S650 interior first impressions

[Zig]

Plenty of cars have buttons on the steering wheel without having touchscreens. Screens are cheaper to design around since they can use the same one or at least the same CPU and coding for all vehicles. Buttons required specific components to fit. It is a cost savings thing.

I have never had a touchscreen in a vehicle and I was really worried about that. I got used to the controls a lot quicker than I had expected. I do not mess with much while driving but have used voice controls for years with my phone. They work great for changing music, making calls, replying to texts, and navigation through Android auto.

I could care less about the dash. I grew up with foxbody's. That is what made me fall in love with cars and mustangs in general. The double brow was a detractor on the S550. Stuck up too high. The screen is significantly lower in the S650. This design is far nicer to me, more nostalgic.

I would like to have more physical controls but I doubt we ever will have them again. Remember when smartphones had keyboards....

Touchscreen in a vehicle is like target practice from (you are on the train and your bogey is on horseback) an old steam train, for the driver.

Are buttons on the steering wheel so one doesn’t need to take their eyes off of the road and can control simply by touch and feel feedback, not so much with a screen.

sometimes solving for x is x..

Other than that the interior seems to be both spacious and comfortable with sufficient occupant gadget storage and power options…

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[agreywolfe]

Why did they put buttons on the steering wheel if touch screen is so good? Wouldn’t be as bad if the screen was able to provide tactile feedback without visual involvement (ie braille).

this is a false equivalency here, buttons have been on Mustang steering wheels since 2005 , the screens didnt magically make that happen 20 years ago. The buttons on the wheel and the screen center dash are two different design ideas.

 

[Zig]

this is a false equivalency here, buttons have been on Mustang steering wheels since 2005 , the screens didnt magically make that happen 20 years ago. The buttons on the wheel and the screen center dash are two different design ideas.

And what do those buttons do?

 

[agreywolfe]

And what do those buttons do?

allow you to adjust common controls while driving so you arent required to take your hand off the steering wheel? i dont get what youre trying to argue here, the screens existing have literally nothing to do with the buttons on the steering wheel as theyve been there for 20 years.

 

[Zig]

allow you to adjust common controls while driving so you arent required to take your hand off the steering wheel? i dont get what youre trying to argue here, the screens existing have literally nothing to do with the buttons on the steering wheel as theyve been there for 20 years.

Regarding driver control. You can’t use a screen without looking at it. You can’t see the road without looking at it. Unless the passenger is performing the control the driver now needs to take both his eyes off of the road and his hand off of the wheel to hopefully ‘touch’ the correct spot.

 

[agreywolfe]

Regarding driver control. You can’t use a screen without looking at it. You can’t see the road without looking at it. Unless the passenger is performing the control the driver now needs to take both his eyes off of the road and his hand off of the wheel to hopefully ‘touch’ the correct spot.

so youve got bad eyesight, thats your argument. i can control my center screen fine without looking at it, once you learn where everything is (like you have to do with buttons) it becomes second nature, besides that anything that would even require me to take my eyes off the road is on the steering wheel and the only missing dial is a non issue as the car literally has an auto AC mode anyway i havent touched those controls since i set them back in September.

 

[Zig]

so youve got bad eyesight, thats your argument. i can control my center screen fine without looking at it, once you learn where everything is (like you have to do with buttons) it becomes second nature, besides that anything that would even require me to take my eyes off the road is on the steering wheel and the only missing dial is a non issue as the car literally has an auto AC mode anyway i havent touched those controls since i set them back in September.

Not so much bad eyesight as fine motor control. Trying to tap that dag gone special spot while enjoying the scenery can be distracting.

 

[agreywolfe]

Not so much bad eyesight as fine motor control. Trying to tap that dag gone special spot while enjoying the scenery can be distracting.

buttons on the steering wheel were added 20 years ago because of that. no need to take your hand off the wheel when theirs a button there, cant say about taking eyes off the road because you need to figure out what the buttons do first, but once you learn where they are you dont need to worry about taking eyes off the road.

 

[ShaBoingBoing]

Having had mine for the past four months and coming from a G37, the interior is nice, but some items should have been physical buttons. The climate control being on the screen is inconvenient and requires you to stretch quite a bit if you want to change anything. It’s not that bad and at the end of the day it isn’t a luxury car. Would have been nice if the button cluster at the bottom was better designed as well. It looks kinda ugly being just one piece but it works well. My biggest gripe of all is how laggy the infotainment is. The UI was rather well thought out but when everything is laggy it makes the whole experience super clunky. This especially affects the climate controls. Overall though I think it’s better than the last interior. That design looked mid 00s and in more of a Walmart way than a Target way.

 

[Zig]

buttons on the steering wheel were added 20 years ago because of that. no need to take your hand off the wheel when theirs a button there, cant say about taking eyes off the road because you need to figure out what the buttons do first, but once you learn where they are you dont need to worry about taking eyes off the road.

And that’s the point about the touchscreen. Almost impossible to tell where you are simply by feel.

 

[agreywolfe]

And that’s the point about the touchscreen. Almost impossible to tell where you are simply by feel.

If you don't know how to work it, sure, but once you learn where everything is its second nature, like the physical buttons were

 

[Mastermind46]

If you don't know how to work it, sure, but once you learn where everything is its second nature, like the physical buttons were

I tried making the same point. While the touchscreen may take some getting used to it's pretty easy to operate. Like a phone not having a keyboard. I still use the swc on my Xterra without a touchscreen so I don't have to take my hands off the steering wheel or my eyes off the road.

 

[Upacurb]

I think the touch screen would be easy to use
I think the screens looks great.....and would love the interior.....in an Explorer.......or some other car....

I think my biggest complaint is- we drive a Mustang because they are unique...and different....and stand out...

While I think the screens are SUPER nice.... just not unique or different and definitely don't stand out

There was no confusing the S550 dash with another car - not the case with the S650

I just think they got a little too much "me too" with the dash...thats all

(im talking looks- not functionality)

 

[horned-toad]

Remember when smartphones had keyboards....

and were better for it. Blackberry was king for good reason. Until parents got the stupid idea to give phones to teenage girls.

 

[Mastermind46]

and were better for it. Blackberry was king for good reason. Until parents got the stupid idea to give phones to teenage girls.

You sound like the execs that ran blackberry into the ground.

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