GRATING GIZMOS
When technology fails the test
How do I hate thee; let me count the ways …
Maybe hate is too strong a word. But if you watch new car ads, you’d be right to think every new invention will be making your car life extraordinary.
Instead, a lot of things are just downright annoying.
Navigational systems are great. They’ve come so far over the past decade, it’s hard to believe anyone ever trusted them before.
Most have overcome the delay that left you never knowing which way your little “you are here” arrow was really pointing.
They’ve cleaned up directions to make them more user friendly, and the screens themselves are more responsive.
So why do so many still insist on asking me if I’m sure I want to cancel a route?
Cancel route, says the button. You press it. Are you sure you want to cancel route? Yes, Mom, I’m sure. And I’ve now had to take my eyes from the road twice rather than once.
Navigation systems with trust issues.
As we descend into winter hell, the joy of heated seats, even on many entry-level cars, makes me wonder how I ever lived without them.
They’re not just for rich bums anymore.
But why do some manufacturers insist on making me activate them through a touch screen?
Why should I have to wade through two or even three levels of screens to turn them on?
As surely you need a knob for volume control, you need separate buttons for heated seats. Stop making it difficult.
Speaking of that radio, a colleague recently brought a Subaru bugaboo to my attention.
Subaru is now your raunchy radio censor.
If Howard Stern and other adultish talk radio is your groove, rest assured that each time you turn the car off, it will helpfully reset the radio to the preview station to protect any youngsters that may be joining you on your next outing.
That’s right: The manufacturer has hardwired a command into its Legacy and Outback models that protects you from all the bad words. Talk about annoying. Electronic gear shifters? They’re more than an annoyance — they’re a safety concern.
Because you are adjusting the shifter so subtly, it’s easy to misjudge where you’ve set it.
Without the definitive clunk of a regular shifter, you have to be more vigilant to make up for the fact there is nothing intuitive about this design.
Fiat Chrysler is heading to court over it, but it’s not the only automaker using the design.
So, am I the only one who feels manipulated by auto manufacturers who raced to include ridiculous amounts of distracting technology in cars, only to have them turn around and propose yet more systems that will now protect me from what they introduced in the first place?
Keep it simple, keep it intuitive, and keep the driver’s attention where it should be.