USA Today Question & Concern

I'm anxiously waiting for my 2010...my first Prius !!!
Todays USA Today reviews the 2010 with a problem.
"The dashboard digital gauges themselves, though, were nearly unreadable if you're wearing sunglasses, and still hard to read without them. No excuse for high-tech Prius being behind the curve.
Any comments, I'm concerned about this.
Thanks

Polarized sunglasses can present more of a problem than non-polarized, since LCD displays rely on polarization of light.

I have noticed minor issues when looking at the MFD in my 2006 when I am wearing polarized sunglasses, but never with the actual digital speedometer. I would stress that the problem was noticeable, but minor, and I suspect that most people will not be wearing polarized sunglasses.

When I did the test drive I had the same problem. As Danny suggested, I should have checked the dimmer!!! When the 2010's show up at my local dealer, I am going back and check it out again!!

The 2010 Prius dashboard displays are VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent Display) which does not rely on polarization of light.

Ken@Japan

True, but for all we know the reporter could have been talking about the MFD. Newspaper reporters aren't know for precise use of terminology.

Tom

I've had no trouble with polarized lenses -- though I tend not to wear them when I have the lights on! It would be a bummer if I couldn't see the dashboard information because of wearing polarized lenses, but I'd be surprised if that is something that has been overlooked by Toyota!!

When I test drove a 2010 in San Francisco I didn't have any problems at all reading the display - with and without sunglasses. (Every time I drive a new or rental car, I always check this out. Polarized sunglasses can sometimes cause problems with digital displays even while flying, I sometimes have problems with digital cockpit displays.)

One thing I have noticed the past several years, is that comprehensive, un-biased, and objective media reporting is increasingly more difficult to find - on the radio, TV, and in print. Too much B.S., too little truth....

Keith

he probably had lights on and didnt notice it, thus his display was dimmed.

Re: polarizers

Hm, I wouldn't count on it - my previous car (a Peugeot 307SW) had a display (showing the setting for the cruise control, etc) that turned completely pitch black with my polarized sunglasses on. The funny thing was that the other display (for the radio, etc) was polarized the other way around (i.e. 90 degrees offset), so that it instead turned black when I cocked my head sideways. This of course meant that it was impossible to see both displays simultaneously with my polarized sunglasses on...

Would something like this stop me from buying the Prius 2010 or would I go out and buy new sunglasses? Hm, decisions decisions.......

//Tom

I have not had any problem at all ....both day and night driving the gauges are fine.

Ditto here - never noticed an issue at all with mine, and wear sunglasses all the time during the day.
It would be very interesting to determine the root cause here. If it WAS an individual issue with the USA Today tester - too bad that makes big news. If it is a majority opinion, of course. But.

The type of glasses?
Dimmer issues?
Potential design fault?
Individual vehicle fault?

I don't think the tester knew enough to turn the dimmer wheel on the left all the way up until it clicks. My dashboard lights are very bright in the daylight with sunglasses on when the dimmer is off.

So with all of the complaining PC members out there that complain about things that hardly exist, it takes USA Today to find something they missed? I'm not buying that.

Keep in mind the original thread to this post was written on 04/03/2009, 6 months ago. Additionally, this was out two months before deliveries started happening, and could have been fixed to the current level on the actual production machines.

(I try to look at the dates of the original post on anything like this before I reply). Some have been outdated with more up to date information.

I find that readability is reduced with polarized sunglasses but not to the point that I can't read my display.
It is an annoyance that should have been avoidable but given the Prius's numerous other advantages, it wasn't nearly enough of an annoyance to deter me from buying the car.