I think the reason people carp about the LED display is because GM does such a fantastic job on the interiors of the new Malibu, then the CTS...then they see that LED stupidity in the G8 and are like "WTF??" How do they do such nice, cohesive interiors in those 2 other models, then drop that 1980's pixel LED into the G8, like an afterthought? Beats me. I can't recall a car in recent memory that had such a cheap, old looking display, can you? That aside, the G8 is a pretty damn cool car!
I wish you could see the display for my Monsoon sound system in my Jetta. The pixels are at least 2mm x 2mm. They're huge. And yet, I've never heard anyone tear into Volkswagen for having big pixels on a center console display. To the contrary, people fawn over VW interiors.
I just don't understand people bitching about a purely aesthetic detail like that in a car that was never billed as a luxury car. It's not even a "cheap feel" thing, because you don't FEEL a gas gauge. To me, it's like complaining that that the color scheme of the new Camry's center console reminds me of a clock radio. I don't like the orange display with the pale blue button panel. But I wouldn't expect every single review of the Camry to discuss it. That would be petty, nit-picky, and totally subjective, wouldn't it? So how is the pixelation of the G8's gas gauge something that needs mentioning in every review?
EDIT:
I can't recall a car in recent memory that had such a cheap, old looking display, can you?
Here we go. Not from my car, but from a 2002 Jetta, so the same sound system, offered in Jettas as recently as 2005:
And if you wanna talk "dated touches in the interior," let's talk about my car's TAPE DECK...