Plus center-mounted gauges are unattractive and an obvious cheap/cost-saving measure.

 

I am just curious how centre mounted guages are cost saving?

 

Hey. To me centre mounted gauges are a deal breaker. I just personally like centre mounted gauges. Everyone is different. While I don't mind faux wood in my vehicle, I will not accept centre mounted gauges.

 

It's a production cost-saving for building cars for both left and right-hand drive, Scion XB was one of the first to do in US market.

 

The Toyta Echo had them several years before the Scions debuted.

I just wish the auto companies would come clean on the REAL reason they use the center-mount gauges. It is, just as you pointed out, a cheap cost-cutting short-cut for both left and right-hand drive versions. But NONE of the companies who currently or have recently used it.......Toyota (Yaris), Scion (xA, xB), Nissan (Quest), or Saturn (Ion), will admit it (and I have talked with reps of each of them). They all give out the same B.S. smoke-screen......that is better for the driver to shift his eyes right instead of down, and that their customers, after actually using that design, prefer it. Unfortunately, they have even fooled some members of the auto press with that nonsense.

However, to be fair, one of the excuses they give IS correct. They claim that, with center-mounting, there is no way that the steering wheel rim or column can hide the gauges themselves.....a problem with some cars and some drivers, when they have the seat and column adjusted where they want it. That explanation does seem to hold some water...but it is not the primary reason they use it, or else all of their vehicles would be like that (or at least all of them produced in left/right-hand drive versions).

 

Yes the crappy Echo, such a nice rental car.

IMHO, I never expect the truth from spokespersons in the automotive industry.

Nor do I expect any factual data from a car salesman.

 

so i wonder why NO high end cars use 'em then.

 

I'm not saying one is better than the other but neither is one is worse than the other in mine and many others opinion (who have experience with both).

I would never expect them to use such placement in a Lexus as high end cars don't travel outside the box and usually play it traditional. Same reason you'll never get a $75,000 car shaped like a Prius even if it's a hybrid. You could make a center mount look very expensive especially if a lot of detail was placed in front of the seats. People may see the Yaris setup as "cheap" but that's because it IS and is supposed to be cheap. Just the way I like it.

 

Center-mounted gauges are simply a cost-cutting ploy.

Remember the VW's that had only one turn signal indicator (instead of a left and right indicator on the dash), speaking of cost savers. Hopefully they gave that up.

 

BMW Replaces Mercedes Benz in the Indian Luxury Car Market
8 Mar 2009, 0040 hrs IST, Chanchal Pal Chauhan, ET Bureau

BMW, the world’s largest luxury car maker, has displaced its global arch rival, Mercedes Benz from the top slot of the Indian luxury car market in the first two months of 2009. Mercedes has lost its position as the largest luxury car seller in India as it has been slow in launching its latest global cars in the country, say auto analysts.

Mercedes Benz, who reigned the Indian luxury car market for more than a decade, sold 315 cars in the January-February period. BMW sold 514 cars in the same period. Audi, which entered the Indian market last year, sold 222 cars in the first two months of 2009 to emerge as the third luxury car maker in the country.

"Audi and BMW have introduced their latest models in the Indian market while Mercedes Benz portfolio has some dated cars with older technology. At the same time, the profile of new luxury car owners is changing with younger professionals who are preferring more sportier Audi and BMW," said a auto analyst with the research firm.

Revving up efforts, BMW India will launch five new cars in 2009. It has already introduced the all-new 7 Series and the new 3 Series sedan. The SUV X6 and X3 diesel and a new sports model will be launched sometime this year. BMW India president Peter Kronschnabl said, "With our proposed launches we were hopeful of becoming the segment leader sometime this year in India. But we have got the top slot in advance."

Mercedes-Benz has brought its famous AMG range of vehicles in India and introducing the new M class on Monday. Commenting on losing its segment leadership in the Mercedes Benz India director (corporate affairs and finance) Suhas Kadlaskar said, "I am not aware of our rival sales and cannot comment on the issue of losing our leadership in the luxury car segment. We have a strong portfolio of products for the Indian market and will keep on launching new cars to consolidate our position in the domestic market." Meanwhile, Audi has brought its R8 sports car and launched the new A4 sedan in India.

The luxury car market has posted stable sales in India despite the economic slowdown and credit crunch affecting demand. This has been attributed to growing group of Indian millionaires even though sales of smaller cars in the mass market has been erratic in 2008-09.

As the market expands several luxury car brands such as Honda’s Acura, Toyota’s Lexus and Nissan’s Infinity, Fiat’s Alfa Romeo and Ferrari and GM’s Cadillac are likely to debut in India in the next two years.

Chart sales in first two months:

Company ---------- January ---- February------ Total
BMW ------------ 270 ----------- 244 ----------- 541
Mercedes-Benz -- 89 -------- 226 ------------- 315
Audi -------------- 109 --------113 ------------- 222

 

March sales numbers should be interesting. Cali's 1% sales tax increase goes in April 1 so it should be interesting to see if things bounce in March and then drop just due to that. And yes, I have noticed quite a few new cars running around.

 

I have driven a center gauge vehicle I found that I had to turn my head and look down to see the gauges (I wear bifocals so the gauges are not clear) whereas with them directly in front of me I can just glance my eyes down looking through my bifocals so I can read the gauges clearly.