The new Honda Insight hybrid will monitor your driving via a color-coded instrument cluster. Called Ecological Drive Assist, the speedometer will change color as you drive more aggressively. If you're playing by the rules (being good) the background will display green. If, however, you drive with more abandon, the background color will change from green to various shades of blue, depending on how aggressive your driving is.
Here's Green Car Advisor's take: Honda Provides Photos and Details of Its Eco-Driving System for the Insight Hybrid
firstwagon says:
08:18 AM, 11/28/08
I can see that being amusing for a while then just annoying nagging.
Kinda like putting a G-metre on a performance car, hard core types are the only ones who will appreciate it.
estreka says:
10:30 AM, 11/28/08
Kinda sucks if you're blue-green color blind. Perhaps two distinct colors would be more appropriate.
moparbad says:
10:57 AM, 11/29/08
Digital speedometer brings back memories of 80's digital dash K cars. Wonder if the Insight talks too?
I'm not a fan of the digital speedometers.
firstwagon says:
04:41 PM, 11/29/08
Actually K cars never came with digital dashes although some Chrysler products of the era did.
It reminds me more of the set up the Mitsubishi had although I can't remember if it was on the Starion or the Challenger. (Sapparo ?)
altimadude00 says:
05:19 PM, 11/29/08
Shouldn't the driver be in control of how he or she drives, not the car? This would tick me off to no end. Sorry Honda, no customer here.
moparbad says:
07:54 PM, 11/30/08
Actually, K-cars did have digital dash.
LeBaron on the K-platform was available with digital dash.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLCv6TG3DBQ
Aries, Reliant, 400, LeBaron 1981-1989
I know someone who collects K-cars, I don't know why they do, but they have more than 12.
nunatak says:
04:31 AM, 12/ 1/08
altimadude00: not sure that you sound like the sort who'd buy an Insight anyway.
It does sound like a gimmick that would get annoying after a while, though. Be nice if you could turn it off, like cycling through the instantaneous mpg calculator in some other cars.
ateixeira says:
11:13 AM, 12/ 1/08
You have to think like a hyper-miler would, that's the target market. I think they will *LOVE* this feature.
Think about it - their aim is to get the best MPG, and this is just positive reinforcement for them.
Green means go. This is a great idea - for the intended demographic!
moparbad says:
03:11 PM, 12/ 1/08
Just more mpg without driving any different, that is the only type of hybrid buyer I've ever met.
I have yet to come across one hybrid "hypermiler".
What % of people will actually alter their driving because of the color of the screen?
allthingshonda says:
05:07 PM, 12/ 1/08
Sorry Honda, no customer here.
Altimadude, going by your posts you hate anything Honda makes; so it's safe to say that you are never going to be a customer.
altimadude00 says:
08:55 PM, 12/ 1/08
Allthingshonda: I was giving my first impressions of what the car has to offer. It is true that I would not buy this car, I am not totally turned off by Honda products.
I think the Honda Element is a neat car. The CRV is also nice (I recommended it to my parents). The only thing that stopped me from liking the Honda Accord is the mass of buttons that's scrambled up on the dash. I also like the packaging of the Fit.
If I had the need for a vehicle, I would certainly consider them. It's just that for being a company that prides its self on being the "driver's car for the family," this particular car is taking the driver out of the equation.
I'm sure that appeals to some people, but not to me. So I am not going to buy THIS car from them. It doesn't necessarily mean that I will NEVER buy a Honda.