Check how easily you can find an unfamiliar control

An unfamiliar control should be understood while the car is stationary. A showroom check can reveal which functions need a menu, a physical switch or a closer reading of the manual.

With permission and the vehicle safely parked, choose a few ordinary tasks: changing ventilation, demisting the screen or adjusting audio. Use the manufacturer's instructions and ask for a demonstration where needed. Avoid activating systems whose effect you do not understand.

Follow one complete action

Notice the steps from the normal screen to the desired setting and back. Check whether the control remains available when another display is open. Do not assume that a clear icon has the same meaning across manufacturers or software versions.

Try the task yourself after the demonstration, still stationary. A salesperson's quick sequence can look simpler than the action feels to a new user. Record the exact feature name so you can find it again in the manual.

This exercise is not a test of operating menus while driving. Some tasks should wait until parked, whatever the interface allows. The useful outcome is knowing which essential actions are straightforward, which need practice and which should be set before a journey begins. Keep that distinction in your comparison rather than reducing the whole interface to a screen-size preference.