Honda's newly-unveiled 2008 Accord has a new cockpit control in the middle of the center stack. The unit looks much like the ones on its upscale sibling, Acura.

With its new controller, Honda appears to be favoring the German point of view that a control knob allows the LCD to go at the top of the dash, where it's easier to read at a glance; touchscreens need to be mounted lower. As in Acuras, the knob is mounted midway up the center stack, where the only arm support (important on bumpy roads) will be the top of the gearshift lever. Other automakers with controller knobs include Acura, Audi, BMW, Infiniti, and Mercedes-Benz. Look for a full report in September after we've had some hands-on driving time.

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