My Wife Hates the DashBoard Gauges

[John_H]

I think they look like "crab eyes" and chose not to get them. I do fine with the instrument panel clock and can mostly hear what I need for the tach.

I don't see any "cool factor" in these myself, but it's all a matter of taste. What do you like? The gauges or the wife?

[fly4fun]

Originally Posted by scdaf

Have you exceeded the free return period on the wife?

LOL yes 18 Years ago.

And to the airplane comment. I think she would want me to have all the gauges possible. She thinks gauges makes the airplane flys. She never complains about the rental airplane gauges.

I was more concern about needing the Tach more than on top dash clock.

What would be cool is a Heads up display of the Tach and speedo on the Windshield, but than again we are not flying a jet here.

[SmartAzz]

I would absolutely hate not having the tach, it refer to it frequently while driving - and you know it is pretty much head up where it is . And as silly as I thought the redundant clock was I also do look at it, just more user friendly then the one in the cluster when you have the option; of course of the other choice was oil temp I would have gone with that but I still am happy to have them.

[mike-in-sa]

One thing to consider is that if they come on your car they are half the price of aftermarket. If you decide you don't like them you should have no trouble selling them. Takes 5 min. to remove them.

[dbwill]

The gauges are quintessential smart and have been in the car since it came on the market. A smart is not a smart (personality and looks) without the gauges. Like a BMW grill MB Grill or early(50"s Cadillac fins)

[Kermit]

Glad my wife didn't complain about my gauge package I ordered for the latest car I got. Only thing she hates is the color - I'm thinking the gauges would of been easier to fix.

If anything, order them and then remove them for some extra $$$$ with a local Smart owner. Dealer price is more than twice the factory order price (I paid $110 on my ordered car and my orphan I had to pay $265 to get them). You can get an easy $200+ for them and removing them takes all of 5 minutes if you're handy with a screwdriver. 15 if you're not.

[HGB]

Agree with the wife that the gauges are ugly and let the issue rest.
When the car arrives you'll appreciate and like the Tachometer... it's good to have.
The Clock can be removed easily any time. Let her decide after living with the car for a week if the clock should go. Just my humble opinion

[theguywiththelongestname]

the tach is totally sweet...i look at it way more than I refer to the spedo.
the analog clock is great too, especially if you are perpetually late, like me...

[artist]

When I first saw a smart in Europe many years ago I loved the design of the dash guages. They are on my smart and after 9,000 miles I'm liking them for more than their design. In manual or when I shift into overdrive the tach is really a big help.

[Blackbelt]

The problem with the gauges is that, if you are shorter in height, they can impede on your line of sight. When we drove the smart during their "road show", the first thing she said when i asked her what she didnt like was "i hate where they put the tach". So we configged ours without it, and she is happy as can be with the car without it.