Should Saturn Offer a Heads-Up Display Option?

[Charlie]

Do you think Saturn should offer a heads-up display option on its cars? Would you have purchased it in your Saturn if it was available?

Post your thoughts!
Charlie

[SW2Muck]

No, I think it could be distracting at night.

[PAGuy77]

I think it would be a good idea for a HUD. I naturally scan my dash and mirrors constantly, so looking up at the windshield wouldn't be a problem...:)

[silverblueL200]

I'd get it, I love gizmo's :D

[Twin_Cam]

Sure, but I wouldn't get it. It would distract me.

[John10]

I think they should offer it if it can be installed at a cost that encourages people to buy it. I would consider buying it if the option was available for no more than $300. After that I would have to carefully consider its worth versus using the optional dollars in other ways.

[eRic 02sc2]

nah.

[MydnightMyst]

No, we have too many car options already. Being performance minded, I don't care for so many gadgets on my vehicles. There's options on my truck and van that I don't need or really want, but I bought them used.. I have the option to remove them, but why work so hard.. hehehe
Anyway, I think that people will just ignor it like they do their gauge cluster and turn signals, so why pay the extra money for something you will eventually ignor?

[piney]

Style over substance - I'd rather have a manual steel moonroof standard like VW used to have in the 80s Golf and Sciroccos. Who watches their speedo with that much attention anyhow??

[preduck]

i'd get it. my buddy had an altima with it. it looked pretty cool and didn't seem to distracting. If he didn't like it, he'd just hit a button and turn it off.

[toyfan1]

i definatly would, heck why not the infared night vision like the h2? i think the benifits would out weight the cost.

[unkle bik]

Originally posted by silverblueL200
I'd get it, I love gizmo's :D

Yeah right, that's just Saturn needs, another gizmo.
They can't even figure out how to eliminate headlights dimming when the A/C kicks on or figure how to put in auto climate control to work without 20 trips to the dealer. (if it will).
Fix what's wrong first before putting in more unproven (by Saturn, that is) gizmos.
I would just like to see oil pressure and volt meter gauges - STANDARD.

[sissonct]

I agree with UNKLE BIK. They need to fix what they already have before offering more gizmos.

[SilverNickelQC]

I think it would be great on the ION RL since they are not doing away with the center IP, they can have something for the people who don't like it and maybe that would keep there minds off the fact that its not there in front.

[BlueVette]

ABSOLUTELY!!! The Heads Up Display is a wonderful thing. I use it 100% of the time in my Corvette. It is a major safety advantage because you don't have to take your eyes off the road. It is easy to see, adjustable positioning, your eye focus as though it is projected "out onto the road" and you can see right through it and it never gets "dirty" because it is on the inside of the glass. There is no downside to a HUD but there are SO MANY advantages to it. Yes. It NEEDS to be an option. PERIOD.

Oh, and btw, it does NOT distract 'at night' or any other time.
:grnjump: :flag:

[BlueVette]

Originally posted by MydnightMyst
No, we have too many car options already. Being performance minded, I don't care for so many gadgets on my vehicles.

Have to disagree on this one. A performance driver would love to have the HUD on the windshield... you don't have to take your eyes off the track at any point to get a reading of speed, g's, tach, and so forth. Much safer and better for performance driving. I didn't know if I'd have use my HUD much on my C5 vette.. but I assure you, I do. Definately a fantastic feature. BTW, a HUD is no-more-a-gadget than a dash with instruments on it.

[unkle bik]

I was always under the impression Saturn was an entry level car....

[BlueVette]

Originally posted by UNKLE BIK
I was always under the impression Saturn was an entry level car....
Yeah, and a HUD should be standard for most cars I believe. Just too many benefits for safety in it.

[unkle bik]

Originally posted by BlueVette
Yeah, and a HUD should be standard for most cars I believe. Just too many benefits for safety in it.

I just hope you don't think that I am totally against the idea. If it's for safety, sure why not. But, are there any studies that concur that HUD is safer than a tradtional display? Or is it just an assumption or belief? I don't know or have the facts.
Perhaps you didn't understand my remark about Saturn being an entry level car. The current market position for Saturn puts it's base model, Ion, in competition with cars such as the Neon, Focus, Civic, Corolla, & Hundays, not Corvettes. To put an HUD in an Ion would mean a cost of at least several hundred dollars added to that sticker. (no, I don't have the actual dollar amount) In an all ready tight market, a couple hundred dollars more for an Ion would mean someone looking for something cheaper, rather than high-tech. If GM would forego this price & keep the MSRP the same, they would have to make up for it somewhere else. (Corvette, Escalade, CTS) GM is in the business of dollars & cents, not putting gizmos into entry level cars.
My biggest concern about it was in my previous statement concerning reliability. Saturn can't even get the basics right (alternators to keep up, auto HVAC that doesn't work, etc.) How would expect them to handle that? Saturn has been the butt of jokes with the centre IP, what would you think if the HUD stopped working everytime you used the turn signal? I can hear the laughter, now.
Who knows, they may have perfected this system. After all, Saturn was one the first entry level cars to offer ABS & traction control.

[BlueVette]

HUD seems like VERY simple technology. Nothing more than an LCD read-out reflecting in a special windshield. If they can't make a run-of-the-mill LCD display work correctly then they shouldn't be making things as complicated as entire vehicles. Weehaw.

[TommyH]

Originally posted by BlueVette
ABSOLUTELY!!! The Heads Up Display is a wonderful thing. I use it 100% of the time in my Corvette. It is a major safety advantage because you don't have to take your eyes off the road. It is easy to see, adjustable positioning, your eye focus as though it is projected "out onto the road" and you can see right through it and it never gets "dirty" because it is on the inside of the glass. There is no downside to a HUD but there are SO MANY advantages to it. Yes. It NEEDS to be an option. PERIOD.

Oh, and btw, it does NOT distract 'at night' or any other time.
:grnjump: :flag:

DITO!
(With the exception that I've never driven a 'vette, nor do either of my current vehicles have HUD.)

[swoker183]

no, i dont think its needed

[Dr. Bob]

No. An expensive gimmick not worthy of the expense of development for Saturn's demographic.

Put it in the luxury and high performance vehicles.

[HiWire]

Not worth the money. Daily driving doesn't require the additional info that a HUD offers; it's just a duplication of info a few inches down. Now, if I had a radar target lock (for "unfriendlies") and an GPS navigator aide... :D

[BlueVette]

Well, I believe the question is should it be an OPTION.. and I think yes it should. Again, simple technology.. should dependably, shouldn't be THAT expensive, and sure is a great thing to have. But, again, the key phase is OPTION. If a person wants to spend a little extra $ for something as wonderful as a HUD, then they should have the OPTION to do so. I know I'd do it. I'm VERY spoiled to my HUD in my other car and I WISH I had the option to have it in my Saturn.

[RedLineGuy]

The problem with making it an option is that also increases production costs for all the vehicles made, not just the ones that have that option. That's why the new 4-cylinder L300 is so cheap, they eliminated all options on the vehicle to streamline production. If you start adding every little option that anybody could ever want then soon saturns are going to be $60k cars, and that's not what saturn is. There will be a time and place for HUD in saturns, but only when it becomes more mainstream. I think that saturn understands the role that they play in the GM family, and they know that offering an HUD would be stepping out of that role. Saturn makes cars that have "Real value for the dollar" and for the average joe, $300 for an HUD isn't a good value.

[GIR]

that would be cool. i hope they do.

[matt2791]

That would be something to behold- but I'd like the ability to turn it off at will so I can concentrate in sticky traffic situations. :)

[eric02SC2]

So long as it comes with an 'off' switch, I think that it would be a great feature :-)

Eric & Genieve
http://www.GEMS-Family.net
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[TBone1082]

Perhaps it would mesh well with the new Sky? I would love the idea of it on the more performance oriented Saturns.....say, the Redline's and such. Like Charlie said tho, it should be an OPTION. I'd gladly shell out a few extra bucks for one.

[SKOLREST]

GM tried it in the Caddillacs I believe with little sucess. I personally feel it raises the price of the vehicle and provides nothing but a distraction.

[cdp326]

GM tried it in the Caddillacs I believe with little sucess. I personally feel it raises the price of the vehicle and provides nothing but a distraction.

the HUD was introduced on the 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix Turbo and spread to more models of Grand Prix and Bonneville.

perhaps you mean the Night Vision? that they tried on the DeVille and they are canceling the NV soon.

[IndyVUE]

Absoutely! If the new Saturn direction is to move the line more upscale, this would draw attention. It is the one option that would make me consider trading my loaded ION QC3. Some Saturn owners are definitely NOT entry level buyers, do not ignore the draw of technology. (Remember those who said, I don't need a computer, it's a fad.....)

[ChgoBlues]

Should it be offered? I would say ONLY on top off line models if at all. Most Saturn owners are sticker shocked lately with some of the new products and repair cost. For instance, tires for a RedLine VUE, $389 per tire. We replaced one under the Sonsio Warranty now offered. Most of Saturns customers are slow to accept the higher costs of options, XM, OnStar already. Funny thing is we've installed a lot of aftermarket leather and DVD units.

[2001L300]

Sounds good to me. It really shouldn't cost that much since GM already has the technology in some Pontiacs.......

[topodaddy]

Yes, it should be an option; probably not one that I would consider though.

[lithous]

I think that it will make the price of all models go up. Even if GM has it in other cars doesn't negate that fact that multiple people are involved in getting it in each model of Saturn (will it fit, electrical wiring changes, hours of testers testing it, etc.). That said, if it was <= $50 on to the base price (of course it wouldn't be advertised as such - i.e. "Base price to include HUD development" on the sticker) and <= $300 as an option I would say yes to it being an option (and I'd buy it if only for the cool factor).

But DVD navigation as an option would be better IMO.

[PlumSL1]

I would love to have heads up display. However I dont beleive it should be available on the Ion since its more of a luxury feature. I hope the aura has it.

[saturnowner2001]

No. too many options as it is now!

[cheapybob]

I loved the HUD and trip computer on my Grand Prix. It was only a $50 option, and it was better than just the trip computer that was on my old LeBaron. It was especially nice to have at night, and I think the real distraction is when you have to take your eyes off the road to look at the speedometer or radio buttons, etc.