VW reverting back to Buttons.

[stefdds]

Volkswagen Is Bringing Actual Buttons Back to Its Steering Wheels

No more touch-capacitive crap—just actual, real buttons. Other automakers, take note.

www.roadandtrack.com

 

[Uwe]

Hopefully, VW doesn't stop at the steering wheel, and more manufacturers take note of this shift.

The stuff on the steering wheel is by far the most egregious; it's way to easy to unintentionally do stuff with capacitive/touch controls there. In fact, if I were in charge of the NHTSA standards, I would disallow them on the steering wheel and force a recall.
Capacitive/touch controls in other places are annoying, but one is much less likely to trigger them unintentionally.

-Uwe-

 

[stefdds]

Haven't experienced that yet, but it sounds dangerous. I think the RS5 I'm in the market for has that on the HVAC controls (not sure). I have a Asus lap top with a super sensitive touch (mouse) pad ; not sure if that is the same technology, but I had to disable it since if you were typing and simply brushed it with your wrist or thumb area of the palm, it would delete or highlight or other you text . I had to completely start over several times ; absolutely maddening!

 

[Uwe]

I had to disable it since if you were typing and simply brushed it with your wrist or thumb area of the palm, it would delete or highlight or other you text . I had to completely start over several times ; absolutely maddening!

Yep, that's kinda what the steering wheels with capacitive controls are like. You need to consciously avoid touching any of the control "switches" on them unless you actually intend to.

-Uwe-

 

[PetrolDave]

Many Octavia 4 owners have complained on briskoda.net about the HVAC being mostly touch controls and asking for 'real buttons' to be brought back as they have to look down at the HVAC instead of just feeling for a button - surely a safety risk. I suspect the same HVAC is on the Golf 8, so maybe the NHTSA should be getting 'interested'?

 

[NZDubNurd]

Even buttons aren't brilliant... For on/off functions, yes. not for adjustments though.

BMW got it right in the 80's. Rotary dials for fan and temp - easy tactile feel. 3 Sliders for air flow - any combination possible and also easy to adjust by feel.
So much new car stuff is just total bullshit. like the "climatronic" in my Tourans. Ugh.

Dual zone E34:

E30 Single zone:

 

[Uwe]

3 Sliders for air flow

Connected to the flappers mechanically?

-Uwe-

 

[siLc]

So much new car stuff is just total bullshit. like the "climatronic" in my Tourans. Ugh.

Two and three-dial two-zone Climatronics on the PQ platform (since 2004) have, in my opinion, been satisfactory. Sure, you have to glance down to check the temperature indications once in a while, but otherwise don't take your attention off the road for too long.

 

[Andy]

Having spent over a year in an ID.4 and then several months in a mk8 Golf, I convinced myself that I had gotten used to the capacitive nonsense but a brief stint in a 2020 Jetta loaner reminded me that it doesn't have to be that way. Very few functions (pinch to zoom on a map for example) are better served by using a touch screen compared to buttons in a consistent and easily manipulated place.

 

[NZDubNurd]

Two and three-dial two-zone Climatronics on the PQ platform (since 2004) have, in my opinion, been satisfactory. Sure, you have to glance down to check the temperature indications once in a while, but otherwise don't take your attention off the road for too long.

But it doesn't actually function well enough for how complicated it is. It's often doing wierd thngs and our two matching Touran don't even behave the same The "Climatic" version is my preference - it just adjusts the temp and you choose whether it's on screen, face, willy or feet etc.

 

[NZDubNurd]

Connected to the flappers mechanically?

-Uwe-

Yes!

 

[davisev5225]

I guess I'm in the minority regarding climate controls and touch screens - I prefer the automated climate and touch screen interfaces. First time I got a car with fully automatic climate control, I never looked back. I only need (3) buttons (which can easily become touch buttons in my next car...): defrost front, defrost rear, recirculate. I always run a single temperature and am perfectly happy to let the system do whatever it needs to do to reach/maintain that temperature. I even switched the thermostat in my residence to a "switchover" unit so I never have to touch it. (But not a "smart" internet-enabled unit, just a regular "dumb" wall wart.)

That said, I too am against capacitive controls on a steering wheel for the same reason as @Uwe: that being it is too easy to accidentally do something and not even realize you touched a control until much later.

 

[alexnoe]

There is one piece of touch sensitive stuff that actually makes sense: the steering wheel. When using travel assist, my car warns me when I don't touch the steering wheel for 15 seconds. After a few more seconds, the warning becomes red and noisy. VW doesn't use names like "full self driving" for something that is not full self driving, and they force you to understand that. In my car, up to MY 2020, the steering wheel could't actually detect touch, it tried to detect micro movements caused by hands instead. Mine detects the driver touching it.

 

[Uwe]

First time I got a car with fully automatic climate control, I never looked back.

I agree with you on that. I may occasionally tweak the temp up or down a degree or two, but I really do like not having to mess with the controls much at all. I occasionally drive a 2013 Tiguan with manual controls and it seems I'm constantly adjusting them.

-Uwe-

 

[davisev5225]

In my car, up to MY 2020, the steering wheel could't actually detect touch, it tried to detect micro movements caused by hands instead.

My 2013 A6 has done that to me a few times because I somehow managed to perfectly match the curve of the road and didn't need to move the wheel at all. It's a bit annoying, but I can understand the "why" for those warnings.

I'd still rather not have a capacitive sensor in the wheel, though. It's just one more (expensive) thing to break. I don't need a damaged capacitive sensor causing my car to yell at me every time I engage cruise control because it thinks I'm not holding the wheel.

 

[Indorile]

One thing regarding climate control I miss in my Audi is the center manual override slider I had in BMW's (and most people hate and usually don't understand them). What it does is it allows you to override the air temp coming from middle two vents, which is super helpful in the winter when the cabin is being warmed but you want a chilly breeze across your face to keep you awake.

 

[alexnoe]

My 2013 A6 has done that to me a few times because I somehow managed to perfectly match the curve of the road and didn't need to move the wheel at all. It's a bit annoying, but I can understand the "why" for those warnings.

I'd still rather not have a capacitive sensor in the wheel, though. It's just one more (expensive) thing to break. I don't need a damaged capacitive sensor causing my car to yell at me every time I engage cruise control because it thinks I'm not holding the wheel.

They use the solution which is least annoying to most clients. I seriously have no idea how often these sensors break. These sensors usually allow diagnosing them, so the car should be able to tell the difference between a broken sensor and a driver that doesn't touch the wheel. If it is the sensor, the car can still try to detect micro movements.

 

[davisev5225]

These sensors usually allow diagnosing them, so the car should be able to tell the difference between a broken sensor and a driver that doesn't touch the wheel. If it is the sensor, the car can still try to detect micro movements.

I have my doubts VAG decided to allow a graceful failback solution. That would rob their dealerships of top-dollar repair money.