Mazda's Hot Take: Big Screens Distract Drivers Less Than Buttons

Mazda has been defending its decision to supersize the CX-5’s infotainment system ever since the crossover switched generations nearly a year ago. People didn’t necessarily have a problem with the touchscreen’s generous 15.6-inch diagonal, but rather with how the dashboard is almost entirely devoid of physical buttons. Although many have accused the Japanese company of resorting to cost-cutting, we’ve been told other factors were at play.

Matthew Valbuena, Mazda’s project manager of in-vehicle technologies and human-machine interfaces, told Motor1 back in February that the firm is “focused on minimizing driver distraction.” In July 2025, Tamara Mlynarczyk, manager of public affairs for Mazda North American Operations, said in a statement that the new user interface was “based on customer feedback.”

Now, another official is standing by Mazda’s decision to give the CX-5 a screen-centric dashboard. Speaking with Australian magazine Drive, CX-5 program manager Koichiro Yamaguchi explained why it’s safer to have a sizeable screen rather than traditional controls. That may sound counterintuitive, but there is some truth to the following statement:

Photo by: Anthony Alaniz / Motor1

Mazda Explains Why A Screen Is Safer:

'Air conditioning, you can operate with a finger, and if we have to put the physical button, that will be at the lower position. Then the driver has to look down, and [there are] 15 similar looking switches. That means that you rather have to look down and select the correct button – actually, requires the driver [to take eyes] off the road. So rather than that, it's better to have this control on the screen – minimize this change [distraction].'

However, muscle memory means you’re likely to use buttons and knobs without having to take your eyes off the road. It takes time to learn where everything is positioned, but once you do, you can use traditional controls with minimal distraction.

In Mazda’s defense, it did pin frequently used functions, such as climate settings, to the base of the screen. Yamaguchi did leave the door open for the return of more old-school buttons in future models, but said it would only happen based on customer feedback.

The CX-5 is not the only Mazda to go down this road, as the 6e and CX-6e also feature minimalist dashboards dominated by generously sized infotainment screens. However, those two models have their roots in Chinese vehicles, and everyone knows customers in China prefer large displays.

2026 Mazda CX-5 First Drive Review

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Source: Anthony Alaniz / Motor1

Motor1's Take: Whether you’re team screens or team buttons, we can all agree on one thing: Mazda could have pleased just about everyone had it kept the climate controls as conventional buttons, separate from the infotainment system. The switchgear found in the company’s rear-wheel-drive SUVs (CX-60 and up), combined with touchscreen functionality at all times, would have delivered the perfect balance.

Looking back, Mazda saw things very differently in 2019 when the Mazda3 came out. Here’s what research conducted at the time showed:

'When a driver would reach towards a touchscreen interface in any vehicle, they would unintentionally apply torque to the steering wheel, and the vehicle would drift out of its lane position. And of course, with a touchscreen you have to be looking at the screen while you’re touching.'

How times have changed.

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