I have been deciding on a fit for a few weeks now. After reading MANY posts in this section about how the Toyota Scion's center guages are dangerous, inconvienant, poorly designed, and ugly, I set out to find out why. So I called a Scion dealer and spoke with the manager. I am opening a new thread because there are so many threads that discuss this, I could not possibly find them all and post to them.

Here's the scoop:

The center guages are NOT for styling. It is a common design in Europe because you have better peripheral vision of the road ahead if you are looking slightly to the right versus downward.

Got it? Good! Now stop complaining & enjoy your car. ;)

 

Except that you are looking downward and slightly to the right. Me no likey;)

 

iam a lazy american.. the less i have to move my head to see something the happier iam... IE:big screen TVs..

 

it's still ugly and dangerous

 

Sorry man, you have it 100% wrong. Cheap or inexpensive cars put the console in the middle to cut costs. Since the driver side is on the right in japan and the UK, it costs money to create 2 kinds on dashboards. They put in the center so they have to only build 1 type of dash. It has nothing to do with looks. Your sales people are dumb and dont know what they are taking about.

In addition your vision is not improved, it is worse becuase you have to keep looking away from what is in front of you.
Dont you think race cars and real expensive cars would place the console in the best place??

Years ago when America tried to sell cars in japan. they refused to offer models with the driver on the ight Type dash. many Japanesse took offence, to our stupidity.( our inferior products didnt help any way)

Dont worry man, You'll soon learn to never believe the dealer.

 

lol...dealer...

alot of the people there dont even know what is going on...but not sayin everybody, just alot of them

 

I called an friend of mine who is an opthamologist, and he confirmed that you have better peripheral vision of the road ahead if you are looking slightly to the right versus downward.

 

That's still stupid. people don't crash b/c they look at their guages anyway.

btw the cost explanation is not valid either. mini coopers have center guagese and are "luxurious"

 

i would've understood the whole center console thing if the guages at least face the driver a bit, but it faces straight center. you need to tilt your head towards the gauges to see that you are going 1-30mph.

 

Dealers an idiot since these are JDM cars...also I had and have an xB now and like that center gauge. Its right in my line of sight. Never driven an xA though.

 

The tach on the mini is located where the steering wheel is, meaning they would need 2 versions of the dashboard regardless of LHD or RHD.

So in that case, yes, it was a concious decision.

I'm quite sure I've seen center gauges tilted towards the driver before. Forgot which car it was from though.

 

I guess race cars and any car more than 20K is designed wrong according to you and you opt friend. Why is that only cheap cars have this??

Why cant you admit that you are wrong??

 

I am simply reciting what my dealer and doctor have told me. Use your own brain to form your own conclusions; You seem like a smart guy.

 

Very Good, Ill leave it that.
Take care,
Sorry if I offended you, I just hate the way dealers/ Auto workers try to mis lead.

 

Just my opinion, but this has to be the stupidest complaint people make about the Scions. The only reason anyone complains is because it's different and people don't like change, period. They can say it's distracting/dangerous/cheap, whatever -- it's just in their head as justification for not liking something new. It takes maybe 5 mins of driving w/ a center guage to get used to it, then you don't even pay attention to it. And in my experience of having an xB for 2 yrs before the Fit, as much as I like the way the Fit's guages look, they are more distracting to glance at than the xB's ever were, and I'd trade them in for a center cluster any day. Normal guages all you see around you when you check them is the cabin; with center you're still seeing outside the vehicle.

 

is it just me or does it take longer to move your head or just your eyes. Soooo most can look at the gauge cluster faster with a flick of thier eyes and I noticed in the xb that I had to move my head that was taking more time away from the road but maybe its just me.

 

1) Who believes what a car sales man let alone his damn manager tells you. Does he have any clue about how cars are designed. Does he care, no he wants to reape you without lube and take some money.
2) Who looks at their guages enough to care where the hell they are. I don't use them untill I am parked. I put a shiftlight in each car set it to redline and don't look unless im bored.

 

It might be just you, 'cause I sure don't recall ever moving my head to look at the xB's guages any more than on a std. setup, less in fact. Going to the Fit from the xB felt like more work to me and a lot less natural, though I don't think I would've ever noticed had I not had the xB for so long. Realistically, neither one is a particular bother -- I just notice the difference between the two now.

 

I say it is to cut manufacturing costs on both left and right models.

 

the gauges did not bother me in the XB...just the crappy shifter...also the yaris hatch that i was interested in getting did not come with a tach for either 5spd or automatic...how can toyota not put it in the hatch, but in the sedan yaris S model...that really upset me and pretty much helped sell the FIT for me...i liked the yaris hatch, but no tach??? HELLO TOYOTA!!!