Recently for work I have had several hire cars to take me to the other end of the country and back, and I have noticed this fad of having the dials on the dash surrounded in tubes
I find them really distracting and it seems that everything on the dash is squashed up and the instruments are contained in these ?funnels? , I really struggle to see anything on the dash and find it quite of putting, as I have to look down these ?pipes? just to see anything ? I like a dash that?s clear and well laid out, it just seems that everything is squashed together (warning/information lights on the dials them selves obscured by the needles) the smallest temp and fuel gauges and everything at the end of a tube, all in the name of design
The fiat Bravo (Brava??) we had recently I could not see the top of the rev counter or speedo for these ?pipes?
Am I been boring? I just find myself really distracted and get a claustrophobic feeling when trying to work out what im supposed to be looking at
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Maybe the idea is that a dial down a tube is less affected by glare from sun shining in from behind the driver's right shoulder ... but in practice I haven't found that happening on any car of mine for years.
I think it's probably just another fashion wheeze, like the daft business of using a white background for the dials rather than the much clearer black.
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My dad's Renault 12 had similar dials way back in the 70s, 'hooded against glare' as Renault put it at the time. I had no idea they'd be so influential.
And no, RV, you're not being boring. Ergonomics are tremendously important, and can help keep a car satisfying long after the showroom gleam has worn off and the interior designer has spent his bonus and moved on. My Volvo is superb in this respect; the two Saabs that preceded it were excellent too; we had a Skoda that was OK, and we now have a Toyota that should be good but is a complete mess. These things matter, but some makers would rather stick a piece of silver painted plastic round the radio than pay them any attention.
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Thanks i just though it was just me beinbg boring lol
I just find that everything is cluttered up as well, not neatley and clearly laid out, in reference to needles on the dials obscouring the warning/information lamps
I just find it a little annoying, and i agree if you own a car it has to be asthetically pleasing its the little things that you have to live with on a day to day basis, and it has to be right esp as you spend a lof of money on a car.
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