Goodbye center guage cluster-you will be missed....

[bentjazz]

Looks like the center guage cluster with the 2012 Yaris is a thing of the past. I think this sucks. Myself, I love the center guage cluster. I don't like it because it's trendy or cool or spunky, and for any hipster reason whatsoever. I like the center guage cluster because I think it's more efficient than the traditional guage cluster in terms of referencing efficiency while one is driving. Simple as that.
I guess the new look will please some people, but not me. Like I said, I think this Toyota decision sucks. Glad I bought my Yaris when I did....

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

what would make sense is a central cluster, but have speed in front of the driver

speed is the only thing you always need to know constantly so you can judge
how to drive and how the car is handling in any microscopic instant. everything
else can go in the center.

-I hate speed in the center, so I have my scanguage do my MPH on the steering cover

-I do like all the convenience of a storage box right in front of me. those times when you
do need to grab some snacks or other in a moving vehicle, you keep your eyes centered
on your path. super safe and practical

[thebarber]

i won't miss center gauges...

[SilverBack]

I won't miss it either. It was a bad idea with the Echo that just got worse with the Yaris. At least with the Echo it was turned slightly to face the driver so we can do a quick read of the speedo out the corner of our eye without taking them off the road. The Yaris has one directly facing the backseat driver, giving him one more reason to keep running his mouth. Gauges behind the steering wheel is always a win. You can see it clearly, but he can't.

[bronsin]

Riding a motorcycle you are taught NEVER to look at the speedo/tach. The ONLY place to look is the road ahead because things can happen very fast. Road racing motorcycles do not have them.

So I was glad to see the center gauges on the ECHO. Look at the road! Also, at night its far less distracting not to have a lighted display in front of you.

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

Riding a motorcycle you are taught NEVER to look at the speedo/tach. The ONLY place to look is the road ahead because things can happen very fast. Road racing motorcycles do not have them.



yes technically correct but cars drive on roads with speed limit laws, and on unfamilar roads, engineers have determined what speed you should be going so
you don't get surprised by a driveway or corner and be unable to react...and you pretty much need to stay aware of your own speed more often than what time it is or how much gas you have. also the rpm's don't mean a whole lot on public roads...you can hear and feel when you need to shift


anyhow yes the center cluster is offbeat...

[eric_edge]

at night its far less distracting not to have a lighted display in front of you.

i've had my yaris for two months and i JUST noticed this the other night...MUCH easier on the eyes at night.

also, if center mount is what is necessary for the driver's side glove box then i'll take it. SO handy :thumbup:

[jpmck03]

I love my center gauge cluster! Take it back, naysayers! :cry:

[Revsson]

I'll bet some that buy the 2012 will be modding it for a center gauge. :headbang:

[bronsin]

i've had my yaris for two months and i JUST noticed this the other night...MUCH easier on the eyes at night.



Good for you. My wife drives her car with the dash lights at night cranked all the way up!

There is nothing I can do to convince her this isnt the best thing to do...

:iono:

[Yaristeve]

I like the center cluster but not for the reasons given so far. I like it because it frees up room for the little driver side glove box. Now I can store stuff that I may need while driving (napkins, pens, etc.) right in front of me and so I don't have to reach over into the passenger side box. I generally don't look at the gauges enough to make a difference whether the cluster is in front of me or to the center; just drive with the flow of traffic.

[Altitude]

I like the center cluster too. For one, it's unique making the already unique Yaris (the LB anyway) that much moreso. The geek in me likes it because it makes me think I'm operating a space ship instead of a car. :biggrin: Finally, I find that I can maintain better awareness of the road ahead when checking the speedo versus a conventional setup where I have to look down taking my eyes off the road.

[KCALB SIRAY]

Having the plenty of napkins/wipes available without reaching too far is a great thing if you have kids like me. A parents greatest gift is having the glove compartment above the steering wheel.

[A-tron]

The only complaint about the center cluster in my yaris is that it did not have the option of a tach. But i got over that quite quickly. I do a lot of night driving and the lack of bright blue glowing gauges in my line of sight is a blessing. Less glare = more concentration, plain and simple.

Long live the center cluster!!!

[Kal-El]

Kinda beating a dead horse here, but the fact is, is that Toyota lost countless sales in many cases just because of center mounted gauges.

Anyone who enjoys reading reviews, and other/competing car forums knows that one of the most complained about things with the Yaris has been the gauges. I've never read a professional review that didn't complain about them. Most importantly, I've read so many instances where people who've discussed their buying process and eliminated the Yaris from contention because of the placement of the gauges. They said they just couldn't get past that "flaw". The sale went to Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, and elsewhere. All because Toyota wanted to save money switching from left and right hand drive configurations.

For the record, I don't mind them. In fact, I don't care either way where they are.

Toyota's new money saving mistake is dropping the sedan. Now most of those sedan buyers will find homes in other makes. Way to go Toyota.

When will they realize that you can't "save money" by selling half the vehicles you would have if they offered what the majority wants. Usually Toyota is a master at this, but with these two examples, they totally missed the mark.

[Altitude]

^^

I can't imagine the issues with the center cluster was a functional one. It's just that it was so different that some people won't even consider it. Shame on them.

I'm confident that if the people that decided against the car simply because of the center cluster had actually driven the car for a while, it wouldn't be an issue.

[Yaristeve]

I'm confident that if the people that decided against the car simply because of the center cluster had actually driven the car for a while, it wouldn't be an issue.

I agree; it took a little while to get used to glancing to the side instead of down every now and then to check my speed and for any idiot lights. The only issue now (sometimes) is when switching cars; I need to briefly reacquaint myself to having the cluster in front of the steering wheel. But that only takes a block or two of driving...

[joe keeney]

Center is great but I really love the cupholders keeps your drink ice cold.

[jpmck03]

... Toyota lost countless sales in many cases just because of center mounted gauges.

Anyone who enjoys reading reviews, and other/competing car forums knows that one of the most complained about things with the Yaris has been the gauges. I've never read a professional review that didn't complain about them. ...

I think the worst part about these professional reviews was this:

http://yarisworld.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=752&pictureid=4700

The Mini Cooper has a center mounted speedo, and there are a lot of reviews gushing about how sporty and unique it is... meanwhile Toyota does the same thing and it's a distracting disaster!

:bs:

/end rant.

[BluYrs]

After 5 years of driving my Yaris, I have to take some time to adjust whenever I drive an other car with an analogue (and classically placed) speedo. The pure effort of having to figure out what I'm doing instead of simply glancing at a number is enough to take some joy out of the driving experience.

[Bernie P.]

I really don't care one way or the other however I think Toyota made the right decision on this.Sales dropped quite a bit so bear in mind if that trend continues we can say goodby to the Yaris altogether regardless of configuration.

[Connoisseur_of_fine_cars]

I say center gauges should be in all cars and trucks.

[Yar15]

I liked more the center cluster.
Wondering why they left cup holder away from the side ventilator?

[SilverBack]

The Mini Cooper has a center mounted speedo, and there are a lot of reviews gushing about how sporty and unique it is... meanwhile Toyota does the same thing and it's a distracting disaster!

:bs:

/end rant.

It's not the position of the gauges that the Mini grabs people's attention. Look at the overall design styling and history of the brand.

[theredone]

Riding a motorcycle you are taught NEVER to look at the speedo/tach. The ONLY place to look is the road ahead because things can happen very fast. Road racing motorcycles do not have them.

So I was glad to see the center gauges on the ECHO. Look at the road! Also, at night its far less distracting not to have a lighted display in front of you.



totally agree. I once got in an accident because i was looking down to see how fast i was going, believe it or not. I've learned since to gauge my speed based on my car's pedal resistance and feel. that's the way it should be!

[jpmck03]

It's not the position of the gauges that the Mini grabs people's attention. Look at the overall design styling and history of the brand.

I think my main point is that the Yaris always managed to get bad reviews over the center gauge cluster, which I always thought was a moot point.

A lot of it stemmed from the annoyance of reading that it's soooo distracting and dangerous to look at it; and that you have to take your eyes off the road to see the speedo. Which I always hated because well, with a speedo behind the wheel you have to look down to see your speed. That and no one ever complains that side or rear-view mirrors are dangerous because you aren't looking at the road when you glance at them...

I could go on, but I'd slowly ramble on for far too long... ::thumbdown:

[charles nelson]

I put my ScanGauge II display in the middle of my drivers glove box. It not only gives me my mph but also mpg, rpms, plus engine temp. I missed having a tach on my Yaris...so I permanently added the SG II.

[CPALK719]

i just purchased my 2012 L model this past saturday. i am happy that the gauge cluster is where it is supposed to be. im sure with time if i had an 06-11 i would have gotten used to it, but in all reality the gauge cluster should be where it has been on every vehicle for god knows how long.

[upgradedyaris]

LMAO at people saying they need to look at the speed; really? You should know your car well enough to judge. Do you need your pedals painted red and Green to determine which is stop and go while you look there too? :laugh: And where it's supposed to be is only because it was in front of people first. Funny thing huh.. Fact is the Mini (1967 Era) had a center cluster long ago. Many have done it before the Echo and Yaris ;)

[fnkngrv]

i just purchased my 2012 L model this past saturday. i am happy that the gauge cluster is where it is supposed to be. im sure with time if i had an 06-11 i would have gotten used to it, but in all reality the gauge cluster should be where it has been on every vehicle for god knows how long.

nice opinion, but the "traditional" location is actually a terriblr utilization of space. Even on the sedan that doesn't have the driver's side glovebox there are plenty of things that can be placed in that space instead.

[CPALK719]

nice opinion, but the "traditional" location is actually a terriblr utilization of space. Even on the sedan that doesn't have the driver's side glovebox there are plenty of things that can be placed in that space instead.

understandable but if i had wanted alot of space, i would have picked up either a mid size SUV or SUV. myself i see having a Regular sized gauge cluster in the center that would be a distraction. but hey if you like it more power to ya, im not knocking you. :w00t:

[fnkngrv]

understandable but if i had wanted alot of space, i would have picked up either a mid size SUV or SUV. myself i see having a Regular sized gauge cluster in the center that would be a distraction. but hey if you like it more power to ya, im not knocking you. :w00t:

Oh I know you aren't knocking it, I am just pointing out something that was innovative and such however the Edsel was primary proof that the masses just aren't ready to be anything but lemmings or zebras...no offense. About the only thing that I don't like about the center mount cluster is that everyone becomes a "driver" because they all have their eyeballs on the damned thing. At least in my experience. I might not be as jaded about the move back to the driver's position if I didn't think that the center stack looks absolutely homely now IMHO. It is like they decided to give the masses what they wanted by moving the cluster and then went right into the bland aesthetics yet again that keep the young at heart away from Toyota now. So they do what they think is a more hip and aggressive look on the exterior and then go all cookie cutter and elderly on the inside...wtf? I mean their slogan is now, "Toyota moving forward"....pppfffttt.

[SineWave]

Always hated the centre dash in the Echo/Yaris, that's why I fell in love with the 3rd gen model.

[fnkngrv]

I am however really really bummed that the speedo in the latest gen goes higher than the 130 and that there is no way to get their with the 07-11 without actually installing a separate speedo.