Best interiors

I'm curious as to y'all's opinion on what cars have the best "cockpits". By this I mean interior layouts that are driving and driver-centric.

I love my buddy's 2nd-gen Talon, and the way the center panel is canted towards the driver. It's been a while since I was in a Corvette, but I seem to remember a '96 C4 being the same way. I find the wraparound feeling to be very cool.

I do like the feel of a 944.

E30

http://hubpages.com/hub/Top-10--Best-Car-Interiors-for-2009-45-55k

BMW's in general are quite good in that respect.

105-series Alfa's are pretty cool to be in. Nice gauge binnacle, and the gear stick "falls easily to hand."

and

http://www.loqu.com/top-ten-best-car-interiors-for-2009/blogs/hotday-3640

love the CTS-V

79-83 Mazda RX-7, FD RX-7, 85-88 Thunderbird (only in Porno Red Leather, that interior was the definition of 80's pimp), Hyundai Genesis Coupe, 04-06 GTO, 71-74 AMC Javelin AMX, Datsun Z.

aussiesmg wrote: and http://www.loqu.com/top-ten-best-car-interiors-for-2009/blogs/hotday-3640 love the CTS-V

Wow-that's the most negative "Best Of" review I have ever read.

FC RX7 FD RX7

The BMWs place the steering wheel way to high for me.

BMWs do tend to have the steering wheel high in the air. It took a while but I'm used to it now.

I'd say MK2 MR2. The seats could be a little more supportive for thin guys, but the steering wheel, pedals, and especially shifter are exactly where they need to be.

'63 Ford T-Bird

Practical or ergonomic? No. Driver-centric? Certainly. And cool as E36 M3.

Margie

I have to second (or is that third or fourth) the FD RX-7. I like the Subie SVX look.

The tax also has the radio/ac controls canter toward the driver so that everything is right at the fingertips. Biggest gripe was that it was not cruise friendly. The cupholders were stuffed under the radio and in front of the shifter.

Supra, of the twin turbo years.

I valet at a country club. Very swanky cars. The Porches (all SUV's) are in my opinion the nicest, the leather work is amazing--with a close second by the MGB.

the new Infiniti M class cars have a sick interior, I also like the interior on the G37-S. Older cars, I love the interior of the C3 Corvettes and how the high beam switch is on the dead pedal. Supras have a great cockpit feel and yea the 2nd gen DSM cars have a pretty cool layout as well, except way too small inside...and it's a DSM.

The new CTS interior is pretty awesome, and never been a fan of BMW interiors they've always been just as boring to me as a Volvo interior...

I like my Volvo interior quite a bit. More than any BMW I've been in, actually. Doesn't hurt that Volvo has the best damn seats in the universe.

For whatever reason, this one works for me (even if it is a replicar).

When I was younger, my dad drove a '64 Chrysler New Yorker. It was a pretty ugly car on the outside, IMO, but I always liked the dash. Maybe it's the logic-based brain I've got, but the symmetric dashes on the Mopars with push button shifters was awesome. Driver centric? I suppose...everything was symmetric about the steering wheel! If you look at these pictures, you'll see what I mean. The push button shifter on the left matches the HVAC controls on the right. Instruments, knobs, etc. were symmetric. Oh yeah, and you can't forget that rectangular steering wheel!

http://www.ev1.pair.com/1964_Chrysler_New_Yorker_wagon/index_1.htm

The New Yorker was no race car, but I sure liked the interior.

Bryce

Subaru XT

With the digital dash and the piston grip shifter. The whole dash moved with the tilt wheel (and HVAC, light controls etc)

That's character.

stuart in mn wrote: BMWs do tend to have the steering wheel high in the air. It took a while but I'm used to it now.

My BMW's steering wheel moves down...

Later Z3s don't have tilt steering (anything after the first or second model year), but I think that was the best interior I've ever owned. It was perfectly driver-centric (and accomodating for passengers) as the controls all fell within easy reach of each other (except the convertible top button for some reason). It also had, by FAR, the sexiest-looking interior of my cars. You cannot go wrong with an analog clock anywhere inside a car.

Honestly, I think the Miata with the tan and black interior looks pretty good too considering its age. Like the Z, it's also pretty well laid-out.

I have to disagree with the FC. There was just something... wrong... about the location of the steering wheel relative to the pedals and shifter. I think they only put it there so they could do the wonky dashboard switch things instead of steering column stalks.

Porsches, specifically 911s and BMWs, specifically M series. 'Nuff said.

I currently have both a RX7 FC and a Miata NC. Both nice places to be but second to the Porcshes.