from Hacker News

Ask HN: Who is doing Car UX well?

by davidhariri on 1/31/23, 6:44 PM with 9 comments

What maker of cars is taking user experience seriously? It seems like the low-end of the market is missing must-have features/refinements (or are just ugly), but the high end of the market is all moving to touch screens with poor latency and bad and distracting software.

Which maker is refining the drive while addressing basic biological constraints seriously? (i.e. that we are humans, operating a heavy and fast machine in all kinds of complex environments)

  • by matthewwolfe on 2/1/23, 3:12 AM

    I really like the design of my 2022 Subaru Forester. The steering wheel has knobs to adjust volume and skip songs, as well as cruise control. Changing the temperature is just changing a knob, and it seems most of the key functionalities are analog.

    There is a touch screen that I’ll sometimes use to toggle between directions and music, but I’m doing that before driving or at a stoplight.

    Really everything that feels important is a physical button, which is the number one priority for me.

  • by Slaul on 1/31/23, 7:00 PM

    I'm interested in this as well. IMO any vehicle that uses a touchscreen for more than configuration when parked is dangerous and should not be on the road.

  • by moomoo11 on 1/31/23, 8:07 PM

    Apple car play with some dials for ac = god tier imo

  • by giantg2 on 1/31/23, 8:33 PM

    "What maker of cars is taking user experience seriously?"

    Pretty much all the 1980s manufacturers.

    I feel like none of the current ones are doing a good job at all. They're relying on too much tech. There are reasons switches and buttons (yes even buttons next to screens) are still used in cockpits. Drivers aren't pilots - they need stuff to be even simpler and more intuitive.

  • by tahoeskibum on 1/31/23, 6:51 PM

    Tesla does a great job. The touchscreen has low latency and the layout is intuitive. But best of all, most things can be done by voice including seat heating (say "my butt is cold").

  • by askafriend on 2/1/23, 1:26 AM

    Apple Car Play.