FWIW - just bought a 23 CRV for my wife because of the abundance of analog controls. Not sure what on screen display you were seeing, we use the knobs exclusively.
This review is for their 2021 model.
> Plus, while there is a climate button and fan speed button, as well as dials for the temperature settings, you still have to go through the screen to control whether the air conditioner is on or off, and also which ventilation is active. Odd.
https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/honda-cr-v-81488
And a demonstration, though it's for an even older model:
I use the temperature knob pretty much exclusively. If it's hot, the A/C comes on. If it's cold, it doesn't. If the windshield needs defrosting, you press that button and.. it defrosts, then press "auto" to get back. I've literally never manually changed the A/C setting, and once or maybe twice in 5 years of ownership have I manually adjusted vents.
The (physical) recirculate button is occasionally useful to manually if you're driving through dust/smoke/smell. But I'll also note the use of this with A/C is automatic: if it's really hot out or you turn the temp down really low, it'll automatically turn on recirculate (so it's cooling the already-cool inside air), but if it's able to use outside fresh air it'll do that instead. This is another thing that Just Works and I basically don't have to think about.
Remote start is similarly smart: When it's cold out, it turns on the defrost and heats the seats up. When it's hot, it runs the A/C. Either way when you get in it's usually already comfortable and it resumes whatever mode and temperature it was set to last time you drove -- and on only a mildly warm day, that might mean A/C isn't on. Manual control of A/C is just something you never need to do.
Sorry, but Honda absolutely nailed it on their climate control.
The lack of a physical volume knob, on the other hand...
I'm going to guess you daily drive mostly and don't pickup many groceries then, and probably don't have a wife/kids.
Blasting heat is usefull when e.g. you don't have windows, blasting cold is usefull when you have raw meat in the back and you don't feel like freezing too.
Or, you drive with someone with larger/smaller body mass or metabolism, you want to blast cold air, they want to be warm (adding/removing layers is not always an option).
There are numerous ways auto mode falls apart here, there are probably others I am not thinking of...I do know that when I take cars that have an auto mode in them it can be nice, but I usually get annoyed with them because something (blast of air, heat through the windshield) messes it up and I just want "cool" or "hot" air not to fiddle with bad UIs on dimly lit displays I can't see in the glare from the snow/blue sky to figure out the "right" temp to reconfigure too...
The "dual climate" does work decently well, though we don't actually use it that often. Seat warmers do a better job if you're actually cold (and my wife usually puts hers way higher than mine).
> Blasting heat is usefull when e.g. you don't have windows, blasting cold is usefull when you have raw meat in the back and you don't feel like freezing too.
You can still "blast" heat or cool: by turning the temperature way up or down it goes to "MAX" (I don't recall exactly, but something like below 16 or above 25C) and the fan will also run at full speed.
I'm not sure how manually "blasting cold" to keep raw meat in the back cold also doesn't freeze you in the front, or what that has to do with auto mode, but we typically don't have groceries in the car for more than about 20 minutes and don't worry about it. I know people who have a much longer trip to get groceries and they use a plug-in cooler; that seems like a more sensible option.
> auto mode [...] messes it up and I just want "cool" or "hot" air not to fiddle with bad UIs on dimly lit displays I can't see in the glare from the snow/blue sky to figure out the "right" temp to reconfigure too...
Just not reality, in my experience. Auto mode just works. I've been in other cars where it's bad so I understand where you're coming from. I adjust a couple degrees up or down, usually based on what we're wearing, and that's it -- and no need to use display or touchscreen for this.
On the display: About the only time it's hard to read is if there's direct sunlight coming through a non-tinted window. I usually drive with polarized sunglasses and then it's basically never an issue at all.
Ofc you can have a cooler, but that eats up space, and not all grocery trips are planned. Re 20 min - sounds like you are lucky - if you get into a traffic jam you might get stuck.
How it helps - not a universal feature but you can often adjust heat/cool for back/front, I've also seen it where each seat gets their own climate control knobs.
Regarding MAX - that's nice, but that's not auto, which was my point.
And yeah glasses definitely help - I love my transitions for that reason. But display tech matters here - glossy vs matted, and in my experience glossy holds up a bit better under sun while matted holds up better to e.g. night city driving. Backlights are important too - but again to my point this is all overcomplicated and a knob is just easier/cheaper/less prone to breakage.
It's nice you have an auto mode that 'works great' but as you admit there are a fair number of cars where that's just not true. I suspect in part that's because this is a difficult problem, that is partly self mfg. And I don't think most people at dealerships have time to test it to the degree you seem to have (although you didn't mention how it handles in open air, i.e. with sunroof or retractable hood) - a knob is something I can test in 5 min and know it "just works".