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- Thread starter puckhead193
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mpw said:
I don't even think the 911 has a larger tach than speedo. Maybe the Carrera GT or whatever it is. I don't know much about Porsche.
Come to think of it my friend has a Civic with a much much larger tach than speedo... but it's aftermarket. And it looks silly.
dpaanlka said:
Actually I far prefer the 'cockpit' style interiors.
My older BMW 3 series had a great cockpit style interior.
tachometer - speedometer - same difference.
[Greek takhos, speed + -meter.]
We don't call them tachometers here.
Many sports cars, and manual transmission vehicles have larger, and if not larger more prominently displayed, Rev Counters (tachometers as you call em).
I think our terminology is going to get confusing.
Cloudgazer said:Actually I far prefer the 'cockpit' style interiors.
My older BMW 3 series had a great cockpit style interior.
tachometer - speedometer - same difference.
[Greek takhos, speed + -meter.]
We don't call them tachometers here.
Many sports cars, and manual transmission vehicles have larger, and if not larger more prominently displayed, Rev Counters (tachometers as you call em).
I think our terminology is going to get confusing.
I'd say the 9-5 has even more of a cockpit feel than the 3 series... and neither of them have larger tachs than speedos so I still am confused about that. The 9-5 is in a different class than the 3 series though. 9-5 compares more to 5 series in size, price, and power.
EDIT: oh yeah my 9-5 is stick btw - see my interior photo a few posts back
EDIT #2: I would say that BMW has sortof lost its way with the current 3s. They're slightly less driver focused than the older 3 series. I hope Saab doesn't do the same in the future. I believe GM fully realized it's horrendous 9-2 Saaburu mistake.
dpaanlka said:
I'm not comparing the BMW to the Saab. i was just stating i like the cockpit style interior.
I find the speedo in the Saab too large. And if I'm not mistaken it sits in the centre of the console
In the BMW the speedo and rev counter are the same size, both prominently displaayed.
I find I usually drive using the rev counter as opposed to the actual speed reading.
I definately agree with your 2nd edit. The new BMW interiors are not as nice as the older ones.
Cloudgazer said:
I've never had a problem finding or reading my tach, which I also drive from. Another thing I thought of about the Saab 9-5 dash that I enjoy that isn't too common on cars these days is the wall all of the guages are confined within a flat-surfaced dash, as opposed to all kinds of extra humps and protrusions that seem like after-thoughts on most current cars.
EDIT: Here is a 2006 interior. They have done away with wood grain (sadness) but its still the same dash.
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dpaanlka said:
The interior is not ugly - its quite stylish and would definately be better with the wood finish - it simply doesn't appeal to me.
I really don't like the big speedo - I guess it reminds me of cheap cars that don't have any other gauges so they make one big speedo to make up for it.
EDIT: Not that i can really comment at the mo on ANY interior, as this is mine....
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dpaanlka said:
Oh no need to blow it out of proportion. I'm certainly not hung up about it.
Its simply a feature i don't like.
Beleive me, its not like I loose any sleep over it.
But if I'm gonna spend a fortune an a car, I'm gonna make damn sure I'm comfortable and happy behind the dash.
Also not wanting to split hairs or anything, but a larger speedo is not found in every production car today.
Ain't it neat how you can get an interior like that and near BMW level driving experience for about 22k well equipped?
Mike
I hope you are joking, a front wheel drive Honda having the same driving experience as a rear wheel drive BMW? Don't get me wrong, I am definitely a Honda fan...but your comment is asinine.
Speedometer generaly measure road speed tachometers(US) or revcounter(UK) measure engine speed.Cloudgazer said:
A large revcounter is useful in a sports car on a track because the driver will want input as to when to change gear for optimium power when he's racing hard with a helmut on etc. and when he doesn't care about his road speed, as long as he's going faster than the other guys it's not relevant, which is why the revcounter takes prime position. In a road car the speedo useually takes the prime spot cause you need to keep to speed limits etc. and shouldn't really be driving the car to 100% on safety grounds.
mpw said:
True enough - but I still drive using the rev counter, as I know exaclt what speed my car is doing at what gear at what revs.
As for speed limits - well, its much easier to break the rules of the road here in Africa than it is in the US.
Not safe I know - but there you have it.
mpw said:Standard 911
The standard Honda Civic comes with a tachometer bigger than the speedo too.
Interesting.... I have never noticed this, even while driving one. What the gauges look like within the cluster is hardly something that would turn me off of the whole car, unless it was a Nissan or Pontiac, whose gauges look ridiculous.
dpaanlka said:
Funny. Thats what i was trying to get at earlier.
To me, the cluster is one of the most important features as its the thing I'll be looking at most.
dpaanlka said:
LOL, no don't get me wrong.
All the things you mentioned are important. Absolutely.
But from an aesthetic point of view its very important.
Like I said its the part of the car I'll be looking at most - its got to be appealing.
And I like pretty things. I like the look of my powerbook. Its aesthetically more pleasing than any other laptop I've seen.
Its obviously not the most important feature - but it does help.
Or are you just mad cause I said the Saab interior was stupid??
*runs for the hills*
Cloudgazer said:
I actually forgot that you said that, but thanks for reminding me (to get back on track). I'm not wowed by car companies totally new interiors every 4 years that still aren't well suited for performance driving as the Saab interior is. Shinier, flashier, bulbous, jagged, pointy, swoopy, etc... does not a good interior make if it does not focus on the driver. The Saab interior has held up for 20 years and is still considered by many to be an excellent interior, especially now that most car companies have gone to something as formless and soul-less as this:
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dpaanlka said:
Aren't Saabs FWD? FWD and high performance do not go together. I'd take a Honda S2000 over a Saab any day. That is more of a driving enthusiast's car than a saab or half of the BMW lineup. You can't judge cars based soley on their make. That's like saying all of a certain race are all the same. Honda makes cars like the accord and civic to fit one market, and then there's the NSX, S2000 and Integra Type R (I know it's FWD, but it's basically a track car).
I never understood why some people are so set on one car make. A good example is between BMW and Honda. If I wanted a Sport Sedan, I'd buy an M3 (BMW) or even a 330 over any of the honda/acura cars. If I wanted a roadster, I'd get the S2000 (Honda) over the Z4, no questions asked. No one car make builds the best of every kind of car.
radiantm3 said:
You're right. Front wheel drive Hondas are terrible, especially when these kids soup up their Civics and think they're suddenly driving Porsches. However, clearly you have never driven a high performance Saab, or any high performance FWD (yes, they do exist - sadly not very common in the United States). You *think* it's an enthusiasts car, because Honda tells you it is, as does SuperStreet magazine... continued below.
radiantm3 said:
See, that's the typical Honda fan rhetoric. "Honda can do no wrong! If it's Honda, it must be the best!" However, if you were truly as open as you claim to be, you'd realize cars such as the Saturn SKY Redline, which cost 6 grand less than the S2000, features equally good handling, and is far, far, far more powerful, would be the better choice. Same goes for the (now out of production) Saab 9-3 Viggen hatch. But you don't know, because you're too worried about trying to convince BMW and Saab drivers and drivers of basically every other make that your Honda is just as good.
Don't preach to people who drive real cars. You just further solidify our beliefs.If you took a REAL good look at Honda, you'd realize several things:
All of their "trucks" blow. If you can even call them that. Their "sports" cars are getting very long in the tooth, especially in light of current competitor's models. The NSX, for example, is easily beaten by a lowly Ford Cobra that costs 1/4 the price. And I already made the above mention of GM's latest roadsters which excel past the S2000 in every way, and are cheaper to boot. Their Luxury brand is a joke compared even to those of the other Japanese brands (Nissan's Infiniti and Toyota's Lexus), and that isn't saying much. Acura isn't taken seriously by Luxury car buyers, it has fallen into sortof of a sad "near-Luxury" market not unsimilar to that of Volkswagen. The only difference is, Volkswagen wants to be that way, Honda doesn't. (Why do you think Acura only exists in the United States? Because it would never survive anywhere else). Finally, they're losing their brand loyalty among import tuners because the classic Civic has been recently morphed into a rather feminine car emphasizing economy, and ugliness. Effect? Nobody wants it. Even the Civic Si really doesn't cut it anymore compared to competition from Volkswagen, Saturn, and Chevrolet. All of those brands have much more powerful cars in the same price range.
Well, it's a question of taste. Saab for much of it's life, had a unique driving experience being FWD and turbocharged. You often got a (slight) delay of power and a lot of torque steer (modern saabs have solved both issues). My 9000 has a bit of both, but it is a fun driving experience, once you get used to it - though it is not for everyone.radiantm3 said:
Although many people sneer at such things in a performance car, it commanded considerable enjoyment and loyalty among the saab faithful - so who's to say?
Could it be that only the Americans would fall for a company changing the badges on a car to bump up its value? Most people I know don't think of Lexus as a brand, just one of Toyota's trim levels.dpaanlka said:
A lot of what you say is just your opinion but you're saying it in such a way that you sound as bad as those idiot Mac lovers that have to type M$ Winblows etc.
If YOU don't like any particular car fine, move on but you've said stuff in this thread which is just bollocks and you can't claim to be an authority in the field so why not just let people who like Hyundais etc. drive them without bitching about it?
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