Friday, November 20, 2009

Chrome trim inside - why?

I recently had the misfortune to rent the most awful car I've driven in a long time. It was a GM product but I can't remember which one. What struck me the most, apart from the bad ergonomics and incomprehensible onboard computer, was the sheer volume of chrome that had been used in the cabin. They'd outlined all the instruments, centre console and vents in chrome. Now I've never been a big fan of chrome - I think it looks tacky and cheap and is a quick way of attempting to gussy up an otherwise dull design. But putting it in the cabin of a car is just inexcusable and I'll tell you why:- the sun. More specifically, when the sun reflects off all the bling inside the cabin and blinds you whilst you're driving, especially at this time of year when the sun is low in the sky. I was constantly fighting reflections and highlights from the chrome bezels as I drove - it was distracting, it was annoying and frankly it was dangerous. Add that to the laundry list of reasons why GM are failing - you simply don't put chrome inside a car.

1 comment:

Silas Humphreys said...

Couldn't agree more. I have much the same opinion of highly-polished "wood", too...