Look Out! Head Up Displays are Becoming More Common

Dear Car Talk:

I used to own a 2000 or 2001 Pontiac GT something or other. The car had numerous issues over a short time; fuel gauge stopped working, oil pressure sending unit failed, heater stuck on hot. But the car did have one nice feature -- a head up display for speed and other items. Since dashboard real estate is at a premium, why hasn't the head up display been embraced by more automotive manufacturers? -- Bob

I guess you haven't driven the 2023 Pontiac something or other yet, Bob. Head up displays are becoming much more common now.

It's a great feature. There's a small projector built into the top of the dashboard, and it projects information in a way that makes the info appear as if it's floating at the end of your hood. So, you can see it at the bottom of your field of vision as you watch the road. It allows you to see key information like your speed and urgent warnings without taking your eyes off the road.

More recent head up displays have even more information. You can see navigation directions, who's calling when you get a phone call, the speed limit, and more. Some work with the electronic safety equipment to show you when someone's in your blind spot or when you're too close to a car in front of you.

It's all great stuff. The more your eyes are on the road and not looking down, the safer you're going to be -- until they start showing reruns of "Friends" on your windshield.

Right now, we see head up displays in just about every high-end car we test drive. And we're starting to see them on mid-priced cars now, too. So before too long, they'll work their way down the market to Pontiac something or others, too.

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