I don’t disagree about the BMW clusters, but that’s an issue with BMW not the concept of a virtual screen.

 

It absolutely is, it allows graphic designers in whatever hole in the world this companies outsource this tech to go wild with their imagination and come up with these ugly designs. Just wait, they'll try to outdo each other and screw it up on the Merc too.

 

Yet many many companies have virtual gauge clusters that have great designs, or have multiple design interfaces to choose from so everyone can find one that suits them.

Mercedes has been doing virtual gauges longer than pretty much anybody, if they were going to screw them up they would have already

 

Case in point how this is really not a big deal, you bought your X6M despite these "terrible" gauges, and when I was deciding on a car for myself you suggested I get a 7 Series over an S Class despite the "terrible" gauges. This is really just not a big deal.

 

Well, two things. First, I placed the order for the new X6M sight unseen, I did not even know it had these stupid gauges. The lease on her old one was ending, so we simply ordered another one. That being said, there isn't much choice anymore when all BMWs are infested with this stuff, and the upcoming refreshed model is going to be even worse.

It is what it is, like Bill from Curious cars said during his Tesla review - "Thank god I'm getting old, so I don't have to deal with this for much longer", lol.

 

I just can't imagine having such a negative outlook on life...

 

I have a cynical outlook on life, not negative.

 

I don't think I saw that Tesla video from Bill, I can probably guess why he doesn't like it. Who wants to drive around a computer and be faced with nothing but screens? I sure don't. The only EV's coming out are just that.

Can't escape all this technology and it's annoying.

 

Watch his Tesla and BMW i3 reviews, absolutely hilarious.

 

I saw the BMW one. I couldn't stop laughing. That was pure torture for him. LOL

 

Lots of people do, thats why they design those cars that way. Vehicle designers design what their customers tell them they want.

I was just out in the Pacifica dropping dry cleaning off, and I snapped a picture of the gauges. Literally all we look at is whats in the small screen in the center, we never look at the two (ugly IMO) plastic gauges to the sides. Why would we not want all of that real estate to display things we actually want to look at, and perhaps the speedometer larger and easier to see. Maybe the map and clearer navigation directions? Then you could have a traditional gauge display with a speedo and tach for people who wanted that?

 

I don't know what's wrong with having navigation where it's always been in luxury cars: in a screen off to the center console. I like a traditional layout where you see speed, tach, gas, oil pressure, water temp, mileage, etc. Some of these modern screens display way too much info that really isn't necessary.

I do like the blue though. Goes well with the white needles.

 

Having the map and directions right in front of you is safer, it keeps you from having to look down at a center screen.

Thats why virtual gauge clusters are customizable. You can have them display as much or as little as you want. I like a traditional layout too, which is why I choose the traditional layout. My wife doesn't like a traditional layout, so why would she want to be stuck with one display option where 65% of the instrument cluster is displaying static info she doesn't want to see?

The big fail of BMW clusters is they are virtual for no reason because they can't really be customized, which is just dumb. But in the Mercedes I can choose from 3 complete layouts (the W223 has like 6), and I can decide what is displayed in each area of my chosen layout. If I want a tach, I have a tach, if I want a speedometer, I have a speedometer, if I want a map, I can have that, if I want audio info, I can have that, if I want tire pressure, I can have that, on and on. Why wouldnt I like that better than static gauges that only show me one thing I may or may not need or want to see?

 

I get what you're saying, and I brought this analogy before, its like apple watch vs the traditional mechanical watch. We post stuff, then few weeks we forget what we posted, and then post the same thing again. Rinse and repeat, lol.

 

So it looks better now that it looks like a knockoff of a Genesis, good job lol. The normal S-Class looks far better than this abomination.