"Finally, some sense prevails."Benjamin ButtonsTo the relief of practically anybody who drives a car regularly, Japanese carmaker Subaru has brought back physical buttons and knobs for its 2026 Outback midsize SUV.It's yet another sign that carmakers are finally starting to listen, ditching massive touchscreens that have taken over a vast number of vehicle controls in favor of tactile buttons, switches, and knobs.Tesla, in particular, has garnered a reputation for burying core functions in confusing touchscreen interfaces, including on-screen buttons for turning on the indicators and even for opening the glove compartment.However, even Tela has seemingly listened, returning to a physical indicator stalk for its latest Model Y — rudimentary but easy-to-use tech that's been around for around for a century.Touch AdoIt's something that consumers have been shouting from the rooftops for years now. Not only are touchscreens annoying to use, but experts have warned they could be dangerous as well, by needlessly distracting the driver while on the road."This is great," one Reddit user wrote in response to a post showing images of physical dials and knobs inside the new Outback. "Everyone in the industry tried to copy Tesla and eliminate all knobs and switches.""Finally some sense prevails," another user wrote.Previous versions of the Outback, a midsize SUV, forced owners to use a vertical touchscreen for climate controls."I might have to trade in my 2024 for this," one Reddit user added. "I fucking HATE the touch screen."Subaru isn't the only automaker rethinking the trend.In November, South Korean carmaker Hyundai said it was similarly backing away from overrelying on screens. Earlier this year, German carmaker Volkswagen also announced that it would bring back physical buttons for the five most important functions in all of its vehicles, starting next year."We will never, ever make this mistake anymore," VW design chief Andreas Mindt told Autocar. "No guessing anymore. There's feedback, it's real, and people love this.""Honestly, it's a car," he added. "It's not a phone: it's a car."Share This Article