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Benjamin Franklin said the two unavoidable things in life are death and taxes, but when it comes to modern car interiors, you can add touchscreens to the list. Whether you like it or not, touchscreens have taken over dashboards, a trend that flies in the face of safety concerns. In a recent test, Swedish car magazine Vi Bilägare found that touchscreens in new cars are actually more distracting than they were a few years ago.
The magazine gathered 10 new cars, plus a 2016 Volvo V60. Drivers had to performing normal tasks—such as adjusting the climate control, changing radio stations, and adjusting the screen’s brightness—while driving at highway speeds on a closed airfield. The time and distance traveled while performing these tasks were measured and compared to results from a 2022 test the magazine conducted using the same methodology.
The average distance traveled while using the touchscreen—and thus dividing attention between the screen and the road—rose from 756 meters (2,480 feet) in the 2022 test to 813 meters (2,667 feet) in the new test. That equates to an extra two seconds needed to complete a task with the 2026 infotainment systems compared to the 2022 versions. Keep in mind that at 60 mph you’re traveling 88 feet per second.
The increase in distance covered while fiddling with touchscreens also indicates that automakers’ efforts to improve these interfaces over the past four years haven’t worked. As Vi Bilägare points out, screens have gotten bigger and are often better positioned than they were four years ago. Many automakers have also introduced new hardware and software behind the screens with sharper graphics and layouts that are supposed to be easier to decipher. But judging by this test, that’s not really the case.
Clearly demonstrating this is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, which has the automaker’s latest operating system. Drivers averaged 35 seconds of screen interaction to complete tasks—15 seconds longer than a GLB-Class tested in 2022—and the screen also required 19 seconds after unlocking to respond to inputs. The CLA traveled an average of 1,116 meters (3,661 feet), the second longest distance in the test behind the Mazda CX-60’s 1,137 meters (3,730 feet), a result that lines up with our experience. The best performer in the 2026 test was the Volvo XC60, but its average of 485 meters (1,591 feet) of travel per task was still 68 meters (223 feet) longer than a Volvo C40 Recharge averaged in the 2022 test.
Not everything went backwards, though. A Tesla Model Y performed better than a Model 3 did in the 2022 test. And while it’s easy to blame the lack of buttons and knobs in newer cars, the 2026 XC60 performed better than the 2016 V60, which has more of those analog controls. A 2005 Volvo V70 (tested in 2022) also beat the 2016 wagon.
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
