Quick Summary:
- Check the instrument cluster menu for Units, then select Miles and MPH.
- Confirm the navigation system is set to miles, and voice guidance is English.
- Switch dashboard language to English, and verify temperature unit preference.
- Before moving off, compare speed sign units with the displayed MPH.
Landing in Orlando and collecting a car hire at the airport is usually straightforward, but the first few minutes in the driver’s seat matter. If your dashboard is showing kilometres per hour, or your sat-nav is giving distances in kilometres, it is easy to misjudge speed, following distance, and turns. In Florida, road speeds and distance signs are in miles and mph, so it is worth taking two to five minutes at the pick-up bay to align every display before you drive.
This guide is a quick, practical pre-drive checklist for unit settings, sat-nav units, and dashboard language, so your car hire feels familiar before you leave Orlando International Airport.
If you are comparing pick-up options and suppliers around Orlando International Airport, these Hola Car Rentals pages can help you understand the local context and what to expect at collection: Orlando MCO car rental info, airport to Disney area rentals, Alamo at Orlando MCO, and UK-focused car hire guidance for Orlando.
Before you touch any settings, park and set up safely
Do the setup while stationary, ideally in the pick-up bay or a safe spot near the exit. Put the car in Park, apply the parking brake, and keep your foot off the accelerator. If the car is a push-button start, keep it in accessory mode or engine running as required so the screens stay on.
Also take a second to confirm you are looking at the correct displays. Many newer vehicles have three places where units can be changed: the instrument cluster (behind the steering wheel), the infotainment screen (centre display), and the navigation app (built-in or phone-based). They do not always sync automatically.
Step 1: Switch the instrument cluster to miles and mph
The instrument cluster is the most important place to set mph because it is what you rely on when matching Florida speed limits. Start by locating the controls used to navigate menus. Common options include arrow buttons on the steering wheel, a small joystick or scroll wheel, or a “Menu” button on the stalk.
Look for a settings area labelled “Settings”, “Vehicle Settings”, or a small cog icon. Within that, you are usually aiming for one of these labels: “Units”, “Distance/Speed”, “Measurement”, or “Display”. When you find it, set:
Distance to miles (mi). Speed to mph. Fuel economy to mpg (often shown as “US mpg”). Tyre pressure typically stays as psi in the US, which is fine.
After changing the units, back out to the main screen and confirm the large speed readout shows mph, or that the speedometer scale is clearly mph. Some clusters show both mph and km/h, with mph larger. That is normal in many US-market cars.
If you cannot find units in the cluster menu, check if there is a physical button labelled “km/h” or “MPH” near the speedometer, or a dedicated toggle within the trip computer. A few vehicles allow a quick change by holding a “Settings” or “OK” button for several seconds while on the units screen.
Step 2: Set the infotainment system language to English
Even if the cluster is correct, the centre screen may still be set to another language. This can make it harder to change navigation units, pair your phone, or find driver assistance settings. On the infotainment screen, open “Settings” and look for “General”, “System”, or “Language”. Set the system language to English (United States) or English (United Kingdom), whichever is offered.
Once you switch language, give the screen a moment to reload menus. Then check that key labels you may need while driving are clear, such as “Phone”, “Navigation”, “Audio”, and “Driver Assist”.
While you are here, consider turning the screen brightness to automatic or daytime mode. Florida sun can make some displays hard to read when set to night mode.
Step 3: Confirm navigation units, miles not kilometres
Your next goal is to ensure distances and turn-by-turn prompts match US signage. There are three common navigation setups in rental vehicles, and each has its own units setting.
Built-in navigation usually has a “Navigation Settings” area. Look for “Units”, “Distance units”, or “Map units”, then choose miles or “Imperial”. Also check the time format if you care, as some systems default to 24-hour time. Distance units are the priority.
Apple CarPlay or Android Auto often inherits units from your phone settings and the navigation app. If you connect and still see kilometres, change the phone region settings or the specific app settings. In Google Maps, you can adjust distance units in app settings. In Waze, the units are also inside settings. Make the change before you start moving, so you are not distracted later.
A separate portable sat-nav sometimes comes with the rental or is added on request. These typically have a clear “Units” option. Set to miles and mph if available, and confirm voice guidance language.
After setting units, run a quick test route to a nearby landmark, for example a terminal loop exit or a known hotel. You are checking that the next-turn distance is displayed in feet and miles, not metres and kilometres.
Step 4: Check temperature units and other small but useful settings
Miles and mph are the key, but a few other settings can reduce confusion on an unfamiliar drive out of Orlando.
Temperature in US vehicles is commonly Fahrenheit. If you prefer Celsius and the car offers it, switch it, but keep your focus on speed units first. Many rentals will remain Fahrenheit, which is normal locally.
Clock should match local time. Orlando is in Eastern Time. If your phone is connected, it may set automatically. An incorrect clock can throw off timed tickets, hotel check-in expectations, and theme park reservations.
Driver assistance such as speed limit display can show the posted speed. If it is available, it is a helpful cross-check, but do not rely on it as perfect. Construction zones and temporary limits may not be captured correctly.
Step 5: Do a final mph reality check before you exit
Before you roll out of the pick-up area, confirm the speed display makes sense in the real world. When you are in a low-speed area, the car should show a small number in mph. If you see a number that feels too high for a car park crawl, you may still be looking at km/h.
As you join the airport roads, compare your display with the first posted speed sign you see. In the US, those signs read “SPEED LIMIT” with a number in miles per hour. If the sign says 35 and your display shows something like 55 while traffic looks normal, re-check units immediately in a safe place.
Troubleshooting: when the menu is missing or locked
Occasionally, a rental’s settings menu feels limited, especially on base trims or commercial variants. If you cannot locate “Units” anywhere, try these steps:
Check both the steering wheel controls and the stalk buttons, some cars split functions across them. Cycle through trip screens, units are sometimes hidden under trip A or trip B settings. Look for a physical “Settings” button near the infotainment screen, not only on-screen menus. Restart the infotainment system, some systems need a reboot after a language change to fully apply units.
If it still will not change, ask the staff at the exit gate or the pick-up counter to assist. This is a normal request, and it is better than trying to fix it while driving on unfamiliar roads around Orlando.
A simple Orlando pre-drive checklist you can repeat every time
Use this repeatable order so you do not miss anything:
1) Cluster, set miles and mph, confirm the speed readout. 2) Infotainment, set language to English and adjust brightness. 3) Navigation, set miles, test a route, confirm voice language. 4) Sanity check, compare mph to speed limit signage as you leave.
Once these are done, you can focus on the drive itself, lane choices, toll decisions, and getting comfortable with the vehicle. Orlando roads can be busy, and removing one source of uncertainty helps a lot.
FAQ
Why does my rental show km/h when I am driving in Orlando? Some vehicles are configured for international drivers or were previously used in markets where metric is common. It is usually a simple “Units” setting in the cluster or infotainment.
If I change the units to miles and mph, will it affect the odometer? The odometer stores distance accurately, and the display converts units. After you switch to miles, the odometer will show miles instead of kilometres, without changing the true recorded distance.
My dashboard shows both mph and km/h, is that acceptable? Yes. Many US vehicles display both, with mph more prominent. As long as you can easily read mph to match speed limit signs, you are set.
Can I change units while the car is moving? It is better not to. Some cars block certain settings in motion. Pull over safely, put the car in Park, then change units to avoid distraction.
Do sat-nav units automatically match the dashboard units? Not always. Built-in navigation, CarPlay, Android Auto, and portable sat-nav units can each have separate unit settings, so confirm miles in each system you plan to use.
