Does lack of a volume knob bother you?

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PHEV Newbie

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After reading and watching all the reviews of my Clarity (and other models with the same infotainment system), one issue comes up a lot and that's the lack of a volume knob. I find adjusting the volume fairly easy on the screen and if I need to, I use the volume control on the steering wheel, which is less distracting than using a volume knob on the center dash. The thing I find most annoying about the reviewers is their lack of consistency. They'll trash Honda's lack of a volume knob like it's a mortal sin (they make a big deal out of the its return on the Accord) and then they'll go on and on about how much they love Tesla's infotainment, which doesn't have a volume knob either!
 
I strongly dislike infotainment screens that require touchscreen controls for basic functions like radio and HVAC. Tesla's design that has just about everything controlled by the screen is (for me personally) a horrible thing. No matter how intuitive the touchscreen, it requires taking eyes off the road and looking at the screen, whereas physical controls can be operated by feel.

For the most part, I'm not bothered by the lack of volume knob on the Clarity because I use the steering wheel volume control. What I don't like is not being able to adjust which vents the air is coming from or being able to turn the A/C compressor on/off without going into the touchscreen. I appreciate that Honda did include manual temp adjust knobs as well as a physical button for the fresh air/recycle, which is used regularly.
 
I find the center screen volume control but responsive enough. I use the steering wheel volume. But I would prefer a knob.

I wish there was a play/pause control for music coming from the USB.

Also when I first get in the car and turn it on there might be some audio playing. I can't switch it off until the car has gone through its start up sequence. A volume knob that is also a push button On/Off would be great.
 
I don't like it. I'm constantly reaching for the temp knob. Whether it's something that can be unlearned is up for debate, but I really don't like using the screen or the steering wheel. It's a minor complaint, but so easy for Honda to remedy.

I don't like Tesla's volume implementation any better (it's about the same as the Clarity). And I still reach for a volume knob there, too - even after 2 years! Some things need to remain in the analog realm for just a bit longer. I think a volume knob is one of them…
 
I don't like the lack of volume knob, but don't care so much either since it has a control on the steering wheel (unfortunately, the Honda steering wheel controls have gotten much worse than they used to be in the 90s as they add more controls to the wheel).
 
I don't mind the lack of the knob as the steering wheel buttons work pretty well.

What I do wish is that the infotainment screen could be operated through a physical switch versus the touch screen - sometimes all you want to do is back out of a menu and its incredibly annoying to fish around for the touch screen while keeping your eyes on the road.

I also wish the steering wheel speedo control button was less single click. I feel like Honda's engineers missed out on some sub menu/long press options for navigating.
 
I never listen to music, so it isn't an issue for me. When my wife is in the car and wants to listen to something, I don't find using the screen volume control to be any more difficult than using a know.
 
I really miss volume knob and physical mute button. I could better tolerate the screen-based volume/mute if the system were more responsive. The annoying lag when doing anything on the touchscreen is starting to bug me.
 
PHEV Newbie said:
After reading and watching all the reviews of my Clarity (and other models with the same infotainment system), one issue comes up a lot and that's the lack of a volume knob. I find adjusting the volume fairly easy on the screen and if I need to, I use the volume control on the steering wheel, which is less distracting than using a volume knob on the center dash. The thing I find most annoying about the reviewers is their lack of consistency. They'll trash Honda's lack of a volume knob like it's a mortal sin (they make a big deal out of the its return on the Accord) and then they'll go on and on about how much they love Tesla's infotainment, which doesn't have a volume knob either!
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NO BIG DEAL- VOLUME ON STEERING WHEEL IS FINE
 
At first I was reaching for the temp control, but am getting used to the steering wheel control.
I don't find myself needing to adjust the volume as much in this car as my previous cars, which is probably due to the quieter ride. When I slow down and stop, the radio is not screaming at me. Am not cranking the volume up at highway speeds.
 
JimW said:
I really miss volume knob and physical mute button. I could better tolerate the screen-based volume/mute if the system were more responsive. The annoying lag when doing anything on the touchscreen is starting to bug me.
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I am enjoying everything about the clarity....my 17 volt had buttons under the wheel....I changed the stations and volume by accident all the time.


Sent from my iPad using Inside EVs
 
Agreed, I don't miss it as much as I thought I would. The steering wheel control is nice, although a bit hard to find, and the touch screen button works well enough for me.
 
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