30 mph

[thescouselander]

Does anyone else find it difficult to spot where 30 MPH is on the normal speedo - I think its a pretty rubbish design and the 20MPH text seems to be in the wrong place. I don't know why the speedo needs to go up to 180 MPH either, I certainly wont be reaching such high speeds in my motor. Maybe they should have reduced the range of speeds covered on the speedo and spaced the numbers a bit better.

I know I could use the digital readout but I prefer not to use this.

[GolferPete]

I am a big fan of the digital speedo, and only the other day was thinking to myself that I never even look at the conventional analogue one.

I do agree though that a 2.0tdi speedo calibrated to 140mph would be more than adequate!

[dwl99]

This has been raised before - I agree that the speedo dial is very poorly designed & laid out. I adjusted the dashboard display to show the speed digitally, otherwise it's really guesswork to know what speed you're doing.

[Hippogriff]

Apart from using a big round dial for speed being highly inappropriate (which I do think), the A4 B8 dial is designed really, really badly - for the UK at least. Bad boy, Audi, bad boy, get in your box! Basically, it's nonsense and I think they must've given it to a trainee to design, because of two main reasons - it is overly optimistic and it doesn't show some common UK speed limits, i.e. 30mph.

Solution? Get a new dial fitted or use the digital speedo. at all times.

[PNS2007]

I have to agree with Pete above and rely on the digital speedo aswell

[thescouselander]

Yes, I know the digital speedo is there but I just dont like it - call me old fashioned but I prefer the analogue type. They have been around for a while, I'd have thought is should be easy enough to design a decent analogue speedo.

[Geordie Amanda]

I know what you guys mean about the lower end of the speedo not being easy to read precisely, but I much prefer analogue speedos to digital ones (hate them). The great thing about clock type speedos is they are super easy to read almost subliminally. As the angle of the arm sweeps around the face, it gives you a pretty accurate representation of your speed without having to actual read the numbers. It’s the same reason I find it a lot quicker and easier to glance at a traditional watch face over a digital readout. As numbers increase on a digital speedo/readout (or decrease) it is nowhere as obvious as to what speeds you are doing. Perhaps it’s they just don’t have any feel to them, but I find clock faces and graphic type sweeps, a lot easier to read quickly and it’s the reason that in Broadcasting we still use meters as opposed to digital number readouts to see the relevant levels of most things. All imho of course: D

[thescouselander]

I know what you guys mean about the lower end of the speedo not being easy to read precisely, but I much prefer analogue speedos to digital ones (hate them). The great thing about clock type speedos is they are super easy to read almost subliminally. As the angle of the arm sweeps around the face, it gives you a pretty accurate representation of your speed without having to actual read the numbers. It’s the same reason I find it a lot quicker and easier to glance at a traditional watch face over a digital readout. As numbers increase on a digital speedo/readout (or decrease) it is nowhere as obvious as to what speeds you are doing. Perhaps it’s they just don’t have any feel to them, but I find clock faces and graphic type sweeps, a lot easier to read quickly and it’s the reason that in Broadcasting we still use meters as opposed to digital number readouts to see the relevant levels of most things. All imho of course: D

I totally agree. Furthermore, there have been loads of studies in human factors which back up the idea that its faster to read an analogue dial.

[kodkod.84]

I hate digital speedos for the fact the numbers are always flickering if you aren't keeping a constant speed which is very annoying especially at night.

[porty]

I agree that analogue is better. Whilst you can have the digital speed on the DIS, I prefer having the SatNav reminders there rather than the digital speed.

[ScottyUK]

I hate digital speedos for the fact the numbers are always flickering if you aren't keeping a constant speed which is very annoying especially at night.

Before owning anything with a digital speedo I thought that would be the case but after having a B8 for over a year and also riding m/bikes with them for a few years, I don't find that's the case at all.

Since to look at the speedo it's just a glance you don't see the numbers change. I also don't notice them changing in my periferal vision. Maybe it's just me.

[kodkod.84]

To be fair I can't comment on the B8 one in the DIS but on the Honda/Renault habit of having it in the middle of the console it catches my eye too much.