Why do car reviewers care so much about soft touch dashboards?

Skilid · 14 Oct 2017 at 09:52

I recently watched a review of the VW T-Roc on YouTube. In this video the reviewer tapped his ring on the dash to show that it was a hard plastic. This got me thinking...

What is the benefit of having a soft touch dash? I never touch my dashboard. I look at it. So long as it looks nice why should it feel nice?

For sure soft touch on the tops of the doors, arm rests, steering wheel etc is important because you touch them. If a manufacturer spends money on a soft touch dash, but doesn’t carpet the door pockets or give me a squishy arm rest then what’s the point?

What do you feel is important when deciding the quality of a cars interior?

Pyscho_Si · 14 Oct 2017 at 10:57

It is all about attention to detail. If you are buying a premium car, you don’t want or expect hard plastics on the dash. If they have saved a few quid on some carpet in the door pocket, where else have they saved costs? If you are buying a family runabout, you probably care less.

And yes, my Lexus does have carpet in the door pockets and handles.

[TW]Fox · 14 Oct 2017 at 11:19

Because when you buy what is supposed to be a quality product you want all aspects of it to suggest that it is a quality product.

Dav4 · 14 Oct 2017 at 11:58

Don't think I've ever got in any car and noticed/felt the door cards and dashboard etc. Who gives a **** what the dashboard feels and looks like you buy a car to drive it not rub yourself all over the dash. Unless your driving a 1980's lada or a Daewoo Matiz any reasonable run of the mill car made in the last 10 years doesn't really feel or look any different plastic wise imo

lordrobs · 14 Oct 2017 at 12:23

I always think it is more an indication of the quality of the plastics used rather than the fact that you are actually going to be handling it on a daily basis. Hard plastics tend to look cheaper, are more prone to scratching and marking up with use and in my limited experience more likely to develop annoying buzzes and rattles.

[TW]Fox · 14 Oct 2017 at 12:49

Dav4 said:
Don't think I've ever got in any car and noticed/felt the door cards and dashboard etc. Who gives a **** what the dashboard feels and looks like you buy a car to drive it not rub yourself all over the dash. Unless your driving a 1980's lada or a Daewoo Matiz any reasonable run of the mill car made in the last 10 years doesn't really feel or look any different plastic wise imo

What do you drive?

Conanius · 14 Oct 2017 at 12:58

I’ve owned a lot of cars over the years, and regardless what is said, there is a real benefit to having a high quality car if you’re doing big miles. Things like the finish of the interior - in my experience - make a huge difference to the driving experience. I’ve found cheaper materials rattle/vibrate more and as such, make for an irritating drive.

I have no idea how people cope long term when they do long (30+ mile) commutes each day in 80mpg budget super minis. They must feel exhausted, have crooked backs and be half deaf after doing it day in day out for a few months.

I say this as someone who used to have more ‘budget’ vehicles and made the shift to ‘premium’ manufacturers.

Housey · 14 Oct 2017 at 13:00

I like a nice soft touch, hard plastics are horrible, rattly things.

Randomface74 · 14 Oct 2017 at 13:03

It's a 'fit-it-in-a-video' way of showing quality. Of course nobody goes around fondling the dash in real life.

Clarkey · 14 Oct 2017 at 13:10

Nasty hard plastics also look and sound horrible, it's not like it's all about feel.

Housey · 14 Oct 2017 at 13:19

billysielu said:
It's a 'fit-it-in-a-video' way of showing quality. Of course nobody goes around fondling the dash in real life.

Yea, no on would do that, no one.....

Dis86 · 14 Oct 2017 at 14:58

One if my favourite points is my lovely leather dash and its contrast stitching!

Nasher · 14 Oct 2017 at 19:57

Gloss plastic is the worst.

I much prefer alcantara to regular leather though, never liked leather seats. Cold in winter and sticky in summer :/

adolf hamster · 14 Oct 2017 at 20:29

it's just giving the impression of quality and it's the in thing at the minute. remember as much as the exterior details of a car are important, as the ower/driver you're realistically going to be spending 90% of your time looking at the interior, so it might as well be a nice place to be.

guess the logic is if they can't even bother to make the bits you see all the time well then what are they doing with the bits you don't see all the time?

for example mate of mine went to look at a mini cooper s not too long ago and i remember the feeling of the inside door handles put me right off, felt like a flimsy bit of plastic you wouldn't even make a kids toy out of and creaked something crazy when you pulled them to close the door, i said as much to him that even the door handles on my skoda (he's a massive brand snob) were better made than they were.

my current hate topic for interiors is cream interiors, not because there's anything particularly wrong with them but my last 2 cars have had them and i'm fed up of it.

Rilot · 14 Oct 2017 at 20:41

Hate hard plastics. Our CR-V has hard plastic everywhere. I suppose it's OK for what the car is designed for though and makes cleaning it easy. Scratches like anything though.
My XJ on the other had is covered with leather everywhere. Lovely.

chaparral · 14 Oct 2017 at 21:33

[TW]Fox said:
Because when you buy what is supposed to be a quality product you want all aspects of it to suggest that it is a quality product.

That why I bought a ford

PiKe · 14 Oct 2017 at 21:39

Soft plastics = less creaking init?

gEd · 14 Oct 2017 at 21:56

Funnily enough, the first test the wife ever goes when considering a car is to drum her fingernails on the dash. Hard plastic = fail.

mjt · 14 Oct 2017 at 22:23

Conanius said:
I have no idea how people cope long term when they do long (30+ mile) commutes each day in 80mpg budget super minis. They must feel exhausted, have crooked backs and be half deaf after doing it day in day out for a few months.

Yup. Taking my gf's Chevy Spark to and from work honestly puts me in a different mood. The turd is not quite as bad as you'd expect, but I never think about the car when I'm in my A6, if you know what I mean.

I've been looking to replace it for a while but it just doesn't make sense as it starts first time, every time, has isofix and costs buttons to run. Thankfully it spends most of the time sitting outside the flat

Clarkey · 14 Oct 2017 at 23:31

mjt said:
Yup. Taking my gf's Chevy Spark to and from work honestly puts me in a different mood. The turd is not quite as bad as you'd expect, but I never think about the car when I'm in my A6, if you know what I mean.

I've been looking to replace it for a while but it just doesn't make sense as it starts first time, every time, has isofix and costs buttons to run. Thankfully it spends most of the time sitting outside the flat

That's a problem with you, not the Spark. Honestly an A6 isn't anything to write home about.