What was the last "game changer"?

[Vinsanity]

Well, I guess my only response to that is:  Didn't everyone have the same exact response to touch screen cell phones at first?  Tons of people thought the lack of buttons was silly for awhile.  Now it's tough to find one with a physical keyboard.

Cars are harder to implement this kind of thing in, but I see the possibilities for it.  Replace a ton of buttons with a face that can morph into large, haptic touch buttons depending on the need.

I can see the possibility for it as well, but I don't think cars are suited to this interface as well as phones. I still don't really like dialing numbers on a button-less screen as much, but the much greater flexibility for the UI's of phone apps is more than worth it. I'm not sure the same potential exists with cars.

With cars, I also like being able to memorize the physical location of buttons, and I don't have as much patience for navigating through menus on an iDrive type of thing in a moving car than I do with a smart phone while I'm sitting on the toilet.

We're still a few generations away from these type of driver interfaces being good enough to supplant the traditional buttons on the dash, I'd say. I've only played around for a few minutes with the systems in the Caddy ATS and 2013 Fusion, and I'd probably give the edge to CUE for the time being.

[sportyaccordy]

Um, that's not the same thing at all.

When using buttons in a car, I'm not going to take my eyes off the road to press them. With a phone, I can focus 100% on the phone and where I'm pressing.

Ha thanks for condensing my post. +1. There is nothing to be gained by making basic car functions haptic. Again cell phones still have volume and power buttons. And cell phones freeze less than CUE

[2o6]

Why is the A-class a game changer?

[2o6]

'13 Chevy Spark



Maybe it's too early to tell, but sales are pretty strong for such a small car. It's showing that maybe the USA is ready for more offerings in the segment from other automakers. The 500 and Mini are more 'premium' offerings that get over on nostalgia. The Spark has none of those.

[hotrodalex]

What about having physical buttons that can be reprogrammed? You can have some sort small screen on the button that changes depending on its function. Would give you the customization of a touch screen and the tactile feedback + ability to use without looking that an old-fashioned system provides.

[MX793]

These are numbers pulled from an analytics company I use for work.  They are usually pretty accurate with predicting these things and take the new model anticipation into account.  But in 4-5 years, there will be an updated BRZ/FRS/86 to keep the train rolling.  I don't think they'll have trouble keeping the demand up on these.

I think the declining sales of the Miata says a lot actually.  The really long product cycles are killing them.  If Toyota/Subaru stay on a traditional 5 year product cycle, Mazda is not going to be able to keep up.

That's a big if on the 5 year cycle.  There is no company out there that is on a standard 5-year cycle for relatively low volume, niche market car like the FBRRZ-S.  The Nissan Silvia line is about the only car I can think of of this type to be on a <6 year redesign cycle, and that car died out a decade ago.  Some of the FWD sport compacts tend to get redesigns on a more standard ~5 year cycle, but that's because their platforms are shared with high volume models (e.g. Integra and Civic) so the platform development costs get spread out.

[Cookie Monster]

The argument of "I want to be able to text while driving or in class without having to look at my phone" is the same argument you're making.  A well designed touchscreen will allow you do the same without looking once you get used to it.

Maybe I haven't used a well-designed touchscreen yet. Every one that I've used so far has been shit. I don't understand how putting a touchscreen with changing buttons would be easier to use than fixed buttons and knobs but OK.

[MrH]

I can see the possibility for it as well, but I don't think cars are suited to this interface as well as phones. I still don't really like dialing numbers on a button-less screen as much, but the much greater flexibility for the UI's of phone apps is more than worth it. I'm not sure the same potential exists with cars.

With cars, I also like being able to memorize the physical location of buttons, and I don't have as much patience for navigating through menus on an iDrive type of thing in a moving car than I do with a smart phone while I'm sitting on the toilet.

We're still a few generations away from these type of driver interfaces being good enough to supplant the traditional buttons on the dash, I'd say. I've only played around for a few minutes with the systems in the Caddy ATS and 2013 Fusion, and I'd probably give the edge to CUE for the time being.

Yeah, that's the thing.  You'd have to have a set of locations for functions that you'd memorize.  For example, when you're using climate control, fan speed is always in a certain location.  It's large, and easily done without looking.  During radio use, that same area is volume.  Something like that.

Ha thanks for condensing my post. +1. There is nothing to be gained by making basic car functions haptic. Again cell phones still have volume and power buttons. And cell phones freeze less than CUE

You've got so much experience with CUE that you know how often it freezes?  When did you get an ATS?  It's still in its infancy.  Patience.  Android frooze a ton at first too.

Why is the A-class a game changer?

I think it will be very important in bringing luxury to smaller vehicles.  We've had cars for awhile like a Focus with a ton of add on features, but haven't really broken into the luxury small car world much.  A luxury brand with luxury features in a small size people will be willing to pay for.

What about having physical buttons that can be reprogrammed? You can have some sort small screen on the button that changes depending on its function. Would give you the customization of a touch screen and the tactile feedback + ability to use without looking that an old-fashioned system provides.

Now you're onto something.  I like this idea too.  The AC controls / driving mode controls in the lower half of the Juke are a lot like this...VERY interesting.  Relatively inexpensive but cool way of using those controls for two purposes.  I'm hoping this becomes more popular. 

[Cookie Monster]

Ha thanks for condensing my post. +1. There is nothing to be gained by making basic car functions haptic. Again cell phones still have volume and power buttons. And cell phones freeze less than CUE

Yup, the most important buttons are still physical. Even on devices such as phones and music players I find actual buttons far more useful. It's why I don't use my phone as a music player and why I have an iPod with the click wheel and another player for the gym. I want to be able to change music without looking at where I'm pressing. Trying to press buttons on a flat glass screen without looking is a total crapshoot, even if the button locations don't change.

I need to be able to feel the button before I press it and that itself is a huge, huge advantage to physical buttons over a touchscreen.

[2o6]

I think it will be very important in bringing luxury to smaller vehicles.  We've had cars for awhile like a Focus with a ton of add on features, but haven't really broken into the luxury small car world much.  A luxury brand with luxury features in a small size people will be willing to pay for.

I'm not convinced. At least from pictures, I find it to be very ugly. Why would the A-class succeed where the A3 failed? Why A-class and not Verano and ILX?

[MX793]

Yup, the most important buttons are still physical. Even on devices such as phones and music players I find actual buttons far more useful. It's why I don't use my phone as a music player and why I have an iPod with the click wheel and another player for the gym. I want to be able to change music without looking at where I'm pressing. Trying to press buttons on a flat glass screen without looking is a total crapshoot, even if the button locations don't change.

I need to be able to feel the button before I press it and that itself is a huge, huge advantage to physical buttons over a touchscreen.

Not to mention that if you simply brush a real button when trying to reach the button/knob/dial you're actually trying to hit, generally nothing happens because you didn't hit it with enough pressure to activate it, but with a touch screen, there is no real pressure sensitivity.  Simply brushing the wrong "button" because you hit a bump in the road while reaching for another button could hit that button.  Probably not a huge deal in most cases (oops, I hit radio preset 7 instead of 8), but it could get annoying if it happened to be the display mode button and now you have to switch back to the previous mode to actually carry out what you were trying to do.

[MrH]

I'm not convinced. At least from pictures, I find it to be very ugly. Why would the A-class succeed where the A3 failed? Why A-class and not Verano and ILX?

A3 is much further from true luxury than the A-class is in my mind.  I thought the A-class looks a bit awkward in pictures, but much better in person.  Pretty stunning car really.

Verano and ILX doesn't have the true luxury brand attached to it.  In my mind, Buick is much closer to a mainstream brand than a luxury brand.

[Cookie Monster]

I'm not convinced. At least from pictures, I find it to be very ugly. Why would the A-class succeed where the A3 failed? Why A-class and not Verano and ILX?

A3 = GTI, Verano = Cruze and ILX = Civic, but A-class has no lesser version here.

That's my guess.

[MrH]

Yup, the most important buttons are still physical. Even on devices such as phones and music players I find actual buttons far more useful. It's why I don't use my phone as a music player and why I have an iPod with the click wheel and another player for the gym. I want to be able to change music without looking at where I'm pressing. Trying to press buttons on a flat glass screen without looking is a total crapshoot, even if the button locations don't change.

I need to be able to feel the button before I press it and that itself is a huge, huge advantage to physical buttons over a touchscreen.

Yes, but you're the minority.   The adoption of touch screen phones and the death of dedicated mp3 players support this.

[2o6]

A3 = GTI, Verano = Cruze and ILX = Civic, but A-class has no lesser version here.

That's my guess.

Isn't the A-class supposed to be leveraged against the Sentra (with the Nissan/Renault/MB tie up).

A3 is much further from true luxury than the A-class is in my mind.  I thought the A-class looks a bit awkward in pictures, but much better in person.  Pretty stunning car really.

Verano and ILX doesn't have the true luxury brand attached to it.  In my mind, Buick is much closer to a mainstream brand than a luxury brand.

I dunno, I put the A3 and A-class on the same plane in my mind (As with the A4, C-class and 3-series), and the ILX and Verano hit wayy harder on the value front.

[MrH]

A3's feel very cheap to me and look very dated.  The new one coming out looks even worse I think.

A-class looks and feels like a much more upscale product.

[2o6]

What about the Lexus CT?

[MrH]

What about the Lexus CT?

Cheap-o and really cramped.  Interesting counterpoint though.  I think the A-class represents a better packaged CT, with the additional cash being thrown towards luxury instead of the hybrid power train that Lexus did.

[2o6]

Cheap-o and really cramped.  Interesting counterpoint though.  I think the A-class represents a better packaged CT, with the additional cash being thrown towards luxury instead of the hybrid power train that Lexus did.

....isn't the A-class also cramped?

[Onslaught]

1990 Miata

[Cookie Monster]

Yes, but you're the minority.   The adoption of touch screen phones and the death of dedicated mp3 players support this.

There are still dedicated mp3 players...

[MrH]

....isn't the A-class also cramped?

Just checked out a CT last week.  I haven't been in the A-class in awhile, but I remember it being pretty roomy.  It'd be hard to be worse than the CT in that regard.

There are still dedicated mp3 players...

Yeah, just saying the sales of mp3 players is down considerably.  It's a dying market.

[sportyaccordy]

You've got so much experience with CUE that you know how often it freezes?  When did you get an ATS?  It's still in its infancy.  Patience.  Android frooze a ton at first too.

When did you get an ATS? You prob have no more experience with it than I do (playing with it at a dealership), and yet somehow you're an expert. And which is it? I don't know how much it freezes, but I should be patient with it now, because it does freeze a lot but is in its infancy. Whose posts are rife with throwing shit till it sticks and goofy contradictions again?

[MrH]

When did you get an ATS? You prob have no more experience with it than I do (playing with it at a dealership), and yet somehow you're an expert. And which is it? I don't know how much it freezes, but I should be patient with it now, because it does freeze a lot but is in its infancy. Whose posts are rife with throwing shit till it sticks and goofy contradictions again?

I'm not the one making claims about extended use with it, you are   Big difference.

[sportyaccordy]

I'm not the one making claims about extended use with it, you are   Big difference.

When did I make claims about extended use with it? I'm going off of reviews from people who had extensive use with it. The system is an answer to a question nobody asked, executed poorly to add insult to confusion. How much you like the idea or how much you dislike me won't change that.

[MrH]

When did I make claims about extended use with it? I'm going off of reviews from people who had extensive use with it. The system is an answer to a question nobody asked, executed poorly to add insult to confusion. How much you like the idea or how much you dislike me won't change that.

Has nothing to do with my personal opinion, and everything to do with the direction of the market.  Look where that's going and tell me if it's an answer to a question nobody asked.

[Rich]

With the crappy reviews MyTouch and CUE are/have been getting, I'm wondering what direction the market will go in, in the next go 'round.

[ifcar]

Some game-changers I'm thinking of from the last decade:

2003 Honda Pilot: The no-compromises crossover that killed the truck-based midsize SUV.
2004 Toyota Prius: It moved hybrids from oddities to mainstream.
2005 Ford Mustang: Re-established the mainstream performance 2+2.
2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS: Made sedans look like coupes.
2007 Honda Fit: The subcompact that really made ordinary subcompacts desirable.
2010 Ford Fiesta: The subcompact that made subcompacts okay as premium cars.
2013 Tesla Model S: The desirable electric car.

[Onslaught]

Toyota Prius

[sportyaccordy]

Has nothing to do with my personal opinion, and everything to do with the direction of the market.  Look where that's going and tell me if it's an answer to a question nobody asked.

Market is headed towards the integration of devices, not haptic interfaces. That none of the Japanese OEMs have offered touch screen replacement for HVAC controls, but are offering shit like Hondalink, says it all.

Some game-changers I'm thinking of from the last decade:

2003 Honda Pilot: The no-compromises crossover that killed the truck-based midsize SUV.
2004 Toyota Prius: It moved hybrids from oddities to mainstream.
2005 Ford Mustang: Re-established the mainstream performance 2+2.
2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS: Made sedans look like coupes.
2007 Honda Fit: The subcompact that really made ordinary subcompacts desirable.
2010 Ford Fiesta: The subcompact that made subcompacts okay as premium cars.
2013 Tesla Model S: The desirable electric car.

Pilot? Why not the Highlander, which came out 2 years earlier?
Agree on Prius.
Mustang success prob did give Hyundai the confidence to do the Genesis coupe. I think the 350Z was more successful in this regard though.
CLS is a good one.
Fit is another good one. Def a step up from the likes of the Aspire and old Accent. I don't know if the Fiesta is legit. If any subcompact made the case for the premium subcompact it was the Mini. I wouldn't call the Fiesta premium.