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by nanobyte 1669 days ago
This simply isn't accurate. My first car after college was an Audi A4, and later an S4. And then a BMW. I've lived and driven all manner of higher-end cars while working in Germany.

I'd take the Model Y any day. It's the easiest and most intuitive vehicle I've ever driven. I used to think the same way about physical buttons. But in reality, as others have said, you rarely use the touchscreen while driving--and basically everything can be controlled by voice with a tap of a button on the steering wheel. Unlike other carmakers, the voice recognition actually works. I'm guessing they use Google for voice processing?

All the primary controls that you might need are located along the bottom of the screen. That includes front/read defrost, heated seats, etc. The volume controls are conveniently found on right, which is ideal for passengers (since the driver would just use the scroll wheel).

While driving, I use voice commands for turning on heated seats and/or steering wheel. For setting the temperature, it's literally a single tap on steering wheel, "temperature 67", or "I'm cold", and it'll lower it by 3 degrees. Probably the only time I really use the touch screen is to pull up The Bike Shed podcast and select an episode (which can also be done by voice). Other times include starting the karaoke, which is great fun when you're with family.

My mom's Lexus SUV, by comparison, is an unusable abomination of complexity. I think I counted nearly 100 buttons, including a useless "tactile" trackpad. Much of the criticism aimed at the touch interface are from people who have one thing in common: they don't drive one, and therefore make assumptions based on existing experience and intuition.

For what it matters, I'm a millennial. But regardless of age, every person who's driven my car remarks on how intuitive and easy to use it is. To be fair, there's stuff that isn't initially intuitive. When I first got the vehicle, I couldn't figure out how to put it in reverse :-). And the interaction of Autopilot and its fallback to TACC (cruise control) during disengagement, the use of the accelerator or right stalk to confirm going through traffic lights--all of which take some getting used to. But the same would apply if those systems existed in other vehicles.

2 comments

I drive one and I disagree about the voice control, I think it's pretty bad. I tried ten different ways of saying turn on front defrost, but the only thing it understood was rear defrost (or was it the other way around?). I had to Google how to do it and since I don't remember I just use the touch screen now. Rear fog lights and passenger airco I never got working using voice control. After a while you just stip trying what works with voice control and what not and which exact sentence you have to say.

The touch screen isn't that intuitive either. I've yet to figure out how to take an address suggestion and then also add a street number.

I said MOST Tesla fanboys, not all. Being intuitive in certain places doesn't excuse other areas from criticism, just like you seem to be doing now. Lexus having an awful infotainment, which every automotive reviewer on the planet would agree with, doesn't make Tesla immune to criticism for decisions like the wiper controls or their often shoddy build quality. Even my favorite cars have flaws that I will readily identify. I have a GT-R and it's one of the best all around daily drivers I've ever had, but the infotainment is incredibly dated and the interior is nothing to write home about. The transmission is jerky under 5mph. The paint is soft so I had to spend a lot to get a clear bra installed on the front 1/2 of my car. I bought it because of the way it drives, not for any other reason. I love a lot about it, but I'll be the first to admit all of its shortcomings when anyone is interested in buying one.