R line 150 manual

Good car ruined by ridiculous dashboard display

Oh dear, what were VW thinking when they let loose the tech geeks on the Golf mk8? I have driven hundreds of cars and dozens of VWs in 35 years of driving and this is the most unforgivably dangerous car I have had. The whole ethos of driving revolves around keeping your eyes on the road and all the functions of the car should enable and enhance that. As a professional driver with IAM certification I can honestly say the mk 8 is not a safe car and I cannot recommend it. The issue is the digital display which has dispensed with the primary button controls for fan speed, heating etc for unlit, haptic( what does that mean) sliders that are impossible to operate easily or safely while driving. In a conventional car the buttons are usually central, often lit and are tactile and easily operated without taking your eyes off the road to operate, not so the golf 8.
In addition the lane assist and front emergency brake assist are unpredictable and distracting, often engaging when you least expect it, for example when your changing lanes or several hundred metres from the car in front, ridiculous. Also they have to be manually disengaged every time you drive the car otherwise you have a miserable experience wondering what the car is going to do next.
I am bewildered how this was signed off by VW as their reputation for practical reliability and safety is justified. The car is good in many ways, finish, quality and practicality but the whole driving experience is ruined by a system that is overcomplicated and created to resolve problems that do not exist. Shame on you VW for ruining an otherwise good car.

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