I'm talking about the instrument panel. I know a number of you have written about how silly you think it looks. But I like it and here is why.
It puts the info I want right in front of my face in colors that are cool and soothing. I particularly like this design when driving at night. My eyes don't tire of the blue and green glow. I find cars that have red or orange can bother my eyes on long trips.
I like that my traveling speed is positioned higher than the steering wheel so I don't have to look down. I like that the background color changes from blue to green depending on how economically I am driving. I don't have to take my eyes off the road at all. My peripheral vision picks up on the color change.
All of these things may seem odd at first. But it doesn't make the instrument panel bad, just different.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
dandimar says:
06:06 PM, 02/24/10
This is as close to having a heads up display as you'll get without having the real deal. In my Civic, it's very helpful not having to take my eyes off the road to see my speed (the Civic also keeps the fuel and temp gauge in the peripheral vision). I don't need to see the tachometer because I listen and feel for the right time to shift anyway. I thought the dash design was gimmicky at first, but it's actually very smart. Different things are often classified as weird, and many times it's true, but people are also afraid of change from what they consider to be "standard."
Different isn't always bad.
ih8hyundai says:
09:33 PM, 02/24/10
Dash is fugly. But functional. It really is the nicest at night.
pat1usmc says:
04:51 AM, 02/25/10
I am a fan of the Civic/Insight instrument panel. Its hard to drive a car without a digital speedo once you get used to it though.
tehnighthawk says:
05:47 AM, 02/25/10
@pat1usmc
I agree. After driving my Civic for even a week and then getting into a car with a normal dash I have a hard time adjusting to a standard speedometer.
dougtheeng says:
05:47 AM, 02/25/10
Maybe its just your photo, but I don't find that shade of blue to be "cool and soothing".
dougtheeng says:
05:48 AM, 02/25/10
Also, I'd rather have a actual speedo with a needle, as opposed to a digital one. But I guess thats just personal preference.
mheikka says:
07:49 AM, 02/25/10
The split dash with digital speedometer is a nice step forward. After driving with it for a while, an analog-style speedometer seems like an archaic pain. I don't miss scanning my eyes all over an area to find the "swinging needle in a haystack" to estimate speed by lining up a needle with a mark. Honda's clear, well-mounted digital display tells me exact speed without fuss. The blue/green backlighting tells me instantly whether I'm driving efficiently. No interpretation required. Fast, efficient, simple.
While the blue in the center looks a bit gaudy, you can dim the backlighting to get a more soothing effect. The photo likely has the dash backlighting cranked to 100%.
Oddly, the dash is only partially digital. It still has swinging needles on the bottom for charge/discharge, tachometer and fuel levels. Those should be digital too (bar graphs?)
milt721 says:
08:27 AM, 02/25/10
Whay is the engine running when you are not moving?
farvy says:
09:00 AM, 02/25/10
@milt721: she's stopped at the red light shown in the picture.
I have no problems with this dash. It appears that once you get used to it, there are no problems.
The dashes that don't make any sense are the ones with the gauges in the middle, like in some Scion/Toyotas. Not only do you have to look down, but now over to the middle of the car.
aurakr says:
02:40 PM, 02/25/10
That dash is in my opinion, just my opinion, ugly. However, the problem I have is that if GM had come out with this dash or a digital speedometer, the complaints that would come out of the woodworks. But since Honda does it, it is all right. Edmunds must hire from the same pool of workers as Consumer Reports, ie Japan ok, Europe ok, USA, be very wary.
Remember, digital was big back in the 80s and everyone complained. What did they say? The Civic and the Accord don't have digital speedometers, they have round gauges as was intended!!! My how time flies, but nothing really changes.
By the way, why is Dan Edmunds the lead defender of Toyota during the UA debacle? Just curious, is he being paid by Toyota?
mheikka says:
08:04 PM, 02/25/10
@aurakr - I think you're mistaken about the recent Civics. That car pioneered the split dash concept with digital speedometer that the Insight now uses.
GM's digital dashes from decades ago may have failed for two reasons - immature technology and an old-school audience. Jump forward 20-30 years, and many drivers have grown up with computers and other digital electronic devices. These younger generations of drivers are more accepting of digital displays, and of change. Even so, few car companies are brave enough to experiment with digital dashes now, especially with American buyers.
cr_driver says:
09:02 AM, 02/26/10
Donna = videos, heated, soothing.