The decline of the physical button: Is it a good thing?

Do we need physical buttons in cars? Or is the minimalist trend a good thing?

With minimalism on the rise, buttons are, well, on the decline.

Often swapped out for controls within the infotainment system, buttons seem to be losing their value.

However, there are still some of us out there that would prefer buttons, with usability often a lot better.

Some brands have taken this on board – the brand-new Ford Explorer and Ford Capri are just a couple of examples of cars with buttons.

But are they really needed?

Or are we better off with controls living in the infotainment system?

Let's get into gear.

Buttons? Good riddance

Minimalism is in, clutter is out. You'll even find it in interior design – clutter is so old news.

And just the same, you'll find it in many new cars when looking at their interior.

Just look at the Polestar 3 or the Tesla Model Y. The new Model Y has a touchscreen transmission 'stick', and the Polestar 3 has almost no buttons.

Comparisons can be drawn with the decline of physical buttons and the rise of Tesla, who've become something of a pioneer in modern cars.

Very few lease cars before them came as stripped back as the likes of the Model 3 and Model Y interiors – to the love of some and the disdain of others.

The refined nature of the Tesla lineup is certainly part of the appeal and as the world's best-selling EV in 2024, the Model Y must be doing something right.

You can't deny that minimalism looks aesthetically pleasing, and it definitely has its place in the world.

So much emphasis is now placed on the touchscreen functionality. From the height of luxury in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, to the wide range of screens available in in the brand-new Nissan Leaf, it's a sign of the times that brand-new cars are filled with these powerful screens.

There's also the tech evolution to consider.

We're surrounded by the rise of AI and automation in so many aspects of our lives, and we've become accustomed to having some form of voice command at our fingertips.

In our homes, there's every chance you've used Alexa to turn off the lights or Siri to make a call on your iPhone. Offering such hands-free convenience in our cars is a natural evolution of this.

So many leading manufacturers offer voice control, from the well-rounded MBUX system available in Mercedes cars, as well as several Ford, Vauxhall and MINI models of recent years.

Research has shown that having a car that supports Apple CarPlay is one of the most highly sought-after requests from consumers.

But having little to no buttons can be pretty confusing in a car.

We tested out the Polestar 3 and found its usability wasn't great. There were four buttons on the steering wheel, but with no symbols as you could decide what the buttons did from within the infotainment system.

Polestar have definitely listened to the public with the Polestar 4 – they've put more buttons on the steering wheel, with symbols on them, and a touch-sensitive navigation pad.

So, does this mean we're better off with buttons?

Well, let's have a look at the other side of this argument.

Buttons? Yes please

Look at older cars, before there were screens galore and infotainment systems turned into iPads, and you'll see buttons taking their place.

Buttons to control the radio, temperature, fans, volume – everything.

This made usability amazing. Every control was always visible, no hunting through the infotainment system to find what you need.

But the looks? Not so stylish.

However, not everyone is pleased with the lack of buttons. One funding campaign raised nearly £80,000 from over 350 backers to create the Ctrl-Bar product, which would see a control bar retrofitted below the touchscreen.

Of course, old habits die hard.

As a society, we know what we like and don't truly appreciate the value of something until it's gone.

The evidence is stacking up

In 2022, Swedish outlet Vi Bilägare carried out a study that suggested it took up to four times longer to perform several basic tasks when using a touchscreen in favour of a physical button.

Testing 12 different cars, drivers were asked to perform tasks such as turning on the heated seats or tuning the radio while driving at 70mph.

Some of the cars tested included the Tesla Model 3, Mercedes-Benz GLB and the BMW iX among others. The benchmark? A 2005 Volvo V70 – a model that had more buttons than you can dream of.

With all the drivers familiar with their vehicle, they were tested to see the time and distance required to complete the four tasks and the level of concentration required.

It wasn't a surprise to see the V70 thrive, completing all four tasks in 10 seconds flat.

It took 23.5s in the Model 3 and 30.4s in the BMW iX. The worst-performing model – the MG Marvel R, clocked in at a staggering 44.9 seconds.

The findings that are most concerning are the combination of the time and distance required, but also the level of concentration the driver was required to take off the road to complete simple routine tasks that would've otherwise been completed through nothing more than muscle memory with a button.

Some drivers were required to lower their line of sight by 60 degrees to see the lower region of the touchscreen.

When basic functions like climate control and heating can get lost within menus of menus, it can quickly become difficult to navigate while driving.

What was designed to limit the attention taken off the road can often take longer, become more frustrating and harder to use.

What's the solution?

Not many new cars nowadays have a lot of buttons, but take a look in the Ford Explorer and Ford Capri and you’ll see that Ford seems to have found the perfect balance.

They've got the big infotainment system screen for navigation and entertainment, but they've kept physical buttons for the essentials – heating, volume, air con.

It's the best of both worlds, making usability a dream.

BMW strike a fine balance in many of their models, combining the use of motion gesture controls, voice control, shortcut buttons, a rotary dial and their touchscreen. Previous generations of the iDrive system have wowed, with the German manufacturer cementing their place as one of the industry leaders in this area.

If these tests and theories have highlighted one clear problem, it's the lack of focus on user experience.

The advancements of our technology and engineering are so vast that it makes complete sense that the physical button has been highlighted as something no longer required.

However, more consideration has to be taken when designing how to use what are pretty basic functions while driving.

Touchscreens are by no means a bad addition to our modern vehicles, far from it. They serve a purpose – for things like navigation they make perfect sense.

However, there are multiple instances where substance must supersede style.

As we move into a new era of electrified and high-tech driving, it's important we find balance between functionality and technology.