saying sucks again?
My BMW has the same scroll wheel setup and I'll take it over a touch screen any day. Fortunately I also still have physical controls for all the important things, otherwise neither would be an acceptable alternative.
Re: (Score:2)
If you use CarPlay, the default settings won't let you touch the screen to do anything, so you have to bounce around the UI with the scroll wheel, and with the latest CarPlay the active item is gray, and the inactive items are green. I don't know who signed off on that, but they should be fired.
You can [1]enable [mazdausa.com] the touchscreen while the vehicle is in motion.
[1] https://www.mazdausa.com/static/manuals/mazdaconnect/contents/32020700.html
Safer... Sure, sure... (Score:2)
Because a touchscreen and no buttons will definitely make it safer. Looks like they're only just getting familiar with the idea of touchscreens while their competitors are 10 years ahead having already done the homework on touchscreens and many of them reverting back to physical buttons for actual safety.
press to burst into flames and through guardrail (Score:2)
The UI is terrible, but it's because it had too few buttons, not too many. You cannot easily, for instance, channel-surf through FM radio. And even once you finally figure out the horrible menus you need to navigate to get a screen where you can channel-surf through FM radio with considerable difficulty (while parked somewhere, if you value your life!), you can't use the display for anything else while you're doing it, and you have to be very careful not to make any wrong moves lest you end up somewhere e
Mazda has its finger on the pulse (Score:3)
Right as other manufacturers realize physical buttons are good actually and are changing back:
[1]https://www.businessinsider.co... [businessinsider.com]
[2]https://www.autoblog.com/news/... [autoblog.com]
[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/evs-touchscreen-buttons-coming-back-tesla-2026-2
[2] https://www.autoblog.com/news/europe-and-china-now-require-physical-buttons-in-cars-will-the-us-follow
I don't think this is a safety thing (Score:1)
A button-less design allows the whole product line to use one infotainment unit. Year on year improvements are software only. Features can vary by model without needing different hardware. I think this is all a manufacturing cost thing.
I have never heard someone ask for a touch screen replacement for physical buttons. They don't work with all gloves. They don't work well when dirty. They require much more time with your eyes off the road. There is no customer benefit to this, only manufacturing cost.
this is a bummer (Score:2)
i really like the current interface. it's intuitive, well designed, and not distracting.
Mazda was correct (Score:4, Informative)
Only tactile feedback has any hope of keeping your eyes on the road while using the dash.
It's not as convenient for a dynamic interface... but as a driver your job is to keep the car, its occupants, and the world around it safe, not to choose the next song you want to hear.
Push-button activated voice command is a nice alternative.
Re:Mazda was correct (Score:5, Insightful)
Hear me out.
Our infotainment is the worst. Everybody says so.
But what if it could be even worser ?
Re: (Score:2)
This is why things like climate control being physical controls makes sense, you can reach over without looking and turn the dial to increase/decrease temperature without looking. For audio, I use voice control or on steering wheel for almost everything, or save changes to pre-sets for when I am out of traffic.
Re: (Score:1)
I once had a Mazda crossover as a rental car. I only made that mistake once.
It's crazy how in every other car I had no problem doing something like changing a radio station while driving and not diverting attention from the road. But it was nigh impossible in the Mazda. I swear those cars were purposely built to enrage me. Never have I hated a car so much, for that and other reasons.
Re: (Score:2)
Have you actually used their infotainment? It is not good at making sure you keep your eyes on the road.
Voice is slow and often doesn't work (Score:2)
"Hey mazda" (or whatever) "turn the temporature up to 20 centigrade on the drivers side"
[boop]
"Hey mazda, temperature up"
[boop]
"F*&&^^&^ sake turn the %$%$£ temp up!"
[pause]
"Would you like to navigate to ... Tempup?"
The mazda dial works well, their voice control however sucks rocks and then some, it truly is abysmal, so unless they've improved it in the new CX5 then there are going to be lots of unhappy drivers.