Plastic Fantastic: The Joy of Buttons
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard all about—or experienced—carmakers’ rush toward touch-screen technology.
There has been much wailing about it in the motoring press, and frustration via social media. However, to give manufacturers some credit, the modern car is so full of technology that condensing it all into easy-to-reach touch points is near impossible. In one modern car I borrowed this year, finding the button to alter the mirrors meant issuing a plea for guidance on social media.
Corralling all the functions onto one tablet makes sense—at least in principle—because you can pack more functionality into a small space. Well, in principle.
Just like those non-removable bottle caps that suddenly appeared this year, the concept behind them made sense, but the execution lagged behind—which is usually why I end up arriving for meetings wearing more of my in-car beverage than I’ve imbibed. Much in the same way, the touch screen technology in its current form doesn’t offer the instant response you might get from, say, twisting a knob or pressing some buttons.
Not only can you do this without having to take your eyes off the road to search through menus at 70 mph, but there’s a much more pleasant tactile feeling. Aston Martin has recently upgraded its interior to look and feel like high-end audio equipment.
However, there’s a joy to 1980s buttons that we love. This was an era of All The Technology, All At Once, which meant buttons and sliders for all sorts of functions sprouted up all over the dashboard and binnacles like a rampaging fungus. Add in hard black plastic and it all seems very Tonka Truck–style cool now—another way to feel at one with your car, other than driving, braking, steering, and swapping ratios.
We’ve pulled out some pretty amazing driving environments of the past—by no means comprehensive—but this list will certainly have you scouting out dashboard delight in the old cars around you.
Porsche 928
For many years, the 911’s interior was probably the least exciting part of the car. Indeed, it was often a criticism that for all the money you’d waxed on a 911 Turbo, the ambience wasn’t much more swish than a Carrera—or worse.
The 928 was different. Not only does it feel like you’re ensconced in a spaceship, all swoopy lines and multi-colored finishes, but the steering column moved. Other than the automatic shifter—which looked and felt like a Starship Enterprise thrust lever—our favorite part of the interior has to be the big twistable knobs to active lamps and windshield wipers. They’re comedically outsized for their function, but with a satisfying thunk to each movement. You could spend all day in there without turning the engine on, just interacting with it all.
Toyota MR2 Mk1
Japanese manufacturers really got on board with binnacle-mounted functionality. The MR2’s dashboard is fairly simple—we love the green-tinged wording, for example. However, the enormous rotary switches, with little levers attached, that sprout from the binnacle surround rather than conventionally behind the steering wheel itself, just feel magnificent to use. Add in buttons for the de-mister and the washer jets and it all feels far more immediate for any MR2 maestro to use. With the comically large gearshift handle and handbrake (relative to the rest of the car), the MR2 is memorable even before you fire it up.
Nissan 300ZX (Z32)
Choosing just one car to demonstrate the Japanese appetite for binnacle-mounted button overload is hard—the Subaru XT offers up an intriguingly unconventional offset three-spoke steering wheel with more buttons on top, for example. However, we’ve gone for the Z32 300ZX because, as Nissan’s top-of-the-range two-door, it was festooned with all sorts of technology to tempt people out of their Porsches.
Of course, condensing all this into the dashboard was an almighty challenge—it even had a mini-LCD screen!—and you could spend a day trying to work out where everything was. What makes it even more special is that it still has stalks for the lamps and washers and all the functions on top. By rights this could all be annoying on the move but just look how cool it is, and how satisfying it must be when you finally stop setting off the foglight by mistake during quick cornering.
Alfa Romeo 164
For all of Alfa Romeo’s exterior flair, not all interiors to wear the hallowed badge are quite as stylish. The 164, however, was button overload, with a bonus LCD display. It was very much like driving around with a high-end stereo in the front of the car. One for the nostalgic person who spent many an evening staring at their dad’s graphic equalizer.
Renault 25
Marcello Gandini had a knack for bringing the majestic to the mundane—even his least exotic projects have the odd flash of magic to them. Now, the Renault 25 was anything but mundane from behind the wheel, even if the exterior wasn’t quite as exciting as other Renaults of the era. This luxurious cruiser was great for eating up autoroutes—but we would struggle not to get distracted by this magnificent interior from Gandini himself. It looks like it’s come straight from the Alien ship Nostromo, but with a center console from Giorgio Moroder’s living room. Even the door handles look like a haptic delight, and the steering wheel even gets in on the button action. A masterpiece.
Lancia Trevi
The Trevi is an unconventional-looking car, even from the outside. The true delight is when you get inside. CAR magazine memorably described it as having a “Swiss cheese Beta” dashboard. It was designed by Mario Bellini, who had made his name designing homewares and typewriters. He found himself with a very small space to get a lot of information, and his reasoning for the design was that it was purely structural.
He was pilloried at the time—it was roundly criticized for being ugly. Now though? It hangs like a magnificent piece of outsider art, especially when you take in the two-spoke steering wheel. It’s certainly a daring design—and wouldn’t you rather stare at this for a long journey, rather than a touch screen?
The best and worst dash with too many buttons and the one with the best use of buttons was at Pontiac
The Bonneville SSE came with so many buttons over the several models in the 80’s and 90’s. It hit over load. Buttons on the dash, button pad on the steering wheel and buttons for every movement of the very articulate seats.
The Fiero on the other hand was head lamps on the brinicle left. Trunk and Defrost on the right.
Mirrors and windows on the console. Radio and HVAC were simple. The wipers on the stalk for the turn signal. That was it.
I can promise you can not find a better dash and worse dash in the 80’s and both were from the same company.
‘Not surprised to see Pontiac Bonnevilles on the list…. I ordered a new 87 Bonneville LE with the ”steering wheel radio”…. it boiled down to using only the volume buttons…. as it was too much… but all the contrils were illuminated in red… it was something to see at night… and that thing would scoot !! In 88 I test drove a new Grand Prix and said ”my Bonneville will push this thing up to 120 and then push it out of the way” Not sure which engine the GP had…
Both of those cars would have to be going downhill to hit 120.
Not true pal. I had an ’88, ’92, and ’93 and I can tell you for a fact that the 88 and 93 would hit 125 with some room to go. Can’t speak for the grand prix. My last gp was a ’70 hurst addition and it had some go.
edition
Probably optimistic speedos. Car mags at the time listed 110 (+/-) for GM full size with the 3.8.
I wish I had my 98 SSEi back…….
Despite the seat function overload
I loved the Bonneville SSEi dash with its multitude of red-illuminated buttons. My McLaren Turbo Grand Prix had a similar interior which was also magnificent. It gave the impression that at any moment you were just a couple of button presses away from warp speed. Pontiac is still sorely missed at my house.
Same here, Also had a McLaren Turbo GP, a STE/AWD, a Bonneville GXP and a couple of Firehawks. We still keep it alive at my house.
Most of he high end GM cars in the late 80’s early 90’s had button overload, but they were manageable once familiar with them. Certainly more satisfying than today’s computer screens.
I think the 86-89 6000 STE had close to 80 buttons, but they weren’t as terrible as they seemed at first glance.
The Fiero, whether or not you like it, definitely had an amazing cockpit for the day. It was designed well for the driver. Simplicity while as functional as can be yet looked high tech.
I’ve owned 2 Fiero GT’s, and still have one. The minute you wedge yourself into the cockpit, you are one with the car. Not bad for a parts bin afterthought. GM feared too much competition with the immortal Corvette and deep-sixed the car after the ’88 was produced. Protos of the ’89 were amazing. Two of those, I believe are still squirreled away, not destroyed as GM dictated.
I’m missing my MR2. It was really a great driving position and the controls were very well placed.
I love the Mk1 MR2 interior. The 80’s-90’s could have button overload here and there but I think a lot of cars got the balance just right. I wish we would take some steps back towards the ergonomics and usability of buttons.
I know what you mean about the touch screen phenomenon, we recently bought a 2021 Mercedes GLC300 for my wife and I still haven’t figured out how to turn the radio off. No buttons. Nothing on the touch screen. I even asked the onboard assistant; “hey mercedes…turn off the radio”. She apparently doesn’t know either as the radio never goes off.
I really liked the dash on my 1991 Saab 900 Turbo, Designed by aircraft engineers for the driver. Lots of very tactile knobs, buttons, and switches.
And if I remember correctly, my 82 and ’87 900s had a feature where you could dim out everything on the dash except the speedo and tach, which was great for nighttime travel– and for impressing passengers with the utter unique coolness that was the last real SAAB.
I’ve had a lot of cars since, including a delightful ’91 Miata, but the only ones I every really loved were my two SAAB 900s.
The best way to switch off that radio is to sell the car. If anybody wants it.. Well, a Mercedes, even an electric one will still have some second hand premium above anything chinese. In the end it will be worth less than a Saab rear window, because the Saab will still be there!
Love your comment about the Saab. Find a good one and take great care of it. That car deserves it and exponentially gives back.
I have a friend who is employed by Mercedes to spend time with new customers explaining what the buttons do and the features of the car. I preferred it when all that was intuitive. just looking at it.
Of the modern cars I have or have had in recent years, my 2013 Mustang 302, which I sold years ago, was fantastic. No stupid touch screen, just a well-designed dash with real buttons and knobs of the right size and placed right about where you’d want them, including on the steering wheel. Fast “Ford-ward” two years to my 2015 F150, which I still have, and it has mix of touch screen and analog buttons/knobs and steering wheel controls. All work great. The touch screen sucks — Ford’s Sync 2 GUI is terrible — so I mostly use the analog controls.
My current 2023 Alfa Giulia QV has good analog controls for HVAC and the lights, but the touch screen sucks…too small, too dim, too many submenus, slow CPU. Why Alfa didn’t use the excellent Stellantis/Chrysler UConnect system I do not understand.
But my wife’s 2020 Lexus RX 450h has the worst infotainment UI out there, IMO. Whoever thought up the awful console touch pad should be horse-whipped. The confusing screen menus make it almost impossible to go between different functions without taking your eyes off the road for what seems like minutes just to figure out how the hell to get what you want to come up…it’s just bad. I think the Lexus engineers must have had a bit too much sake when they designed that infotainment system. At least there are also decent analog buttons for HVAC and radio.
Edit: …”my 2013 Mustang Boss 302, which I sold 5 years ago”…
Never have I heard the word “excellent” used in the same sentence as “UConnect.”
Excellent, who knows? The UConnect in my 2022 Challenger far exceeds whatever they call the system we’re stuck with in my wife’s 2022 RX350. Surprisingly, I prefer the UConnect touchscreen (admittedly with many redundant button and knob controls) to the controls in my 2022 Ford Explorer work car, which has no touchscreen at all.
Totally agree on UConnect. My 2014 Jeep has it and it’s been very good. I like getting Chargers for rentals, I’m completely configured by the time I exit the rental center.
The Lexus touch pad with its awkward press-to-click function is universally recognized as the worst vehicle interface in recent times. Thankfully they are finally getting rid of it.
I have a couple Lexus – one of them a ’15 GS350 F that has navigation. With cell phones now it is a waste. I have had the car a few years now and every now and then I try to figure it out and get lost. Same thing, not user friendly at all, try to use this while driving is next to impossible.
C4 Anyone?
x2
Yes sir, Ed! Count me among those who like the buttons on the C4 instrument panel and dashboard. The design of the dashboard of my ’96 is not perfect (what car is?) but very satisfying to sit in and drive. The LT-4/6-speed makes the experience even better!
Without a doubt.
All those buttons, gauges and colorful lights. It’s pornographic !
85 300 ZX with digital dash would have been a better choice for that model. And the Mit’s 3000 GT was way ahead of the times in the 90’s.
My Dad had a Trevi Volumex in Italy and I also owned a Renault 25 in blighty, both great individualist cars, the Renualt did 125K miles without an issue, the Lancia was never once overtaken on any Autostrada still trying to find that blue Trevi Volumex…
I had a 1960 Jaguar 2.4 Sedan with a row of toggle switches in the center of the Walnut(?) dash that were pretty cool non button controls.
And then they changed them to rocker switches in case somebody got injured by them in an accident. Well, the dome light might injure you if you rolled the car as well. Apart from that this site must be one of the worst. I try to post my reply but even after 20 minutes it tells me that I am posting too fast!
That happens a lot to me, also — usually when I’m posting my first response in a week. It’ll probably happen to this one, too…
Always loved the toggles on Jags. Designed by guys that built or flew Spitfires.
Universal to many top of range English cars of the era Austin Westminster, Vanden Plas, Wolseley, Rolls Royce, Daimler and Humber.
Nothing like the instant satisfaction of flipping a good old fashion toggle switch.
Took my driving exam in a 1966 Jaguar sedan. All polished wood with lots of analog gauges and toggle switches.
State Trooper that did my test was so taken with the switches and gauges he didn’t even watch my driving!
I was watching my wife struggle with multiple remotes last night, trying to activate a streaming service without turning off the TV.
Damn, I thought, wouldn’t some of this stuff be a lot simpler if the on/off function was a rocker switch mounted on the side of the TV and another one one the cable box? No more pressing and holding and hoping all the gadgets turn off in unison,
I feel the same about automotive controls.
BMW 2002 was just to the point in usefulness, especially with the appropriate placed turn signal lever.
I had the BMW 2002tii back i the 70’s. It had very boring interior design/dash/displays and it was extremely refreshing when the 1977/78 BMW 3 series came out. It had a calm red light and was turned towards the driver seat . The whole BMW series had the same/similar dash and lights for years. No unnecessary extra buttons or lights, and had a soothing feeling when combined with the 6 Cyl engine sound that was so unique for BMW.
Note: I still own a BMW 2002tii that is restored to perfection. The attraction is not the dash or displays, but it all works.
I keep cars forever; I can’t imagine a touchscreen lasting 30 years, and how do you fake a replacement? Honorable mention to the cars with pushbutton automatics, especially Edsel.
My favorite was my Jaguar XJ6 Series 1. The day was simple to navigate, and since I am a pilot and my airplane had two tanks and a selector switch for them, they just went together.
ISTR a couple of XK’s that had unlabeled fuel pump switches, the ultimate anti-theft device.
Are there any new cars without touchscreens?
No. At least not in the U.S. – even the sub 20K Kia Rio has one.
It doesn’t seem like it. Plus, they appear to be getting bigger and bigger. I don’t mind them if they only control the radio, but beyond that I’ll take knobs and buttons for everything, thank you very much.
two sucks and one awful. Pretty much sums up the new cars.
Not likely. The screens are cheap to intigrate into a dash, non-repairable, and expensive to replace. Perfect scenerio for manufactures.
One I know of-Ford Explorer police package.
Apple CarPlay is a big piece of poop
There are sure a lot of people who love it, it seems.