When driving my right knee is literally an inch below the shift knob. I have this fear of knocking it into reverse if I alter my position while driving. To me the positions of "R" and "D" seem counterintuitive. I've only had my Prius for a week and a half but I invariable put it in reverse when I want to go forward. If "D" were up I wouldn't be as concerned over bumping the knob into reverse position. Does the Prius transmission protect itself from a dangerous shift (ie reverse while at highway speed) like some vehicles or would it alow itself to be destroyed?
Yes, it's well protected. You won't be able to shift into R at speed. You could, however, shift into N. It might at first seem counterintuitive to you, but it's similar to any automatic transmission shifter. You move the lever down for D, up a notch for N, and up another notch for R.
Shifting with the Prius is done via the computer instead of a mechanical linkage, so it's a "request to shift" that can be denied if it would cause damage. If you're driving at freeway speeds and attempt to select reverse, you'll hear a beep and nothing else will happen.
I was just about to post the same thing about standard automatic shifters. On one of the first days I had my car, I hit the Park button while still moving a few mph when I was pulling into a parking space. I have no idea what I was thinking. The car slowed to stop quickly, but didn't lurch or anything. I haven't noticed any problems since doing that, so my fingers are crossed. Perhaps pressing Park at low speeds first sends a command to the brakes?
I first thought so too but then remembered I once had a Dodge van back in the early 70's that had a shifter on the dash. It was the same way. Park all the way up and D down so maybe Toy did some research and saw how early American dash shifters were set up. I got a feeling Toy research's everything. I bet its your first dash shifter eh? Anyway like most weirdness in this car you will quickly adapt and like it. Good luck!
Thats odd, I am 6'1" and have not had issues with getting my knee close to the shifter. I know that many people do complain that the seats dont slide back far enough though. Are you very tall? The shifter is upside down in my opinion as well though. You will get used to it. It took me about two weeks before it was second nature.
I had the same counterintuitive thought when I first got my Prius - in fact I'm glad she beeps in reverse because then I KNOW that's the gear I'm in. Now I'm so used to it that I don't think too much about it. I agree the "up to reverse" is similar to the floor automatic shift in my Cavalier - Park (all the way forward) thru R N D L L2 (all the way back) - but the "push (up) to go forward" impulse does seem reasonable, too.
Some of you guys are too young. Maybe you never drove an old standard shift car with a column shifter. (three on the tree) It was pull then up for reverse and pull and down for first gear. Exactly the same motion for the Prius, except instead of first gear it's drive. The first time I ever drove a Prius the shift knob felt completely natural. The movement is so short and so easy that it think it is one of the car's best features. I suggest that those of you who have trouble with it don't disable the reverse beep. By the way, mine is disabled. Also, all the 1955 Chrysler products with automatic transmissions, except maybe trucks, had a little gear selector lever on the dash. Reverse was at the top. The next year they went to push-buttons.
The shift knob seemed backward to me too, but in fact that shifting pattern is a defacto standard that has been used for years. I suspect it was based on the needs of a mechanical gear box. Tom
Three-on-the-tree and the standard three-speed floor shifter both used what was called the "standard shift pattern", which is the same one that the Prius uses. Tom
I guess that I am a bunch older.....The first car that I drove was a 1949 Dodge Pickup and it was almost new at the time. Makes me kind of sad, because there are so many neat vehicles just over the horizon and one of these days I am going to be too old to drive them.
Geez, don't tell me you also learned to drive a "three on the tree?" I am now feeling seriously old, and I doubt even heavy drinking will cure that Although I'm willing to try gluk-gluk-gluk-gluk-gluk-gluk-gluk-gluk <clink>
So did I...some POS Chevy P/U of my dad's and the clutch barely worked. Super sensitive to stalling and my dad had little patience with my learning curve. But once I got that down I could drive anything with a clutch.
When I was a park ranger, I drove an old Chevy pickup truck with a three-on-the-tree. The shifter linkage was completely worn out, so there were no indents for gears. All of the shifting was by feel and using just the right wrist action to snap it into gear. I didn't have to worry about locking it. Tom
Geez, this is now getting seriously creepy. Same POS rusted out used up Chevy pickup, except it belonged to my uncle, my dad's brother. An inline 6, and for some reason those things were geared so high you *had* to slip clutch or it would poop out My dad had a '68 with a 327 and a 4 speed. He wanted me to learn on a junker before trusting me with his pride and joy. Dad's truck was a special order, nothing fancy. The 327 and Muncie was a breeze to drive. I think that is the reason why I want to find a 67-68 Chevy and rebuild it. Many fond memories
I bet the synchros were completely trashed as well. No need to even use the clutch, just grind by feel
