So...SGII v UG?

[Zerohour]

I've been considering getting a SGII or the UG for my 2001 Outback.

I've been using a cheap sunpro vacuum/boost gauge for the last few months. Although its useful, I feel an actually fuel calculating/estimating device would be much more helpful.

Here are a few of my questions:
1) Both give MPG output, is one better over the other? An example UG refreshes twice fast vs SGII, or SGII is 2-3% accurate vs 4-6% for UG.

2) Are the gauges backlight? It looks like the UG would be night visible, but I'm not sure about the SGII

3) Are there more/less features from one to the other? To me it seems like both offer everything the ECU data port has to offer.

4) I know the SGII has been a long time favorite, but is it really worth almost $100 more than an UG? I mean where is the added costs?

5) Easier plug and play? SGII seems like it needs to be calibrated to the vehicle. Does this change matter if you have extra people in the car (weight input, etc)? Does the UG need to be calibrated just the same?

Would like some intelligent answers that we're all capable of forming! I think both gauges are great, but going into holiday season working in a questionable stable job, the price tag on the SGII has me slight more interested in the UG. But truth be told, I would like the better product.

[BamZipPow]

I have found that they both have advantages and disadvantages...at least with my T-100 truck.

I had my SGII first and loved it...but it only displayed 4 gauges at any given time. It was easy to cycle through the gauges if I needed to since the buttons were on the front. The buttons on the UG are on the back and can make things a bit of a hassle if yer not used to it.

The UG easily shows more gauges at any given time vs the SGII. It didn't find my battery voltage though...so I have to have a separate gauge or git a splitter to hook up both the SGII and the UG at the same time.

I find the UG more responsive and will give you audible as well as visual warnings fer the alarm settings. These can be turned off, too!

The UG is not programmable by the user...so if it doesn't show when you scan yer system...it's not gonna show.

UG just lowered their return policy from 60 days to 30 days now...not sure what the SGII has fer their return policy.

[Zerohour]

Disregard the back light question lol went on the official scan gauge site and saw it does have changeable back light colors.

[endurance]

The calibration on the SGII is pretty simple. When you fill up, you tell it how many actual gallons were used* and it recalibrates based on actual gallons used.

*(don't alter this the first time you fill up with it, but do let it know you filled up. Otherwise, it will assume you used all the gallons you put in since you installed it and will give you very inaccurate results. If you installed it half way through a 20 gallon tank, then fill it up after you've used another five gallons, it'll assume you used 15 gallons to travel however many miles you did since installing it)

[Weather Spotter]

I like my SG and if you are willing to wait a few weeks look at ebay I got mine for $98 shipped

[Zerohour]

To those of us who have the gauges, do they have any lag? Say I jump in the car and go in the morning? Does either device need to initialize each time? How long does it take?

[Weather Spotter]

My SC is ready to go by the time my car is in gear and rolling, I start up fast

[BamZipPow]

I guess it all depends on yer ODBII buss...

On my Toyota T-100...it takes about 5 secs to wake up fer the SGII or the UG. They don't have to initialize...just more about reading the all the data that's streaming from the ECU.

[Zerohour]

I caved. I ordered the Ultra-Gauge. For something like me who does alot of neutral coast to stop signs and has a hard time determining best driving habits with multiple/variable grade hills, I think the easier/cheaper way to go is the UG. I Just couldn't justify the double price tag of SGII.

I would assume it will ship next week and I'll have the gauge shortly after. Very excited!

I also ordered a set of carbureter rebuild kits for the TR7 tonight. Another reason I can't justify the SGII. The few remaining parts for the TR7 will cost about the same as the SG's extra cost.

[SentraSE-R]

You made a good choice. I own both. The SG has some advantages under special circumstances, and several disadvantages, but all-in-all, I prefer the UG.

1) Both give MPG output. No diffs in refresh rate or accuracy that I can see.

2) Both gauges are backlight, and night visible. SG has color options. I prefer the crisp contrasty B/W of the UG over the pale green, purple, etc. colors of the SG.

3) Features from one to the other are close, but the SG requires you to spend hours programming xgauges to display things like barometric pressure, long term fuel trim, etc. for the communications protocol used by your specific car - and you have to do it all over again if you have a second car using a different protocol. UG finds all its gauges within a minute, no programming required. OTOH, SG lets you check a lot of parameters that UG doesn't, if you know the programming codes for your car. Since UG isn't user-programmable, you're stuck with the basics that the UG is pre-programmed to recognize.

4) Is the SGII really worth almost $100 more than an UG? That's a personal decision. I'm keeping mine in case I get a Prius, and want to know something esoteric about it, like transmission temperature. If I was buying another gauge for another car, I'd buy the UG.

5) Both SGII and UG need to be calibrated to the vehicle. It doesn't change if you have extra people in the car. Each tank differs slightly, but I pick a standard conservative calibration value and stick with it tank after tank. That way, if my UG or SG says I got 50 mpg, I know I got at least 50 mpg, and likely more. UG and SG calibration values seem to be nearly identical. 13.5% calibration gives about the same accuracy with both SG and UG. in my xB.