Hi all, am still tossing up between a Scout and a Yeti (only as 2lt Diesels/4wd in New Zealand). I really like the Scouts (and Octavias) instrument layout, as opposed to the Yeti which has fallen to the current fad of mounting the Speedo/Rev counter in binnacles - which to my designer/engineer mind not only looks clunky but actually somewhat obstructs your view. Has any body out there got similar views, and more importantly

been able to easily remedy this situation?? Help........

Edited 11 February, 201016 yr by Ronnz

Lots has been said by people of abnormal shape that they can't read all of the dials. Me, personally, being completely normal, don't have a problem...

To be slightly more serious, I think it is more one of those things that is slightly different when you first drive one but within a few miles you won't give it another thought. There are no reflection problems and the instruments are very clear and don't obstruct the view. Okay '30mph' isn't marked but 20 and 40 are and 30 is right between the two...

Hi all, am still tossing up between a Scout and a Yeti (only as 2lt Diesels/4wd in New Zealand). I really like the Scouts (and Octavias) instrument layout, as opposed to the Yeti which has fallen to the current fad of mounting the Speedo/Rev counter in binnacles - which to my designer/engineer mind not only looks clunky but actually somewhat obstructs your view. Has any body out there got similar views, and more importantly

been able to easily remedy this situation?? Help........

The instrument binnacle is abysmal in my opinion, very poor design, difficult to read. The speedometer in mph at any rate is difficult to judge accurately exactly if one is on the speed limit or not because of the way the figures have been arranged. It is too small it does not need a shroud, it is also easily obscured by the steering wheel. I do not think it is a safe design because it takes too long to guestimate exactly what the correct indicated speed is. In some parts, read North Wales the police will prosecute drivers for exceeding the speed limit by even 1 mph, zero tolerance. The Yeti speedometer forces one to look too long at it in the hopes to remain legal which could put other road users at risk. I beleive it is the worst clock that I have ever seen in a car. this is a great pitty it is such a good car in many other respects if one ignores the fiasco about the wheels and tyres.

In some parts, read North Wales the police will prosecute drivers for exceeding the speed limit by even 1 mph, zero tolerance.

But to be fair in most cars that means the speedo would be reading 3-5mph over the limit. I didn't check the Yeti I test drove against GPS but I'd be willing to bet it's nearly the full 10% over-reading.

Edited 11 February, 201016 yr by Sporky McGuffin

My X-Type is spot on, it has been calibrated, but you can not just assume that all cars over-read. In any case that is not the point that the may over read or not. If the dials where designed properly the would be absolutely clear the graduations would go up in units of 10 the clock face should be large and prominently place in such a way that it can be easily seen and read. It should only need the briefest of glances, not errr what is that oh er 30 ish. Their are plenty of good examples of speedometer clocks why build one that is poor just to be so called stylish or trendy.

Hi all, am still tossing up between a Scout and a Yeti (only as 2lt Diesels/4wd in New Zealand). I really like the Scouts (and Octavias) instrument layout, as opposed to the Yeti which has fallen to the current fad of mounting the Speedo/Rev counter in binnacles - which to my designer/engineer mind not only looks clunky but actually somewhat obstructs your view. Has any body out there got similar views, and more importantly

been able to easily remedy this situation?? Help........

I do not have any problem with the "style" as such. The white lit dials are easy to read in any light condition and if you need an accurate speed read-out, you can bring large numbers up in the MFD, right in front of your nose. My speedo is in km/hr, hich may be better scaled than the UK etc. MPH ones.

For tall drivers, adjusting the wheel to a comfortable position, brings the center out of alignment with the visual center of the instrument cluster and the roundish top of the dashboard. This looks stylishly wrong and the rim of the wheel does cover the upper part of the two large dials. For me, it turns out to be more of a visual style problem than actually seeing the information I need.

The chrome rings on the dials do reflect the sun if the light is coming from behind and low and about 45 degrees - something that does not happen often.

One advantage of the binnacles s that there is no reflection or any other interference with sunlight washing out the white numbers. Another is that the speedo cannot be seen from the passenger seat at high velocities, so there is less interferance from SWMBO's commentary about the need for rapid progress.

Again the speedo calibration is something I have got used to and I have the 30 mph in Km/hr (48) as well. I just slap on the Cruise Control and hang on! Great fun in town centres!

We, who have lived with Brustrum's evil rule for so long, are used to locating the "Arrive Alive" vans and informing our fellow victims. Catching speeders is so much easier than catching robbers or muggers and it looks good on the crime statistics. We have been broken in to twice - have they found who did it? - you are joking!

I myself have enjoyed the pleasure of a "Speed Awareness" course and, to be honest, it was good fun. The instructor treated it very lightly and the fellow victims proved entertaining. (also there was plenty of free coffee) It was just a waste of time and, the fact that I left my wife shopping in Llandudno for 3 hours, expensive!

Edited 12 February, 201016 yr by Terfyn

So, as I said initially - when you first look at or test drive a Yeti you might not find the instruments to your liking. Everything in life is a compromise and those of us who own Yetis and now have a few miles (or kilometres) under the paws don't have a problem. That I think sums it up.

Speedometer overreads by about 5% or so, almost exactly what my Fabi vRS did - checked against the satellites.

By the way, the original question was about the binnacle (ie the instrument surround, I presume) - I looked at it this morning and can't say I'd noticed it before! It obscures (where I have seat adjusted to) the bonnet on my side but that isn't a problem as I don't need to look at the bonnet!

Edited 12 February, 201016 yr by aerofurb

We, who have lived with Brustrum's evil rule for so long, are used to locating the "Arrive Alive" vans and informing our fellow victims. Catching speeders is so much easier than catching robbers or muggers and it looks good on the crime statistics. We have been broken in to twice - have they found who did it? - you are joking!

Richard Brunstrum quit last August. Don't know whether his replacement is any more "motorist tolerant" or balanced in his (or her) approach to policing priorities.

Edited 12 February, 201016 yr by jlwah

My previous car had a digital readout speedometer which imho was easy to read and much better than the dials and you could set an audible bong at any speed so at 33mph I knew I was doing 30 without even looking.

My X-Type is spot on, it has been calibrated, but you can not just assume that all cars over-read. In any case that is not the point that the may over read or not. If the dials where designed properly the would be absolutely clear the graduations would go up in units of 10 the clock face should be large and prominently place in such a way that it can be easily seen and read. It should only need the briefest of glances, not errr what is that oh er 30 ish. Their are plenty of good examples of speedometer clocks why build one that is poor just to be so called stylish or trendy.

A speedometer cannot be spot on all of the time unless regularly calibrated to take into account the effect of tyre wear, as was the case with calibrated speedometers in police cars which were calibrated on a weekly basis and checked against a certified stopwatch every shift.

Are you suggesting that you get this done every thousand miles or so or that you had it done once and it read correctly at that time?

Richard Brunstrum quit last August. Don't know whether his replacement is any more "motorist tolerant" or balanced in his (or her) approach to policing priorities.

The new chap is not so vociferous or up front as Brunstrum but the "Arrive Alive" vans still patrol, went through one this week on a bridge above the A55 on Anglesey. The vans can clock a car at about half a mile so it is difficult to correct speed without prior warning and they can be set to clock at a certain point. I was "done" crossing a 30 boundary at 36 mph, I was slowing for the 30 BUT, of course, that does not count.

A speedometer cannot be spot on all of the time unless regularly calibrated to take into account the effect of tyre wear, as was the case with calibrated speedometers in police cars which were calibrated on a weekly basis and checked against a certified stopwatch every shift.

Are you suggesting that you get this done every thousand miles or so or that you had it done once and it read correctly at that time?

No of course not. It could not be used for clocking anyone now, but it recently was. I fully accept that ware in tyres affects the dial and for legal purposes it would need calibrating frequently but for most purposes it is accurate to a degree, more so than the majority of cars.

Hi all, am still tossing up between a Scout and a Yeti (only as 2lt Diesels/4wd in New Zealand). I really like the Scouts (and Octavias) instrument layout, as opposed to the Yeti which has fallen to the current fad of mounting the Speedo/Rev counter in binnacles - which to my designer/engineer mind not only looks clunky but actually somewhat obstructs your view. Has any body out there got similar views, and more importantly

been able to easily remedy this situation?? Help........

I have no problems re visibility of dials or of steering wheel blocking view of them and there is also a speed warning setting in the MFD electronics which beeps at you when you exceed your chosen speed ( particularly useful on encountering 20 mph zones which seem to be springing up in London )

To set up speed warning in the MFD see page 23 of the owners manual which is down loadable.