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Instrument Clusters: All Shapes and Sizes A Potential Fix From Subaru
Cars have evolved quite a bit over the years with improved safety features, new propulsion systems, and the capability to make it through pretty much whatever terrain you’re crazy enough to tackle. They also come in a wide variety of styles, from sporty convertibles to SUVs and trucks. There’s lots of variety – but they do have some similarities.
One thing cars of all shapes and sizes have in common is an instrument cluster – the place where drivers can see information pertaining to speed, rpm, fuel levels, engine temperature, and warning lights.
Instrument Clusters: All Shapes and Sizes
More and more automakers are moving from a bunch of dials on the dashboard to a fully digital display. In some cases, this information may be displayed on the infotainment screen, like in the Volvo EX30 pictured below, or even in a head-up display – but it’s there somewhere because it’s essential.
I’ve driven cars with a variety of instrument clusters, all of which relay the basics like speed and mileage, along with added stuff that isn’t necessarily essential, but is nice to have at the ready. Some display the navigation which it pulls from the infotainment system, or show the song that’s currently playing on the radio. Electric vehicles add information about range and power usage – some, like the 2025 Mini Countryman Electric also do away with a cluster ahead of the driver, as you’ll see below:
Digital instrument clusters are nice because they show you more information and are easy to customize, so you see only what you want to see. They also let the engineers have a little fun with animated sequences when you turn the car off and on or sometimes when you toggle through available drive modes. The massive screen in the new Lincoln Nautilus is fantastic, with everything in one long screen that spans across the dashboard – it looks amazing, too.
I am fine with all these various iterations of the instrument cluster with one caveat: I need to be able to see the darn thing.
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Here’s My Problem
To set the scene, I recently had a Toyota bZ4x on test, and it comes with a digital instrument cluster that is set about a foot back into the dashboard. It’s sort of a tunnel with two pieces on either side that lead down to the actual screen. The design is shared with the Subaru Solterra, and it looks good and creates a nice separation between the infotainment screen and the instrument cluster rather than having one giant bank of screens.
CarBuzz/Valnet/Nicole Wakelin
It’s all good until you sit down and discover that no matter how you adjust the seat, the top of the steering wheel cuts right across the screen. It drove me nuts. I tried moving the seat and adjusting the steering wheel to no avail. I settled on having a decent view of the road and moving my head to either look over or under the steering wheel to make sure I wasn’t flying down the highway far in excess of the local limits. It was not ideal.
CarBuzz/Valnet/Nicole Wakelin
Now, I’m about 5’ 6” tall and in talking to other folks my height, they had similar issues. In my entirely unofficial poll of random journalists whose numbers I had in my phone, those around my height and quite a bit taller had issues, while folks on the short side were just fine. So, it’s not everyone, but it’s a good chunk of people who all faced the same frustration.
CarBuzz/Valnet/Nicole Wakelin
A Potential Fix From Subaru
The Subaru Solterra was co-developed with Toyota and shares a lot of its design quirks – in fact, it had the exact same setup with the same problem. I say “had” because in their most recent update they reinvented the wheel. Okay, not reinvented, but at least changed it so it has a flat top and bottom as part of its 2024 updates.
That little change takes care of the problem and puts the instrument cluster in clear view, which we found in our test drive of the Solterra.
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I did reach out to Toyota, but they had no comment. They weren’t being snarky, it’s just that automakers never comment on future products, so telling me if they have plans to change the steering wheel is not allowed.
CarBuzz/Valnet/NicoleWakelin
Although Toyota can’t comment on future products, I can comment on what I’d like to see in a future product. Please, Toyota, reinvent the wheel on this one and give us a new steering wheel so we can actually see the instrument cluster. It’s kind of important.