2008 Scion xB - Dark Cabin

When I notice peeps watching me sing, I usually sing louder and roll the windows down.

I never thought about it that way, but you've just given me one more reason to dislike center mounted gauges. I too like having the gauge cluster in front of my hands casting a little bit of light onto me.
 
The only thing could that could come from this is that it might help your night vision (Saab used to have a Nightpanel feature that turned off every interior light at night, I don't know if they still do though). However, looking out the windshield, I doubt you have much night vision to lose, and you can always dim the panel lighting anyway, so maybe there isn't much to this other than aesthetics.
 
Does anyone know why automakers put the gauges here in the first place, because it always baffled me?

My brother and sister have a 1st-gen xB and 1st-gen xA respectively.
 
The xA has center-mounted gauges in the common configuration, smack dab in the middle of the dash. I find them annoying, and not an improvement.
 
But the old xB has an oversized speedo that's not all the way in the middle, and it's high up. It's BETTER than a normal gauge setup. Less of an angle for your eyes to turn, and best yet, the needle is prominent in your peripheral vision while your eyes are on the road. It's the ideal setup, imo.
 
The new one seems to have its gauges less high up and less oversized, so maybe it's lost the advantages to having them. I haven't seen them myself.

The xB may be dark, but the Wrangler Unlimited is practically like driving inside Carlsbad Caverns.

Yes, Riz, I agree. And the overhead lamp in the Wrangler is so far back that it doesn't do much for the front passengers.

Jr - So it can be easily converted to RHD or LHD? I think it's just a sales gimmick, though.

I like the darkness and center gauges. The dark with the red gauges keep my eyes in night vision mode.
The idea of center gauges is that it takes less time to refocus your eyes from looking out the windshield to seeing the gauges then if the gauges were the short distance from your eyes they would be if they were directly in front of you. Also, no steering wheel interference for center gauges.
And the xB speedometer is digital anyway, in large numbers, so it is very easy to pick out. I also *think* I can see the gauges better in my peripheral vision so I do not need to move my eyes to directly looking at them, but that may just be my head playing tricks!

we have a xA as part of the car family. I rarely drive it. But the lady of the house who's car it it. got used to the center mounted gauges. I find them annoying and hard to use. I think if you use them exclusively for awhile you'll get used to them and wont notice it.
 
As for a dark cabin. I generally perfer it dark, takes less time for the eyes to adjust

i like a darker cabin myself, and definitely understand the benefits of red gauges at night... when center-mounted clusters first started showing up, i remember asking salesmen why that was, and to to a T, they all said "it's where your eyes naturally go when you drive." i never understood that, and i still don't. i figure it's something the manufacturers told them to say.... or maybe i'm the odd one. my eyes don't naturally go that way when i'm looking for instruments. that said, i didn't find it difficult to adjust when i test drove this car; i just didn't love it. i see it as similar to adjusting between digital (S2000) and analog (almost everything else :)) gauges more than anything.

All companies shouuld sell HUDs (heads up display) on their cars. Especially the ones with center mounted gagues. I'd personally love it!
 
I dont really like the darkness much, but I would love to have the soft LEDs that shine in the cabin at night. I think that is sooo B.E.A.Utuiful! But the only cars i know of that have it are the Audi's, VWs, Acura TL, and BMW's.
 
My mom's new but not new Z4 has them and they really keep the cabin from being like an Alabama (As spongebob says: Advanced darkness) night or like a Southern Florida night (streetlights galore). They really up your mood.
 
-Cj

autboy16: My 2003 Accord V6 6MT has ambient console lighting. All 2003-2007 Accord EX/EX-V6's have this. All Acuras have them too.

Darkness is actually better for night vision. Exactly why SAABs have "night panel" buttons that turn off non-essential gauges. It is one of my favorite features because I often travel by car. On long drives at night I get tired far less quickly when I drive in "night panel" mode.