Replacing your shift knob with buttons

It has happened to me more than I can count also, but then all my vehicles were M/T since 1978.
Regardless, I love driving my Prime, except selecting between R & D!

 

Again, ALL car with automatic transmissions are backwards. Where's the complaint about all the others? Why is this only a problem for one particular car? I can't find any logic in this complaint unless it applies to all automatics.

If they changed the shifter to be what we would call logical, there would be a spectacular uproar.

 

Prime gear shift pattern is NOT exactly the same as that of all other automatics.

Prime
R
N B
D

Other (typical) A/T
P
R
N
D
2
1

Similar but not exactly the same.

BTW, I'm not suggesting to change the shift pattern.
I'm just saying 'sometimes' I have had the same issue as other poster.
It's just not very intuitive TO ME to shift Forward to go Reverse and shift Backward to go Forward.
On power boats, you push the throttle lever forward to go forward and you push backward to go reverse.
One of these days, I will get used to it.
I have less than 2000 miles on my Prime.

 

In Prius, I also have put the shifter in R more than once when I really meant to go forward D. The problem is not really because of the order of the gear, but the joystick shifter springing back to the center unlike all the other automatic shifters I was so used to. With a regular AT shifter, you can not go from P to D directly. You have to pass over the R and N. There is no shift position above (or forward of) the P in regular AT shifter. Prius on the other hand, the knob is always at the center. This is radically different from a regular AT shifter. In Japan, there have been many accidents caused mostly by elderly drivers in PRIUS. There are speculations that Prius's unorthodox shifter contributed to some of those accidents.

 

Human beings are creatures of habit. They revert to that which is familiar. That's why the CFR's retained the back DRIVE position.

 

Well, to be more accurate, it's more like:
R
N ❖ (start here)
D B

Totally agree.

Happens to me, too. About twice a year. No idea why. But I've also accidentally poured iced tea instead of salad dressing onto my tossed salad, causing my wife to fall down laughing and pee a little.

No, it's not intuitive. No shifter has ever been intuitive as far as I'm concerned. They are all arbitrary to some degree with the exception of hydrostatic drives on lawn & garden tractors and a few other machines. And actually, the shifter on my Prime is more up and down than forward and back. That's even more arbitrary; at least forward and back is backwards. Up and down is neither.

 

Ha!! I think I just came up with the perfect shift mechanism:

Jerry: "Hey Prius."
Prius: "What can I help you with?"
Jerry: "I want to go forward."
Prius: "Forward drive selected. Have a safe trip."
-- Elapsed time: 7.27 seconds

Upon further thought, with our current state of voice recognition, it would end up like:
Jerry: "Hey Prius."
Prius: "..."
Jerry: "HEY PRIUS."
Prius: "Please select a voice command from the short list on your screen."
Jerry: "I want to go forward."
Prius: "Command not understood. Please select a voice command from the short list on your screen."
Jerry: " ..." (Scanning the list, drumming fingers on steering wheel.)
Prius: "Please select a voice command from the short list on your screen."
Jerry: Still looking for the right voice command ...
Prius: "Please select a voice command from the short list on your screen."
Jerry: "Select forwar-"
Prius: "Voice command timed out."
-- Elapsed time: 30.45 seconds (still not moving)

Or not so perfect, I guess:
Pop the selector into "D."
-- Elapsed time: 0.36 seconds.

 

Awww, I thought it was based on an air craft cockpit --- pull to go up, push to go down.

 

Careful with absolutes! BMW i3 shifter:

 

Well, whadayaknow?!

 

That's pretty nice. I like that you rotate it so that it's a different mechanical motion for the driver which should help prevent kinetic memory mistakes.

Edit: forgot to ask -- is this your ride?

 

I like that! No more reverse beep needed. LOL

 

Apologies if this is not the proper place, but the "installing black applique" thread isn't too active and this one is kinda' sorta' in the realm of shifters etc (say what?)


SORRY... THEY"RE NOW CLAIMED


I've recently taken delivery of a 2020 Advanced and have an unused Toyota issue black bezel trim kit (steering wheel, shifter surround, and console) that was going to be used in my 2018 Premium but is no longer needed. If anyone here wants it, send me a PM and it's yours for free (first come, first served) ... just pay the postage and do something nice for someone else and PLEASE don't take it if you are just going to resell it.

 

Pm sent!

 

LOL, nope! But I had looked at them before so I knew about the shifter.

 

Man, that was faaaast... and they're gone!