The Car Thread ... !

[puma1552]

Yeah, if you don't blow a ton of money on an entry Audi that's hard plastics galore. The A4 is a better choice for the money

What in an A3 is hard plastics galore compared to an A4?

You would be surprised how many people do. I suppose if you have the money to do so, then it's not a problem.

Almost nobody spends $3900 on a paint option on an A3, sorry. Not going to agree with you on this, as I have not once seen an A3 in an Audi individual color.
[doublepost=1486336657][/doublepost]

Alright. Then why wouldn't you want quilted leather when I mentioned it? It's the bees knees. I've got no idea if you've ever sat in an old car or a new car with it, but it's really like having a few hundred tiny pillow under your backside and rubbing against your back. It's incredibly comfortable.

I would like it, and have sat in it. But I'm not spending $50k on an S3 either, so it doesn't really matter in a discussion about A3s, which it isn't available on.

 

[0388631]

What are "leather like textiles"?

NuLux, MBTex, SensaTec, etc. you get the idea. It's a leatherette like material. NuLux is Lexus, MBTex is Merc and the last one is BMW. I think the 3 and 4 can be optioned with the Dakota, which is a third rate leather. You can't get the Nappa without going for the 5er, IIRC. The 4 series allows you to get the dakota with the dash leather wrap provided you order from BMW directly. The Merino is on the M cars and BMW order, but I forget which cars qualify for it. I believe the 5, 6 and 7 did. I don't know about the new generation.

It isn't bad by any means. Lexus do a really good one, but it's not great by any means either. Real leather lasts longer, IMO, easier to clean and breathes better than synthetics. Either VAG buys leather in large numbers and passes on the benefit to customers or they offer it as a loss leading feature. Either way, it's terrific. I didn't know how extensive their use of leather was until AU mentioned it in November.

[doublepost=1486337605][/doublepost]

What in an A3 is hard plastics galore compared to an A4?

Hard dash, hard window sills, reduced amount of padding near the console to protect from knee knocks, console itself uses reduced amounts of leather, general hard plastics in and around to save money. You gotta realize that unlike the other luxury/premium car makers, Audi's been using real leather in their cars for a long time. So some cost saving moves have had to be made.

Having sat in an A3 recently, it's a decent car if you plan on going super light with the options. It's going to handle better than the CLA, and looks better, too, but you get into an options war if you manage to find a BMW with decent options and discount. Driving it was nice, too. Tight, good handling, much like the TTs I've driven in the past. Nimble, fun, enthusiastic to go up the rev limiter meanwhile the salesperson is sweating bullets, good fun. But I wouldn't spend 45 let alone 49 thousand on it. If pressed to get an Audi of a small stature, it would be an Audi with Prestige Plus and a PTS of Nardo Grey, which I'm quite smitten with.

Almost nobody spends $3900 on a paint option on an A3, sorry. Not going to agree with you on this, as I have not once seen an A3 in an Audi individual color.

You'd be surprised. I'm sure there are. Just as there are P-car owners who'll spend thousands more to get a color that's lurid to the point it hurts resale harder than depreciation or a color that looks similar to one offered on the palette.

I would like it, and have sat in it. But I'm not spending $50k on an S3 either, so it doesn't really matter in a discussion about A3s, which it isn't available on.

S3 doesn't even have it. I'm not sure why either. They could have saved money by pressure treating the leather in the S3 to have the quilted look sans the work of making it. Audi's by far one of the most custom companies if you want to drop the money. I've bought a lot of Mercs in my life and I don't think they've ever had a program as extensive as Audi.

https://www.audiusa.com/technology/design/Audi-exclusive

There's Porsche, too. Where you can drop 30-60K in options alone.
[doublepost=1486338329][/doublepost]

Jeep Grand Wagoneer?

Never really saw those. The Cherokees with the wood paneling came and went. Jeeps weren't particularly popular here in those days because we barely get any snow under. I got a little bit a few weeks ago. Crazy occurrence that's only happened a few times since I bought the house. CJs were much more popular. My best friend at the time had a late 70s CJ5. It wasn't very old when he got it, certainly ancient now. But we felt like rock stars driving that thing around. It was the coolest car in school, I think. The best bit was you could seat three birds in the back.

I've always wanted an old CJ to restore or buy a CPO Wrangler so as not to take the hard depreciation hit. The market for old in good shape CJs is limited. Everyone knows they're great cars and ends up buying them from the west coast to use in the east. Now you have to understand. There was a time where SUVs were very popular here despite most people never needing it. I bought one because I regularly haul a lot of stuff and go light off roading.

When crossovers began to roll here in the early 2000s with the Murano and FX, people gravitated towards them. Now crossovers are the most selling cars in the non sedan/coupe market.

Prior to this, the most popular SUV was the Tahoe and Suburban by far. With the third being the GMC Yukon Denali, which was simply a nicer version of the aforementioned. I think the Denali at the time offered four wheel steering which was a huge selling point. They even had a cool commercial about it. Chevy's offerings then were around 32-45K depending on what you got. I have no idea how much they got now, but I'm sure it's in the 55-70K mark.

Which reminds me, would you be interested in the 5 series Gran Turismo?

 

[puma1552]

Hard dash, hard window sills,

Almost certain that isn't correct.

Regardless, the fascination with dash stroking that came out of nowhere in the last 5-10 years is comical.

I have a soft upper (AND unheard of lower...$$$$$$$$) dash in my car and it looks worse than the de facto hard plastic upper dash in my wife's car. I'd care more about what it looks like than what it feels like since I always look at it and never touch it, personally. Even my 27 year old car has a soft upper dash that looks better than my 3 year old car's soft dash, and that was built in one of the worst quality eras for that company. So dash softness doesn't really mean anything to me, personally.

 

[0388631]

Almost certain that isn't correct.

Felt like it. I didn't knock them because the salesperson wasn't keen on me pushing things on the A3, but wasn't bothered when I did it with the other models.

Regardless, the fascination with dash stroking that came out of nowhere in the last 5-10 years is comical.

You'll have to get me up to speed here. Is it something all companies do now? I checked out the new CX-9 over the summer. It had soft touch materials all over. It looks very nice inside. I'm a tall guy and it felt comfortable with all the materials on your side and near your legs. But it also felt claustrophobic when others got into the car to test the seats out. Mazda definitely tried to copy Audi's Q series, especially Audi's signature low slung dash but didn't quite do it right.

I have a soft upper (AND unheard of lower...$$$$$$$$) dash in my car and it looks worse than the de facto hard plastic upper dash in my wife's car. I'd care more about what it looks like than what it feels like since I always look at it and never touch it, personally. Even my 27 year old car has a soft upper dash that looks better than my 3 year old car's soft dash, and that was built in one of the worst quality eras for that company. So dash softness doesn't really mean anything to me, personally.

I'll agree with you on the lower dash. That's simply silly. The idea being using more leather or similar textiles is a bit about having a premium product but also because they don't crack like hard plastic as the years go by, easier to clean, they also absorb road noise and noise within the car. Then you've got thicker pane glass, the use of non run flats, more underbody covering panels, etc.

Are you talking about your GT?

 

[puma1552]

most manufacturers are using soft touch materials for dashes and doors these days.

i find hard plastics much easier to clean than soft plastics, by far.

unfortunately the soft dash in my 27 year old car is notorious for cracking, to the point that new old stock pieces fetch over $2k on the rare chance they come up, and it's just a flat top panel (boxy interior). regardless though, any German car is going to fall apart mechanically well before the plastics give out...they are almost all leases and it seems these manufacturers know this and have little incentive to build something that lasts beyond the warranty period...so much for fit and finish, really

 

[0388631]

i find hard plastics much easier to clean than soft plastics, by far.

They last longer. Scuffs are super easy to get out.

unfortunately the soft dash in my 27 year old car is notorious for cracking, to the point that new old stock pieces fetch over $2k on the rare chance they come up, and it's just a flat top panel (boxy interior). regardless though, any German car is going to fall apart mechanically well before the plastics give out...they are almost all leases and it seems these manufacturers know this and have little incentive to build something that lasts beyond the warranty period...so much for fit and finish, really

Those old dashes used plastic with some vinyl sheet on them. I know what you're talking about. One of my first cars had one and it wasn't more than a few years old when it cracked underneath and bulged. Depends on the car and the upkeep. Reliability has improved but they need their maintenance to run well. We haven't had any gremlins with our Mercs or any breakdowns. Then again I'm anal about maintenance. I choose to purchase because leases are often limiting. You also don't own the deed either way until it's paid off. I put down a large down on my GL and got a 12K discount among other things, and ending up costing the dealer money. But I build a relation with them and bought another Merc from them and sold that and bought another a few years ago. They don't ******** with me and don't charge me for stuff you'd get charged because I've bought from them. I plan on getting my next Merc from them, too.

 

[D.T.]

You kids get your **** sorted out or I will turn this car around ...

 

[puma1552]

Actually the dash I'm referring to is a true soft foam dash, they just didn't hold up to the elements that well over the years.

Luckily mine has, but my car's been a lifelong garage queen.

My wife's '12 Beetle has been very reliable despite being a first year VW, only having a hatch clunk in the winter that absolutely nothing seems to fix (everything in the hatch has been replaced with updated parts but it has never gone away, gave up trying and just deal with it, wife isn't bothered by it at all which I find bizarre), and having a CEL that turned out to just be some wiring harness that only cost $210 all in at the dealer for diagnostic, part, and labor which is phenomenal. I chalk te hatch problem up to being a first year car, despite the revised struts and latch...presumabt a '13 or '14 wouldn't have that issue but if that's it for a first year car, I can't complain.

So her car has been reliable, as was my '13 Jetta SEL I had for 20k miles, but I can't shake the fact that the Beetle just "feels" fragile to me. Contrast my '14 Mustang GT which is drum tight at 39k miles on crap roads and seems built to last and like you can wring it out day in day out and it'll never break a sweat. Initial quality might not win any awards, but what you see on day 1 is what you get and what you still have years later, unlike a lot of German cars that wow you with fit and finish on day 1 but beyond the warranty just go to hell.

dont get me wrong, i like german cars and will likely buy another one next time around, but the ford has been the best car ive owned in every respect, bar none

 

[0388631]

You kids get your **** sorted out or I will turn this car around ...

My dad's favorite words when all of us were young kids in the back seat. Fun times. I had problems sniggering every time my dad ended up going the wrong direction, which didn't sit well with him.

 

[A.Goldberg]

NuLux, MBTex, SensaTec, etc. you get the idea. It's a leatherette like material. NuLux is Lexus, MBTex is Merc and the last one is BMW. I think the 3 and 4 can be optioned with the Dakota, which is a third rate leather. You can't get the Nappa without going for the 5er, IIRC. The 4 series allows you to get the dakota with the dash leather wrap provided you order from BMW directly. The Merino is on the M cars and BMW order, but I forget which cars qualify for it. I believe the 5, 6 and 7 did. I don't know about the new generation.

It isn't bad by any means. Lexus do a really good one, but it's not great by any means either. Real leather lasts longer, IMO, easier to clean and breathes better than synthetics. Either VAG buys leather in large numbers and passes on the benefit to customers or they offer it as a loss leading feature. Either way, it's terrific. I didn't know how extensive their use of leather was until AU mentioned it in November.

[doublepost=1486337605][/doublepost]

Hard dash, hard window sills, reduced amount of padding near the console to protect from knee knocks, console itself uses reduced amounts of leather, general hard plastics in and around to save money. You gotta realize that unlike the other luxury/premium car makers, Audi's been using real leather in their cars for a long time. So some cost saving moves have had to be made.

Having sat in an A3 recently, it's a decent car if you plan on going super light with the options. It's going to handle better than the CLA, and looks better, too, but you get into an options war if you manage to find a BMW with decent options and discount. Driving it was nice, too. Tight, good handling, much like the TTs I've driven in the past. Nimble, fun, enthusiastic to go up the rev limiter meanwhile the salesperson is sweating bullets, good fun. But I wouldn't spend 45 let alone 49 thousand on it. If pressed to get an Audi of a small stature, it would be an Audi with Prestige Plus and a PTS of Nardo Grey, which I'm quite smitten with.



You'd be surprised. I'm sure there are. Just as there are P-car owners who'll spend thousands more to get a color that's lurid to the point it hurts resale harder than depreciation or a color that looks similar to one offered on the palette.



S3 doesn't even have it. I'm not sure why either. They could have saved money by pressure treating the leather in the S3 to have the quilted look sans the work of making it. Audi's by far one of the most custom companies if you want to drop the money. I've bought a lot of Mercs in my life and I don't think they've ever had a program as extensive as Audi.

https://www.audiusa.com/technology/design/Audi-exclusive

There's Porsche, too. Where you can drop 30-60K in options alone.
[doublepost=1486338329][/doublepost]
Never really saw those. The Cherokees with the wood paneling came and went. Jeeps weren't particularly popular here in those days because we barely get any snow under. I got a little bit a few weeks ago. Crazy occurrence that's only happened a few times since I bought the house. CJs were much more popular. My best friend at the time had a late 70s CJ5. It wasn't very old when he got it, certainly ancient now. But we felt like rock stars driving that thing around. It was the coolest car in school, I think. The best bit was you could seat three birds in the back.

I've always wanted an old CJ to restore or buy a CPO Wrangler so as not to take the hard depreciation hit. The market for old in good shape CJs is limited. Everyone knows they're great cars and ends up buying them from the west coast to use in the east. Now you have to understand. There was a time where SUVs were very popular here despite most people never needing it. I bought one because I regularly haul a lot of stuff and go light off roading.

When crossovers began to roll here in the early 2000s with the Murano and FX, people gravitated towards them. Now crossovers are the most selling cars in the non sedan/coupe market.

Prior to this, the most popular SUV was the Tahoe and Suburban by far. With the third being the GMC Yukon Denali, which was simply a nicer version of the aforementioned. I think the Denali at the time offered four wheel steering which was a huge selling point. They even had a cool commercial about it. Chevy's offerings then were around 32-45K depending on what you got. I have no idea how much they got now, but I'm sure it's in the 55-70K mark.

Which reminds me, would you be interested in the 5 series Gran Turismo?

NuLux, SensaTec, MBTex (a misnomer I suppose) are not technically textiles. To be a textile they would have to be woven and derived from a product such as cotton or wool. The term you used "leather like textile" I just thought sounded funny, I'm giving you a hard time.

You've never seen a Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer?! For some reason they've been in TV shows and movies a lot in the recent past (Mrs. Walter White drives one in Breaking Bad). The Wagoneer is considered the original family/luxury consumer-oriented SUV (i.e. Non Jeep Style), predating the Range Rover and comfort-series Land Cruisers which were competing vehicles. The Wagoneer came out in 1963, Range Rover in 1970, and Land Cruiser 55 J50 in 1967. The Wagoneer of course predated the Cherokee by about 15 years.

The base price of a 1991 Grand Wagoneer was about $30,000, about $54,000 in today's dollars if that's any indication to their position in the market. Basically above a Land Cruiser but below a Range Rover.

My parents owned what seems like all the major real SUVs of the 80's and 90's including
- Jeep Grand Wagoner
- Toyota Land Cruisers
- Chevy Suburbans
- Jeep Grand Cherokee (ZJ)
- Range Rover Classic, P38
- LR Disco I

 

[0388631]

Actually the dash I'm referring to is a true soft foam dash, they just didn't hold up to the elements that well over the years.

Literally no idea what that is. Anyway, the car I had was oldish at that time. Gas was still cheap as hell and it was a huge boat. I drove it for barely a year before departing with it. I can't even remember what it was apart from being a domestic. I didn't pay for it so I had no right to complain. It did teach me to be a very good driver and be aware of what I'm driving.

My wife's '12 Beetle has been very reliable despite being a first year VW, only having a hatch clunk in the winter that absolutely nothing seems to fix (everything in the hatch has been replaced with updated parts but it has never gone away, gave up trying and just deal with it, wife isn't bothered by it at all which I find bizarre), and having a CEL that turned out to just be some wiring harness that only cost $210 all in at the dealer for diagnostic, part, and labor which is phenomenal. I chalk te hatch problem up to being a first year car, despite the revised struts and latch...presumabt a '13 or '14 wouldn't have that issue but if that's it for a first year car, I can't complain.

Lots of locks behave strangely during the winter. I've replaced our exterior locks with some high grade ones and they still flunk come winter. Have you tried using 3 in 1, provided they still sell it?

So her car has been reliable, as was my '13 Jetta SEL I had for 20k miles, but I can't shake the fact that the Beetle just "feels" fragile to me. Contrast my '14 Mustang GT which is drum tight at 39k miles on crap roads and seems built to last and like you can wring it out day in day out and it'll never break a sweat. Initial quality might not win any awards, but what you see on day 1 is what you get and what you still have years later, unlike a lot of German cars that wow you with fit and finish on day 1 but beyond the warranty just go to hell.

Is her the newer retro Beetle that doesn't look much like the New Beetle from the 90s? The new ones look pretty cool. I'd never drive one, but I can appreciate their styling.

Your GT was in the last production year of that body. That generation of 'Stangs was wrought with issues for years. The new Euro styled Mustangs had plenty of their issues, and over time those have been rolled out. My GL was years after production began so issues were rolled out. It's why I don't plan on getting the MY18 E63 Wagon. I'll test drive one, but the W213 has enough niggles to drive me insane. Let others pay 120K and face annoying issues.
[doublepost=1486342601][/doublepost]

NuLux, SensaTec, MBTex (a misnomer I suppose) are not technically textiles. To be a textile they would have to be woven and derived from a product such as cotton or wool. The term you used "leather like textile" I just thought sounded funny, I'm giving you a hard time.

You are, except these faux leathers are woven with something and then filled in. Like I said, they're not bad and most people won't be able to tell a different unless they know leather. And before this begins to sound like a BDSM course, I'll simply say that real leather is always worth the extra dough with those brands.

You've never seen a Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer?! For some reason they've been in TV shows and movies a lot in the recent past (Mrs. Walter White drives one in Breaking Bad). The Wagoneer is considered the original family/luxury consumer-oriented SUV (i.e. Non Jeep Style), predating the Range Rover and comfort-series Land Cruisers which were competing vehicles. The Wagoneer came out in 1963, Range Rover in 1970, and Land Cruiser 55 J50 in 1967. The Wagoneer of course predated the Cherokee by about 15 years.

Maybe when driving to ski lodges. I've seen old Jeeps with wood on the side but they were nothing like those. Since then the only car with wood I've seen is the PT Cruiser which is a death trap.

The base price of a 1991 Grand Wagoneer was about $30,000, about $54,000 in today's dollars if that's any indication to their position in the market. Basically above a Land Cruiser but below a Range Rover.

Yep. The premium price range of the typical consumer car who wanted to be spendy but not too spendy. I just checked but the Grand Cherokee costs roughly the same amount. Not much has changed. Reliability's probably gone down.

- Toyota Land Cruisers

So a tank.

 

[puma1552]

this thread needs more pics so just gonna whore our stable of impractical coupes as we head ever closer to parenthood

and bonus jetta pic lol

 

[0388631]

I've never seen those wheels on a Jetta before. Did you grab them from another VW or are they after market? Parenthood... you're expecting?

 

[puma1552]

not expecting yet but im 33 in a couple weeks and my wife will be 32 next month...eventually somethings gonna have to go in the next couple years.

they were the factory wheels on the almost-never-seen top of the line "jetta sel/w nav" as vw officially called it. soft touch dash, nav, fender stereo, push button, power heated seats, sunroof, sport seats, etc. but at the end of the day the initial quality impression that this car had that the lesser jettas didnt seem to have in the early days of this generation wore off, leaving a car that was just boring and had door panels that rattled like mad in HOT wether of all things, when going about 10 mph, wtf. had to go. underneath all the features on that $27k car was a $16k car and it showed over time.

 

[0388631]

Understandable. Jettas weren't as popular here. The first generation was but that slowed down when Honda began making better Civics and Accords. Why pay 20K for a VW when you could get a nice Accord? Protip, when you guys do end up expecting, get as much sleep as you can. Forget getting much sleep the first two years.

 

[A.Goldberg]

Maybe when driving to ski lodges. I've seen old Jeeps with wood on the side but they were nothing like those. Since then the only car with wood I've seen is the PT Cruiser which is a death trap.

So a tank.

- Suburbans- great family cars in the 90's but expensive. Interiors a little subpar, very subpar compared to today but there wasn't much competition. With 3 kids it was great, everyone literally had their own "zone" of the car with plenty of space for luggage.

- ZJ Grand Cherokee - Overall a good car. Decent interior and value. Perfect size for an SUV in my opinion. Good value price wise.
- Grand Wagoneer - Decently relatable, lots of vacuum hoses which are problematic. Prone to rust very easily. Absolute tanks, heavy, one of the few cars historically that allowed for use of 4WD on dry roads.
- Range Classic - One of my favorite cars ever. Horrible reliability, lots of little issues. Cost quite a bit more than a JGW ($10k+)
- P38 Range - Lovely car but too many electrical issues thanks to BMW. Crappy engines for the time, Europe got some nice BMW diesels. My dad only kept his a couple years since it spent more time in the shop than on the road.
- Disco I - Very flawed car but very popular in the area in the 90's. Awful ergonomics, very underpowered, hard to park, horrendous economy. The Disco II was a much car (my bro owned one) but was even worse with reliability.
- Land Cruiser - Good size, phenomenal reliability, decent size (not quite as comfortable size wise as a Jeep but not as versatile as a 'burban). Uncontested resale value. Probably the best SUV all around you could buy.

 

[0388631]

Expensive in that day's money. They're double the price now. I've always loved Chevy's Tahoe and Suburban because they're built so damn well. Plus, their A/C is incredible, even old cars rock hard. I've seen a few P38 Ranges in my time here. They look really good in silver or dark blue. Was the Disco II the one with the humpback roof?

LC's are very popular around here. They're rare once you get out of the metro areas. Likely due to their high MSRP and resale prices. They're probably the ultimate stealth wealth vehicle apart from the E wagon, though the badge gives it away. Most people and dare I say car folks wouldn't look twice at the new LC in a parking lot next to say various European cars or expensive domestic sports cars like the Corvette. No one will assuming the hunky SUV costs around 88K.

 

[AustinIllini]

Alfa is finally advertising

The exquisite Alfa Romeo Giulia gets a trifecta of Super Bowl ads

 

[0388631]

Interesting. I'm awfully curious how the Giulia will turn out in the US. Reliability aside, will people flock to the car as they did with the Ghibli. I sometimes wonder if some of these car manufacturers know who they're advertising to when they choose the Superbowl of all events. Like most expensive cars, domestic or otherwise, it's safe to say you'll see these in high pop. cities and or areas.

 

[jca24]

Yes, maybe I'm old fashioned that I like this over other materials.

You insinuated you hated quilted leather.



Because it isn't. It's fine as a cheap intro car to the premium brand market. But it isn't once you tack on everything. The car makes extensive use of hard plastics. Audi use minimal amounts of leather and leather like textiles.



Where did I state a 50K A3? I said nearing 50K. A3 Prestige with PTS, leather interior standard, 19" wheels, Sports Package, Sport Suspension and rear air bags comes out $49,100.



Err, no. A loaded Premium Plus with PTS comes out to $48,400. Without PTS, it's $44,500. That isn't just over $40,000 -- it's much more than that.

It's fine if you don't agree with me, but don't nit pick and then whine about them. Not once did I accuse you of making a poor choice directly or say anything about how much you make. I said I wouldn't buy one simply because there's better stuff for the money and I value the value I get per dollar spent. But what you're doing is having a fit over nothing.
[doublepost=1486334000][/doublepost]
What is it?

Those pop up screens are so lame, put it in the dash so it doesn't look like they forgot it and just glued the screen on top of the dash. For what you guys pay for those german cars I would expect more!

 

[0388631]

Those pop up screens are so lame, put it in the dash so it doesn't look like they forgot it and just glued the screen on top of the dash. For what you guys pay for those german cars I would expect more!

Uh, no. To place it in the dash, the surrounding dash must also be elevated. If not, you have two large humps - reminiscent of BMW's dash design in the mid 2000s. This messes with Audi's design language. It also why BMW ditched in dash to popup or static popup. It's cleaner than what Merc employs in some of their cars, which is a static positioned tablet screen. The idea of placing the screen back in the dash which raises the dash height makes more sense for large body vehicles. The new G11 is an exception to this, as is the future A8. The upcoming Lexus LS500 takes cues from the Porsche Panamara in mid dash design. Ideally, it also makes servicing the units way simpler.

Alternatively, they could be like Volvo S90 and the other new one or Tesla. But people like having their physical buttons. Even Cadillac is supposedly redesigning their dash after they received so many complaints.

 

[jca24]

Uh, no. To place it in the dash, the surrounding dash must also be elevated. If not, you have two large humps - reminiscent of BMW's dash design in the mid 2000s. This messes with Audi's design language. It also why BMW ditched in dash to popup or static popup. It's cleaner than what Merc employs in some of their cars, which is a static positioned tablet screen. The idea of placing the screen back in the dash which raises the dash height makes more sense for large body vehicles. The new G11 is an exception to this, as is the future A8. The upcoming Lexus LS500 takes cues from the Porsche Panamara in mid dash design. Ideally, it also makes servicing the units way simpler.

Alternatively, they could be like Volvo S90 and the other new one or Tesla. But people like having their physical buttons. Even Cadillac is supposedly redesigning their dash after they received so many complaints.

There are plenty of cars that have the screen indash and yes people like their physical buttons/knobs. I just think the screen sitting up there looks cheesy. Lexus, Acura, Honda etc have no problemo doing it.

 

[D.T.]

Those pop up screens are so lame, put it in the dash so it doesn't look like they forgot it and just glued the screen on top of the dash. For what you guys pay for those german cars I would expect more!

The silly thing is 99.9% of the time, you want/need your display. It would be one thing if it was infrequently used, but it will almost always be up, so integrate the design as "always available".

 

[quagmire]

My Camaro has a target production week of 2/27. So hyped!

Is it here yet?

 

[0388631]

There are plenty of cars that have the screen indash and yes people like their physical buttons/knobs. I just think the screen sitting up there looks cheesy. Lexus, Acura, Honda etc have no problemo doing it.

Honda and Acura are not in the same field as a Lexus or a Merc or Audi, whatever. Lexus do it mainly because they don't easily break from their traditional design. The LS500 and LC500 are two luxury cars who retain the in dash display because Lexus doesn't care about dash space saving. They care for uniformity. I think what Audi's doing is the best way to go about it. I don't know how BMW do it, maybe a BMW owner can chime in. The E and S class now come with tablet displays, getting rid of that unsightly static screen. I suspect other classes sans the CLA will see it in a mid cycle refresh.