BMW Blames Young People For Loss of Real Buttons In New Cars (caranddriver.com)
- Reference: 0185291560
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/08/30/067214/bmw-blames-young-people-for-loss-of-real-buttons-in-new-cars
- Source link: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a73513693/bmw-executive-interview-loss-of-buttons/
> Step into the BMW iX3, and you'll notice something is missing: real buttons. The climate controls are fettered to the center screen, as is nearly every other feature, save for a handful located in the center console — at least the window switches are still on the doors... But don't blame a desire for larger profit margins; BMW's move away from physical switchgear and toward touchscreen dependence is the fault of younger buyers, according to one executive. In [2]an interview with CarExpert , Vikram Pawah, the CEO of BMW Group Australia, said that young buyers prefer the newer controls... According to the executive, younger customers are less patient with their technology. "They want things done quickly, and they're multitasking," Pawah said. "And we have to keep that in mind. That's how customers are evolving. They are multitasking...."
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> Tesla has always forced functions to its center screen; newer players such as Rivian do the same. And in recent years, established brands like Mazda and Mercedes-Benz have moved more and more functions to touchscreens.
BMW's iX3 also includes a new safety feature — a side-radar that detects if a cyclist or vehicle is approaching, and delays the release of the electronic door lock " [3]until the danger passes ."
[1] https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a73513693/bmw-executive-interview-loss-of-buttons/
[2] https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/bmw-moving-away-from-traditional-switches-buttons-to-cater-to-younger-buyers
[3] https://www.bmwblog.com/2026/08/27/bmw-neue-klasse-active-safety-exit-warning-dooring/
Bullshit! (Score:2)
Real switches and buttons cost money and can by-pass subscription. Touch controls, on the other hand, can be controlled by the mothership.
Want to turn up the volume? That's $5 per month.
At least BMW could have done away with the turn signal stick, no real BMW driver uses it.
Re: Bullshit! (Score:2)
My neighbor once had to do a study for one of the luxury German car brands. They did not like the sound of the buttons and wanted to add a transducer to the dash to give it a bit more oomph. Money was not a concern there...
For a cheap brand, I get that they want to shave off something from the price. For BMW? Nope.
Bullshit detected (Score:2)
Just putting all the controls on the screen, which you're going to have anyway, is cheaper than going around and adding extra buttons. But saying you're cheap sounds bad.
Total BS (Score:3)
If people wanted to do things quickly, theyâ(TM)d want physical buttons that are always in the same place.
Sure a quick digital interface is better than a slow one, but it will never be more convenient or faster than physical switches or toggles.
I can adjust my AC temp, put it on full blast, toggle the defogger and put on my heated seat in under 2 seconds using physical, tactile buttons. In that time youâ(TM)ve barely turned your head toward the screen to have to look at. Because they will change the interface whenever they like using OTA updates.
Re: Total BS (Score:2)
And two people can use different controls for different things at the same time. Try scanning for a radio station while also adjusting the temperature control on one of these mobile oversized tablets. Using a screen for entertainment or rare information and diagnostics and such is one thing. Using it for absolutely everything absolutely sucks. I heard that VW was reversing some of this trend, and Subaru maybe as well. BTW, the huge controls for seatbelts and such in Saabs are for use with gloves in cold wea
Of course the reason is profit margin (Score:2)
It is so obvious, the reason is of course profit margin, simple as that. The screen is so much cheaper in parts and manufacturing than the switches and buttons so it's nothing but cost saving. When the cost of the screen is about the cost of 1-3 of the switches used, the economic argument is simple. Could have been fun to see the breakdown of cost with physical buttons and switches and their cable harness compared to the chap ass touch screen solution.
BMW wants spyware (Score:2)
> ... are less patient ...
They've got reversing cameras so they don't have to get out and look, they've got proximity alerts for when they turn into a wall/parked car, they've got a being-overtaken alert, they've got lane assistance for when they fiddle with the touch-screen, and they don't have a clutch demanding their attention. It's like there is nothing to do, of course they want to "multi-task". It's horrifying that a car-maker agrees with that lack of responsibility. I suspect it's more about moving the driver's "leisure" t
Bmw can go fuck themselves (Score:3)
Never buying another. To much arsehole shenanigans with them recently. And the spiderman ad was the finale.
Re: Bmw can go fuck themselves (Score:2)
Interesting point. For some reason various 'Gen alpha' type videos have appeared on my youtube and the absolute state of them is unbelievable. They cant read write provlem solve be without their phone there whole world perspective is totally warped in some kind of dystopian ipad dependency they need alexa or chatgpt and they constantly ask it what they should do. The folk passing degrees now just using llms is frightening. Now this is probably why we are getting those things you point out. Its connected
Modal interfaces (Score:2)
That statement is idiotic.
Touch screen interfaces tend to be modal dialogs: one dialog at a time.
If the controls instead are available all the time (in the physical world), then it becomes easier to multitask.
Re: (Score:2)
"Hi, BYD, set the temperature to 21 degrees."
"Hi, BYD, turn off the air conditioning."
"Hi, BYD, volume down/up."
"Hi, BYD, next song."
Saw this on an Atto3, and it worked surprisingly well. Not perfect, but just about all the controls you might need to adjust while driving that are not on the wheel or stalks are covered. I also prefer physical controls that I can operate through muscle memory for everything, but voice control seems like a good move to address the obvious safety concern that moving to
Well, this old fart wants buttons -ordered ID.Polo (Score:2)
In other news, VAG group (VW, Seat, Cupra, Skoda, Audi) seems to be going into completely different direction. I placed my order for ID.Polo the moment the orders opened back at the end of April.
And others seem to agree - the MEB Entry family (Cupra Raval / ID.Polo for hatchback and ID.Cross/Skoda Epiq) have already 80000+ orders in a few months - many for people who have not even been able to test drive the car.
Reviewers seem to agree, and when I look at the car I'm absolutely certain I'm going to enjoy it
Nobody is multitasking (Score:3)
That's an excuse for not paying attention. We've trained young people on touch screens. Obviously they prefer what they know. Like all young people ever they think the rules don't apply to them, so what is important to them, pixels on screens, takes precedence over actually DRIVING THE FUCKING CAR in traffic with OTHER PEOPLE, not NPCs.
"They want things done quickly" (Score:2)
Seriously? So which is faster: pressing a physical switch, or navigating through X menus on a touchscreen?
It's not just touchscreens, though. Our EV has the climate control functions on touch-sensitive "switches". Not part of the display, but nearly as bad, because there is zero tactile feedback. They are just part of a smooth panel, so you still have to look down to find the one you want.
Re: (Score:2)
I got in a car with a friend 2 days ago. It was his wife's car and the 2 of us couldn't even figure out how to turn the radio off with the idiotic screen. And the funny part is that a few weeks previous he hosted a few students from Munich (home of BMW) in his own car and they were so surprised to see a car with buttons that they took selfies in front of them !!!
heebee jeebees (Score:2)
The last thing auto manufacturers should be doing is enabling "multitasking" while behind the wheel.
Mmmm, yes... (Score:2)
Everyone knows that when you're driving, the best thing is to have to stop paying attention to the road so you can fuck with a touchscreen if you want to change the AC or the radio or eventually put a window up.
S. M. F. H.
We listen to kids now? (Score:2)
I thought adults, who know better, should design cars. Is BMW run by children?
So, BMW... (Score:2)
What explains the fact that BMWs are exclusively driven by ignorant cunts who are oblivious to their surroundings and a danger to other road users ?
Still on the doors? (Score:2)
"at least the window switches are still on the doors"
At least the E36 M3 coupe has the window controls on the center console. And maybe because the windows have no frames, the doors contain electric motors that unseal the windows when one opens a door and seal them when one closes a door. This is a bit of a problem when one of these motors fails or when the battery is dead or disconnected. Consumers have known for a long time that too much technology in a car is a bad thing. We can't blame everything sol