What’s with this dumb trend?

[JExpedition07]

Has anyone noticed the trend of putting these screens in that look like tablets on the dash. Looks like a complete afterthought to me, laziness. I was looking at interior shots of the new aviator and others was thinking they look nice.....until I saw the ugly tablet sticking out of the dash. Thats the one downfall. It’s not a ford thing, BMW, Mercedes, GM, you name it are doing it. Why???

These screens clearly impede vision of the road as they obstruct the view out of the center of the windshield and they are not into the design scheme and lack style. Not to mention how dated it will look...

 

[JExpedition07]

Looks a lot more in place incorporated into the dash:

 

[Plati]

I don't really "get" built in computers in vehicles anyway. Tech changes so fast they are out of date in a few years. That's why I'm happy to use a smartphone for my communications and navigation in my 2014EL. Glad I don't have a built in system. Besides, I can place it a lot closer to my face for viewing anyway especially since I'm quite nearsighted.

I think they should be straight ahead … where the speedo is. I tried to put my smartphone up there but ran into the polarized sunglasses with LED display problem (blackout). Someday I'll buy an AMOLED smartphone and that will work.

 

[TobyU]

Now that's my kind of thread title!!

Maybe a little safer looking at one up a little higher than dash but aren't we NOT supposed to be using or looking at screens anyway. (stopped or passengers or something like that) yeah....

As far as the outdated...THEY DON'T CARE. You are supposed to buy a new vehicle at least every 3 years.

This is the kind of crap that makes me hate the entire industry.
I love to see it when others agree with me or call them out on it, unlike the so many in the 2018 review thread where everyone is all embracing of almost every latest and greatest and little mention of cost vs what you get or need etc....or the Tuning the ecoboost where so many embrace as much hp as the makers will give them with almost almost argumentative and demeaning tone toward anyone pointing out that like 97% of SUV owners (I made that up but I bet it is really high) don't know or car what engine , how many cylinders it has, how many liters it is, what the hp is , or what the 0-60 is. Many don't even know the MPG.
They just want, need or like big 4 door, 3 row seating tall vehicles.

 

[Adieu]

Tablets, shmablets.... ain't anyone gonna comment on the missing gearshift????

Buttons, wth is that. And if you DO use buttons, why the hell are they not to the left or on the wheel but in a communally accessible area? Where some kid or drunk buddy or tech naive girl will start fumbling for AC or Radio controls and accidentally kick you into reverse???

 

[Trainmaster]

This junk sells cars. The majority of car buyers are women. Consumers. They look at gadgets, not quality.

 

[Flexpedition]

You either move with the times or you get left behind.




PS - it took just under 3 minutes for the pictures to load. The ole 28.8 modem is screaming now that its stopped raining outside. You lucky rich bastards on 56K....

 

[JExpedition07]

I think the only thing getting left behind is creativity and functional design .

We do have to move forward with the times.....but Tesla and even Dodge RAM have much better infotainment systems employed nicely into the interior design. It doesn’t have to be cheap looking or ugly!

 

[Trainmaster]

All I want or need for "infotainment" is an AM radio, a blonde with a nice rack and a bench seat.

 

[TobyU]

I would think that they're smart enough on the buttons to make it not actually go into reverse or park if you're moving. But I agree on the buttons. It was a bad idea when I first tried it on cars and they stopped doing it for a reason.
AM radio. Bahaha! Now that's one thing I hate. I used to cruise around in a 49 Lincoln that we were stored and put on the road in the mid 80s. I drove it often until around 1990 or 92 and sold it back around 2009 or 10. It had a working a.m. radio even though it used to. The first thing I did what's put an FM converter in the glove box so I can listen to FM. I don't even like the sound of an AM radio. But I do run around listening to talk radio on the FM dial.
I'm sorry, this stuff doesn't sell cars. New car sale because people want new cars. Period. End of story.
PayPal can only buy the crap that they're producing and this is my complaint. They are so out of touch with what the majority of people want it's pathetic. 80% of the people to buy cars and drive cars never get pulled or surveyed or give any input on what they would like on new cars or not like. Only the very small percentage of people in the loop or eally die hard enthusiast get involved it's getting that type of information.
It's kind of like a political poll. You can get a poll to say about anything you want if you make sure you survey the right group of people.
Now you start asking as many SUV owners as you can. The majority of them would probably say they do want the power lift gates even though some people don't like them. Once you live with one for a while unless you have major repair problems, you probably fine it's nicer to have and not to have. Then you have the foot wave self open feature. Once again you have to poll people.

It's kind of like asking people about new cell phones. Only a small percentage of people are Tech Geeks and really into the latest and greatest phones. Other people just like to get a new one because they need more storage space or they're bored or their old one is kind of beat up and cracked anyways.
And all the people reviewing all these phones our latest and greatest people who know everything about features and processors and all of that and they want to push push push on the average person doesn't really care so much.

 

[JohnT]

Heated steering wheel. I thought only wimps and girlies used them. Never will I buy a car without it again. and remote start. And heated seats.

-30C and 2 minutes after starting all the parts of my anatomy I want warm, are warm.

Oh and electric windows.

And electric mirrors

Kind of liking the memory seats as well when swapping cars

And tire pressure monitors for when the temperature fluctuates 30 degrees C in 24 hours

And bluetooth >> spotify/googleplay whatever

 

[JohnT]

All I want or need for "infotainment" is an AM radio, a blonde with a nice rack and a bench seat.

One of those will distract you

Took my wife years to figure out why I like bumpy roads when she was in the passenger seat.

 

[JExpedition07]

Heated steering wheel. I thought only wimps and girlies used them. Never will I buy a car without it again. and remote start. And heated seats.

-30C and 2 minutes after starting all the parts of my anatomy I want warm, are warm.

Oh and electric windows.

And electric mirrors

Kind of liking the memory seats as well when swapping cars

And tire pressure monitors for when the temperature fluctuates 30 degrees C in 24 hours

And bluetooth >> spotify/googleplay whatever

I’m all for heated seats, heated steering wheel, heck I’d be good with heated center console arm rest! Those aren’t stupid, quite nice actually. I can live without but I do like. Just like how I could live without the rear window and mirror defrosters.....but I still like them. But those screens are still stupid lol.

 

[JohnT]

Not disagreeing with you, I thought the stuck up in the air screen looks like a recipe for disaster if someone grabbed it and yep looks like an after market add on.

Definitely feels like one of those fads where one manufacturer does so they all blindly follow on.

Or one manufacturer had a slide up version, hidden not in use version. The next cheaped out and had it permanently mounted in the up position and the rest of the sheep went" Oh if X is doing it, it MUST be cool" and now we have them everywhere.

 

[Adieu]

All I want or need for "infotainment" is an AM radio, a blonde with a nice rack and a bench seat.

Seriously! Bring back bench seats, column shifters, and none of that front console crap (hide storage under the bench or in a foldup armrest)

Oh but make the middle of the "bench" collapsible or tumbling for rear access though

 

[Jimdar]

2020 Explorer.

 

[Flexpedition]

I'll blame Infiniti. 18 years ago they did this to an I35.

 

[Adieu]

2020 Explorer.View attachment 28342

Isnt that just a superglued ipad???

 

[ExplorerTom]

These screens clearly impede vision of the road as they obstruct the view out of the center of the windshield

How short are you?

At worst, the screen pictured will impede your view on the hood. I seriously doubt it'll impede any of the road.

Look at me! I'm a trend setter. This is where iPad resides during road trips and offroading. I'm 6'1" and it does NOT impede any of my view of the road. At all.

 

[JExpedition07]

How short are you?

At worst, the screen pictured will impede your view on the hood. I seriously doubt it'll impede any of the road.

Look at me! I'm a trend setter. This is where iPad resides during road trips and offroading. I'm 6'1" and it does NOT impede any of my view of the road. At all.

I’m pretty short (5’10”) so yes those screens would bother me and likely impede vision. All while being extremely ugly.