Center display and touch controls vs. stalks and buttons

[MapGuy]

I'd have to agree with Edmunds .
While I can appreciate some of the reasons for moving to a central touch screen, there are too many instances where I miss the old tactile system of switches and buttons that I could operate without diverting attention from the road.
I'm really hoping Tesla will greatly expand voice commands to operate many of the menu functions while driving.

 

[AdamMacDon]

I tend to agree with Edmunds, as probably one of my favorite cars I've ever driven, my SR+ is certainly the best car in my budget. But the one downside is the touchscreen is downright unsafe sometimes. Having to look down at a screen to adjust your wipers while barely able to see because of the rain and dark is quite a step back from the regular stalk-based controls on my old Dodge Charger. One day when the auto wipers are better this may be negated, but still things like climate control can't be controlled with voice commands (something Mercedes has now), and you must use the screen for that. Thankfully, software updates and time will probably get rid of these small flaws in an otherwise great car.

 

[Jack007]

Seriously wiper controls? Glad my S has them on the stalk still.

 

[StellarRat]

Seriously wiper controls? Glad my S has them on the stalk still.

I've found to the fully automated settings to work quite well. The stalk is pretty outdated IMO.

 

[jboy210]

Seriously wiper controls? Glad my S has them on the stalk still.

If you got the latest update you see that Tesla has released "deep Rain". A NN that is pre-trained to do well on when to run the wipers, but importantly learns what you think is better/perfect. Every time you have the wipers in Auto and override the setting by pressing a wiper speed selection on the screen on a Model 3, or make a change on the stalk on a Model S/X, you augmenting the networks training, and customizing your car's network for when you think the wipers should run and how fast.

https://ww.electrek.co/2019/11/28/tesla-auto-wiper-update-trained-deep-neural-net/

 

[Jack007]

If you got the latest update you see that Tesla has released "deep Rain". A NN that is pre-trained to do well on when to run the wipers, but importantly learns what you think is better/perfect. Every time you have the wipers in Auto and override the setting by pressing a wiper speed selection on the screen on a Model 3, or make a change on the stalk on a Model S/X, you augmenting the networks training, and customizing your car's network for when you think the wipers should run and how fast.

https://ww.electrek.co/2019/11/28/tesla-auto-wiper-update-trained-deep-neural-net/

that's great until it's not, I like manual overrides for the important stuff, like being able to see. I don't like the auto headlight function either. So much of the time in snow and slush, sensors get covered can't even use cruise control cuz of the automatic braking being dysfunctional.
Give me an option to have old fashioned cruise so I don't have to hold my foot down for hours. Tesla thinks autopilot will be fsd soon. I call BS in Canada and northern states. That said, still love the car

 

[jboy210]

that's great until it's not, I like manual overrides for the important stuff, like being able to see. I don't like the auto headlight function either. So much of the time in snow and slush, sensors get covered can't even use cruise control cuz of the automatic braking being dysfunctional.
Give me an option to have old fashioned cruise so I don't have to hold my foot down for hours. Tesla thinks autopilot will be fsd soon. I call BS in Canada and northern states. That said, still love the car

They are not talking away the ability to override the wipers behavior. Just augmenting the "auto" setting
with your behaviors.

Regarding old fashion cruise control, I never used it. Without at least distance keeping and collision avoidance overrides I find old-fashion cruise control dangerous. On the flip side, with those other features I love the cruise control on my Tesla, especially in stop and go traffic on the freeway. Of course, I live in California, where rain is all we worry about.

Hatred of snow and cold weather is my wife and I met. She was in the midwest when selecting graduate schools and ruled out all schools where it snowed.

 

[MentalNomad]

Having to look down at a screen to adjust your wipers while barely able to see because of the rain and dark is quite a step back from the regular stalk-based controls on my old Dodge Charger.

I continue to see no sense at all in complaints like this.

When the wipers aren't hitting and I'm not happy with the windshield, I hit the button on the left stalk and it does a wipe. Fixed.

If it persists, I hit the button for a wipe, and then adjust manually on screen. I'm never blind.

But I can't even recall the last time that was necessary ... usually, the worst it gets is that I hit the button once, and auto does fine afterwards.

 

[MentalNomad]

Had my 3 in for service once, and had a new S for the day. My immediate thought was, "WTF with all these unnecessary buttons and stalks?!?"

Was glad to get back into my uncluttered 3. It's definitely still the Car of the Year to me.

 

[David Farmer]

The wiper can be activated by pressing on the end of the turn signal stalk in a Model 3.

 

[AdamMacDon]

I continue to see no sense at all in complaints like this.

When the wipers aren't hitting and I'm not happy with the windshield, I hit the button on the left stalk and it does a wipe. Fixed.

If it persists, I hit the button for a wipe, and then adjust manually on screen. I'm never blind.

But I can't even recall the last time that was necessary ... usually, the worst it gets is that I hit the button once, and auto does fine afterwards.

Yeah, exactly what I want from my $60,000 car is having to press the button every time I want the wipers to work. When even my 2009 Crown Victoria had a handy dial on the stalk I could twist and leave at a set interval for wipers. This is of course somewhat subjective per driver, but living in a place where it rains nearly 200 days of the year (and with very frequent changes in amounts of rain), the auto wipers frankly do not work for me. Even passengers comment on it sometimes. If you have to use the touchscreen for anything you are for certain distracted, at least slightly. This is a disadvantage over tactile controls.

 

[Buttybach]

Wipers and auto lights are the only real weaknesses but on any safety evaluation you have to say that, wipers particularly, are seriously bad. Her in the UK we get a lot of light rain/drizzle and the screen can be completely covered and opaque well before the auto wipers kick in. So you are driving blind and then have to look down and fiddle with the screen..hoping not to hit something or someone while you do it. With someone on your rear bumper braking hard is not a safe option either.
Likewise the lights will not go to main beam in any 30mph zone over here..that's the rule if there are street lights but I live in a small village with no lights and narrow roads. People walk along these roads and without main beam its much harder to see them. I so hope Tesla can catch up with what every other car maker has been doing for 20 years in these key respects...then its perfect..