I also prefer the old style heat/AC bar over the modern style where you set a temperature number. What's the point of setting a temperature number when the car doesn't actually maintain or output that particular temperature? For example, if it's 70° out and I set my temperature control to 70°, it might blast cold air at me or hot air. It's a crapshoot. The old style bar, you just set how warm or cool the air was that's coming out of the vents and it didn't change based on external temperature. So much simpler.
But yeah, non-physical buttons are both inconvenient and hazardous.