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Well....this is obviously a matter of preference...some folks like lots of buttons and details whether they serve a function or not (looks cool...who cares about what the utility is) whereas others prefer form to match function (if it serves no useful purpose then why is it there?). Both have merit but it just depends on what one prefers.
I tend to fall in the latter category (form and function) and had the exact opposite reaction to the new dash than you did.
While I agree that the old dash looks pretty sharp, I thought I would tire of looking at a series of buttons that I wouldn't be using (even more so if they start peeling). A good example is the phone pad. Why the hell would I want a phone pad on my dash? I'm no expert on telecommunication technology but I'm thinking phones are like computers and the technology changes so fast that by the time this is out for few years it no longer works w/ available technolgy or is just too expensive to bother with (I'm reminded of my bros mid 90's Audi with a HUGE home size phone in the center console that is useless). To me, the buttons would be a constant reminder that I was driving a facade of a well designed car rather than a well designed car. Over time I fear it would SCREAM daily "this is a car designed by stupid people!" and then if the car started to break down over time it would just add insult to injury. The fact of the matter is that a car dash doesn't NEED lots of buttons because its not a space shuttle...or an aircraft....its a car.
I also prefer to turn a dial once rather than pushing rocker buttons numerous times to get the same result (I'm reminded of my alarm clock that requires pushing the minutes button 30 times to set the alarm to 6:30 AM. Thus, I find the new dash much more functional and logical than the prior one. Oh yea...and that rediculous and poor sounding "infotainment" system with the nested menus has been scrapped for a more practical "radio" that sounds better to boot (I think the base stereo sounds better than the "premium" stereo of the past).
Another advantage of the new dash is that the 3 readouts (SID, infotainment, AC/heat) that tend to lose pixels over time and will have to be replaced are condensed into one (I'm told it is a separately replaceable unit within the dial cluster...hope that is true...and hope it doesn't cost 3x as much!).
I think, by comparison to most car dashes on the market today (that look really cheapo), this one looks pretty good.
Of course, YMMV.
Pat (a different pat)
posted by 129.162....
, Tue, 10 Oct 2006 10:18:54
, Sat, 7 Oct 2006 13:34:43, Sun, 8 Oct 2006 18:31:30, Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:54:22
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