This is the path I took when purchasing my most recent vehicle. A ford with a ~5" non-touch screen. Basically just big enough to show you the backup camera and the radio station.
I love having physical controls for everything.
Honestly though, as much as I hate touch screens, this thing is terrible.
The biggest issue is the software, which admittedly has nothing to do with the form factor. It just crashes all the time, and is annoying to use. The backup camera is difficult to see. Not having navigation readily available is frustrating once you've driven vehicles that do have it. Mounting your phone is not a good substitute.
I think you really have to shoot for a design where 80-90% of your functions are physical buttons/knobs while also having the advanced software and high definition display that android auto/car play offer.
I love having physical controls for everything.
Honestly though, as much as I hate touch screens, this thing is terrible.
The biggest issue is the software, which admittedly has nothing to do with the form factor. It just crashes all the time, and is annoying to use. The backup camera is difficult to see. Not having navigation readily available is frustrating once you've driven vehicles that do have it. Mounting your phone is not a good substitute.
I think you really have to shoot for a design where 80-90% of your functions are physical buttons/knobs while also having the advanced software and high definition display that android auto/car play offer.