Autos y SUV con los controles más fáciles de usar

Ofrecen comodidad, estilo y rendimiento, y controles que son fáciles de usar.

By Keith Barry

La tecnología es genial, pero la sencillez también lo es—especialmente cuando intentas cambiar la estación de radio del auto o ajustar la temperatura mientras manejas. Pero los autos de hoy en día pueden hacer tantas cosas que a menudo complican demasiado las tareas básicas, obligando a los conductores a navegar por múltiples menús táctiles para realizar ajustes sencillos que antes se podían hacer con solo girar una manija.

“Los controles sencillos, especialmente los que puedes usar girando una perilla o presionando un botón, son más fáciles de usar sin apartar la vista de la carretera”, dice Maddie McCarty, ingeniera de factores humanos de CR. “Las pantallas táctiles requieren que los conductores se concentren en la pantalla, busquen dónde colocar el dedo y luego intenten tocar ese punto. Esto puede ser complicado cuando manejas por una carretera con baches”.

Los expertos de CR han evaluado los interiores de cientos de los vehículos más recientes y sabemos que es posible equilibrar la funcionalidad y el diseño sin sacrificar las características, la comodidad ni el estilo. Los siguientes autos son recomendados por CR y tienen los controles más fáciles de usar de su categoría.

SUV pequeño y camioneta

The CR-V’s controls are very simple and straightforward. The cabin is filled with physical buttons and knobs that are placed logically and are easy to interpret and use while driving. The large climate knobs give precise feedback when you turn them, and we appreciate that the climate system’s buttons are separate from the infotainment screen. The dashboard air-vent adjustments are precise and satisfying to use, and the knob cleverly points in the direction of the airflow. The 7-inch infotainment touchscreen that came in our tested EX is undersized by today’s standards, but we appreciate that it includes physical volume and tuning knobs, and that the system is extremely easy to operate overall. 

Alternatives: Ford Maverick, Honda HR-V

Sedán mediano

Step into the Accord and you might feel like you’ve gone back in time to an era when car interiors were immediately intuitive. Frequently used controls have their own clearly labeled button or knob, and there’s even a traditional “PRNDSL” gear-selector lever. We love the way the climate knobs turn with a satisfying “click,” like a rotating bezel on a high-end watch. The turbocharged Accord models have a smaller, 7-inch infotainment touchscreen vs. the 12.3-inch version found in the hybrids, but it actually has some benefits, including physical shortcut buttons and a tuning knob.

The Nissan Altima also gets top marks for easy-to-master controls, including the infotainment screen. The climate control knobs are particularly straightforward to use, thanks to their large size and obvious detents. The audio knobs are a bit smaller.

Alternatives: Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5, Toyota Camry

Sedán compacto de lujo

Most of the Integra’s controls come from the Civic, which means they are simple and straightforward. At just 7 inches, the infotainment system is almost adorably small by today’s standards. It’s easy to use, beyond the odd way of moving between Acura’s built-in infotainment system and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. It takes some time to get used to navigating through the fully digital instrument cluster with the steering-wheel controls. Fortunately, the Integra gets the Civic Si’s “satisfyingly clicky” climate control knobs and easy-to-adjust dashboard air vents. We like that the climate control buttons are separate from the touchscreen and that they are physical buttons. Finally, the Integra’s non-electronic gear selector, with a traditional “PRNDS” configuration, is refreshing in its intuitiveness and familiarity.

Alternatives: Audi A3, Cadillac CT4

Vehículo eléctrico 

The Kona Electric has straightforward controls and a clutter-free and logical touchscreen infotainment system. The dashboard has a modern look, adapting the latest trend of presenting the driver’s instrument panel and infotainment screen on what appears to be one giant display (it’s actually two separate ones). The infotainment touchscreen is easy to use, and we appreciate the physical—rather than capacitive-touch—climate-control buttons. 

Alternatives: Genesis GV60, Kia Niro EV

SUV mediano de tres filas 

Many of the Pilot’s controls are physical in nature, placed logically around the cabin, and within good reach of the driver. The infotainment system is a breeze to learn, with large text and icons that can be moved around on the 9-inch touchscreen (standard on the EX-L trim and above) like on a smartphone, so often-used features can all be on one screen. We also love the solid feel of the climate control’s large knobs and buttons.

Alternatives: Subaru Ascent, Hyundai Santa Fe

Miniván

The Pacifica features a generous array of familiar and well-labeled knobs and big buttons, plus the Uconnect 5 touchscreen infotainment system. All of this makes for mostly easy controls with a center screen that can be difficult to wade through. Some drivers need to stretch to reach many of the physical controls, but everything is intuitive and straightforward. The Pacifica uses a dial knob gear selector that gives clear tactile feedback as to which gear is selected. One complaint, though, is that the knob’s design and position make it look a lot like a big radio volume knob, so you might grab for it in haste.

Alternatives: Kia Carnival

Nota del editor: Este artículo se actualizó desde que se publicó en la edición de mayo/junio de 2023 de la revista Consumer Reports para incluir vehículos nuevos que obtuvieron mejores resultados en las pruebas que las selecciones anteriores.

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