I was looking at pictures of the HCH2 on the Honda web site this morning and wondered a couple things about the display. Where is the numeric MPG display? It doesn't seem to show in the pics. Perhaps it's to the right of the odometer, but I can't tell if that's a trip odometer or the MPG. If it's mpg then they have a pretty optimistic "98.3" shown.

Also, the trip odometer button doesn't seem to be sticking out of the display, were they actually smart enough to relocate that to a convenient location?

One of the things I hated about the prius was that the display was split in half, some info displayed in the normal place, and some in a separate display way up the dashboard near the windshield, so I had to constantly refocus my eyes in different places to see everything. It looks like the HCH2 has done this too, and gone to a digital speedo. I think this would drive me nuts... what do you guys think of all this? Why bother with an analog Tach if you're going to a digital speedo? Just doesn't make any sense to me, but then again, I still have an analog watch. Seems sort of like making a watch with analog hour hand and digital minutes or something like that.

 

The displays are multi-function. For instance, the odometer display uses the same area to display trip A, trip B, outside air temp, mpg, etc. The instantaneous mpg display is also the coolant temp display. You have to select what you want to see. Yes, they relocated the trip reset button to an easier place.

Personnally, I like the displays, especially the speedometer.

 

I thought that I would be bothered by it all but within just a few days I really started to like the location of everything. And yes, the speedometer is up close to the winsheild.

There is one photo of the entire area on the Honda web-site but I am not sure how to get it in here so...go to the interior gallery and it is there.

Jessica

 

I think you will like the speedometer. It works really well where it is located in the 06, nothing like the Prius (off center and smaller to read). Its easy to view both the tach as well as the speedometer areas. I think Honda did a great job. It does look a little strange at first, but after a couple of minutes, it all blends in perfectly.

As already mentioned, there are mulitfunctions to the gauges, determined by pushing the buttons to the left of the gauge cluster.
Bob

 

The only thing that seems a bit silly to me is the HUGE tachometer....in a car with a CVT it seems a bit less important <shrug>.

But...I do love the color and style of the whole cluster. I leave my main display on "Trip A + Outside Temp" and I have the FCD set as opposed to engine temp on the upper left.

 

You will get used to it. All the important information (speed and IFE) is located just under the windshield on the top tier. Everything else is through the steering wheel. They've also implementated some smart logic on the speedometer it's not constantly changing. It changes rapidly but not like those speedometers from the 70s and 80s.