Sort of disappointed with the digital dash

[ElCid08]

Having owned now two 2018-19’ GT’s....the first being a 400A premium with analog gauges, and the current one being a 401A premium, I’ll say that the digital gauges

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[iBookmaster]

Very surprised the F150 doesn’t have the nice digital dash the Mustang has. The F150 is the flagship product of Ford and usually the F150 gets the newest feature before any other of their products. Like turn signals on the side mirrors. Mustang was way behind the F150 on that. I love my digital dash and even more after removing the protective cover over it that made way too much glare.

 

[GreenS550]

I had one of Ford's first digital dashboards. My 1988 Mercury Sable. That car was a station wagon for the kiddies, etc. It was just great! Climate control, etc. Ahead of it's time.

 

[Norm Peterson]

So now that the GT500 is coming out with the digital dash, is the consensus that digital dashes are cool now? Since a REAL car with like 700hp has it, and the spedometer goes higher than our regular people cars? Just wondering!

I'm sure the marketing people at Ford would love it if they could get everybody to think that way.

For me, a dash/IP either stands on its own merits or fails on their absence. And this goes for either analog or digital. Basking in the reflected glory of what an up-market trim uses doesn't count as a merit.


Norm

 

[Sins550]

Digital dashes aren't going to look good simply because they're digital or because you might get to choose their color(s) - the ones that will look good will look good because the designers put more thought into the arrangement(s) of their work and less into gee-whiz glamor and flash for the sake of visual impact.

To me, linear tachs feel like they're trying too hard to be 'art-sy', too reminiscent of the ribbon-style speedometers of the 1960's, and different just to be different. I haven't heard where the small gauges in the 'track' layout are also available in 'normal', and that's something I'd like to see.


Norm

*My personal opinion, don't set me on fire everybody lol*

I don't like most digital dashes because most are cheesy, many are just thrown in there to say it's digital for a quick Oo and Ah while looking like what a designer from the 80s would of thought a dash in the future would of looked like. I like when companies build around it and keep it clean:

Lexus:

Ferrari:

Even Volvo has it. Idk, I just like the simple race feel I think that's what it is. Though if you're a cruiser type I could see why a more linear style would be preferred. Though even with that I feel as though some craft and beauty could still be put into them.

 

[GT.GV.PILOT]

I have previously test drove a 2018 ecoboost base model and a 2018 GT premium with active exhaust both with the A10. I loved the GT and especially the exhaust sound in track mode. For the last 3 weeks I have been look at a 2019 premium GT with perf pack 1, active exhaust and 401 A package in velocity blue on a local dealer's website. Today I decided to test drive it and I have to say I could not tell it had the perf package, but I am glad to know it is not jarring or too stiff. The digital dash was kind of a let down. In normal mode you might not even realize it was there and assume it had normal gauges which I guess would be the goal. I tried the other modes and they were just underwhelming. I think it is just not bright enough to pop enough to be worth it. It is too subdued and faded at least during day time.

I’ve had my ‘19 GT/CS for a month now. Not a fan of the different views, as I like the original. It seems bright enough for all of my driving conditions.
My complaint is the ugly engine cover they put on the ‘19. Has anyone taken that off and reverted to the ‘17 style?

 

[michail71]

I’ve had my ‘19 GT/CS for a month now. Not a fan of the different views, as I like the original. It seems bright enough for all of my driving conditions.
My complaint is the ugly engine cover they put on the ‘19. Has anyone taken that off and reverted to the ‘17 style?

The 18s have the same and there is not one single aftermarket option.

 

[michail71]

I'm sure the marketing people at Ford would love it if they could get everybody to think that way.

For me, a dash/IP either stands on its own merits or fails on their absence. And this goes for either analog or digital. Basking in the reflected glory of what an up-market trim uses doesn't count as a merit.


Norm

I think the track mode view is a good driver's functional cluster. RPM is easy to see just from peripheral vision. The speed is so easy to see, which is something most cars this century have lacked. It displays gears that are easy to see too. Along with a number of customizations for additional guages.

The Ford GT does a really great job using the exact same display panel our mustangs have but without the useless embellishments and plastic glare magnet window covering it.

They also nail drive mode selection which is so horribly executed on the Mustang.

 

[JCFoster]

This is the dash gauges on our Pilot. I love it. I wish Ford would have used something like this across the board.

 

[michail71]

I think the track mode view is a good driver's functional cluster. RPM is easy to see just from peripheral vision. The speed is so easy to see, which is something most cars this century have lacked. It displays gears that are easy to see too. Along with a number of customizations for additional guages.

The Ford GT does a really great job using the exact same display panel our mustangs have but without the useless embellishments and plastic glare magnet window covering it.

They also nail drive mode selection which is so horribly executed on the Mustang.

Now that I look at it some more they did too way too much skeuomorphic design on the Ford GT's cluster. Skeuomorphic is especially bad when it emulates older tech, like early digital clock fonts and stuff. If any designers are ready this STOP, just stop it! We can do better now, no need to copy retro limitations.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I think the track mode view is a good driver's functional cluster. RPM is easy to see just from peripheral vision. The speed is so easy to see, which is something most cars this century have lacked. It displays gears that are easy to see too. Along with a number of customizations for additional guages.

The Ford GT does a really great job using the exact same display panel our mustangs have but without the useless embellishments and plastic glare magnet window covering it.

They also nail drive mode selection which is so horribly executed on the Mustang.

Even that particular GT dash display is trying too hard to be "arts-y". The tach sweep uses up too much space and goes all over the place, and you're never realistically going to be able to use a digital tach for anything other than constant speed driving (where a tach reading hardly matters at all).

Digital IP designers seem to be trying to forget that dials give some idea how rapidly whatever is being measured is changing - I'm thinking primarily about rpms and mphs here. You just don't get that with pure numbers by themselves, and it's common for the rate of change to be more valuable information than any instantaneous reading (that'll already be inaccurate by the time your brain has processed it).


Norm

 

[Dfeeds]

I wanted the digital cluster so bad when I was shopping, but I didn't want a premium. I drove a car with black leather interior for too long, I'm good. I don't know how it is for anyone else but my left arm is always in the way of the tachometer. I miss having an aftermarket tach mounted by the window :(. Although I'm reluctant because I keep hearing about how the digital dash doesn't have the oil temp gauge, which I find invaluable.

What, in my opinion, is the future is a heads up display. My father's G80 has a projector style that shows the speed limit, car speed, and lane control. Just add a tachometer and it would be perfect (if it were a stick). There's been no issues seeing it in direct sunlight either, surprisingly. Plus it actually has real world benefits. I have everything I readily need right infront of me. Digital clusters are cool, but they don't serve any real benefit over the standard. Everything just looks nicer.

 

[Johnnybee]

The best part of my digital dash is the heated wheel, which I was going to have hell or high water on my next car. So consequently my heated wheel cost me CDN$2K, the price of the 201A package here. All the other stuff the package came with I could have lived without.

 

[Intrepid175]

I think the digital dash is the coolest thing on the whole car. Mine is an Ecoboost convertible. I'm in Florida, so I really didn't want black seats, but the digital dash is part of a $2000 package that includes the upgraded upholstery, which, of course, is only available in black. But I loved the dash so much I'll put up with the black seats. Besides, the black looks great against the orange paint.

Hey Big,

How does your digital dash look under bright sunlight with the top down? I've got a 2016 convertible which obviously doesn't have the all digital dash but I've found the in information display between the speedo and tach washes out pretty badly when the sun is at the correct angle with the top down. It's not really an issue in this case but I've been curious if the new digital dash on the 2018-2019 models does the same thing. It would be more critical if you couldn't read the speedometer on a bright day with the top down.

Just curious, thanks!

 

[Mazman]

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