Steering Wheel
I suppose if you're just the right height and adjust your seat and steering wheel just so, you might be able to see your instruments all at once. For me, the top of the steering wheel is always in the way of something—either the speedometer, or the tachometer and fuel gauge.
So I bought a spare stock Element steering wheel. These were actually fairly plentiful at the time because quite a few E owners upgraded to Pilot wheels, consigning stock wheels to the spares pile.
First, I cut about 90° of arc out of the top of the wheel with a band saw (Figures 1 and 2). Then I trimmed my favorite soft steering wheel cover and fitted it to the wheel; taped over the ends; and applied heat-shrink tubing. Next I drilled a 1/4" hole through each end (Figure 3).
 Figure 1 |
 Figure 2 |
 Figure 3 |
Toppers
I tried racquetballs and then squash balls to cover the tops of the wheel, but ultimately found flexible plastic post caps at a local big-box hardware store. The caps are held in place with low-profile zip ties, with a little black silicone sealant in the holes.
Conclusion
The new wheel was easy to get used to, and it's great to be able to see the gauges.