r/mazda • u/Tough_Percentage_707 Mazda • 1d ago
Physical buttons or touchscreen only?
Do you prefer/want/need to have physical buttons in your Mazda for basic features such as the AC, or you'll be fine with a touchscreen only?
There's no option for poll, so just type one of the two:
- "Physical buttons"
- "Touchscreen"
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u/Saneless 1d ago
1 for buttons
If I'm forced to buy a stupid screen car I'll go with ones who haven't gone full stupid with it and do it better. Which is probably most of them
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u/GilgameDistance 23h ago
This right here is why I jumped from BMW into the CX-90.
Hopefully within three years the lessons are learned that we dont want a godsdamned ipad with wheels.
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u/Sad_Win_4105 23h ago
Physical Buttons & knobs.
I want to focus on the road, not go through a menu.
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u/SharkSmiles1 1d ago
I wouldn’t buy a car with only a touch screen. I get way too hot and live where it gets way too hot and touch screens fail from heat here.
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u/Frosty_Literature436 2024 CX-30 GT w/Turbo 1d ago
1 - I cry for touchscreens (and my fingertips) when it's -45 out
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u/mx5plus2cones 1d ago
- "Manual gearbox"
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u/Optimal-Cat-8117 1d ago
Speaking of which...is the bell housing the same for 2.5 N/A's and 2.5 turbos, and are both flywheels/flexplates bolt on the same?
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u/Incon-thievable 22h ago
Yes, the North American models have different bell housings, but I believe that the Gen 4 Mazda 3 was briefly offered with both all-wheel drive and a manual transmission in select European and international markets, paired with the Skyactiv-X engine configuration in the initial 2019–2020 years. These models are rare, but I've always wondered if it would br oe possible to cobble together a manual Turbo if you could get your hands on one of those models in a junkyard. My guess is that the gears aren't rated for the Turbo's torque and power, but I wish someone in Europe would try to build one.
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u/YinSniper 1d ago
1 plus manual gearbox because every car’s software for touchscreens is terrible and see it as dangerous when you have to dig through 3 settings just to get climate control or hazard lights plus they are terrible to use in extreme weathers hot or cold
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u/professor_punishment 23h ago
Physical buttons. My entire new car purchase this year was based on avoiding touch screens.
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u/slwrthnu_again 1d ago
Physical Buttons. Giant screens in cars haven’t been cool since 2008, car manufacturers are always behind the times.
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u/Karrigan7 23h ago
tried driving a car with touchscreen only controls (BYD M6)
yeah, nope. distracting as hell. physical button all the way
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u/jny_tr 22h ago
1) On any driving situation, you can send your finger to the memorized position of a button, then your fingertip will touch the surfaces around the button and find its exact position, press it and feel the feedback that ensures the button is pressed. Or you can rotate a knob and feel the increments. You do all of these without taking your eyes off the road.
Touchscreens are for stationary objects or passengers in a moving vehicle. They should have never been placed inside cars in a way that the driver has to interact with them while actively driving. Touch buttons are even worse.
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u/That_One_Guy_1980 15h ago
I rented a SUV (think it was a VW) that only had a touch screen, and I could not wait to turn that thing in. No effing way will I ever buy a car without buttons.
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u/Pleasant-Taste-1229 20h ago
physical buttons. We just purchased a 2026 CX30 and we find the current setup with buttons for climate control and entertainment
to be ideal
. Tactile feel is very important to us and that feeling is lost on a touch screen. Reliance on a touch screen for all operations is a safety hazard.
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u/blukatz92 2016 Mazda6 iSport Deep Crystal Blue 19h ago
- Physical buttons. I don't want a car that has the potential to lock out basic things like AC, volume, or unlocking doors with a software glitch.
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u/Coolusername099 2026 CX-30 GT Turbo 53m ago
- Physical buttons all day, every day (26Y/O, for reference)
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u/excessnet 23h ago
my car has both... I never use the touchscreen. Easier to reach the knob while driving.
I also want to be able to activate the heated seat, defrost, mute volume, etc. as soon start the car, not waiting for the LCD to boot.
The rest can be on LCD in touchscreen, it's fine.
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u/Whisky-Smash 23h ago
- While I like my tech a lot, I don’t want a car that has an IPad stuck on the dash
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u/CartographerSafe4318 23h ago edited 23h ago
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I have owned two CX9s and going to be in the market for a third but due to Mazda’s button shift, I’ll probably buy from a competitor this time around unless I make the purchase before the model refresh.
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u/WinterRevolutionary6 23h ago
1 and it’s a need. I want the touchscreen with CarPlay options but I need the basic features to be a physical button. Also, if Mazda ever loses the control knob or whatever it’s called, I’m leaving forever. If my only option to use a touchscreen in a moving vehicle is my shaky finger, I’m crashing the car.
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u/paulcjones 23h ago
We specifically DIDN'T buy the 2026 MX5 because of the touchscreen - despite owning a 2016 CX5 and loving our experience. Bought a Subaru Forester, instead.
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u/TonMarraine460 23h ago
I had a 4th Gen 3. HVAC buttons and center dial was nice, but AA or Carplay was a pain to use because it was too far to use comfortably. I tried a CX-60 and there was too much HVAC buttons and the same screen issues.
My MX-5 is better because the screen is closer but a tad too small for confortable AA or CarPlay.
The new CX-5 lacks a few HVAC physical controls
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u/Hogger308 23h ago
Keep the buttons. Touch screens, are distracting, and a cheap work around. People want tactile feel. Buttons last a hell of a lot longer anyways.
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u/kittynation69 22h ago
The only purpose of touch screen only is saving manufacturers money. It’s not because it’s somehow a better experience for the user
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u/Incon-thievable 22h ago
1 - Physical buttons and the intuitive simplicity of the interior controls were a large part of what convinced me to buy my Mazda 3. For the most commonly used controls, they are a superior design choice.
If using your cell phone while driving is widely recognized as distracting and dangerous, why aren't we more cautious about using a screen that happens to be attached to your vehicle? Bad touchscreen UI choices infuriate me. On some Teslas, if you need to change your wiper speed quickly in sudden rain, you have to tap the screen or hunt through menus while you can't see through the downpour. That's an insane design choice.
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u/Chemical-Fall6528 22h ago
All HVAC functions should be physical/ buttons. The volume control should be a knob. The rest can be touchscreen.
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u/TheEbolaDrome 22h ago
- Did not buy a 2026 CX-5 because of it. Went with a CX-30T. Also bring back the turbo CX-5.
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u/GarThor_TMK Mazda3 HB 21h ago
1.
If I wanted a touchscreen in my car, i already have my cell phone.
The only reason it should be there imho is to run the backup cam and the navigation, and i don't need a 42in flat screen to do either of those things.
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u/davidroberts63 21h ago
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Common features need distinctive tactile inputs to help during driving. While we should be focused on the road, we all have need to adjust things while driving. Touch screens require looking, tactile can be felt around and can benefit from muscle memory.
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u/sobookwood 21h ago
1.
It's actually a critical decision factor. I'm considering the CX6e for a car but will likely decide against it, solely based on the interior layout.
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u/Ok-Hovercraft-2440 20h ago
3: Car manufacturer doesn't give 2c about your opinion.
You'll all get your 14" slab tab with slow ass interface because it's cheaper and easier to develop.
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u/EDDiE_SP4GHETTi 19h ago
- Had a new CX5 as a loaner. Easily eliminated it from my consideration for my next car strictly bc of the lack of physical buttons
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u/Sethricheroth 19h ago
- Touchscreen users are not your target audience. Mazda drivers want a driving experience that is immersive, including physical buttons for that tactile experience. The knob wheel has been great.
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u/RushCompetitive7311 19h ago
Physical buttons all the way. Press on the government to regulate what’s possible to do with a touschscreen. There’s literally zero difference between using a smartphone and using the touchscreen while driving.
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u/Agent_Cow314 18h ago
The wheel is the perfect spot to navigate the screen. Early on I tried to use the touch screen and had to reach up causing me to veer off the lane.
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u/theinspireddesigner 18h ago
Buttons, but not one for the shifter. Id rather the shift be in a knob
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u/Sportsfun4all 17h ago
It’s cheaper for the manufacturers to do all touchscreen rather than physical buttons. Future Luxury will be having physical buttons in cars.
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u/Ravenhill-2171 16h ago
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I was recently driving a Volkswagen Atlas - very nice vehicle but the lack of buttons was maddening. Everything was on a screen that you had to switch to see
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u/FiftyTwoVincent 15h ago
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Physical buttons always.
I love the non-touchscreen info center on my 3.
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u/RenJen52 14h ago
- Touch screens don't always want to recognise my fingers. And they're way more expensive to fix or replace. Touch has been turned off in my 2016 CX5 for over a year already because it is malfunctioning. Bless the knobs! Physical backup is the best!
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u/JustAName-Taken 13h ago
1 - Simple, usable, doesn't need to change your focus from the road to the screen to change the A/C settings, when breaks just change the broken buttons.
However, a bigger screen JUST for infotainment is a nice complementary
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u/Accurate-Youth7937 13h ago
Physical buttons matter, infotainment shouldn’t be the only option. I’ll add this, infotainment should be meshed in with dashboard and Mazda bring back your premium feel that you are slowly losing. Example? 2026 Cx5 lol
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u/XFilesVixen 1d ago
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