What is the purpose of a HUD?

[HyFlyer]

I found a couple of these features very useful recently while visiting my daughter in her town. Drove into Nashville for an event with our car full of family members, moderate to heavy traffic on an unfamiliar 4 lane city/urban road navigating/looking for an address. It was very handy to have my destination plugged into the nav with turn guidance and info such as speed limit on the HUD combined with radar cruise and BSM to easily keep spacing from other vehicles and enhance awareness.

It's not that I couldn't roll "old school" with turn directions written on a piece of paper and look at street signs or directions like "hang a left at the 2nd light past the McDonald's" and I'm perfectly capable of keeping my spacing and distance. These features such as radar cruise and HUD and BSM etc just reduce the workload for me.

I agree with you @theblooms it all costs money for these gadgets and increases the price for cars. It's also more stuff to break and maintain. It would suit me fine if these types of things were optional for those who want them and don't mind paying for the convenience they bring but on the other hand don't force it on folks who don't want them or the cost. I imagine all this "driver assist" stuff is forced to be standard equipment due to IIHS safety ratings and insurance companies.

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[Buzzman12]

Exactly. Check your tires. It takes 10 seconds per. And I always, *always* check my mirrors. Only a complete moron doesn't do these extremely basic things.

Get rid of that crap, make vehicles affordable again.

You're assuming every body that drives a car has the same set of values and responsibility as you.
Not even close. 90% of drivers probably never check their tire pressure. Heck, I'd venture to say that 90% of drivers don't own a pressure gauge, and wouldn't know how to use one if they did.
They also don't check their oil regularly. Eventually, they might take their vehicle in for an oil change, but usually when it's way overdue. That's also when the tires finally get checked....at an oil change.
As for mirrors, ha. Who are we kidding here. Come on, take a look around you next time you drive to Costco. Every vehicle is a bland grocery getter that most people think of as an appliance. They just don't care.
People like us join forums like this is because we care about our vehicles and want to share information with other like minded drivers. Unfortunately, we are but a very small minority of car owners and enthusiasts. Most people don't give a crap about what they are driving.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Exactly. Check your tires. It takes 10 seconds per. And I always, *always* check my mirrors. Only a complete moron doesn't do these extremely basic things.

Get rid of that crap, make vehicles affordable again.

It's VERY difficult to check the air pressure in your tires while the car is in motion!

I check my pressures manually once or twice a month, but I most certainly love the TPM systems in modern vehicles. TPMS has saved me twice on my motorcycle. Two times since 2009 when I picked up a nail in my rear tire and TPMS warned me of the issue. I ride fast and hard and it would not have been good to have the tire lose pressure while I was leaned over in a corner.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Of all the tech add-ons in the last 10 years probably the best was the rear-view camera.
Can you imagine driving a vehicle without one now?

two of my vehicles have it two don't. so yes I can imagine not having it. I like it but certainly don't need it.

I'm with Jadmt here. I have five vehicles (one is a motorcycle) and of those five only two have cameras. Believe it or not, I manage just fine without a camera when backing up.

 

[Fruitwolf]

I like the HUD very much and feel it is a safety feature. If you adjust the HUD correctly you don't need to look down at the speedometer while you're driving. The key word is to adjust.

I’ve never had a collision after 40+ years of driving because of looking at a speedometer. Just one mans opinion but the hud is annoying and distracts me from the potential enjoyment of driving. To each his own.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

I’ve never had a collision after 40+ years of driving because of looking at a speedometer. Just one mans opinion but the hud is annoying and distracts me from the potential enjoyment of driving. To each his own.

40+ years and no crashes because of looking at your speedo? That's pretty good!

So, what was the cause of your collision?

 

[Buzzman12]

I’ve never had a collision after 40+ years of driving because of looking at a speedometer. Just one mans opinion but the hud is annoying and distracts me from the potential enjoyment of driving. To each his own.

Do you still use a rotary phone? Haha, just kidding.

I'm in my 70's, and have been driving since I was 14 years old.
I've been in one accident, in my early 20's, when a guy ran a red light and T-boned me. No accidents since then.
Like you said, to each his own for sure, but I like a lot of the new tech in cars, including the HUD.
It's time to move into the 21st century.

 

[wlong01]

I’ve never had a collision after 40+ years of driving because of looking at a speedometer. Just one mans opinion but the hud is annoying and distracts me from the potential enjoyment of driving. To each his own.

You can always lower the HUD so you don't see it.

 

[Bruins 8]

I have the HUD in my 2019 GT/PP and it took a little while to adjust to the HUD being up on the windshield. The package came with some nice extra features. If the HUD isn't for you you can turn it off. Because the 2019 GT came with the Nav card it works great with the HUD giving all the directions on the windshield. You can adjust adjust the display, but do it with the Nav working because you can lose the Nav info. It has contrast and brightness control to help you adjust to the display. I think it is a great addition to the car safety.

 

[Fruitwolf]

You can always lower the HUD so you don't see it.

I do.

 

[Cooter Boy]

No HUD in my 23 CX5, but I do have one in my ‘07 Corvette. It took about 5 minutes to get hooked on it. Completely programmable: speed, RPM, oil pressure and temp, water temp, tranny fluid temp, gear indicator, street and two track modes, can’t remember everything else.

It’s a great idea.

 

[jadmt]

No HUD in my 23 CX5, but I do have one in my ‘07 Corvette. It took about 5 minutes to get hooked on it. Completely programmable: speed, RPM, oil pressure and temp, water temp, tranny fluid temp, gear indicator, street and two track modes, can’t remember everything else.

It’s a great idea.

I do wish the cx5 turbo had more info on the heads up display. something as simple as outside temp would be something I would put on. I also got used to it in about 5 minutes and now when i drive my vehicles without HUD I am looking for it. When I get a new vehicle definitely will want HUD if it is available.

 

[erhayes]

I think ALL 2023 have a HUD. Maybe the owner's manual will help. Ed

 

[jadmt]

I think ALL 2023 have a HUD. Maybe the owner's manual will help. Ed

I don't think that is accurate. I don't think lower trims get it.

 

[SimpleCanuck]

I had a rental CX-3 last year that had HUD, but of course it was the highest trim (GT). The HUD worked fine, although I myself can live without it.

My '22 CX-5 GS (Canada) is one trim higher than the base, and it does not have HUD.

 

[Cooter Boy]

I had a rental CX-3 last year that had HUD, but of course it was the highest trim (GT). The HUD worked fine, although I myself can live without it.

My '22 CX-5 GS (Canada) is one trim higher than the base, and it does not have HUD.

Yeah, mine is a "Preferred" which is I think one level above base, no HUD. But it has other stuff that I like.

 

[7eregrine]

I don't understand the negativity either.
It was one of those features that before I had it, I was pretty meh about it.
Now that I have it, it's a must have on any future car I buy.

It's a feature I've wanted since I first saw it in a Cutlas from the 80's. Yes, an Oldsmobile had a HUD in the late 80's. Swore someday I'd have one. Years later I see it in a BMW for the first time. Daddy wants.
Then I buy a 2016 in December and 3 months later my same car.... gets a HUD.
I was not happy.

 

[raj55]

I love hud. It helps to keep your eyes on the road and it even covers the blind spot monitororing function and the GPS turn signal, besides the speed function. Shooting Migs too if they show up on my radar. So why not?

 

[chickdr]

I have had it on both of my CX-5's (19 and 21) and while it is cool in theory, I actually forget it's there most of the time. I almost always use my speedometer instead as I don't notice the HUD as I am driving. I think it just doesn't register in my line of site very well.

 

[jadmt]

I have had it on both of my CX-5's (19 and 21) and while it is cool in theory, I actually forget it's there most of the time. I almost always use my speedometer instead as I don't notice the HUD as I am driving. I think it just doesn't register in my line of site very well.

you can adjust it up and down and brighten it or dim it. It is totally second nature with me kind of like when shooting a handgun, raise the weapon and see the front blade...