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A few months ago, I tested the new electric Mercedes-Benz CLA<\/a>. There were some aspects of the little sedan that really impressed me, but its infotainment system and lack of common-sense buttons and physical controls drove me to my wit\u2019s end. It seems I\u2019m not the only one, as Mercedes CEO Ola K\u00e4llenius recently went on the record saying that the automaker has heard the public sentiment and since realized that it may have overdone things with its button-busting campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes you get a bit ahead of yourself and do technology for the sake of technology and maybe forget a little bit about the customer,\u201d K\u00e4llenius said, according to Autocar<\/a>. \u201cSo from now on, you will see us reintroduce the most sensible buttons.\u201d<\/p>\n The chief executive also remarked that \u201cthe industry as a whole might have gone a little bit too far\u201d with digital controls, including voice commands, and, in response to a question about whether cars have reached \u201cpeak screen,\u201d responded, \u201cI don\u2019t know if we\u2019re at peak screen, but we\u2019re at low button.\u201d<\/p>\n These are encouraging comments coming from K\u00e4llenius, a man leading a manufacturer that\u2019s pushed, perhaps more boldly than most, toward replacing physical controls with screens. Of course it\u2019s far from the only guilty party in this, as BMW is right there alongside its old rival<\/a> in the digital frustration department.<\/p>\n