A similar question was asked way back in 2004, but there are a lot more owners around these days, and also a lot of us with many years of driving, so I am asking the question again.... What screen do you normally have up on the MFD when you are driving and why? I normally have the energy screen showing. Most of my driving is city street driving and generally less than 30 minutes per trip. I find that the consumption screen does not give me enough information to maximise my fuel consumption. I also find that it keeps my passengers something to watch - they get quite interested in all the different arrows and colours. However, when I am on the highway for long distance travel, I switch to the consumption screen - at highway speeds, I know that the ICE is going to be running, so the energy screen remains rather constant, and I can get more information of how I am progressing on the trip via the consumption screen. I don't have nav, but feel that I would rarely have it on, even if my car was fitted - I know where I am going, so do not need any maps. The only time I feel I would use it was if I was in a different city, and that is pretty rare for my car. And a final question that is not part of the poll, how long have you had this default screen - have you changed as you got used to the car?
I use the energy screen from most of my local driving, but the nav for my freeway driving, which, since retirement, seems to be making up most of my miles.
I like making the arrows disappear, so I keep it on the energy screen most of the time, occasionally switching when I want to see my mpgs or how many miles I have traveled on a particular tank. When I need directions, I have it on the nav screen.
Personally, I find the energy screen to be far too "busy" and distracting... too many constantly animated/flickering items. The consumption screen, on the other hand, is easily tuned out when necessary and can be read with the briefest of glances. I don't have NAV (and would most likely choose a 3rd party unit over OEM, anyway), so the NAV-related screens aren't an option in this case.
Consumption w/o nav here...i find w/ my commute (80% highway) that I usually aim for the far right bar to be as high as possible for a given section of the commute. Also, it's much less distracting for my teenage son when he's driving...most of the time he turns it off completely, esp. at night...
Consumption. I can glance at it and immediately see what my trend is. DH uses the Energy screen, usually. I think he likes the instant numbers.
Energy screen w/Nav on both wife's Prii and mine. However, just recently, I have noticed I seem to obtain better MPG numbers using the Consumption screen as the vertical mileage bar is very easy to check with a quick glance.
I turn it off. Sometimes I peruse the consumption screen. I noticed that at the energy screen the part of the dash right in front of the screen of it gets warm to the touch. Can't help but think of the wasted energy, so I turn it off.
Off. The screen is usually unnecessary, (I'm delivering mail all day in it), but another important reason is my idea that the screen in my 04 prius with 151k will last longer is I do usually have it off. It is necessary for control of the a/c. Auto air for me doesn't work well with my job, the occasional high air flow just gives me of face full of dust and also is distracting. I find my scan gauge II more helpful for daily fuel economy numbers.
