Gen III Prius - Dashboard and Center Console design.

Like the Mini Cooper, the centered instrument panel is very likely a matter of manufacturing economy, since in both cases there is a considerable home market in right hand drive. The Prius instrument panel layout and cant would have to be different for right hand drive, but the space occupied and the cabling would be the same. It's not a good compromise in my mind.

 

i don't even like changing the radio station on the touchscreen.

 

I agree with Mendel. The centrally-located instrument panel is bad ergonomics. The majority of the time, I drive straight ahead and don't turn right. I worry about hitting vehicles in the road more than pedestrians on the shoulder. The display isn't optimized for the driver, but for the passengers. Why? They're not driving the car. I understand the economies of a central display in global manufacturing, but it's not a compromise being made by most car companies. The futuristic curve places the readouts too far away. The display is too dim in bright sunlight, especially with sunglasses. There is blinding glare off the dash.

Modify the layout. Move the warning lights on the far left to either the top row or far right. Replace them with the gear display. Don't touch the gas gauge, speedometer, and real-time mpg. Slide the HSI to the left. The odometer should be permanently displayed on either the top or bottom row. No car owner should have to consult their Owner's Manual just to display the odometer. The trip odometer shouldn't require toggling through five displays (including a blank one). Show two displays only: Trip A and Trip B, but let them include the miles remaining. Move the outside temperature up from the climate control.

A strong case can be made for dual level displays, as with the Civic Hybrid. Put the critical displays on top, with the less critical displays below. Raising the speedometer is the next best thing to HUD.

I can live with the missing tachometer, since the HSI display roughly correlates to rpm. The rpm seems to vary with coolant temp and mph, but it's OK as a crude indicator. More than the coolant temp, often just a dummy light on modern cars, I'd like to see the oil temp and pressure. Yes, I realize these are usually found only on sports cars. Yes, I know the additional sensors and wiring would raise the cost, most consumers don't know how to interpret the readouts, and they panic too easily about normal variations. Hey, it's still on my wish list. If you try to modify the vehicle on your own, it invalidates the factory warranty.

 

When I sat in one at the dealership, my elbow drops into the cup holder??? The arm rest is too far back for a smaller person. Love my aging 2005 Prius. Would not buy this one due to center console.

 

I have to disagree about the ergonomics of the display placement.
The most frequently viewed readout is the speedometer and it's darn near directly in front of the driver and as close (vertically) to the view out the windshield as one could hope for, short of a head up display.

The vertical aspect is the most important in my book. Compare this to looking down through your steering wheel. No contest.