Confirmed: physical buttons are easier to use than screens

Over the last few years, we have seen how the technology of car screens has advanced . They began by showing information, but have since come to house many of the controls that operate various vehicle functions. From controlling a car’s multimedia systems to adjusting the cabin temperature or regulating the position and heating of the seats. But there are increasingly voices against these and in favour of physical controls.

In fact, a study has shown that, in general, it is much simpler to use physical controls than to use car screens. It was carried out by the Swedish publication Vi Bilägare. To do so, 11 current models with multimedia screens were tested against a Volvo V70 from 2005.

The aim was to determine which of the two systems was simpler to use and which allowed users to act more easily and quickly. Several tests were set up, which had to be carried out with the car running and in use. The tasks had to be completed following the instructions, in the shortest possible time.

These instructions were: switch on the seat heating; raise the cabin temperature by two degrees and turn on the demisters; turn on the radio and tune it to a specific station; reset the on-board computer and dim the instrument panel light to its minimum level.

These are things any driver might want to do during normal driving, so they were tested. The driver of the Volvo V70 from 2005 took 10 seconds to complete these actions. The test was carried out at a speed of 110 km/h, and the vehicle covered 300 metres before all the instructions were completed.

Only two cars with screens came close to those figures

Of the 11 modern cars used in the test, only two managed to achieve results similar to those. They were the Dacia Sandero and the Volvo C40. In the first case, all these actions were completed in 13.5 seconds, while in the second case it took 13.7 seconds. This was helped by the fact that both models do not have much equipment, unlike the rest.

Another of the cars tested was the BMW iX, which combines physical buttons with a touchscreen. Despite this, access to the controls is quite complicated. The user, although familiar with its operation, needed 30.6 seconds to meet all the requirements.

The car that performed worst in the test was the MG Marvel R. It required 44.9 seconds and proved to be the most complicated of all. This test confirms that drivers find it easier to manage these elements when they are controlled by physical buttons. Screens can be confusing and complicated when it comes to operating these comfort systems in the vehicle.

Thus, it is confirmed that the moves by some brands to gradually eliminate virtual controls on screens and replace them with physical controls once again may make sense and could be a very practical trend in the coming years.