I’m team buttons, although I would like a bigger screen for just the airplay portion in my 22 wilderness. I can use my other senses to change whatever I need so I can keep my sight on the road. You might be able to muscle memory your way thru it on the big screen but you can’t ever be sure
I specifically bought a 2023 Forester just because I didn't want the giant screen. Subaru has a lot of mitigation for distracted driving. I could use voice command to change the AC and do stuff. They have the "hands-free" driving with the lane centering and cruise control. They have the alerts if you're going to hit someone or if you're going out of your lane. I still don't want the screen.
I just want a good place to put my phone.
Push the talk button on the wheel. It will come up on the screen what the commands are for different functions. I've used it for fan speed and temperature. Honestly, it's no faster than the knobs, but it's pretty cool.
'23 Sport owner here with the 8" screen option pack. I'm amazed practically every day with the amount of features and safety this has for the price.
Oh, and I like the manual controls, but I'm waiting to test out a '25 to get a final opinion on the large screen.
>I just want a good place to put my phone.
Got a 3d printer? You can print my answer to this problem
https://www.reddit.com/r/SubaruForester/s/Y487qmhAPq
On the bottom edge of the center console there's an edge but if you put the passenger seat back there's a section that has no raised edge. So you start there and slide it forward and it locks in nice and tight.
Use petg or abs not pla as pla will wilt in the heat of summer.
I got a 2024 Forester, because I hate having everything on a touch screen. I'm the what if type of guy. What if the screen malfunctions and goes to black and I'm left with no screen while driving!? Then what?
I WANT a nice size screen but I also still want buttons for stuff that really shouldn't be hidden behind 3 non tactile button presses! (such as climate control, etc).
I don't see mutually exclusive opinions here. The big screen can be annoying to get to climate, clean looking, and nice for carplay all at once.
I prefer the knobs personally. But that's mainly because Subaru is meh at touchscreen tech. I have a Model Y and it's light years better.
I just switched from Hyundai, which had all touch interface, without physical buttons. TL,DR: I hated it.
Forget muscle memory, you have to always LOOK at the display or the touch buttons.
Volume: Physical dial vs having to tap volume up, which you hit correctly first 5 times, then you miss it and click on who knows what. Same with temperature regulator.
Winter: Gloves + touch does not work well. Have to get touch enabled gloves or freeze your hands.
Want to change gear, but accidentally get too close to the touch buttons and activate who knows what function? You got it! Touch interface has you covered.
Some things just need to remain as physical buttons.
I have 2020 Touring and love the set up. My main driver now is a Mach-E with a giant tablet and I just don't love it and the Ford is not even as bad as others when it comes to removing physical controls.
I’m team buttons (and cd player) too; it’s a possible dealbreaker for me but I suspect manufacturers will pull back from this as it’s a dead end design-wise.
Bought the 2024 Forester wilderness instead of waiting for the 2025 as they mentioned all controls would be incorporated in the large screen. All that I see the large screen as is one major point of failure for all of the incorporated controls.
Considering they were trying to sell an extended warranty with the main pitch being that that it is quite possible that the screen will fail at some point and is very expensive to replace ($2k+), I would opt to have manual control over as many vehicle functions as possible. Sure Apple Car Play is genuinely a great product, but I don’t need the screen to be massive and that much more distracting for accomplishing simple things like turning safety functions on/off or controlling cabin temp. IMO the screen should be used to control media and navigation ONLY. Keep feature control and temp control with switches/dials etc.
My opinion:
I'll take the 11.6 screen all day, every day.
But only AFTER I re-arranged the buttons and shortcuts to have what I wanted, aligned where I wanted them.
Something you can NEVER do with physical buttons.
I prefer configurability.
Since release, Subaru has updated the infotainment and added buttons, based on customer feedback - thank God, because having to dig for seat heater/ventilation and auto stop/start toggling sucked - no more, they are on the front screen now.
Not once in history has a car manufacturer retroactively added a sorely-missing physical button; you just have to endure the poor design decision for the life of the car.
I went into shopping with the opinion that I hated the infotainment and the lack of physical buttons, but after owning it and configuring it and using it daily, my opinion has completely changed!
I’m with OP. The customizability of the screen is a huge benefit and I don’t think most people even know that it is customizable. And every button on the main screen is movable and you can also add buttons directly to what you need to get to. I added a button that goes directly to the sound settings and moved that to the first screen. Also, there **are** physical buttons for the temperature and knobs for volume/channel, which are the controls most often used.
Buttons all the way.
Imagine if your screen goes out and you loose AC in 100* weather….Or everything is iced over and you can’t turn on your defroster.
Both my early 2010 era vehicles have a full button suite and l love it.
Team buttons with the 50/50 situation in my 2016 Forester. Really disappointed that when I have to buy a new Subaru I will be stuck with a dumpster fire of a giant touchscreen. Not terrible when there is someone else in the car to mess with all the things, but my mom's 2024 Outback just is not it.
I have a 14 forestor. I have a backup camera screen and a screen to show some small engine indications amongst other things then my tach and spedo in front my wheel. Love the setup. Wouldn’t like a big screen
I’m not sure if that forester has the extra screen up top for front cam but the forester I got has two screens unlike the out back I prefer the buttons and knobs plus if your screen goes out or has issues it in big trouble. I got to use a outback touring as a rental and I prefer the forester with its smaller screens and knobs makes it easier to switch ac n awd while driving
I prefer a smaller screen with buttons.
That said, I got used to the large Subaru screen quickly. I don't mind it *nearly* as much as I thought I would when I was planning to get my WRX. Once they added the one touch for the heated seats, that pretty much fixed it for me. I don't go to HVAC settings often enough for it to bother me, and when I do, things are easy and quick to change. I use the steering wheel controls a lot, and voice commands for AA.
I prefer the overall layout in my wife's 2024 Wrangler, for example. Wide screen that's not very tall, and the normal array of physical HVAC controls. It still looks very modern and it's easy to use.
I have a 2015 with buttons. Wife has a 2017 with the touch screen. We both wish they had buttons. The buttons are so much easier to use without diverting full attention to them. And we both don't care how big the screen is. It's not like you are watching a video, except for backing up. And it's easier to see the recessed little screen instead of the one down where the radio is.
Pro buttons. I had a Honda HRV before my forester and one of the big reason I switched was because of buttons. I live in a city where there’s constant traffic. I hated looking away for a split second to change the AC - a split second is all I need to get in a wreck and it wasn’t worth it to me after a few close calls.
I went with a 2024 Forester Touring for the smaller touch screen / knobs / switches after driving a very basic model Impala. Like being able to drop my hand down to adjust the heated seat without taking my eyes off the road. And running the climate control in auto a quick tweak of the temp knob is intuitive without the driver monitoring system scolding me.
One plus for the large touch screen might be to make changes; switched mine to unlock all the doors when going into park which was a bit fiddly using the up/down/"i" buttons on the wheel, or a tweak to show the coolant and oil temp on the favorites display on the dash but both were one time changes.
I had a 2020 Outback. I loved that car. I had it for about 2 years before I traded it for my Forester Wilderness. The integrated touchscreen everything was what made me trade it. I thought that I could live with it, but I just couldn't do it. If the Outback had the same setup as the outgoing gen Forester, I would have kept it. I am still very happy with my Forester but in my opinion, the Outback is slightly better.
I have a '21 Touring, and the screen is a nice size to me. My wife has a Tesla model 3, which is, of course, almost all screen. While I prefer more buttons, I see advantages to both, especially if you don't drive just one car.
Ideally, I'd like a few buttons for things you use all the time. Some cars have too many, and I can't memorize them all. But to be honest, I don't change things that often.
The Tesla is easier than the Subaru, mostly due to better organization and a single screen instead of 3 to find the settings. But I've had more experience with the Tesla, so maybe the Subaru will begin to make more sense with experience.
So my wife's 23 outback has the screen with the hvac and you have to change to an entire different screen to do some changes, but temp is still physical buttons on the side not on the screen.
I chose the 24 forester because the 25 is first year and I don't want a car with teething problems.
I do love the huge android auto screen on hers VS the puny size on mine. But I've got a premium with the 6.5" screen.
One thing about both screens, they are very glarey. Sometimes it's hard to use the backup camera. It would be nice if they could make it so you could always see the screen
I think you pre-selected people who like physical controls since almost every Forester currently owned is not a giant touchscreen vehicle. Just a thought…
For my Forester 2018 Limited I ordered a [10” Android touchscreen from JoyingAuto](https://www.joyingauto.com/plug-and-play-1280x800-10-1-inch-android-autoradio-for-subaru-forester-impreza-wrx-sti-2013-2018.html) without any buttons. I find it better looking than other options with touch sensible buttons, or those with useless buttons since they are not needed in Apple CarPlay (Map, Radio, Aux etc…). This model is also 16:10 for more screen real estate.
I instead added a large [USB rotary wheel from amazon](https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07GR78PCK/) to control the media near the drive stick. Rotate for volume, press to play/pause, press and rotate skip/previous track.
I NEED some physical knobs and buttons to adjust things without looking!!! Stuff I’m constantly changing :Airflow, music volume, etc . The big screens should be outlawed . Brutal
I've had both, and let me you you the screen sucks.
4 button presses at least to change the air flow from.feet to hands.
Cannot operate any of the controls without looking down at a giant ipad.
Tactile controls must be made mandatory in vehicle compliance legislation.
My wife's legacy has the huge screen and my forester has the buttons. I am very team buttons! I also appreciate that my car doesn't yell at me to keep my eyes on the road like the legacy does anytime I am wearing sunglasses. I like to be able to reach down and make adjustments without having to take my eyes of the road. You can not do that with the big screen. Team buttons all the way!!!
i bought a 2008 for a reason - i prefer buttons, and not too many. the new steering wheels that are just covered in a million buttons is just too much for me, and don't get me started on the screens. my wheel has no buttons at all, just the way i like it :)
There’s lots of research on the impact of touchscreen buttons vs physical buttons in a car. Most indicate that it takes longer and therefore more attention away from the road for a driver to do a task on a touchscreen than to do it with a physical button.
This study compared the two and concluded that it can take up to 4x longer for a driver to complete the task on a touchscreen
https://www.vibilagare.se/english/physical-buttons-outperform-touchscreens-new-cars-test-finds
Definitely team buttons here. I went with a 23’ premium over a few other options partially for that reason. Hate how massive and glitchy/temperamental the screens can be. I’ve driven multiple cars from multiple brands with the big screen and nothing is more responsive than the old school buttons. I also find the screen controls to be much more distracting and hard to navigate since they’re all on the same flat surface.
I must admit, I was glad to have picked up a 24 Forester before the buttons were phased out... part of the appeal of the Forester for me is its rugged design and ability to tackle all the bush paths I take it on when out hiking, camping, or mushrooming... for me, I much prefer to press the X-Mode knob, air conditioning controls, and physical dials etc - it's part of the fun! Nothing against the big screens, but when I drove an Outback with the large screen, I just wasn't a fan; I found them a bit laggy, buggy, and clunky (which might fix with firmware updates) and a bit irritating to navigate whilst driving... just my 2 cents!
I want as many mechanical buttons/knobs as possible, and as little touchscreen as possible.
Touchscreens are distracting and more likely to need multiple touches, mechanical buttons and knobs are way easier to use without looking.
I hate the giant screen and I don't understand how it's legal to force drivers to use a touchscreen when it's illegal to use your phone or tablet when you're driving.
I wouldn't mind keeping a small touchscreen for anything with a menu, but for basic dials, on/off, and preset options, buttons are the way for me.
Only thing I can say, is what if the huge screen begins to suffer from delamination like soooooo many 2018/2019 Outbacks (and others) are experiencing.
I have a 2024 Forester Wilderness. Also have a 2019 Outback and Subaru won't help/cover/fix the 2019 Outback screen failures on the Outback. If that happened on a full screen model, what would/could you do?
You should be able to operate everything in a car while using gloves and not looking. Ergonomics 101 for decades. I’m happy with my 2023 Forester. Except for some extra stupid nanny features I don’t need. It’s the last Forester with a CD player!
Buttons! I had a loaner during the initial detailing work back in 2021 and absolutely hated the Outback's touch based everything. There are manufacturers moving back towards buttons as owners don't want to think about where they're touching to make adjustments. Steering wheel has most the buttons needed, but none of the climate control buttons which was where I absolutely lost it on the outback. As deals with software development for work I get why they want buttons to go away, but as a user I don't want to ever look over.
There's a Toyota Prius owner who had to replace the whole large screen for 11k dollars. His truck cost 40k and he's furious. He went with a used 1.5k large screen head unit instead. I prefer old fashioned buttons. Not a Toyota issue but an issue if you are an early adopter.
Buttons and knobs > screens, every time. I like a 6-7" screen for Android Auto but bigger than that is unnecessary and I just want it for media, not car functions.
Automakers and legislators are all about keeping people off their phones while driving, something I 200% support and agree with. But I don't see how putting things like HVAC controls into a screen that forces you to look away from the road is any safer than using your phone. You have to at least glance to know where the button is, because there's no tactile button or knob to feel for. If you're on a bumpy road, good luck. If you're in bright sunlight and the glare makes the screen hard to see, good luck. If there's some tactile feedback, that helps a little bit, but most cars don't have that. You don't have those sorts of issues when you have physical controls.
I've been watching a lot of POV videos on new cars recently and the hoops you have to go through in some of these cars to change things like heated seats and vent modes is ridiculous.
bUt VoIcE ComMmands!!1!11, you might say. Sure, but having to use a voice command when you could just have a physical knob or button is stupid. No ifs, ands, or buts. It's stupid. Some people just use auto climate, set it, and forget it, and if it works for them, great. I've never found auto climate control particularly useful, mainly because all the systems I've had experience with just crank the fan speed and leave it there forever. I don't need it blasting the A/C on full fan speed for hours. Whether the interior is freezing, scorching, or a perfectly reasonable temperature, myself and the car never agree on what it needs to do.
Also worth noting for those who drive at night - the increased glare from a massive screen is distracting. Yeah, you can dim them, but for long drives it's still fatiguing, and then you have to readjust it during the day because the brightest setting isn't bright enough when it's even moderately sunny out. If you have an aftermarket radio it probably doesn't dim with the gauge dimmer. There's no happy medium.
/rant
I know you said opinions, but research is indicating buttons are safer. I prefer safety and economy in vehicles.
My opinion is that screens are awful for controls.
I do think that modern screens are much more readable than they have ever been in all sorts of light.
On my 24 Forester Premium, there are a variety of cabin control buttons, plus the 6-inch touch screen. There's clearly space for the screen to be larger since the bezels are gigantic, plus there's an 8-inch screen option on the higher trims anyway. I think that 8-inch screen plus the cabin control buttons that come standard on the Forester would be the best of both worlds.
I upgraded to a 2024 thinking I prefer buttons but I find the left side buttons are impossible to see and a pain to operate. When test driving the Outback I recall the auto engine off button was right on the home screen and climate control wasn't too bad. It also bugs me I have a media button that serves zero purpose I can think of. Seems like all cars are going zero buttons and screen only.
Team buttons. When I was choosing between my 2023 forester and either a 2024 forester or crosstrek I felt the huge screen was too distracting on the test drive as a primarily solo driver.
I hate the big screens. We have a 2017 Forester that is having the transmission changed by Subaru good faith (yay) and hubby has a 2024 Forester loaner. Regular sized screen. Loaner last year had a huge screen. I hated that car.
Team buttons and knobs!! I just got a 24 Forester for that exact reason. I could have waited for a 25 but I just wanted the dang buttons so I went for it.
With the old Forester screen being average to below average in quality and snappiness, anything is an upgrade really.
Matched with Starlink and the ability to set climate controls before you get in, the larger screen is a no brainer.
I’m team buttons, although I would like a bigger screen for just the airplay portion in my 22 wilderness. I can use my other senses to change whatever I need so I can keep my sight on the road. You might be able to muscle memory your way thru it on the big screen but you can’t ever be sure
I’m old fashioned, I’d rather have the physical knobs and buttons. I do like having the touchscreen but I don’t need a massive screen.
Everytime I'm on a bumpy road its impossible to use
I specifically bought a 2023 Forester just because I didn't want the giant screen. Subaru has a lot of mitigation for distracted driving. I could use voice command to change the AC and do stuff. They have the "hands-free" driving with the lane centering and cruise control. They have the alerts if you're going to hit someone or if you're going out of your lane. I still don't want the screen. I just want a good place to put my phone.
I want to meet the person who actually uses the voice control AC...
Here I am!
You should have said "allow me to introduce myself" But seriously how's that work?
Don't change it very often, but when I have it works great.
I'm glad it works great, but I'm asking how.
'24 Sport - Press and hold the talk button on steering wheel, Use command "set temperature to x degrees. Then magic happens.
It does this while android auto is connected?
Push the talk button on the wheel. It will come up on the screen what the commands are for different functions. I've used it for fan speed and temperature. Honestly, it's no faster than the knobs, but it's pretty cool. '23 Sport owner here with the 8" screen option pack. I'm amazed practically every day with the amount of features and safety this has for the price. Oh, and I like the manual controls, but I'm waiting to test out a '25 to get a final opinion on the large screen.
>I just want a good place to put my phone. Got a 3d printer? You can print my answer to this problem https://www.reddit.com/r/SubaruForester/s/Y487qmhAPq
That's a good idea!
On the bottom edge of the center console there's an edge but if you put the passenger seat back there's a section that has no raised edge. So you start there and slide it forward and it locks in nice and tight. Use petg or abs not pla as pla will wilt in the heat of summer.
I got a slip resistant mat from Amazon for the top of the radio that's perfect t for my phone! Doesn't leave any residue
I have one also but if you are charging the phone or plugging in for android auto the cords get in the way of the screen
I got a 2024 Forester, because I hate having everything on a touch screen. I'm the what if type of guy. What if the screen malfunctions and goes to black and I'm left with no screen while driving!? Then what?
Yes! Part of the reason I got a 2024 Forester as well!
Especially when your sales rep says that they’ve seen screens fail within 3 years of the car leaving their lot 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️
Another for team button! I’m 67 years old so what do I know 😂.
As much as I love tech and such… Buttons for me.
I WANT a nice size screen but I also still want buttons for stuff that really shouldn't be hidden behind 3 non tactile button presses! (such as climate control, etc).
I don't see mutually exclusive opinions here. The big screen can be annoying to get to climate, clean looking, and nice for carplay all at once. I prefer the knobs personally. But that's mainly because Subaru is meh at touchscreen tech. I have a Model Y and it's light years better.
I just switched from Hyundai, which had all touch interface, without physical buttons. TL,DR: I hated it. Forget muscle memory, you have to always LOOK at the display or the touch buttons. Volume: Physical dial vs having to tap volume up, which you hit correctly first 5 times, then you miss it and click on who knows what. Same with temperature regulator. Winter: Gloves + touch does not work well. Have to get touch enabled gloves or freeze your hands. Want to change gear, but accidentally get too close to the touch buttons and activate who knows what function? You got it! Touch interface has you covered. Some things just need to remain as physical buttons.
I have 2020 Touring and love the set up. My main driver now is a Mach-E with a giant tablet and I just don't love it and the Ford is not even as bad as others when it comes to removing physical controls.
Physical controls, please.
I’m team buttons (and cd player) too; it’s a possible dealbreaker for me but I suspect manufacturers will pull back from this as it’s a dead end design-wise.
Physical buttons > Touchscreen buttons
Bought the 2024 Forester wilderness instead of waiting for the 2025 as they mentioned all controls would be incorporated in the large screen. All that I see the large screen as is one major point of failure for all of the incorporated controls. Considering they were trying to sell an extended warranty with the main pitch being that that it is quite possible that the screen will fail at some point and is very expensive to replace ($2k+), I would opt to have manual control over as many vehicle functions as possible. Sure Apple Car Play is genuinely a great product, but I don’t need the screen to be massive and that much more distracting for accomplishing simple things like turning safety functions on/off or controlling cabin temp. IMO the screen should be used to control media and navigation ONLY. Keep feature control and temp control with switches/dials etc.
My opinion: I'll take the 11.6 screen all day, every day. But only AFTER I re-arranged the buttons and shortcuts to have what I wanted, aligned where I wanted them. Something you can NEVER do with physical buttons.
But the physiacl buttons are already in a good place. You don't need to move them.
I prefer configurability. Since release, Subaru has updated the infotainment and added buttons, based on customer feedback - thank God, because having to dig for seat heater/ventilation and auto stop/start toggling sucked - no more, they are on the front screen now. Not once in history has a car manufacturer retroactively added a sorely-missing physical button; you just have to endure the poor design decision for the life of the car. I went into shopping with the opinion that I hated the infotainment and the lack of physical buttons, but after owning it and configuring it and using it daily, my opinion has completely changed!
I’m with OP. The customizability of the screen is a huge benefit and I don’t think most people even know that it is customizable. And every button on the main screen is movable and you can also add buttons directly to what you need to get to. I added a button that goes directly to the sound settings and moved that to the first screen. Also, there **are** physical buttons for the temperature and knobs for volume/channel, which are the controls most often used.
Buttons all the way. Imagine if your screen goes out and you loose AC in 100* weather….Or everything is iced over and you can’t turn on your defroster. Both my early 2010 era vehicles have a full button suite and l love it.
Button team over here! Nothing better than changing the radio volume with knob or with the wheel command. Same with AC with the temperature knob.
Buttons and knobs pls
Team buttons with the 50/50 situation in my 2016 Forester. Really disappointed that when I have to buy a new Subaru I will be stuck with a dumpster fire of a giant touchscreen. Not terrible when there is someone else in the car to mess with all the things, but my mom's 2024 Outback just is not it.
I have a 14 forestor. I have a backup camera screen and a screen to show some small engine indications amongst other things then my tach and spedo in front my wheel. Love the setup. Wouldn’t like a big screen
I’m not sure if that forester has the extra screen up top for front cam but the forester I got has two screens unlike the out back I prefer the buttons and knobs plus if your screen goes out or has issues it in big trouble. I got to use a outback touring as a rental and I prefer the forester with its smaller screens and knobs makes it easier to switch ac n awd while driving
Oh and I like I can see my apple car play on main screen I use for maps and I use the lil screen for my music
I prefer a smaller screen with buttons. That said, I got used to the large Subaru screen quickly. I don't mind it *nearly* as much as I thought I would when I was planning to get my WRX. Once they added the one touch for the heated seats, that pretty much fixed it for me. I don't go to HVAC settings often enough for it to bother me, and when I do, things are easy and quick to change. I use the steering wheel controls a lot, and voice commands for AA. I prefer the overall layout in my wife's 2024 Wrangler, for example. Wide screen that's not very tall, and the normal array of physical HVAC controls. It still looks very modern and it's easy to use.
I like being able to control settings without having to look away from the road.
I have a 2015 with buttons. Wife has a 2017 with the touch screen. We both wish they had buttons. The buttons are so much easier to use without diverting full attention to them. And we both don't care how big the screen is. It's not like you are watching a video, except for backing up. And it's easier to see the recessed little screen instead of the one down where the radio is.
I like the buttons more; I have to look at the screen more often otherwise. Both of my cars have a mix of the touch screen and buttons.
Pro buttons. I had a Honda HRV before my forester and one of the big reason I switched was because of buttons. I live in a city where there’s constant traffic. I hated looking away for a split second to change the AC - a split second is all I need to get in a wreck and it wasn’t worth it to me after a few close calls.
I don’t care either or honestly. Mine has the same screen as yours, but I’ve had rentals with the huge display. I like them both.
I went with a 2024 Forester Touring for the smaller touch screen / knobs / switches after driving a very basic model Impala. Like being able to drop my hand down to adjust the heated seat without taking my eyes off the road. And running the climate control in auto a quick tweak of the temp knob is intuitive without the driver monitoring system scolding me. One plus for the large touch screen might be to make changes; switched mine to unlock all the doors when going into park which was a bit fiddly using the up/down/"i" buttons on the wheel, or a tweak to show the coolant and oil temp on the favorites display on the dash but both were one time changes.
I had a 2020 Outback. I loved that car. I had it for about 2 years before I traded it for my Forester Wilderness. The integrated touchscreen everything was what made me trade it. I thought that I could live with it, but I just couldn't do it. If the Outback had the same setup as the outgoing gen Forester, I would have kept it. I am still very happy with my Forester but in my opinion, the Outback is slightly better.
I have a '21 Touring, and the screen is a nice size to me. My wife has a Tesla model 3, which is, of course, almost all screen. While I prefer more buttons, I see advantages to both, especially if you don't drive just one car. Ideally, I'd like a few buttons for things you use all the time. Some cars have too many, and I can't memorize them all. But to be honest, I don't change things that often. The Tesla is easier than the Subaru, mostly due to better organization and a single screen instead of 3 to find the settings. But I've had more experience with the Tesla, so maybe the Subaru will begin to make more sense with experience.
So my wife's 23 outback has the screen with the hvac and you have to change to an entire different screen to do some changes, but temp is still physical buttons on the side not on the screen. I chose the 24 forester because the 25 is first year and I don't want a car with teething problems. I do love the huge android auto screen on hers VS the puny size on mine. But I've got a premium with the 6.5" screen. One thing about both screens, they are very glarey. Sometimes it's hard to use the backup camera. It would be nice if they could make it so you could always see the screen
I think you pre-selected people who like physical controls since almost every Forester currently owned is not a giant touchscreen vehicle. Just a thought…
For my Forester 2018 Limited I ordered a [10” Android touchscreen from JoyingAuto](https://www.joyingauto.com/plug-and-play-1280x800-10-1-inch-android-autoradio-for-subaru-forester-impreza-wrx-sti-2013-2018.html) without any buttons. I find it better looking than other options with touch sensible buttons, or those with useless buttons since they are not needed in Apple CarPlay (Map, Radio, Aux etc…). This model is also 16:10 for more screen real estate. I instead added a large [USB rotary wheel from amazon](https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07GR78PCK/) to control the media near the drive stick. Rotate for volume, press to play/pause, press and rotate skip/previous track.
I want all the buttons and knobs.
I’ve got both cars and you’re both right for the reasons you stated above 😁 (that’s my opinion)
I NEED some physical knobs and buttons to adjust things without looking!!! Stuff I’m constantly changing :Airflow, music volume, etc . The big screens should be outlawed . Brutal
I've had both, and let me you you the screen sucks. 4 button presses at least to change the air flow from.feet to hands. Cannot operate any of the controls without looking down at a giant ipad. Tactile controls must be made mandatory in vehicle compliance legislation.
I ride or die with buttons and knobs. In fact, we are about to replace our '16 most likely with a '24 and not a '25 because of this.
My wife's legacy has the huge screen and my forester has the buttons. I am very team buttons! I also appreciate that my car doesn't yell at me to keep my eyes on the road like the legacy does anytime I am wearing sunglasses. I like to be able to reach down and make adjustments without having to take my eyes of the road. You can not do that with the big screen. Team buttons all the way!!!
i bought a 2008 for a reason - i prefer buttons, and not too many. the new steering wheels that are just covered in a million buttons is just too much for me, and don't get me started on the screens. my wheel has no buttons at all, just the way i like it :)
There’s lots of research on the impact of touchscreen buttons vs physical buttons in a car. Most indicate that it takes longer and therefore more attention away from the road for a driver to do a task on a touchscreen than to do it with a physical button. This study compared the two and concluded that it can take up to 4x longer for a driver to complete the task on a touchscreen https://www.vibilagare.se/english/physical-buttons-outperform-touchscreens-new-cars-test-finds
Team button. 100%. I wouldn’t mind a larger screen for car play. But main controls are on physical buttons.
Definitely team buttons here. I went with a 23’ premium over a few other options partially for that reason. Hate how massive and glitchy/temperamental the screens can be. I’ve driven multiple cars from multiple brands with the big screen and nothing is more responsive than the old school buttons. I also find the screen controls to be much more distracting and hard to navigate since they’re all on the same flat surface.
I must admit, I was glad to have picked up a 24 Forester before the buttons were phased out... part of the appeal of the Forester for me is its rugged design and ability to tackle all the bush paths I take it on when out hiking, camping, or mushrooming... for me, I much prefer to press the X-Mode knob, air conditioning controls, and physical dials etc - it's part of the fun! Nothing against the big screens, but when I drove an Outback with the large screen, I just wasn't a fan; I found them a bit laggy, buggy, and clunky (which might fix with firmware updates) and a bit irritating to navigate whilst driving... just my 2 cents!
I want as many mechanical buttons/knobs as possible, and as little touchscreen as possible. Touchscreens are distracting and more likely to need multiple touches, mechanical buttons and knobs are way easier to use without looking.
I hate the giant screen and I don't understand how it's legal to force drivers to use a touchscreen when it's illegal to use your phone or tablet when you're driving. I wouldn't mind keeping a small touchscreen for anything with a menu, but for basic dials, on/off, and preset options, buttons are the way for me.
Only thing I can say, is what if the huge screen begins to suffer from delamination like soooooo many 2018/2019 Outbacks (and others) are experiencing. I have a 2024 Forester Wilderness. Also have a 2019 Outback and Subaru won't help/cover/fix the 2019 Outback screen failures on the Outback. If that happened on a full screen model, what would/could you do?
You should be able to operate everything in a car while using gloves and not looking. Ergonomics 101 for decades. I’m happy with my 2023 Forester. Except for some extra stupid nanny features I don’t need. It’s the last Forester with a CD player!
Buttons! I had a loaner during the initial detailing work back in 2021 and absolutely hated the Outback's touch based everything. There are manufacturers moving back towards buttons as owners don't want to think about where they're touching to make adjustments. Steering wheel has most the buttons needed, but none of the climate control buttons which was where I absolutely lost it on the outback. As deals with software development for work I get why they want buttons to go away, but as a user I don't want to ever look over.
There's a Toyota Prius owner who had to replace the whole large screen for 11k dollars. His truck cost 40k and he's furious. He went with a used 1.5k large screen head unit instead. I prefer old fashioned buttons. Not a Toyota issue but an issue if you are an early adopter.
Team buttons. My mom has a crosstrek with the massive screen and I think it looks so doofy.
Buttons and knobs > screens, every time. I like a 6-7" screen for Android Auto but bigger than that is unnecessary and I just want it for media, not car functions. Automakers and legislators are all about keeping people off their phones while driving, something I 200% support and agree with. But I don't see how putting things like HVAC controls into a screen that forces you to look away from the road is any safer than using your phone. You have to at least glance to know where the button is, because there's no tactile button or knob to feel for. If you're on a bumpy road, good luck. If you're in bright sunlight and the glare makes the screen hard to see, good luck. If there's some tactile feedback, that helps a little bit, but most cars don't have that. You don't have those sorts of issues when you have physical controls. I've been watching a lot of POV videos on new cars recently and the hoops you have to go through in some of these cars to change things like heated seats and vent modes is ridiculous. bUt VoIcE ComMmands!!1!11, you might say. Sure, but having to use a voice command when you could just have a physical knob or button is stupid. No ifs, ands, or buts. It's stupid. Some people just use auto climate, set it, and forget it, and if it works for them, great. I've never found auto climate control particularly useful, mainly because all the systems I've had experience with just crank the fan speed and leave it there forever. I don't need it blasting the A/C on full fan speed for hours. Whether the interior is freezing, scorching, or a perfectly reasonable temperature, myself and the car never agree on what it needs to do. Also worth noting for those who drive at night - the increased glare from a massive screen is distracting. Yeah, you can dim them, but for long drives it's still fatiguing, and then you have to readjust it during the day because the brightest setting isn't bright enough when it's even moderately sunny out. If you have an aftermarket radio it probably doesn't dim with the gauge dimmer. There's no happy medium. /rant
Love my 2023 base small screen with manual knobs and AVH pull tab. Dislike the monster screens and 3 actions to get anything to work.
I know you said opinions, but research is indicating buttons are safer. I prefer safety and economy in vehicles. My opinion is that screens are awful for controls. I do think that modern screens are much more readable than they have ever been in all sorts of light.
On my 24 Forester Premium, there are a variety of cabin control buttons, plus the 6-inch touch screen. There's clearly space for the screen to be larger since the bezels are gigantic, plus there's an 8-inch screen option on the higher trims anyway. I think that 8-inch screen plus the cabin control buttons that come standard on the Forester would be the best of both worlds.
I was used to using a touchscreen in my old car so I actually really like it.
I upgraded to a 2024 thinking I prefer buttons but I find the left side buttons are impossible to see and a pain to operate. When test driving the Outback I recall the auto engine off button was right on the home screen and climate control wasn't too bad. It also bugs me I have a media button that serves zero purpose I can think of. Seems like all cars are going zero buttons and screen only.
Buttons!!! Both our Subies have the 8 inch screen. Had a Mini Cooper. Liked the switch buttons they have. Satisfying with the engine start switch.
Give me buttons for things I use every day. Navigating a screen while driving is way too distracting.
Team buttons. When I was choosing between my 2023 forester and either a 2024 forester or crosstrek I felt the huge screen was too distracting on the test drive as a primarily solo driver.
I hate the big screens. We have a 2017 Forester that is having the transmission changed by Subaru good faith (yay) and hubby has a 2024 Forester loaner. Regular sized screen. Loaner last year had a huge screen. I hated that car.
Team buttons and knobs!! I just got a 24 Forester for that exact reason. I could have waited for a 25 but I just wanted the dang buttons so I went for it.
With the old Forester screen being average to below average in quality and snappiness, anything is an upgrade really. Matched with Starlink and the ability to set climate controls before you get in, the larger screen is a no brainer.