[igor]

http://www.autosavant.net/2008/03/new-york-auto-show-crossover-interiors.html

New York Auto Show - Crossover Interiors

By Igor Holas

03.20.2008

People might be interested in the eye-candy photos of the new Saleen, or Lamborghini, but those who have seen my reviews know that I am not too interested in exotics like that – I am more interested in pedestrian – real world issues – like interior quality.

This quest began in the GMC Acadia – I finally had a chance to sit in one of these highly coveted “Lambda” crossovers, and I was enjoying my stay when I ran my hand over the top of the dash and found out it is made entirely of rock-solid plastic. Moreover, it is not some nice-quality hard plastic. The dash sounded hollow, and flexed – something not acceptable among compacts, let alone large crossovers. I was really shocked and set off to sit and prod the other major-maker crossovers as well.

MUCH MORE AT LINK: http://www.autosavant.net/2008/03/new-york-auto-show-crossover-interiors.html



Igor

 

[Shotgun]

Was the Enclave's dash made with the same plastic you desribed in the Acadia, or better?

 

[goochman]

Thankfully I dont have to sit or touch the top of the dash in my Enclave at any time except when I want to clean it........so I cant tell you how it feels - It looks good though, the storage compartment feels fine

 

[igor]

Was the Enclave's dash made with the same plastic you desribed in the Acadia, or better?

Way better - did you read the rest of the article? I talk about Enclave in there.

Igor

 

[HoosierRon]

You like to complain, don't you. The dash on my 2002 Accord is rock hard, yet I cannot remember the last time I gave it any thought.

 

[jkr2106]

I don't know...the plastics on top of the dash never bothered me much. In fact, I can't remember the last time I touched the top of the dash on any car, let alone my own. AFAIC, if an automaker wants to improve knob dampening or seat comfort at the expence of non-tactile surfaces like dash plastics, so be it.

 

[Shotgun]

Way better - did you read the rest of the article? I talk about Enclave in there.

Igor

Yeah, I read it. I was wondering if you were just referring to the rest of the Enclave's interior, not just the dash.

I can only imagine, though, if the Acadia's felt that bad, what will the Traverse feel like? Obviously it will be the cheapest looking and cheapest made out of the 4 of them....

 

[HoosierRon]

What is this? It may be soft, but it looks horrible! Like a death-by-gray 10 year old Camry.

 

[Rex Raider]

I don't think i've ever "felt" my dash, and don't ongoingly feel it. Hard, soft, mushy, gelatinous, who cares what it feels like?

Steering Wheel, and Radio knobs, that's all I really care about in terms of "Feel"

 

[joemac]

Leg humpin the dash plastics, what a joy.

 

[fatratchevy]

I can't speak for everyone, but I'd gladly take a stylish, well laid out dash assembled with a hard plastic top (Acadia) than a boring, ugly soft to the touch dash (VW). . . .

In other words, who cares what the top of the dash feels like? The design and human interface surfaces should be what matters, not the "never to be touched" top of the dash. . . .

Slow news day I guess.

 

[69Firebird400]

I can't speak for everyone, but I'd gladly take a stylish, well laid out dash assembled with a hard plastic top (Acadia) than a boring, ugly soft to the touch dash (VW). . . .

In other words, who cares what the top of the dash feels like? The design and human interface surfaces should be what matters, not the "never to be touched" top of the dash. . . .

Slow news day I guess.

I agree with you to a certain extent. I really cannot stand the way the Tiguan's dash looks. The Enclave's interior is beautiful (though I'm not crazy about the rectangular plug & play radio and HVAC controls). The hard plastic on top of the dash is a bit of a turn-off for me (it's really the same texture and everything as the top of the dash in the GMT900 SUVs), but it wouldn't dissuade me from buying an Enclave (the lack of discounts and sliding doors did that instead!)

 

[XP300]

I like the looks of the Acadia dash, but I've never had the chance to "feel" it. Since the Acadia is on my short list of future vehicles I'll have to take a closer look.

My Trailblazer has a "Rubbermaid" interior that has proven to be more durable than I would have thought and I'm happpy with it.

The only improvement I would like to see, is for GM to locate their "Nav Screen's" higher than they do. They are way too low on most GM vehicles, except for the CTS.

 

[ChevroletRevived]

The Tiguan's interior design is awful, IMO. It may not BE cheap but it certainly looks it.

 

[BrickTamland]

The Tiguan's interior design is awful, IMO. It may not BE cheap but it certainly looks it.

I agree. When HoosierRon put up that photo, I didn't realize right away that was a Tiguan. I thought it was a Fox - the current City-size car made in Brazil.

 

[autofan]

I am far more concerned with how the various plastics in a car look than how they feel. I want the interior to have a low gloss, nicely grained appearance and I think the Acadia and Outlook accomplish that very well. The Enclave does have more soft touch surfaces but to me they don't look any different. I will say that GM and most other automakers do need to put softer surfaces where they are actually needed; specifically armrests. Those on my 2007 Aura's doors and center console are elbow killers and make me long for the soft, cushy armrests from my 1981 Buick Regal. How backward is it that car companies use hard plastic where soft surfaces are actually needed, yet spend tons of money making squishy cast-skin dashboards that nobody ever touches?

I want a job where I can represent an actual customer and just tell the designers, marketers, etc. how stupid some of their decisions are