Buttons, knobs and handles are always touched and wave

These are the words of Volkswagen design boss Andreas Mind about reintroducing physical buttons for 2026 VW cars.

Volkswagen has decided to return the buttons to all vehicles after years of deploying new models using touchscreen controls.

VW admits that it not only listens to customer feedback, but also takes on the mistakes that force drivers to rely on touchscreen systems.

This is great news. Thankfully, my car – the VW Polo – has some features on the touchscreen, but I didn't try to understand. What I was forced to use was that my youngest daughter came and tried to turn the radio settings back to radio 4 after taking something suitable for the nightclub in Ibiza. Even doing that would be challenging and wouldn't want to try it while driving. In my last car, I pressed the convenient placement button.

Which car was investigated last year? The majority of UK drivers have found that they want to be independent of touchscreens and prefer cabins with more switches. A survey of 1,428 drivers found that 89% could ride physical buttons, knobs and dials inside the car.

Polls found that manufacturers are locked in by fitting the latest models to complex iPad-style gadgets, making them a major turn-off for car buyers.

It's not just automakers who need to stick to buttons and knobs. Last year we stayed in a hotel with a touchpad temperature control in our room. It was either a swell or a freeze and was never comfortable. I politely mentioned at the reception and was given a blow heater with a small plugin. “Don't worry, we always hand out these. There are far fewer complaints about them,” I was told.

I hate public toilets that use sensor systems to flush. You stray your hands against the small pads behind the toilet and it should be washed away, but it rarely. You'll end up waving maniac for a few minutes until it finally works.

The same applies to taps in public toilets. I have recently tried to summon water for years to put my hands at different angles and wash them. The woman in the adjacent sink said it works through trial and error only. When the water came it flowed for 0.5 seconds and stopped. I gave up and used a water bottle. What's wrong with the tap? They have served us for decades – as they say, “If it's not broken, don't fix it.”

The tap is much easier to use. Photo: Pixa Bay

I know where the handles, buttons and knobs are used. They are more tactile and I believe, more responsive.

I've heard that laptops are currently being produced with touchscreen keyboards. I don't like the sound. Some argue that there's no difference between using a mobile phone, but the majority of them are touchscreens. But for me, that doesn't work. If you're typing longer than a simple whatsapp or text message, you'd like to use a traditional keyboard much more. I believe it will be more accurate and for me anyway I feel that the physical keyboard will be faster.

Technology is constantly changing and evolving. It's generally good, but sometimes it's not a big fit. It's best to leave some things alone.