I’ve noticed that some new cars like the BMW Z8, Toyota Prius and Panoz Esprit have their speedometers/tachometers/fuel gauges etc. in the center of the dashboard, rather than the normal placement right in front of the steering wheel.
Does anyone find this odd? If you’re staring straight ahead at the road, isn’t it easier (and quicker) to simply look down to see the instruments, rather than down and to the right? Why would it be good for drivers to divert their eyes more than is necessary already?
Do the cars in question have steering wheels that might block the view of instruments behind them? I know on my car there are some things I have to move a little to see.
One reason given in the case of the Toyota Echo is a cost saving measure. Since they build both left and righthand drive versions of the car, its cheaper to put the instruments in the center of the dash.
In the case of the BMW and the Panoz, it has to with the “race inspired” feel of the car. Some race cars have their instruments in the center of the dash so that the driver can always get a good look at them, without having to look around the “spurs” in the steering wheel. Consider it to be a marketing gimmick.
I own a Toyota Echo. I’ll admit the centre instrument panel is very odd, at first. You get used to it, and to be honest, I find it better. You don’t have to peek through the steering wheel to see the instruments (and in a small car like the Echo the wheel can obstruct the view).
Toyota also claims that the angle of head movement is less with the centre panel, resulting in less time spent looking away from the road. This makes sense, as the centre instrument panel is mounted higher than it would be if it was behind the steering wheel. You end up looking right and only a little down, rather than looking a lot down.
I can see why people wouldn’t like a centre instrument panel, but now that I am used to it, I prefer it to a traditional instrument panel.
Where do they put the audio and air controls in such cars? Sound to me like the center area is getting pretty crowded, especially if it has OnStar, GPS, and other such toys as well.
In some cars, like Lexuses (Lexi plural?) the controls for audio sometimes go behind the OnStar, GPS. The panel just flips down to expose the controls.
I just happen to own a 1973 Land Rover half tonne military lightweight (airborne) “jeep”. It is an awesome jeep, but it’s instruments are also in the middle of the dash console.
The major malfunction here is that in order to know how fast I am going or view any of the other instruments I actually have to take my eyes away from the road and look down towards the instrument panel on the dashboard.
It is obvious that this concept is most certainly not new, but I would think that by now, someone would have realised that it is not the best option, and certainly not the safest.