DMGThe Loaner Car
Just a few thoughts about user interface, occasioned by driving a 2005 Jetta while my car has been in the shop.
There's a little sign on the dashboard that's meant to let you know whether the passenger-side airbag is on or off. When someone is sitting in the passenger seat, it reads:
PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS OFF
Kind of unsettling, untill you consider that when there's no passenger, the sign reads:
PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS OFF
Ah. So when the "OFF" is on, the airbag is off. And when the "OFF" is off, then the airbag is on. Perfect.
When I first got my 2001 Jetta, I spent months being delighted by how polished and well-thought-out all the controls were, from the radio to the cup holders to the sunroof controls. The latest models, however, have lost that polish. The last time I was this underwhelmed by a car's interior, I was sitting in a rental Plymouth with crank windows.