Suggested change to Instrument Panel

[Smart Enuf]

Not sure about you folks, but the "D" on the instrument panel when I'm driving on auto doesn't provide enough info for me. As long as I'm moving forward, I already know I'm in D, so give me more useful info!

I would like to see the gear I'm in and the up/down arrow whenever I'm in drive, regardless of whether I'm in auto or manual mode. It already shows this info when I'm in manual, so it shouldn't take much more than a programming change to show the gear and shift arrow when in auto mode. I would find it useful to know the gear and seeing the up/down arrow in auto mode because that would help me know when to let up on the gas to smooth out the shifting.

Thoughts?

[Coupen]

I have often wished for the same thing and have wondered why they did not implement it. Sometimes, I find myself using popping it into manual just to see what gear it is in.

Regards,
Ron . . .

[Smart Enuf]

Originally Posted by Coupen

I have often wished for the same thing and have wondered why they did not implement it. Sometimes, I find myself using popping it into manual just to see what gear it is in.

Regards,
Ron . . .

Yes, especially when it's lugging like crazy and you'd swear you're in 5th. And it turns out you are!

[Dean Smith]

A little change in the back-light color wouldn't hurt either.
You're dead-on about showing what gear you're in.

[SmartCard]

Originally Posted by Coupen

I have often wished for the same thing and have wondered why they did not implement it.
Regards,
Ron . . .

Probably so that you know at a glance whether you're in manual or auto mode....if they both gave the same display you wouldn't know w/o looking down at the stick!

[HGB]

I thought the same thing on the way home today. I even envisioned another Instrument cluster occupying the same space with a yellow to red light to show high RPM's or perhaps a segments of 3 circles closely cropped showing oil temp, Voltage, RPM, etc., I guess we can keep dreaming....
One more point... at around noon on a sunny day (quite common in Florida) the reflection in the instrument display prevents me from reading the clock and other items, etc..
They rushed that out too.

[JPaul]

Related to that visibility issue in bright sunlight: what about a clearer gearshift indicator: when the sun shines directly from above, I cannot see if I'm really in N or R, until I feel it that is.

[D-NICE]

I'd like to see the Smart Emblem in place of the D. In hi res color

[Smart Enuf]

Originally Posted by SmartCard

Probably so that you know at a glance whether you're in manual or auto mode....if they both gave the same display you wouldn't know w/o looking down at the stick!

They could use a convention like M1...M5 for manual mode and A1...A5 for auto mode. These guys and gals are smart engineers; all it takes is a little creativity.

[JPaul]

Another way that wouldn't require a change of the pixel screen size: put it in negative for "Drive".