Your thoughts on the digital speedometer

[tehdrumr]

I test drove the 1.8 Sonic automatic. I like everything about the car: the exterior look, the hatch, the comfort of the driving position and seat, the instrumentation, the way the car drives, and the deal they wanted to give me. The one thing I just can't live with is that awful digital speedo. I don't think I can stand to look at that every day. I walked away and went to the Kia dealer. Just because of the speedo. I haven't bought yet, in hopes that GM will put a "real" speedometer into the Sonic. The Rio is OK, but just not as comfy as the Sonic. Anyone heard of any plans to change that speedo?
Avlisk

I've driven around 4 Sonics now. When I took the first test drive I felt the same way, the digital speedo just felt weird to me. I went over to the Hyundai dealership and loved the gauge cluster in the Accent because it was normal lol. After taking the other Sonics out though, I am really starting to like the digital speedo because it makes the cluster so compact and easy to read at a glance.

 

[Gimpster]

I love my digital speedo, and I also did on my Honda Insight too. I think its a huge step up over the very laggy needle style that was in my Cobalt. Given the design of the dash and radio/hvac I think it fits the car very well.

 

[Danny5]

Digital speedometers just make sense. Even in my cars where there is an analog speedometer, I rely on the digital version on my gps unit.

 

[wingman]

Lovin the digi speedo. Just wish there were more gauges, and not dummy lights.

 

[kcarr65]

I can tell you it will register past 99 mph. I had mine up to 114 and it was still running. I had to slow down for turn. It actually handled great at that speed.

 

[BoG233]

Lovin the digi speedo. Just wish there were more gauges, and not dummy lights.

Me too Wingman the normal (water temp , volts , oil ) Yes I know I can put after market crap in it place but not till my warrenty lets me .

 

[acwdjon]

I'm a fan of the digital speedo. It is awful hard to misread that bad boy. I'm with ya'll on wanting more gauges though, idiot lights make me feel like an......idiot. Most of us have the IQ and interest enough to want to know oil pressure, engine coolant temperature, and battery voltage.

 

[wingman]

I had mine up to 107, is it governed at 124, or aerodynamically challenged at that speed. Felt a little challenged at 107.

 

[acwdjon]

I had mine up to 107, is it governed at 124, or aerodynamically challenged at that speed. Felt a little challenged at 107.

The November Car & Driver said it was drag limited at 124.

 

[Dishkid]

Speedometer

Had mine at 117 mph today, 2 days old 300 miles on it. handled fine.. only getting about 29 mpg though.

 

[Sonic Boomer]

Had mine at 117 mph today, 2 days old 300 miles on it. handled fine.. only getting about 29 mpg though.

Not bad!
Give us more details - Did it top out there, or did you run out of open road? Is that stock? On level ground? 1.4T?

 

[BoG233]

Not bad!
Give us more details - Did it top out there, or did you run out of open road? Is that stock? On level ground? 1.4T?

No it didn't even top out at 130 mph

 

[LS1notFOUND]

Needle tach and Digital Speedo, perfect combo for me!

Oil pressure or at least the option to cycle to battery volts, coolant temp etc would have been nice and probably not that hard to add to the instrumentation during development, my fathers 98 Deville had those options. If I were a Sonic designer, the RS version at the least should have more "enthusiast" features when its released.

 

[MADNESS]

No it didn't even top out at 130 mph

Have you really gotton it up to 130? nice job if you did. that's gotta be the highest top speed posted in this forum for the sonic.

 

[Sonic]

And I'm sure it was done on a track or closed course and not on a public road, right? Because we would never want to post publicly about breaking the law, right? Hint hint.

 

[Papasonic]

What I like about the digital speedometer is that when you get caught speeding; As soon as you see the flashing lights, look at your digital speedometer. That readout will be the same as what your ticket will be written for!

 

[Sonic]

Yeah, there you go.

 

[Sonic Boomer]

Though sticking with he motorcycle motif, Chevy decided to change the layout for the Chevy Spark's instrument cluster. I think it is a big step backwards.

I got to say the green in the interior is pretty cool:

More if you want to read on it:
2013 Chevrolet Spark First Look - Motor Trend

Edit: The "censorbot" killed the second photo because it used the work c**kpit, but you can use the last link and scroll to the bottom to see the pics.

 

[laborsmith]

Definitely prefer the Sonic version.

I even prefer the Sonic version to a HUD.

Laborsmith

 

[LS1notFOUND]

digital tac looks weird.