Drivers who miss turning physical knobs to control their vehicles’ thermostats and tune their radios got some confirmation that theirs is the proper position after a viral video showed that new doesn’t always mean better.
If you have purchased a vehicle in the last decade, you have undoubtedly noticed the transition of your center console away from an array of knobs and buttons towards a single touch screen in the middle of the dashboard that seems to only be getting bigger.
There are obvious advantages to the touch screen, including flexibility, the ability to house multiple functions in one place, smartphone compatibility, and it just looks cooler and more futuristic. But the futuristic look also comes with a major trade-off: usability.
“The overuse of touchscreens is an industry-wide problem, with almost every vehicle-maker moving key controls onto central touchscreens, obliging drivers to take their eyes off the road and raising the risk of distraction crashes,” said Matthew Avery, director of strategic development at Euro NCAP.
But a recent video that is going viral on social media shows that the digitization of these simple functions has a much more basic flaw.
Digital climate control is slower than analog
If you have one of the new digitized control consoles in your vehicle, then this viral video might strike a chord.
A Ford owner decided to show just how long it took for him to turn on the air conditioning in his new Ford vs. how long it takes to turn on the AC in his older vehicle.
The video shows the man sitting in a parking lot, having to wait for the screen to boot up with the Ford logo before he can turn on his AC. “I get it you’re a Ford! Let me turn the ****ing AC on!” a clearly frustrated and probably really hot driver says before a quick cut to his Volkswagen shows him able to turn on the air conditioning immediately by just turning a couple of knobs and pressing a button.
The video ends with a voiceover of another person saying, “Does anyone find it interesting that states are making it illegal to be on your phone, meanwhile vehicle manufacturers are literally installing massive tablets in your car?”
Users under the post found a safe space to also express their frustrations.
“I mostly hate that my Chevy is basically booting up every time I open a door, but in this case, that just means it’s ready to go when I do start it up. Also, you can’t take my physical AC buttons away from me. Stuff you should check before you buy,” said one Twitter user.
“I drove a Ford Flex rental with a similar setup. It was infuriating and dangerous to use when driving. I’m all for screens for navigation and music, but the climate controls need to be physical. I can’t believe this s**t is legal. An absolute deal breaker for me,” said another.
And it’s not just American cars with this problem.
“Very true. Toyota big screen is distracting. They removed one knob for changing channels. Now I have to hunt and pick. Hunt means look at screen, eyes off road,” said another user.
American shows the amount of time it takes for his new Ford to turn on, boot up the screen and finally get to turn on the AC
He then shows how quickly and simple it is to do in his older car
Does anyone else find it strange that in many states make it illegal to look at your… pic.twitter.com/zut4APeQdL
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) August 4, 2026
Car makers are bringing analog back
The good news for drivers is that some car makers seem to be listening to at least some of the customer feedback.
Volkswagen, Hyundai and Mazda are examples of carmakers that have recently reintroduced buttons for climate control, audio volume and seat settings. Others are going for a hybrid layout with touchscreens for navigation and entertainment and physical buttons for other things like fan speed, hazard lights and defrost.
“As automakers continue to refine their in-car tech, the trend is clear: user-friendly design is back in style, and buttons might just be the feature you didn’t know you missed,” Blair Qualey, President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of British Columbia, said.
The European New Car Assessment Program is making analog options a prerequisite for achieving the highest rating from the agency.
Starting in January, to earn a five-star rating from NCAP, a car must use analog controls, including buttons, stalks, or dials, for five tasks: turn signals, emergency flashers, horn, windshield wipers, and calling emergency services. Cars that relegate those functions to a touchscreen are docked points.
Volkswagen has taken a lot of heat for its digital-only dashboard, but the company seems to have recognized the error in its ways.
“We will never, ever make this mistake anymore,” design chief Andreas Mindt recently said, according to Hagerty. “On the steering wheel, we will have physical buttons. No guessing anymore. There’s feedback, it’s real, and people love this.”
His closing statement sums the issue up pretty succinctly.
“Honestly, it’s a car,” Mindt said. “It’s not a phone: it’s a car.”
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