And now that I'm looking at both units side by side, I'm impressed with the original's button design. The 8-way button surrounded by other basic functions were all accessible with quick thumb movements.

Definitely quirky, but sensible in its own way. The circle arrangement is kind of like a clock, and they are larger and distinctly spaced out. I think it made for easier sense-memory touch recall without looking.

The new function buttons are so small and close together, again, I find myself having to look away from the road.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but let's face it: driver distractions are a serious road safety issue.