Touchscreens are one of the biggest bugbears on modern cars
Editor Paul Barker thinks the 2025 Driver Power survey reveals what manufacturers really need to work on, and touchscreens is top of the list
It’s Driver Power time, our annual report where you tell the world what you really think of your car. We’ve been hearing from thousands of people eager to spill the beans on what they love, like and hate about their vehicles.
We deep dive into every area, from running costs to infotainment, quality to practicality and, of course, what you think about how your motor drives. But the best bit about Driver Power is your comments, because they give away all the little details that make living with a car good or bad.
We spot patterns when numerous drivers complain about the same thing – a jarring engine stop-start system on one car came up time and again, for example. And some complaints cross brands and seem to universally annoy drivers – switching off the “infernal beeping”, as more than one respondent called it, was a common theme, while cars without rear wipers seem to irritate their drivers, which is something for manufacturers to chew over.
But there are also lessons for consumers – in particular, making sure you carefully go through the spec of your prospective purchase before taking the plunge. A lot of comments mentioned equipment that wasn’t fitted; cars not having automatic folding mirrors was one example. So it’s essential to make sure you know what you want from a car, and that the trim level you’re choosing has everything you desire. I know this from experience; heated seats were on my beloved wife’s list of non-negotiables, so we had to go up a trim level on her current car to make sure she was warm all winter.
And it’s amazing just how many people felt their car wasn’t powerful enough. Yes, it’s hard to assess this on a short test drive with an eager salesman alongside you, but you simply must make sure you use that time to check out how it drives.
However, the biggest single gripe in the comments across brand after brand was the technology. It’s no surprise to us at Auto Express; we have long banged the drum that touchscreens in particular aren’t always a great user experience, and as cars get more complex, the usability and reliability of interfaces haven’t kept up. It’s a tricky one to solve, but it’s clear that you, as drivers, are on the same page and are not happy with what manufacturers are currently giving you.
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