Defroster buttons are backwards for me (photos)

I also found it confusing at first - not real intuitive. I'm used to it now.

 

I haven't had to use the defroster yet, as I've only had my 04 for one day, but it's driving me crazy that I have to move the joystick upward to put it in reverse, and down to put it into drive. Does this mess with anyone else's mind?

Barbara

 

I can never figure out the defrost buttons on the steering wheel. There really is no positional clue because they are at an angle to each other. I wish they'd say F and R. But then European cars would have to be different.

The transaxle joystick does not bother me: the positions correspond exactly to the display next to the speedometer.

 

The positions of the joystick seemed odd to me at first also. I felt the same way that D and R should have been reversed, but now it is Ok. Just something else that you get used to - hint use the visual on the dashboard viewer as your guide instead of looking down at the shifter - somehow I find that is it easier that way.

 

I think I've figured out the covention Toyota uses for the steering controls: Up (temperature, volume, front defroster) are all on raised bumps; Down (temp, volume, rear defroster) are all on buttons with the depression (crater?).

It would have been nice to have this scheme also on the track/station controls.

 

Not that I have one, but yes, when I first saw the pictures I thought it was really odd as I mentally rotated it to an "on the floor" manual and every one I have ever driven had 1st keft and up and reverse right and back.
I posted on Yahoo and got these 2 type of responses:
1) Mentally rotate it to the ceiling, then forward is drive and backward is reverse and all is fine with the world again
2) Many cars ( racers I gather ) have manual transmissions with reverse being left and forward, 1st gear left and back. So it is a matter of one's prior experience.

 

This is for blind drivers?

 

I think the voice recognition is to accommodate the blind drivers. :wink:

 

I don't know about driving, but last I heard, Wisconsin lets blind people go deer hunting! :mrgreen:

 

I know it seems like humor about the "blind" drivers, but this is in fact one of the primary reasons I bought the car. I'm not blind, but I don't see 20/20 and those little icons are impossible for me to see while driving. I have the whole steering wheel figured out by touch and there are lots of clues like the bumps, depressions, raised dots, and shapes that help. I primarily wanted a car with a navigation system (not necessarily voice activated, but at least a "talking" NAV) because I can't read street signs until I'm in the intersection. In the past, I had to call up the place I wanted to go to and ask for landmarks around the important turns, etc. Now I can plug in the address and just go there. If I do miss a turn - no problem as the NAV system just reroutes me. I know most people think that everyone on the road is 20/20, but it is not that hard to drive safely with 20/40 vision as long as you understand the limitations. And, in many states people can and do learn to drive with much worse vision than that and in fact may be considered "legally blind". Scary? It shouldn't be - they have sophisticated visual aids and require many months of specialized training. OK, I know that sounded like preaching, but I did not mean it to be -- just thought I'd share because I LOVE my Prius and it was the ONLY car that met my requirements in the price range I wanted.

Anyway, I recommend taking time to memorize the feel of the buttons and the confusion will go away (hopefully).

 

God help us!

 

It's not really that bad. "Legally blind" in some states may be vsion corectable to 20/70 to 20/100. At that level, street signs building addresses will be difficult to read, but not hitting people or objects is very reasonable. It wuld be helpful to know landmarks, and would be much easier in areas well known to the driver. I hadn't thought about the NAV system, or the bumps and dots, being a help to the visually impaired, but it does make sense. And I'm sure the training is much more extensive that any I could think of.