Ok, there's something I just don't get here. What's all this obsession with "soft feel plastics" in things like dashboards about?

Other than the steering wheel and gear ****, about the only parts of a car I ever touch for long at a time are seats and door handholds.

As for "just looking at them", IME a slab of plastic tends to look like a slab of plastic, whether it's hard or slightly squishy.

I concur! Far preferred the smooth black dash of the Scooby to the elephant hide style plastics which seem to find their way into new cars! :( Much easier to clean too!!!

Chris

my mate has a mid nineties jap import STi and i must although useless the dash isn't anything like as pretty as a modern cars. it might be easier to clean but it doesn't look as nice and is more likely to rattle.

'Soft Touch' dashboards tend to withstand the fading effect of the sun better, and don't become as brittle when aged, keeping them looking newer, for longer.

( albeit dirtier for longer as well.)

Ok Mr G, where do you live that sun-bleaching in the likely lifetime of a new car is a factor? And why would anyone buying new care how brittle the dash is likely to be in 12 years anyway?

If I am in the passenger seat and there are passengers in the back then I usually find my knees jammed up against the dash/glovebox. Soft plastic is a definite advantage here.

This is why I usually always try to drive and :haha: to anyone who has to sit behind.

Agreed it is the form rather than the feel of the plastic that affects the visuals. Fabia being a great (bad) example here.

my mate has a mid nineties jap import STi and i must although useless the dash isn't anything like as pretty as a modern cars. it might be easier to clean but it doesn't look as nice and is more likely to rattle.

Dash was changed in the late nineties from the farmer's car interior to a more civilised dash IIRC..........

Chris

Main interest in the shape of a dash is "How easily can I read the instruments? How easily can I use the heater and stereo?" The Octy A4 is borderline on failing the "How easily can I use the heater?" one, with the controls being so low-set.

Ok Mr G, where do you live that sun-bleaching in the likely lifetime of a new car is a factor? And why would anyone buying new care how brittle the dash is likely to be in 12 years anyway?

You would be suprised at how harsh our Yorkshire sun can be:rofl:

Most people tend to buy used cars, and the 'newer' the appearance of the interior is can be a deciding factor when purchasing.

I certainly am not put off by parking dings, but a shabby looking interior makes me walk away, and the softer plastics look better for longer imho.

Hard plastics are more likely to mark than soft, which 'give' rather than marking. look around the front door pockets, grab handles and ignition key areas on cars with hard plastics, and you will almost cretainly see marks. Also soft plastics have better accoustic properties, so will absorb noise, leading to a quieter, less echoie cabin. I prefer soft any day.

Phil

i think thats what my mates looks like but not 100%

Ok Mr G, where do you live that sun-bleaching in the likely lifetime of a new car is a factor? And why would anyone buying new care how brittle the dash is likely to be in 12 years anyway?

An 18 year old car that was well cared for had a badly sun discoloured dash, so the UK. The answer would be yes if i intended to keep it until it dies.

Also don't forget airbags, they can safely cut through soft plastics, but not so for hard ones as they would shatter

i think thats what my mates looks like but not 100%

His Sport might have looked like that, but thinking about the bit of interior sat on our table, I don't think his STi looks like that :confused:

looks wise, I think I prefer the dash of my Focus to bengie's Octavia or my dad's Astra but I prefer the feel of their soft touch plastics

Soft touch plastics look and feel much better than wheelie bin lid plastics.

They aren't shiny for a start so they add a quality feel to the interior.

If anyone has a hankering for shiny wheelie bin plastic then buy an american car.

Dash was changed in the late nineties from the farmer's car interior to a more civilised dash IIRC..........

Chris

this interior is awful:eek:

what car is it?

soft look is best.

Our Navara has classis Jap hard plastic all over it. I'm thinking of seeing hoe much to have a little cow skin stretched over it, to match the seats.

Phil

we were quite tricky about what it is chris but to let the cat out of the bag its an imprezza