The glow of a massive, tablet-style infotainment screen is now the centerpiece of nearly every new car. It promises a sleek, futuristic experience, but for many drivers, it delivers digital frustration. Trying to adjust the climate control on a bumpy road or change a music track through nested menus has become a common, and dangerous, annoyance. This over-reliance on touchscreens has triggered a significant counter-movement, a collective demand for the simple, satisfying click of a physical button. This isn’t just a matter of preference; it’s a critical safety issue. In fact, safety regulators are now stepping in, signaling a major shift in automotive interior design. The era of ‘screen-first’ is being challenged by a return to tactile, intuitive controls. This review dives into the haptic test, exploring why physical buttons are making a comeback, which automakers are leading the charge in user-friendly design, and what this means for the future of the driver’s relationship with their car. We will explore the science behind a satisfying button press and the upcoming regulations that are forcing a change for the better.
The rise and fall of the all-touchscreen dashboard
The automotive industry’s love affair with the touchscreen was born from a desire to emulate the success of smartphones. Designers saw an opportunity to create clean, minimalist dashboards, replacing dozens of physical buttons with a single pane of glass. This approach offered flexibility; software updates could theoretically change the car’s entire interface overnight. At first, the market was impressed. Large, vibrant screens looked high-tech and premium in the showroom. Automakers like Tesla pushed the boundaries, creating an experience that felt more like a tech product than a traditional vehicle. Other manufacturers quickly followed suit, with some, like Volkswagen, going all-in on touch-sensitive sliders and capacitive controls for everything from volume to headlights. However, the real-world usability of these systems quickly exposed their flaws. Unlike a phone you use while sitting still, a car’s interface must be operated while in motion, often on imperfect roads and in stressful traffic. The lack of physical feedback meant drivers had to take their eyes off the road to confirm a simple input. Smudged, fingerprint-covered screens became a constant eyesore, and software lag could turn a quick adjustment into a multi-tap nightmare. The backlash was significant, with customers and critics alike lambasting brands for prioritizing form over function. Volkswagen, for example, faced so much criticism for the clunky interface in its ID series that its own CEO acknowledged the mistake and promised the swift return of physical steering wheel buttons and more intuitive controls.
Safety first why regulators are demanding buttons
The most compelling argument for the return of physical buttons is rooted in safety. Numerous studies have demonstrated that operating a touchscreen while driving is significantly more distracting than using traditional controls. This common-sense observation is now being codified into official safety standards. In a landmark move, the European New Car Assessment Programme, or Euro NCAP, announced that beginning in 2026, cars will need to have physical, single-step controls for five critical functions to earn a top five-star safety rating. These functions are the horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, hazard lights, and the SOS eCall feature. This decision sends a powerful message to the entire industry that driver distraction is a primary safety concern that can no longer be ignored. Matthew Avery, Director of Strategic Development at Euro NCAP, stated the reasoning clearly.
The overuse of touchscreens is an industry-wide problem, with almost every vehicle-maker moving key controls onto central touchscreens, obliging drivers to take their eyes off the road and raising the risk of distraction crashes.
This regulatory pressure forces designers to reconsider their ‘everything on the screen’ philosophy. The cognitive load required to navigate a digital menu is far greater than the muscle memory used to reach for a familiar knob or button. A physical control can be located and operated by feel alone, allowing the driver’s eyes and attention to remain on the road ahead. This shift is not about being anti-technology; it is about implementing technology in a way that enhances, rather than compromises, driver safety.
The science of satisfying haptics
What makes a button ‘good’? The answer lies in the science of haptics, the sense of touch. A satisfying button press provides clear, unambiguous feedback that an action has been registered. This feedback loop is crucial in a moving vehicle. When you press a well-engineered button, you feel a distinct tactile sensation, a click, or a solid detent that confirms the input without needing visual verification. This allows you to build muscle memory, intuitively knowing where the control is and how it feels to operate it. Luxury automakers have long understood this, investing significant resources into ‘switchgear feel’. The weight, travel, and sound of a button in a high-end vehicle are meticulously engineered to convey a sense of quality and precision. A cheap, mushy, or wobbly button, by contrast, feels unsatisfying and can create uncertainty. The same principle applies to rotary knobs, like those for volume or temperature. A knob with defined, tactile ‘clicks’ for each adjustment step is far superior to a smooth, free-spinning one because it allows for precise changes without looking. The German term for this is ‘fingerspitzengefühl’, or ‘fingertip feeling’, highlighting the importance of this tactile connection. As cars moved to capacitive touch surfaces that offered no physical feedback, they lost this vital connection. While some systems try to replicate it with a small vibration, it rarely matches the assurance of a real, mechanical click. The humble button, therefore, is not just a legacy component; it is a highly effective ergonomic tool.
Product Recommendation:
- EVIL ENERGY 10AN Female to 5/16 Barb Hose Fitting 45 Degree Swivel 2PCS
- ChargerCity Simple-Lock Car Air Vent Holder Mount for COBB Tuning AccessPORT V3 Auto Tuner programmer (Fit all horizontal and vertical Vent)
- Redline Tuning 21-11039-02 Hood MaxLIFT Plus System Compatible with Ford Bronco 2021+ (All Black Components – Bolt in System)
- Ltd Compatible with Shift Boot & E Brake Boot for Mazda MX-5 Miata 1989-1997 Leather White Stitching
- EVIL ENERGY 6AN Fuel Line Kit, 6AN Nylon Braided Fuel Line Hose Fitting Kit CPE 20FT Black&Red
Champions of the click automakers getting it right
While some brands are only now course-correcting after going too far with touchscreens, others have been consistently praised for maintaining a sensible balance. These automakers serve as the benchmark for user-friendly interior design. Hyundai and its sibling brand Kia are frequently highlighted as champions of this balanced approach. In models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, they offer large, modern touchscreens for navigation and media while retaining a separate, dedicated bar of physical buttons and knobs for all primary climate functions. This hybrid solution offers the best of both worlds, providing easy, immediate access to the most frequently used controls. Similarly, Honda has been lauded for its straightforward interiors. The latest Honda Civic and CR-V feature simple, large, and incredibly satisfying rotary dials for temperature and fan speed. They click with mechanical precision, are easy to grip, and can be operated perfectly without a single glance away from the road. Mazda has taken a unique and driver-centric approach. While their newer cars do have a central screen, it is primarily controlled by a physical rotary commander knob on the center console, and touch functionality is often disabled while the car is in motion. The company’s philosophy is that reaching for a touchscreen is inherently distracting, and all essential interactions should be possible through tactile controls that fall easily to hand. These brands demonstrate that a modern, tech-forward interior does not have to come at the cost of safety and usability. They prove that thoughtful design can seamlessly integrate new technology while preserving the proven benefits of physical switchgear.
The haptic test what to look for on a test drive
When you are shopping for a new car, it is crucial to perform your own ‘haptic test’ beyond just admiring the size of the infotainment screen. The five minutes you spend in a showroom can reveal a lot about the long-term livability of a car’s interior. Before you even start the engine, sit in the driver’s seat and run through a mental checklist of common actions. Can you change the radio volume or skip a track using a physical control? Try adjusting the temperature and fan speed. Are the controls intuitive knobs and buttons, or are they buried in a sub-menu on the screen? Pay attention to the steering wheel controls. Are the buttons clearly marked, well-spaced, and easy to press without looking? Or are they flat, unmarked capacitive surfaces that you might press by accident? Once you are on a test drive, safely try to perform these tasks. Notice how much attention you have to divert from the road. A well-designed car will allow you to make these adjustments almost subconsciously, relying on muscle memory and tactile feedback. A poorly designed one will force you to look, tap, and swipe, breaking your concentration. Don’t be swayed by flashy animations and endless settings. The best interface is often the simplest one, the one that works with you, not against you, to make the driving experience safer and less stressful. This hands-on evaluation is just as important as testing the engine’s performance or the smoothness of the ride.
The future a balanced approach to interior design
The future of car interior design is not a complete rejection of screens but a move towards a more intelligent and balanced integration. The industry is learning a valuable lesson from the touchscreen-only experiment. The ideal cabin of tomorrow will likely be a hybrid environment, leveraging the strengths of both digital displays and physical controls. Screens will continue to be essential for displaying rich, complex information like navigation maps and detailed vehicle data. However, for immediate, high-frequency tasks, the physical button, knob, and stalk will remain indispensable, a fact now being reinforced by regulators. We may see the evolution of ‘smart’ physical controls, such as configurable dials with small integrated screens that change function depending on the context but always provide tactile feedback. Furthermore, haptic technology for screens is improving. Future displays might be able to create localized textures and raised surfaces on demand, more convincingly mimicking the feel of a real button. However, until that technology is perfected and proven to be as effective as a simple mechanical switch, a blended approach is the clear path forward. The ultimate goal for designers should be to reduce cognitive load and enhance driver focus. The car of the future will not be judged solely on the size of its screen, but on the thoughtfulness of its entire user interface and its commitment to making the act of driving as safe and intuitive as possible. The button is back, not as a relic of the past, but as a key component of a safer, more user-friendly future.
The great ‘button backlash’ has shown that when it comes to car design, newer is not always better. The push for minimalist, screen-dominated interiors ultimately compromised a fundamental aspect of driving; the ability to control your vehicle safely and intuitively without distraction. The data on driver distraction and the decisive action from safety bodies like Euro NCAP have validated the frustrations of countless drivers. The simple, tactile feedback of a physical button is not a nostalgic preference but a crucial ergonomic and safety feature. As we’ve seen, automakers like Honda, Mazda, and Hyundai have demonstrated that it’s possible to create a modern and technologically advanced cabin that doesn’t sacrifice usability. Their success provides a clear roadmap for the rest of the industry. The future lies not in choosing between screens and buttons, but in finding the perfect harmony between them. The haptic test is more than just a review of switchgear; it’s a test of an automaker’s commitment to the driver. As consumers, voting with our wallets for cars that get this balance right will ensure that the industry continues to move towards a future that is not only connected but, more importantly, conscientiously and safely designed for the human at the wheel.
