Say Goodbye to the Hideaway Screen - 2015 Audi A3 Long-Term Road Test

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Say Goodbye to the Hideaway Screen - 2015 Audi A3 Long-Term Road Test

The hideaway infotainment screen in our 2015 Audi A3 likely won't survive another generation.

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ebeaudoin

I think it's very cool. Much cooler than the BMW or Benz. I never realized the Audi had such high-res satellite nav! Can we see an in-depth review of the nav? That's very cool.

metalmania

It looks like lots of manufacturers are heading towards the "phablet stuck on the dash". Mazda's doing it now too. I HATE it, I think it's the stupidest looking interior tech trend I've ever seen. I would much rather have a screen that's integrated into the dash and looks like it belongs there.

kirkhilles1

Yeah, um, if its a $3,000+ option to have something that looks like its a "phablet stuck on the dash" and instead is some 90's technology based navigation system, I think I'll skip that, choose a mount and mount my 6 inch "phablet" there, LOL.

iamthestig

metalmania said:

It looks like lots of manufacturers are heading towards the "phablet stuck on the dash". Mazda's doing it now too. I HATE it, I think it's the stupidest looking interior tech trend I've ever seen. I would much rather have a screen that's integrated into the dash and looks like it belongs there.

I see the "stick on" screens we're seeing in newer cars as a way for designers to place the screen higher on the instrument panel while still keeping the overall dashboard lower and sleeker. Instead of having a large, tall block in the center of the dashboard, like a Chrysler Town & Country, for example, you can have a sleek, low, modern dashboard but still have a high-mounted screen in your general field of view. There's got to be a better way, though -- these things definitely have an aftermarket look, especially the ones from Mercedes-Benz and Mazda. Personally, I liked the Audi/Volvo approach of a screen that rises from within the dashboard.

stever

The "stuck-on" nav unit on a 2016 Mazda CX-3 I tested a couple of months ago didn't bother me - even though it's on top of the dash it's still low enough not to interfere with vision out the windshield and is easily viewable

atari

metalmania said:

It looks like lots of manufacturers are heading towards the "phablet stuck on the dash". Mazda's doing it now too. I HATE it, I think it's the stupidest looking interior tech trend I've ever seen. I would much rather have a screen that's integrated into the dash and looks like it belongs there.

I think integrated screens will be gone in the somewhat near future. They'll be replaced by docking stations that you just plug your phone or tablet into. I'm not a fan of the look either, but think about it now. I have an integrated screen on my cars now, but what do I need it for? I can use my phone for NAV. Eventually it will be integrated into the car and you'll probably be able to use your phone's touch screen to control the HVAC and everything else.

socal_eric

I liked Cadillac's implementation on the last gen CTS. You could motor the screen up for navigation but when closed the top couple inches are still visible and can be used to change simple settings and radio presets. On cars like this A3 it's pretty much about style and no added functionality, which isn't a bad thing. I'm not a fan of the tack-on, tablet on the dash look but I'd wager it is cheaper for the automaker, less complex and less prone to failure many years down the road.

dldave

I know this post is months late, but a salesman at my local audi dealer told me that in newer/future models that have a backup camera, they have to be fixed screens. I can't/don't care to verify what he said, but he mentioned it was some sort of regulation. Whatever.