Who makes a speedometer with a glass-shard-covered dildo?
Is the dildo the pointer?
fuck the designer of center speedometers with a glass shard-covered dildo.multiple times.in the ass.
Europeans. They aren’t as uptight about such things as we puritanical Americans.
The Mini does have a digital speed readout in the instrument panel behind the steering wheel, in addition to the center mount analog speedometer. That’s not a bad setup - their instrument panel is thoughtfully planned, if a bit busy.
It looks STUPID, is what it looks. I wouldn’t be shocked to find something like that on a car that’s DESIGNED to look stupid, like a Scion, or a PT Cruiser.
Hey, it’s my car!
… I was pretty much used to it by the time I was done the test drive. Such a total non-issue that someone feeling quite that strongly about it confuses and bewilders me.
Meh, big deal. If your speedometer is in focus enough to read, the road is out of focus. Period. No matter where the speedometer is. That’s why you take quick glances instead of studying the thing carefully. Flicking your eyes down and center doesn’t take any longer than flicking your eyes straight down. Yeah, there’s a slight adjustment period, just like there always is when you drive a car that has a different control layout than what you’re used to. Nobody gets pissy about car-makers tinkering with the windshield wiper controls, or the cruise control, or the headlight dimmer…how in the blue bleeding fuck is this any different?
That error of placement would stop me from buying that car.
If you think this is bad, look at the new MyFord Touch control panel.
That’s a monstrosity. A small screen in the center of the console, displaying all kinds of stuff on the screen, in small fonts, with tiny touch sensitive buttons underneath the screen (but not sensitive to a driver wearing gloves, as in winter in the northern half of the country). You have to page through menus and press button after button for something as simple as adjusting the radio. Just another ‘feature’ to take your eyes off the road and risk an accident.
Not just annoying, but positively dangerous!
In the Prius I just bought, there is a lot of display information on the panel that the steering wheel would interfere with if it was traditionally located. I’m not crazy about the location of it, but it’s not worth pitting or getting one’s panties in a twist over. It’s not like I spend all my time staring at the speedometer; it’s a reference that is glanced at from time to time.
I test drove a Prius a few months ago and the center mounted speedometer was one reason I decided against it. (I also didn’t like the weird joystick-like shift lever.)
Agreed. The tachymeter should be in the center of the instrument panel, centered on the steering post, and the speedometer should be off to one side.
Oh, that wasn’t what you meant. In that case, continue with your outrage, and I’ll go on with mine.
Stranger
No, what I suspected was a joke was the notion that since a centerline located speedometer isn’t a big deal on a motorcycle, it shouldn’t be a big deal on a car…
I’ve been driving a car with a center-mounted speedometer for 9 years now. Not a single neck crick. And I like that I get more view of the road directly in front of me than with a left mounted instrument panel.
But, to each their own.
In my brother’s car, the heater controls are also on menus so that if, say, your windshield fogs up suddenly, you’ve got to take your eyes completely off the road and push buttons to get to the defroster icon, then find the fan icon, etc.
Just bought a 2004 Saturn Ion and I don’t have a problem with it. On the contrary, I’ve found that I no longer need to shift my hand (resting at 12 o’clock when I’m cruising on the highway) to glance at the speedometer.
It’s a little weird at night as I’m still getting used to it being dark behind the steering wheel.
Oh, and I don’t know why anyone would think you have crick your neck to look at the center console. Can’t you move your eyeballs?
Your other remarks indicate good reasons to avoid this, but I’d agree that being unable to operate the panel while wearing winter gloves would be a real nuisance for those of us who live in wintry climes. When it’s -30, I don’t want to have to remove my gloves to work the car’s controls–assuming that my fingertips are warm enough for the touch screen to recognize them.
To all who are saying that you’re getting a better view of the road: How is that possible? I’ve never driven a vehicle that had the instrument panel blocking the road at all.
Well, not to go so off topic, but your hand shouldn’t rest at top center of the wheel. The theory is that if you should get hit, the airbag will send your hand directly into your face, breaking both. Hands at 9 and 3 will go sideways and not break your face. Just something to think about. If you have no airbag in the steering wheel, then never mind!
Well, no, the instrument panel doesn’t block your entire view of the road, but they do have a certain height to them. With no instrumentation directly in front of you that part of the panel can dip downward, giving you a slightly better view of what’s immediately in front of you. The people who would notice this most are the short ones, who’s forward view is more blocked due to the angle formed by their eyes and the top of the panel. If you’re tall you might not notice it at all.
I forgot about short people. :smack: