Why do reviewers hate the digital speedo?
05-31-2003, 12:01 PM
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Lets say you come come up on a blind crest and Mr. Revenue Generating Officer guns you with radar. He's got you, even though you are decelerating like mad, possibly braking. One of the popular conversations he will start is "do you know how fast you were going?" to acquire incriminating evidence to document. With the digital readout spinning down, do you think you would have an answer?
05-31-2003, 12:17 PM
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Re: Thanks for all the replies...
Originally posted by BillK
As far as the "math" angle, I think it would take me longer to find 75 on say an M3 speedo than it would to realize that "67" is a lower value...
As far as the "math" angle, I think it would take me longer to find 75 on say an M3 speedo than it would to realize that "67" is a lower value...
And I also like the digital because it seems more oriented towards sport driving. It says to me "this is a sports car"... "your speed in numbers is irrelevant, just go as quick as the car is capable of taking you" (tach). And if you have to know the speed, the digital is there for reference. It appears almost as if there is no speedo, which is sport oriented.
05-31-2003, 06:45 PM
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Last edited by P00Man; 04-16-2011 at 05:38 PM.
05-31-2003, 08:12 PM
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Originally posted by Toadman
Lets say you come come up on a blind crestl and you Mr. Revenue Generating Officer guns you with radar. He's got you, even though you are decelerating like mad, possibly braking. One of the popular conversations he will start is "do you know how fast you were going?" to acquire incriminating evidence to document. With the digital readout spinning down, do you think you would have an answer?
Lets say you come come up on a blind crestl and you Mr. Revenue Generating Officer guns you with radar. He's got you, even though you are decelerating like mad, possibly braking. One of the popular conversations he will start is "do you know how fast you were going?" to acquire incriminating evidence to document. With the digital readout spinning down, do you think you would have an answer?
Come on, you'd know how fast you were going with the speedometer needle dropping?
Either way you'd have a rough idea of how fast you were going by the reading when you looked; it's not like the digital speedo is a blur, it will probably read something like 70, 67, 62... whatever down to whatever speed you're going...
05-31-2003, 11:04 PM
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For me, the digital speedo adds an element of "precise-ness" that is almost a requirement for driving in BC. I have been pulled over in Victoria twice for doing 7-8km/h over the speed limit. I want to know *exactly* how fast I'm moving at any given time. I don't care so much about the acceleration factor since I never look at my speed until I reach a threshold--then I check the guage.
MrWigggles, you seem to know an awful lot about pop culture. Almost as much as me. :p By chance do you hang out on the AV Science (home theater) forum providing quality front projector reviews? Only 2 "g"s in his name, but it couldn't hurt to ask.
MrWigggles, you seem to know an awful lot about pop culture. Almost as much as me. :p By chance do you hang out on the AV Science (home theater) forum providing quality front projector reviews? Only 2 "g"s in his name, but it couldn't hurt to ask.
06-01-2003, 01:50 PM
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It's sort of fruitless to look to a digital speedo to tell you "exactly" how fast you are going, when a good degree of error is built into the car to begin with. Since European rules state that the speedo must be accurate regardless of tire swaps, the manufacturers calibrate the speedo for potential error, apparently Japan and the US are not so stringent. Car & Driver reported that due to this and other factors, Here is an article on Car & Driver.com that details the many issues involved.
In any case, a digital speedo is no more "exact" than an analog one.
Tony
In any case, a digital speedo is no more "exact" than an analog one.
Tony
06-01-2003, 05:49 PM
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HAD a digita speedo on my MK3 Toyota Soarer. Loved it. Then went to a narrow range (0-180kph) and then wide range (0-280kph) speedos on my 92 then 94 rx-7's. To be totally honest I miss the digital and want it back.
The 0-180kph speedo sucked the most because once I wound it past 80kph I couldn't see the needle - it disappeared behind my hand. It was cool burying the speedo somewhere in the trip meter when I wound the car out to 265 though! The 0-280kph gauge sucks because the numbers are so close to gether. If I'm going 70, I have to look at the 60, look at the 80 and notice that my gauge is half-way in between. That's frustrating.
This suggestion of gauging acceleration by tha rate at which the needle climbs is crap. If you're acceleration is fast enough to make the needle move rapidly, you have far more important things to be worrying about than watching a bit of plastic move a few inches. Having driven FD's now for nearly 5 years I can honestly say I dont remember once seeing the speedo needle do anything interesting. The opposite applies to tacho's where you need to see how much RPM you "have left" before you hit the limiter. In a fast accelerating car you need to see not only where you are but where the gauge is headed and how quickly. In this cause analog rules.
The digital speedo in my soarer, would update every 500ms or if the speed had jumped significantly. This is always interesting becuase when accelerating hard you could see the speedo flashing away as it tried to keep up
-pete
The 0-180kph speedo sucked the most because once I wound it past 80kph I couldn't see the needle - it disappeared behind my hand. It was cool burying the speedo somewhere in the trip meter when I wound the car out to 265 though! The 0-280kph gauge sucks because the numbers are so close to gether. If I'm going 70, I have to look at the 60, look at the 80 and notice that my gauge is half-way in between. That's frustrating.
This suggestion of gauging acceleration by tha rate at which the needle climbs is crap. If you're acceleration is fast enough to make the needle move rapidly, you have far more important things to be worrying about than watching a bit of plastic move a few inches. Having driven FD's now for nearly 5 years I can honestly say I dont remember once seeing the speedo needle do anything interesting. The opposite applies to tacho's where you need to see how much RPM you "have left" before you hit the limiter. In a fast accelerating car you need to see not only where you are but where the gauge is headed and how quickly. In this cause analog rules.
The digital speedo in my soarer, would update every 500ms or if the speed had jumped significantly. This is always interesting becuase when accelerating hard you could see the speedo flashing away as it tried to keep up
-pete
06-01-2003, 07:42 PM
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Re: Re: Why do reviewers hate the digital speedo?
Originally posted by desmo996
They probably hate it because they are missing a cue: The rate the speed is increasing
They probably hate it because they are missing a cue: The rate the speed is increasing
06-01-2003, 07:45 PM
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Originally posted by TreknMazda
And I think it will get some getting used to. I know at a glance of the needle on my RX-7 how fast I am going. With digital I will have to 'read' the numbers.
And I think it will get some getting used to. I know at a glance of the needle on my RX-7 how fast I am going. With digital I will have to 'read' the numbers.
06-01-2003, 07:50 PM
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Re: hahahaha this topic slays me...
Originally posted by med_mx6
step back for a minute and realize that we are concerned with the split second it takes to do a little math in your head. :D
step back for a minute and realize that we are concerned with the split second it takes to do a little math in your head. :D
06-01-2003, 07:55 PM
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Originally posted by BillK
The only correct answer, other than "no" is whatever the posted speed limit is.
Come on, you'd know how fast you were going with the speedometer needle dropping?
Either way you'd have a rough idea of how fast you were going by the reading when you looked; it's not like the digital speedo is a blur, it will probably read something like 70, 67, 62... whatever down to whatever speed you're going...
The only correct answer, other than "no" is whatever the posted speed limit is.
Come on, you'd know how fast you were going with the speedometer needle dropping?
Either way you'd have a rough idea of how fast you were going by the reading when you looked; it's not like the digital speedo is a blur, it will probably read something like 70, 67, 62... whatever down to whatever speed you're going...
06-01-2003, 07:58 PM
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Originally posted by kiljoy
It's sort of fruitless to look to a digital speedo to tell you "exactly" how fast you are going, when a good degree of error is built into the car to begin with. Since European rules state that the speedo must be accurate regardless of tire swaps, the manufacturers calibrate the speedo for potential error, apparently Japan and the US are not so stringent. Car & Driver reported that due to this and other factors, Here is an article on Car & Driver.com that details the many issues involved.
In any case, a digital speedo is no more "exact" than an analog one.
Tony
It's sort of fruitless to look to a digital speedo to tell you "exactly" how fast you are going, when a good degree of error is built into the car to begin with. Since European rules state that the speedo must be accurate regardless of tire swaps, the manufacturers calibrate the speedo for potential error, apparently Japan and the US are not so stringent. Car & Driver reported that due to this and other factors, Here is an article on Car & Driver.com that details the many issues involved.
In any case, a digital speedo is no more "exact" than an analog one.
Tony
06-02-2003, 05:25 AM
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Originally posted by BlueAdept
I always check my speedo against a hand held GPS unit... and I find them to be remarkably accuate on everything other than my landrover.
I always check my speedo against a hand held GPS unit... and I find them to be remarkably accuate on everything other than my landrover.
There's a precise mathematical formula that describes how far off they are, but in a Boxster, 25 MPH reads out as 29 MPH, 55 MPH as 60 MPH, and 65 MPH as 71 MPH - not an insignificant amount of error but programmed in, as mentioned above, because German (perhaps European) law says that a speedometer can never read less than your actual speed.
I've heard the speedos in BMWs are equally inaccurate, but every Audi I've ever driven has been dead on accurate, though neither BMW nor Audi offer digital speedos...
06-02-2003, 05:45 AM
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Originally posted by Toadman
Lets say you come come up on a blind crest and Mr. Revenue Generating Officer guns you with radar. He's got you, even though you are decelerating like mad, possibly braking. One of the popular conversations he will start is "do you know how fast you were going?" to acquire incriminating evidence to document. With the digital readout spinning down, do you think you would have an answer?
Lets say you come come up on a blind crest and Mr. Revenue Generating Officer guns you with radar. He's got you, even though you are decelerating like mad, possibly braking. One of the popular conversations he will start is "do you know how fast you were going?" to acquire incriminating evidence to document. With the digital readout spinning down, do you think you would have an answer?
"Yes officer, I was doing 95...."
Unlikely!
-andy-
06-02-2003, 01:41 PM
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glitch in my current car means the numbers don't light up properly,
I know the positions in the dial so well it doesn't really matter (i'm nearly always within 5mph)
but there's something really spooky about watching an orange needle swinging across a blacked out dial when the roads are empty and your really punching it though the revs.
that's why I'm glad the '8 has at least got a normal analogue rev counter, i always hated the old astra GTE's and their buck rogers gimmicry.
curious to see how the digital speedo will work out, but at least it's a little different. (it's the small detailing touches that really define a great car)
I know the positions in the dial so well it doesn't really matter (i'm nearly always within 5mph)
but there's something really spooky about watching an orange needle swinging across a blacked out dial when the roads are empty and your really punching it though the revs.
that's why I'm glad the '8 has at least got a normal analogue rev counter, i always hated the old astra GTE's and their buck rogers gimmicry.
curious to see how the digital speedo will work out, but at least it's a little different. (it's the small detailing touches that really define a great car)
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