Infotainment Screens Are Getting Too Big: The Case for Physical Buttons

Modern car interiors look more like home electronics stores than vehicles. While giant touchscreens initially felt futuristic, drivers are growing tired of tapping through submenus just to adjust the air conditioning or turn on seat heaters. The consumer backlash against massive infotainment displays is real, and automakers are finally starting to listen.

The Rise of the Automotive Megascreen

The shift toward massive screens started a little over a decade ago. Tesla pioneered the trend in 2012 when the Model S debuted with a massive 17-inch vertical center display. It was a novel concept that made the cabin look incredibly clean. Other automakers quickly followed suit to avoid looking outdated.

Today, screen sizes have reached staggering proportions. Ford placed a 15.5-inch vertical tablet in the Mustang Mach-E. BMW introduced the Curved Display, a massive panel stretching across the dashboard. Mercedes-Benz took the concept to the extreme with the EQS, featuring the 56-inch Hyperscreen that spans the entire width of the front cabin.

Automakers marketed these massive screens as premium upgrades. However, burying basic functions inside software menus created a brand new set of problems for the people actually driving the cars.

The Hidden Motivation: Cost Savings

Car companies often claim that gigantic screens give consumers the high-tech experience they want. In reality, replacing physical buttons with touchscreens saves automakers a massive amount of money.

Designing, tooling, and manufacturing high-quality physical switches is expensive. A traditional dashboard requires dozens of individual buttons, knobs, dials, and the wiring harnesses to connect them all. Consolidating all those controls into a single piece of glass drastically simplifies the supply chain. If a button breaks, replacing a plastic switch is cheap for the consumer. If the automaker wants to add a new feature, they can simply send an over-the-air software update to the screen rather than redesigning the entire dashboard.

While this saves millions in production costs, the savings rarely translate to a better driving experience.

The Safety Argument Against Touchscreens

The primary issue with touchscreens in cars is the complete lack of tactile feedback. You cannot feel a flat piece of glass.

When you drive a car with physical climate control knobs, muscle memory takes over. You can reach down, feel the dial, click it three times to the left to lower the temperature, and never take your eyes off the highway. Touchscreens require visual confirmation. You have to look at the screen to find the digital button, aim your finger while the car bounces over potholes, and verify that the system registered your tap.

Safety organizations are sounding the alarm with hard data. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that some infotainment systems take a driver’s eyes off the road for up to 40 seconds to complete basic navigation tasks. At 50 miles per hour, a car travels the length of a football field in just a few seconds.

A famous 2022 test by the Swedish automotive magazine Vi Bilägare proved how distracting screens have become. The magazine asked drivers to perform four simple tasks, including changing the radio station and adjusting the climate control. They compared a 2005 Volvo V70 (featuring physical buttons) against modern screen-heavy cars like the MG Marvel R and BMW iX.

The results were striking. The driver in the 2005 Volvo completed all tasks in just 10 seconds. The driver in the MG Marvel R took 44 seconds to complete the exact same tasks, driving over 1,300 meters completely blind to the road ahead.

Regulatory Pushback: Euro NCAP Steps In

The safety concerns have caught the attention of major regulators. Euro NCAP, the independent organization that evaluates vehicle safety in Europe, announced a major change to its testing criteria.

Starting in 2026, vehicles will not be able to achieve a maximum five-star safety rating unless they feature physical controls for essential driving functions. Specifically, automakers must provide physical buttons or stalks for turn signals, hazard lights, windshield wipers, the SOS horn, and basic infotainment controls. This ruling directly targets vehicles like the updated Tesla Model 3, which recently removed the turn signal stalk in favor of capacitive buttons on the steering wheel.

Automakers Are Reversing Course

Consumer frustration and safety data are finally forcing automakers to admit their mistakes. Several major brands are actively bringing back physical controls.

Volkswagen is the most notable example. The company faced harsh criticism for the touch-heavy interiors of the Mk8 Golf and the electric ID.4 crossover. Customers specifically hated the unlit touch sliders for temperature and volume, along with the capacitive touch buttons on the steering wheel that drivers accidentally pressed while turning. Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer publicly acknowledged the frustration, stating that the touch-heavy approach did a lot of damage to the brand. In response, the updated 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI features a return to physical steering wheel buttons and improved physical dashboard controls.

Hyundai is also drawing a firm line in the sand. SangYup Lee, the head of Hyundai design, recently stated that the company will keep physical buttons in its cars as long as possible. The recently updated Hyundai Tucson and Ioniq 5 retain prominent physical dials for volume, tuning, and climate control.

Even luxury brands are backing away from the all-screen approach. Aston Martin deliberately designed the interior of the new DB12 sports car to feature physical switches for the exhaust settings, suspension, and climate control.

Finding the Perfect Balance

Touchscreens are not going away completely. Drivers still need large, clear displays to view navigation maps, backup cameras, and phone integration interfaces like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

The ideal solution is a hybrid approach. Brands like Honda have found a highly praised balance in the current generation Civic and Accord. These cars feature a prominent 9-inch touchscreen at eye level for maps and media, combined with three large, satisfying physical dials directly below the screen for temperature and fan speed.

Drivers want technology, but they do not want an iPad bolted to the dashboard at the expense of basic usability. The return of the physical button proves that when it comes to operating a 4,000-pound machine at highway speeds, a simple plastic knob is still the best tool for the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did car manufacturers replace buttons with touchscreens? Automakers switched to massive touchscreens primarily to save money on manufacturing and simplify interior design. Consolidating dozens of physical switches into a single digital display lowers production costs and allows companies to add new features later via over-the-air software updates.

Are touchscreens in cars actually dangerous? Yes, poorly integrated touchscreens increase distracted driving. Because flat glass offers no tactile feedback, drivers must take their eyes off the road to navigate menus. Studies show that adjusting settings via a touchscreen takes significantly longer than using physical dials.

Will physical buttons come back to modern cars? Yes. Major safety organizations like Euro NCAP are penalizing cars that lack physical controls for basic functions starting in 2026. Additionally, brands like Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Aston Martin are actively adding physical buttons back into their newest models due to customer complaints.

What is the safest way to adjust car settings while driving? The safest method is using tactile physical dials that you can operate by touch alone. If your car heavily relies on a touchscreen, the safest alternative is using the vehicle’s voice command system (like Apple Siri or Google Assistant) to change the temperature or switch audio tracks without taking your eyes off the road.