2007 L.A. Auto Show: Checking Out the Wheels

Published: November 20, 2007, 11:54 am

Tags: 2007 l a auto show, car buying, car gadgets

Hop into any new car these days, and you'll likely have more switches and thumbwheels right in front of your face than some cars had across the entire dashboard a few decades ago. At last week's auto show, we stole a few moments between press conferences to check out some new-car interiors. Our questions: How many buttons can you cram onto one steering wheel? Is there a point of critical mass? And just what the hell do all those buttons do? Without cruise control, inexpensive cars like the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris still come with basic steering wheels, but plainer styles are becoming harder to find. Even the wheel on Chevy's lowly Aveo5 can be dressed with audio and cruise controls, though they're pretty rudimentary. More common is the Scion xD's setup, which includes buttons for volume, track selection and stereo mode. Cruise control sits on its own stalk at 4 o'clock, something several other brands including Toyota's own Lexus also employ.

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