So for all you people who say they drive by the RPMs on the tach, are you saying when you want to go a given speed you use RPM and the gear ypur in to determine when you're there? Or are you saying you just use the redline to make sure you're not going too fast?

 

I use it when the gas light comes on ever five seconds once I'm under 60miles to go.

 

2003 MC without Nav.
I only have the one big speedo, so I use it every day.

 

I would much prefer the Crono gauges instead of the big speedo. I never look at it.

From and aesthetics perspective, it is semi-cool and shows this car still has some of it's rally roots in it's modern design still.

 

On my '11, both the digital and analog are off by ~4-5 mph. This is documented pretty well in other posts, but what I don't like about it is that the odometer is off as well (as validated by GPS and mile markers on long drives). Artifically reduces the warranty period (but i guess, on the plus side, that means I can do some engine tuning all the sooner!).

 

We gauge the speed by the gear and the revs!

 

I can't go by the tachometer, I end up driving waaay to fast!

Dave

 

im forced to use the big middle speedo. r50 life.... but i dotn mind it i really drive by the rpms. i only look over to the speedo when im driving at higher speeds

 

I LOVE the ginormous speedometer. When I told someone at work I was thinking of buying a MIni (haden't been in one, yet), he asked me "Why? You know they stick the speedomoter in the middle of the dashboard!"

#1 The dash not being so big, the middle is close enough!

#2 You can set your speed on the tach, if you need to!

#3 It sets the Mini apart from the pack

It's soo campy and cool!!

 

I think the big speedo is pretty cool, but I don't really use it. I'm blind in my right eye, so I have to turn my head and take my good eye off of the road far too long to look at it. Digital speedo FTW!

 

I have to admit i can read my speed by RPMs depending on gear but i use the big speedo quite often to make sure im not speeding.

And all cars are going to come with a fluctuation of how the speedo is going to read your MPH. Im sure every car company would want your readings lower rather than higher cause it could cause some liability when you dont think your speeding when you really are.

 

When Toyota put the speedo on the center of the dash on the Echo, they said it was actually safer to look slightly to your right, than to look down......but since I have the chrono package also, I guess I'll never know if they were right.

 

A good racer can tell what speed they are going within 2-5mph without a speedo. Speedos are not even allowed in motorcycle racing, no mirrors or brake lights either so you are really focused on speed differential. I'm not a good racer anymore but I pretty much only check the center speedo on the JCW if a cop is around .

 

I use the digital readout for mph in the tach. I only use the big speedo for the radio. That being said, I like it because it is different...

 

+1

 

My '99 Chevy and '10 Chrysler are spot-on with the speedos. The majority of new cars are (as an aside, automotive magazine reviews typically have 'actual' and 'indicated' speedo data in their reviews / specs).