I suppose it could be called the lazy way out, but almost all of my vehicles have a 'dash mat' to protect the dash from cracking and also to make driving easier (no glare).
With killer UV rays and very hot summers over here, it's only a matter of time before your dash is toast unless you use one of those horrid reflector thingies on your windscreen or have a dash mat. Simply fixed with some velcro (hook and loop) fasteners, so easy to remove and vacuum, plus it looks good too.

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08/06 build 4.4i Stirling Grey over black