Ignoring the issues with safe operation of touchscreens while driving, buttons and dials are just far more tactile and fun to use than a touchscreen. In something like a car aimed at visceral driver experience rather than practicality it makes even less sense. I want to feel like a fighter pilot while driving a Porsche, not like I am installing an email app on an ipad.
Also, sitting in a fighter plane cockpit will make you realize how cramped and uncomfortable it is. Not nearly as glamorous as the movies make it seem.
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/pictures/pagani-huayra-the-ste...
I would worry more about cleaning all that shiny aurface area all the time.
They do still have a handful of buttons for commonly used functions on the center console/steering wheel (temperature, sound volume, parking brake, menu navigation) but everything else falls on the touchscreen or capacitive buttons.
And, according to the text and pictures in the article, lots of buttons directly on the steering wheel, one which activates their voice input.
Years later we realize the mistake and go back again.
There is no touch screen that could emulate the satisfaction of flipping a good toggle switch though.
And I say this because I thought exactly the same thing before I experienced it. Similar to how I thought I’d never enjoy a full touchscreen phone and that it’d never beat physical keys until alas I actually tried the iPhone. Tesla’s UX is really really good. And almost everyone has a change of heart when it’s actually in front of them.
I recommend you at least give it a go if you’re interested.
But they're still not as good as physical buttons, because they are impossible to control without looking at them.
I don't know how long your test drive was but you may have missed that there are plenty of physical controls in the S, including buttons, that cover most functionality.
Haven't tried a Tesla but I have tried the recent Porsche controls and I preferred the old ones to be honest. My experience with car controls is that the nearer the steering wheel (preferably on the wheel) the better and the more tactile the better.
There are pros and cons to touchscreens. For phones, I can see someone preferring the larger screen to physical buttons. I'm not one of those people, but I can understand it.
What are the pros in a car that outweigh the cons? Looking at your fingers while you fiddle with a phone is annoying. Looking at them while you drive a car is incredibly dangerous.
The 3 has a brake pedal, gas pedal, steering wheel, two 4-way physical switch/dials on the steering wheel front, a stalk on the left and a stalk on the right. On the left stalk you can lever it up down forward and back. On the right stalk just up and down. But stalks have two positions for levering in each up and down direction. Finally, each stalk has a button at the end.
To engage drive mode (P, D, N, R) you use the right stalk by either lifting or pulling down for D or R, partially lifting or pulling down and holding it there for N, pressing the button at the end for P.
On the left, you use it for signalling like normally. Partial levering signals 3 clicks, full levering signals continuously like normal. Pressing the button at the end partially activates the wipers, pressing fully and holding activates the fluid and wiper action. Levering away from the driver toggles high beam mode, levering towards and holding forces high beams on.
The front 4-ways, the left one generally controls volume and track selection of the music while the right one controls driving settings relevant to the autopilot/TACC features. Specifically, clicking left/right adjusts the follow distance and rolling up or down controls the set target speed.
As for mentioning the pedals it's because 1) single-pedal driving is a big thing with tesla drivers due to the strength of the regenerative braking, so your throttle has more impact on your driving than a classic pedal. Feels a bit like a combo clutch/throttle if you're experienced with manual cars. And the brake pedal has a dual purpose. When at a full stop, pressing it firmly activates "hold" mode which is basically and automatic parking brake. Pressing it firmly releases it allowing your vehicle to roll freely. Not quite like N drive mode because regenerative braking still happens.
Anyway, long description I know. But the point is, everything relevant to driving is a physical control. During driving, the only thing I find myself going to the touch screen for that could possibly be "nicer" on the stalk is the wiper settings which I generally just leave on "Auto" anyway. This setting is made visible if you manually activate the wiper and is very close to the steering wheel. very easy to use.
All other driving related things on the touch screen are things you use when not actively driving, unless you're some weirdo who wants to switch their lights on and off manually or something, idk.
The UX of the Model 3 is impeccable.
Edit: forgot to note, the 4-way controls on the steering wheel also click in, so left side is going to pause/play with that. And honestly off the top of my head I can't remember what clicking the right one does.
Driver side dash as you call it I would rank in the middle for convenience. There is also some convenience in having certain controls like sound and climate accessible by the front passenger, so most are driver side plus middle, but I’m accounting for that in my ranking. Even with that, still in the middle.
At the top of the convenience scale would be a hybrid system with minimal multi-axis, multi-function buttons situated on or around the steering wheel, augmented by a touch screen for rarely used features. And for display. A screen that is not blocked by the steering wheel no matter what your height. And a screen robustly mounted so you can rest your hand on it while making selections, so any road shaking is mitigated. A screen big enough to read easily. A screen that never needs to be interacted with for most driving functions with the exception of tweaking the way the car is currently doing autopilot when it is. And a screen that lets a front passenger reach controls that are safe and useful for the passenger to use. That is the kind of system the Model 3 has. Not just a touch screen.
If it’s convenience you’re after, driver side dash may be more convenient than your perception of the Tesla. But your perception is wrong, based just on what you have just said.
I recommend to everyone that they test drive a Model 3 in order to feel how it drives, and feel how tight the control is, the driver’s connection between the wheel and the road. I don’t know how long your test drive was, but a test drive is generally too short to understand the full functionality of the easily accessible steering wheel multi-axis button controls and how driving works day to day in all situations.
I believe it still has a steering wheel. And pedals. Which are the main things you need for a visceral driver experience. For knobs and dials there's always, I don't know, ham radio. When I'm driving, I just want to drive. Or, sometimes, be driven.
Also what is wrong with a manual transmission? The whole world learned to drive on it at one point. Heck if you go to rent a car in most of the EU it cost extra for an automatic to this day!
In my family we have 2 Porsches. My daughter is learning to drive. We grabbed a friends typical car and took her out into a very big uncrowned area to teach her. She will not be driving our cars as we will lease something very safe and normal.
Only fools would give a sports car to a teenager.