Hacker News Reader

Comment by devilbunny | Hacker News Reader

I don't know about their markups, but Mazda has been pulling out touchscreens and putting back buttons for audio and climate control purposes. Not sure how far it's made it through their models.

View on HN

A 2022 Honda Passport has physical buttons for pretty much everything. The only thing I use the touchscreen for is as a display for maps from CarPlay (and the backup camera). So reliance on the touchscreen for things like environmental controls isn't universal even in new cars.

I love Honda interiors. The base models are almost always the best with big unique knobs and buttons. However, I'm really disappointed on their electrification. I would speculate that their misguided attempt to push Hydrogen is going to kill the Japanese companies if they don't invest in BEVs soon.

I would seriously consider a 300 mile range, electrified Honda Fit using Chevy's Ultium platform. But it seems car companies are too focused on SUVs and Crossovers to pad their nests. Make number go up strikes again!

I had a very efficient, fun, and great at squeezing into city parking spots stickshift Honda del Sol as a second car for about 20 years. Alas, as it got old and I stopped commuting, it was silly to pay for keeping a second car around for the <2,000 miles per year I was putting on it. But Fits are cute little cars. An EV version of something like that would make me as least think of using something like that for most of my local driving.

Isn't that just a Bolt?

The bolt doesn't have the big knobs and buttons. Also it has those stupid displays that cost as much as the car is worth instead of a dashboard. Compare it to the controls for the Honda Fit here:

https://cars.usnews.com/static/images/Auto/izmo/354382/2013_...

Sadly Mazda doesn’t make any AWD cars, only a crossover. AWD is a requirement for me. I loved a Mazda 2 I previously had and loved the Miata track car I sold when I moved last year. Mazda makes great cars but unfortunately none that meet my base requirements.

Mazda 3 can be optioned AWD

Edit: and seeing as you’re looking at a performance Corolla. You’d probably be interested in the Turbo AWD (250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque). Car and Driver has an instrumented test. It’s not too far behind the GR and slightly cheaper

That's news to me. I'll definitely take a look.

I think the Mazda3 has an AWD option.

Mazda always refused to go fully touchscreen.

Instead they have somehow rationalized that a control wheel and featureless buttons down in the center console are safer for people to use while the vehicle is active.

It's idiotic.

Mazda still has a ton of physical buttons in addition to the screen though. The following are all _dedicated_ buttons / switches / knobs:

- Volume up/down (knob), press to mute

- Hazard lights (button)

- Windshield wipers (stalk) including front/rear, speed, intermittent, etc

- Headlights/highbeams (stalk)

- Turn signals

- AC on/off, fan speed, fresh air/recirc, seat warmers

- Temperature up/down is a dedicated, physical knob

- Driver/passenger windows

- Side mirror adjust

- Trunk open/close

- Cycle through backup camera views

- Parking sensor enable/disable

- Cruise control on/off/speed/distance

- Media controls (ff/rw/mute)

- There are even dedicated physical buttons for the touchscreen,eg. a button that always takes you to whatever map you're using (google/apple), a button that takes you to whatever is playing music (spotify/apple/podcast/etc)

Sorry if this sounds like I'm a mazda shill but every time this topic comes up on HN I am incredibly glad that I prioritized physical controls and IMHO they're really doing it correctly.

I've found that the wheel is much easier to use while driving than a touchscreen, since you don't have to look down or stretch your body away from the steering wheel.

I really like most of the hardware buttons. But when I need to make adjustments to the map with CarPlay, the wheel control just takes too much attention with driving. "How many rotations, ohh to far too, okay zoom out, ohh okay reset the view". I wish in these cases it also allowed touch.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com