I like technology. I like clean design. I like a good infotainment system when it actually works. But I do think car interiors have become a bit too obsessed with screens.
Over the past few years, the inside of a car has changed massively. Physical buttons have been removed, dashboards have become cleaner, and almost every major function now seems to live inside a touchscreen. On the surface, that can look brilliant. A big central display, a simple dashboard and hardly any clutter can make a car feel modern, expensive and futuristic.
But the longer you spend with some of these cars, the more you realise that a good-looking interior is not always the same thing as a good interior.
The problem with everything in a menu
Some modern cars look amazing when parked. Huge screens, minimal dashboards, almost no buttons. It all feels very sleek. Then you actually drive them and realise the heated seats are three taps away, the mirror adjustment is hidden somewhere odd, and changing the fan speed takes more attention than it should.
That is where minimalism stops feeling clever and starts feeling like cost cutting dressed up as design.
I understand why car manufacturers are doing it. Screens are flexible. They allow brands to update software, change layouts, add features and create a more premium-looking cabin without filling the dashboard with separate controls. From a design point of view, it makes sense.
But from a driver’s point of view, it does not always work.
There are certain things you need to do quickly and without thinking. Adjusting the temperature. Turning the heated seats on. Changing the volume. Demisting the windscreen. Switching drive modes. Opening the glovebox, in some cases. These are not things that should require a deep dive into a digital menu.
Cars are not smartphones on wheels. They move. They bounce. They hit potholes. You use them in the rain, in traffic, at night, on motorways and on unfamiliar roads. Interior design needs to work in that real-world environment, not just under perfect showroom lighting.
Good tech should reduce stress
The best technology makes life easier. Wireless Apple CarPlay that connects quickly? Brilliant. A clear reversing camera? Very useful. A proper head-up display that shows your speed, navigation and key information in your line of sight? Excellent.
I am absolutely not against technology in cars. In fact, I love it when it is done properly. A great infotainment system can make a car feel more intuitive, more relaxing and more enjoyable to live with. Good navigation, voice control, connected services and over-the-air updates can all make a huge difference.
The issue is not the screen itself. The issue is when the screen becomes the answer to absolutely everything.
If a system needs constant looking, tapping, swiping and waiting, it is not making driving easier. It is adding friction. It is asking the driver to take attention away from the road to do something that used to take half a second.
That is not progress.
There is also a big difference between a screen being impressive and a screen being useful. Some systems have beautiful graphics but are slow to respond. Others have sharp displays but confusing menus. Some look fantastic in press photos, yet feel frustrating when you are trying to turn the fan down while driving along a bumpy road.
A car interior should not be designed around what looks best in a marketing image. It should be designed around what works best when someone is actually driving.
Buttons are not old-fashioned
There is nothing outdated about a good physical control.
A proper volume knob is still a brilliant thing. Temperature switches still make sense. Steering wheel buttons that you can use without looking are useful. A real button for the heated rear screen or windscreen demister is not a failure of imagination. It is just practical.
The best physical controls work because of muscle memory. Once you have used a car for a little while, you know where things are. You can reach for them without taking your eyes off the road for too long. You can feel the difference between a button, a switch and a rotary dial.
That kind of usability matters.
Touchscreens, by their nature, need your eyes. You need to look at what you are pressing. If the menu moves, if the screen lags, or if the function is hidden behind another screen, the process becomes more distracting than it needs to be.
I think some brands are starting to realise this. A few newer cars are bringing back proper controls for climate settings, volume and key driving functions. That feels like the right direction. Not because cars should feel old-fashioned, but because the best design usually combines modern technology with common sense.
The showroom problem
One of the reasons screens have taken over is because they help sell cars.
When you first sit in a car with a massive display, it can feel instantly impressive. It looks high-tech. It gives the cabin a wow factor. It makes the car feel modern before you have even started driving.
That matters, especially when customers are comparing cars in a showroom or looking at photos online.
But the things that impress you in the first five minutes are not always the things you appreciate after five months. Over time, you start to care less about the size of the screen and more about whether the system is fast, logical and easy to use.
A huge screen is only a benefit if the software behind it is good. If it is slow, messy or frustrating, the size just makes the problem bigger.
Voice control is not always the answer
Some people will argue that voice control solves this. In theory, it should. Being able to say what you want without touching anything sounds ideal.
In reality, voice control in cars is still hit and miss. Sometimes it works perfectly. Other times it misunderstands you, takes too long, or asks you to repeat yourself. That is fine when you are asking for a radio station or setting a destination, but less helpful when you just want to quickly change the temperature.
Voice control should be an extra layer of convenience, not an excuse to remove simple controls.
My take
I do not want car interiors to go backwards. I do not want every dashboard covered in buttons for the sake of it. I like modern cabins. I like clean layouts. I like big screens when they are fast, clear and properly integrated.
But I do want car makers to remember what an interior is actually for.
A car interior is not just a digital lounge. It is a working space. It needs to be comfortable, intuitive and safe to use while moving. That means putting the right controls in the right places.
Give me great screens for the things screens do well. Navigation, media, vehicle settings, cameras, apps and connected features all make sense on a display. But give me proper physical controls for the things I use all the time.
Temperature. Volume. Demisters. Heated seats. Drive modes. Basic shortcuts.
That feels like progress to me. Not removing every button because it looks cleaner, but understanding which controls deserve to stay.
The best interiors of the future will not be the ones with the biggest screens. They will be the ones that balance technology with usability. Cars should feel modern, but they should also feel easy. Because when you are driving, the cleverest design is often the one you barely have to think about.