Hey Scotty,
Why is there such a push by the latest and greatest vehicles to have big screens plastered everywhere in a car, especially when it can lead to distracted driving?! Some of these vehicles have gigantic 33” curved OLED screens enveloping the front dash. That’s bigger than my 25” black and white TV I had when growing up. That’s essentially a TV in front of you.
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What’s going on here?!
For example, on the Cadillac Escalade as well as the recently refreshed XT4 CUV and CT5 sedans.
CT5
XT4
The Escalade one is enormous. There's a screen in front of your screen! 😆
Why is there such a push by the latest and greatest vehicles to have big screens plastered everywhere in a car
I'm sure they've done their focus groups and other market research.
It's also cheaper for them to design and manufacture one touchscreen, instead of a bunch of buttons and knobs.
it can lead to distracted driving?!
auto standards probably haven't caught up to technology yet. We might see some changes in the years to come. I've noticed that some vehicles lock out certain functions while the vehicle is in motion.
I don’t need a big IPhone in my face.
Plus at night can’t it put strain on one’s eyes?
potentially. usually you can shut things off so it only shows the minimum gauges, and even dim them. There's no reason it can't be made any worse than a normal gauge cluster.
potentially, it could be better for your eyes if it allows you to customize it. For example my current vehicle has blue/green illumination , which is terrible for night vision. My 92 Grand Prix I had long ago had amber illumination , which is awesome.
And since it's OLED, there is no backlighting. Black is truly black.
Mercedes EQS. Just too much screen doesn't even look nice. I think it's more common on electric cars probably because those buying ev like it or it gives a sense of high tech.
Personally I'm not against screens but at a reasonable level. From my own experience older people/ those used to older cars don't like it as much and prefer the old style more. But at a reasonable level screens make certain interactions easier and are a nice addition. Which yes comes at the cost of more expensive repairs.
For example the Venza has a nice balance IMHO (the screen light adjusts depending on outside lighting so makes it easier on the eyes):
I can’t imagine the replacement costs.
Bingo. This is the biggest downside I think.
Cars are going to end up in the junkyard when drivers can't control basic stuff like heat because the display unit failed, and nobody wants to pay thousands of dollars to replace it. (we all know how fun dashboards are to take apart). Gadgets have no place in transportation.
replace a mainboard in a desktop PC: $200, 20 minutes, and a screwdriver. Standard parts that work with any manufacturer.
replace a mainboard in a car: $1,000+ for special parts that only work on one model from one year. A day labour, long waits if stock isn't available, special tools, special dealer only programming, etc. Total bill in the multiple thousands.
This is why commercial airplanes still use 1970's technology.
I've never owned a car with a screen in it and probably never will.
You are not missing out. It’s a monstrosity in some of these newer cars. I can’t imagine the replacement costs.
Wait a minute.... you had a 25" black an white TV growing up? That's like being at a movie theater compared to ours!
Indeed. Ours was more like this one. I remember when it would go wonky we'd pull the tubes out and take them to the corner drugstore to test. Good times!
Wow! That immediately took me back 60 years. Good times, indeed. Thanks for sharing.
It's cheaper to put everything on screens instead of proper gauges, but they definitely charge you a lot more for it. I think it's awkward, personally. an LED radio in the dash is fine, not on top of it. My 2017 Mustang has a tiny screen in the dash. It turns the camera on when you shift into reverse. I never really notice it, I'm used to driving my 1999 Ranger, and it has none of those things. What's also stupid is transmission shifters are now all knobs, like you're in the space age. I won't buy anything that doesn't have a mechanical lever.
I hate screens.
I need me some tactile feedback. Preferably knobs, switches, sliders, buttons. Something I can feel without taking my eyes off the road.
I hate screens.
Some of these vehicles have gigantic 33” curved OLED screens enveloping the front dash.
lets see. Which vehicle?
For example, on the Cadillac Escalade as well as the recently refreshed XT4 CUV and CT5 sedans. Here is a look on the CT5.
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https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a45105464/2025-cadillac-ct5-refresh-details/
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Looks like Cadillac is going to use the same or similar screens across more of their vehicles to streamline their Bill of Materials/Costs.
Wait a minute.... you had a 25" black an white TV growing up? That's like being at a movie theater compared to ours! {pear}:surprised:
