- Automotive tech now allows a choice between digital and analog gauges.
- Both gauge types have advantages, and they can coexist in the same vehicle.
- Which do you prefer, digital or analog gauges, and why? Vote below!
As much as it might be easy to feel like the connection between car and driver is a spiritual one, some hard data needs to be communicated between the two. Gauges do that work by providing information on speed, RPM, temperatures, and more.
The question that we ask today though is do you prefer digital or analog gauges? It’s a topic that wasn’t up for debate a few decades ago.
For most of automotive history, analog gauges were all that man had to choose from. Interestingly, the types of gauges we’re all used to today are less than 100 years old. Early automobile owners had to literally get out of the car and dip something into the fuel tank to judge how full it was.
Dash-mounted gauges didn’t show up as common until the 1930s. Today, the choices are somewhat endless but also limited within model ranges.
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For example, who doesn’t remember the Lexus LFA with its almost entirely digital gauge cluster? It featured a physical bezel that would move laterally and an RPM gauge that evidently had to be digital to keep up with the V10. That’s undeniably cool and blends form and function into, at the time, a very futuristic package. It did something else too, though. It showed just how modular a digital gauge cluster could be.
The sliding bezel allowed the LFA to provide a super-focused RPM/MPH gauge during some operations and then slide over for additional information when needed. Several cars today benefit from that same approach offering various menus, deep data, and even GPS navigation that bakes itself into the gauge cluster itself.
On the other hand, it’s hard to ignore the charm of a highly crafted analog gauge. It’s why super high-end supercars like the GMA T33 often still tend to stick with them. When money is no object, the experience can be all that matters. For some, that experience is enriched with analog gauges.
The real question though is what do you prefer? Analog, digital, or a mix of both? Vote in the poll and also drop a comment explaining your reasoning if you feel like it right below!