Huge upgrade in my book. There's absolutely nothing special about them, and that's the point. They're friggin road signs. Clean, plain, and boring. That's how I want my bed sheets, my toilets, and my road signs.
Purple, red, and yellow together is a design nightmare. It looks like you're advertising a Going Out of Business Sale at a K-Mart in 1998.
The new ones are much clearer at night. It's hard to describe (or to photograph), but the reflective properties are much better.
That's the whole point. You don't eff with safety. Drivers should be given information in the way they're used to receiving information. Roadways are not the place to tinker with novel design choices.