Even the newer cars with gauges are essentially "dumbed down". The gauge isn't driven directly by a sensor rather by the engine ECU and the needle doesn't read linearly. In other words the needle will rise to some middle range and hardly ever move from there unless the engine gets really hot at which time the needle will rise further. The gauge isn't really doing much more than the idiot lights. Kind of an idiot gauge. The point where the needle stalls is maybe 10 or 15 degrees above or below the engine thermostat value. A fairly wide value where it doesn't move at all.