Ford Authority Poll: What Do You Think About Ford Phasing Out Physical Climate Controls?

[tbone]

https://fordauthority.com/2024/06/poll-what-do-you-think-about-ford-phasing-out-physical-climate-controls/amp/

 

I didn’t see any comments about this topic related to their poll.  Obviously we can’t see the number of respondents or anything about the integrity of their poll, but 96% want physical controls retained.  It’s seems removing physical controls is a maligned process.  Do you think Ford is paying attention to things like this?  
 

I hope so, because as a Ford product buyer, I despise the relocation of controls to the screen.  I prefer the tactile response I get from a button. 

[akirby]

I think the vast majority would be fine with the way Ford implemented it as fixed buttons on the bottom of the screen.  As opposed to going through menus.

[mustang84isu]

A screen doesn't give you any feedback and you have to take your eyes off the road.  What Ford should do is innovate like Xiaomi and add attachable physical controls that connect to the screen.  People that want them could easily purchase it as an accessory through the dealership. 

https://insideevs.com/news/713044/xiaomi-docking-buttons-screen/

 

IMO, physical controls on Lincolns should be standard - at least the main ones such as volume, temp, fan speed, etc.  There is a new Bugatti that is going almost exclusively back to analog.  Not sure how much staying power Tesla-style minimalism (aka cost cutting) has in the luxury segment.

[akirby]

Volume is on the steering wheel and with auto climate you really don’t have to adjust it very much.  Given a choice I would take physical buttons but even with those you still have to glance at it.  It’s really not a big issue if you don’t have to go through menus.

[T-dubz]

I’d really like to see ford bring back the functionality of sync that my fusion had back in the days. Being able to control the AC and the radio from the steering wheel without having to take your eyes off the road at all was great. I’d be ok with no physical buttons if I had that ability. 

[Gurgeh]

12 hours ago, akirby said:

I think the vast majority would be fine with the way Ford implemented it as fixed buttons on the bottom of the screen.  As opposed to going through menus.

I recently transitioned to on-screen controls for climate (from a 2019 Nautilus to a 2024 Nautilus), and while the relocation doesn't totally suck they are frankly a pain to use when driving (for adjusting when stopped they are fine). While driving, as I keep having to glance down and keep poking at that barely-visible tiny carrot icon I think of them like of low-flow toilets, which in practice are often better named two-flush toilets.

[akirby]

2 hours ago, Gurgeh said:

I recently transitioned to on-screen controls for climate (from a 2019 Nautilus to a 2024 Nautilus), and while the relocation doesn't totally suck they are frankly a pain to use when driving (for adjusting when stopped they are fine). While driving, as I keep having to glance down and keep poking at that barely-visible tiny carrot icon I think of them like of low-flow toilets, which in practice are often better named two-flush toilets.

Which button/function are you using the most?

 

Having temp control on the steering wheel as was mentioned on older fusions would be handy.

[Gurgeh]

13 minutes ago, akirby said:

Which button/function are you using the most?

 

Having temp control on the steering wheel as was mentioned on older fusions would be handy.

I use audio controls the most. And here, moving more of those controls to the center screen works just fine. I thought that I would miss the center console physical controls for station browsing, but I don't. The new steering wheel controls for volume and station browsing are better implemented than before, and the new infotainment system now has so many more pre-select stations (that keep scrolling from the end back to the beginning, which is huge -- I came from Sync3) that I never need to worry about finding a station I like. When my wife is in the passenger seat and is doing audio selection, she just uses the big volume knob (which is great) and the on-screen browsing which works fine for her as a passenger.

 

But I use the temp controls second most. And as stated above, I find it a pain to use when driving (and sometimes dangerous because it takes more attention away from driving). Again, when stopped it is just fine.

[rmc523]

My Bronco has physical controls, and I do like them.   I have not had experience with the new interface with HVAC on the screen, but I think the permanent docking on the bottom will make a difference vs. other setups where you have to dig through multiple menus just to change the air.

 

That said, I have it set to Auto, so I rarely touch the A/C unless I want the temp up or down a degree or two, or the recirc on/off.

[tbone]

I use the temperature control and fan speed including Auto fairly often.  My personal experiences with my Edge and MME touchscreens require me to look to locate the buttons to touch and often required multiple touches to make the change due to lack of responsiveness or other.  I do not have this same problem with my Raptor or our ST. 

[SoonerLS]

In my truck, I use the fan speed and temperature controls fairly regularly, and I can operate them without taking my eyes off the road because they’re big distinct rotary knobs. In my Flex, I have to take my eyes off the road to adjust pretty much anything because there aren’t any tactile buttons, just touch-sensitive surfaces, with the exception of the fan knob. The design of those control surfaces is far and away my least favorite design feature about that car, even with auto climate control. At least my Lincoln had distinct rockers for adjusting the temperature—if I try to adjust the temperature in the Flex, I’m just as likely to skip back 10 seconds in the podcast that’s playing as turn the temperature down one degree.

[Andrew L]

I had the 'captive buttons' and sliders on my 2013 MKZ.  The buttons were annoying but the sliders I didn't mind at all.  I actually found it easy to get the fan speed to max by just sliding my finger quickly across it.  That being said the lack of heated/cooled seats buttons on the control panel was a huge sin.  They were only available on the home screen or the climate screen.  If you went into Nav or Radio they were completely gone.  I upgraded to Sync 3 which is a far better system but it suffered the same issue.

 

My 2017's control panel is a million times better having physical buttons and physical heated/cooled seat buttons.

 

Also to add, it's been a long time since I have seen a car with temp and fan controls on the wheel but my 04 Aviator has them and I love that it has them on the wheel.

Edited June 26, 2024 by Andrew L

[akirby]

2 hours ago, tbone said:

I use the temperature control and fan speed including Auto fairly often.  My personal experiences with my Edge and MME touchscreens require me to look to locate the buttons to touch and often required multiple touches to make the change due to lack of responsiveness or other.  I do not have this same problem with my Raptor or our ST. 

Why do you need to adjust the fan speed in auto mode?  If it’s to reduce fan noise when you start it up the new models allow you to control the max fan setting on auto to 3 levels which solves that problem.  

[akirby]

4 hours ago, Gurgeh said:

I use audio controls the most. And here, moving more of those controls to the center screen works just fine. I thought that I would miss the center console physical controls for station browsing, but I don't. The new steering wheel controls for volume and station browsing are better implemented than before, and the new infotainment system now has so many more pre-select stations (that keep scrolling from the end back to the beginning, which is huge -- I came from Sync3) that I never need to worry about finding a station I like. When my wife is in the passenger seat and is doing audio selection, she just uses the big volume knob (which is great) and the on-screen browsing which works fine for her as a passenger.

 

But I use the temp controls second most. And as stated above, I find it a pain to use when driving (and sometimes dangerous because it takes more attention away from driving). Again, when stopped it is just fine.

Yes sync 4 is a game changer for audio controls.  I hate getting back in my sync 3 F150..

[probeGT]

My favorite climate controls are on my 2003 Ranger. My 2016 Escape and 2013 Focus ST have identical controls with two temperature knobs and a bunch of buttons. I do like how you can set different vents using buttons, but the fan speed buttons are super annoying. There's a delay in the response to speed adjustments--don't know if that's intentional or just slow electronics.

[T-dubz]

For me, all radio is controlled through the steering wheel. I just flip through the preset stations. Navigation is done through my phone now so I have my destination entered and ready to go before I even get in the car. I have max ac turned on 95% of the year and the only adjustments I make are the fan speed. Someone mentioned it before, but I think the knob that the mach e has on its screen is a good compromise. Just have 3 smaller knobs at the bottom of the screen for volume, temp and fan speed and you are all set.

[ANTAUS]

Not sure when was the last time I actually adjusted my A/C...it's set to 69 and that's about it.  Now, it would be nice if the A/C seats stayed on, but whenever I start the vehicle via remote control, it resets it and gotta touch that one up again.

[SoonerLS]

3 hours ago, akirby said:

I hate getting back in my sync 3 F150..

Drop it off at my house and you won't have to worry about that any longer. 

[akirby]

52 minutes ago, ANTAUS said:

Not sure when was the last time I actually adjusted my A/C...it's set to 69 and that's about it.  Now, it would be nice if the A/C seats stayed on, but whenever I start the vehicle via remote control, it resets it and gotta touch that one up again.

The A/C seats in the Nautilus stay on.  And they are definitely A/C not just ventilated.  But the fan is t all that strong.

[akirby]

13 minutes ago, SoonerLS said:

Drop it off at my house and you won't have to worry about that any longer. 

Next time I’m driving through Oklahoma…..

[Gurgeh]

6 hours ago, akirby said:

Why do you need to adjust the fan speed in auto mode?  If it’s to reduce fan noise when you start it up the new models allow you to control the max fan setting on auto to 3 levels which solves that problem.  

Not the fan speed, the temperature setting, and those are controlled by two tiny carrots that are hard to hit just right when driving -- or even to see them at times. I often have to tap it several times to get it to register. The fan speed is a much easier screen adjustment to make and it doesn't bother me. As for the fan speed on auto, if you are talking about adjusting it to 1, 2 or 3, I never have put it on anything higher than 1 and it is often still too much air at times (hence the reducing the speed manually, which again doesn't really bother me). Or is there is some other limiter I have to find in settings?

[akirby]

1 hour ago, Gurgeh said:

Not the fan speed, the temperature setting, and those are controlled by two tiny carrots that are hard to hit just right when driving -- or even to see them at times. I often have to tap it several times to get it to register. The fan speed is a much easier screen adjustment to make and it doesn't bother me. As for the fan speed on auto, if you are talking about adjusting it to 1, 2 or 3, I never have put it on anything higher than 1 and it is often still too much air at times (hence the reducing the speed manually, which again doesn't really bother me). Or is there is some other limiter I have to find in settings?

On our 22 it changes dramatically between 1, 2 and 3 if you’re cooling down a hot vehicle.  Maybe the new o es are reversed?  Try all 3 settings.

 

You should also be able to set the fan speed to low and it should stay there while it adjusts the air temp automatically.

[Andrew L]

8 hours ago, akirby said:

On our 22 it changes dramatically between 1, 2 and 3 if you’re cooling down a hot vehicle.  Maybe the new o es are reversed?  Try all 3 settings.

 

You should also be able to set the fan speed to low and it should stay there while it adjusts the air temp automatically.

 

My MKZ works the same as you described.  When I put it on AUTO it defaults to all 3 lights above the AUTO button on.  Going down to 2 or 1 reduces the fan greatly.

[tbone]

22 hours ago, akirby said:

Why do you need to adjust the fan speed in auto mode?  If it’s to reduce fan noise when you start it up the new models allow you to control the max fan setting on auto to 3 levels which solves that problem.  

There are three fan speeds on auto and it is depends on if there are passengers in the back or if I’m particularly hot or cold for some reason.  It’s never set it and forget it in my vehicles for a number of reasons.  
 

Interestingly, whenever my kids drive our vehicles they are always jacking around with the Climate controls and usually have them set to manual, and I always argue with them about it that auto handles the temps and you can just change between between the three auto fan settings, but they continue to use manual mode.  I told them they can save some money in the future and buy vehicles without climate control since they don’t use it. 

Edited June 27, 2024 by tbone

[akirby]

2 hours ago, tbone said:

 

Interestingly, whenever my kids drive our vehicles they are always jacking around with the Climate controls and usually have them set to manual, and I always argue with them about it that auto handles the temps and you can just change between between the three auto fan settings, but they continue to use manual mode.  I told them they can save some money in the future and buy vehicles without climate control since they don’t use it. 

Same with my daughter.  She just won’t use it.  No logical reason.