Long-Term Road Tests - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS: Flat, Featureless Buttons

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS: Flat, Featureless Buttons

The display screen in the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS (also our long-term Outlander so I'm guessing it's all across Mitsubishi), drives me nuts. Let me count the ways.

First of all, the buttons absolutely stink. They are small, flat, and utterly without texture. Aargh!! I am a big fan of the old-school volume knob, and Mitsubishi's only saving grace is that it has redundant volume and CD-track controls on the steering wheel. But these buttons are utterly useless. Yes, I know, you're supposed to only operate them at a stop. Uh-huh. Not a good idea to look away while driving. I agree. But sometimes you have to, and a flat line of quarter-inch-long buttons doesn't help. It's much easier to have raised buttons, so you can essentially count your way down them with your fingers and keep your eyes on the road.

Because here's the other thing. In anything other than bright light, they completely disappear.

Granted, the photo is an exaggeration, but not by a lot.

And last but not least, directing your attention to the top screen you will notice the "open" button for loading CDs. It causes the whole thing to open vertically, placing said button on a horizontal plane where you have to feel for it to see it to, then close the thing up again. Stupid. Put it on the side.

C'mon, Mitsu. You can do better. Turn it into a touchscreen, put the "Open" button on the side, and you're halfway there.

Doug Lloyd, Senior Copy Editor, @ 15,636 miles

Posted by Doug May 9, 2008 2:59 pm

Permalink

Categories: 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS

Comments

biscuit_xls - May 16, 2008 10:13 am (#2 Total: 2)

Irvine, CA

I have also been using the same MMCS for over a year and it works great for me, one of the best features of the vehicle. I like the simplicity, after a few days of driving you have all of the buttons figured out and they become very easy to navigate. The touch screen works very well also, and the steering wheel controls are very handy.

I guess you have to nit pick something, but I don't think this is an area that deserves it. You could just as easily have written the blog about the uncluttered simplicity of the MMCS, something that is a fresh departure from the nightmare you find in the latest Honda Nav units... too many buttons, voice activation that frequently makes (frustrating) mistakes, no touch screen etc.

southbaydriver - May 13, 2008 9:03 am (#1 Total: 2)

I've had my Outlander with the same nav system for over a year now and I have not experienced the challenges you described here. I suspect it is related to the sporadic frequency you drive these models.

Although I tend to use the steering wheel buttons most of the time, It is very easy for me to find the buttons on the nav system without even looking at them: INFO, MANUAL and MODE are at the top or bottom of each button stack; the VOLUME and SCALE buttons are large and are the only ones with curved surfaces which makes it very easy to find them by touch. The remaining buttons are either immediately above or below these large buttons. POWER and SET are grouped together on the lower left corner and I rarely use them.

As far as the LCD being too bright to the point of obfuscating the nav buttons, unless it is dark outside, in which case the dash (and button) lights should be on, I have not had the problem you described here.