There are a number of things about the car that we will all have to get used to. I’m writing this because I had a scary experience with a three point turn today. The car refused to go into reverse because I didn’t time my braking accordingly. Having a physical shifter - it would have ignored that fact. I had to take a second and hit the brake before it responded. Before everyone asks - the car was stopped, I just took my foot off the brake too soon. If it had been a standard shifter there wouldn’t have been a heart attack moment. I like the push button switch but I think the safety system should be re-evaluated along with the collision mitigation. Hopefully they will update this.
Do Owners Shift Gears Without Looking at Buttons?
1 - 20 of 20 Posts
Did you have the brake hold feature on? I have experienced this a few times when I forgot that I have brake hold on while doing a 3 point turn. So I now make sure that I have brake hold off once I start moving again.
Joined
·
176 Posts
In my previous 2014 and 2016 Civics I seldom looked down at my shift lever
To date, in my 2019 Insight (1,000 miles total) I have not been able to comfortably shift without looking at the buttons
If I get enough replies I will have a general sense of whether this is something I should practice (so as to master) or have many owners not gone the "no look" route
To date, in my 2019 Insight (1,000 miles total) I have not been able to comfortably shift without looking at the buttons
If I get enough replies I will have a general sense of whether this is something I should practice (so as to master) or have many owners not gone the "no look" route
Joined
·
4,510 Posts
To date, I intentionally look at the gear selector when shifting. And I see myself doing this for as long as I own the car.
The Reverse "pull" is different enough from the rest that it MIGHT become touch-only over time, and I think I COULD find Park easily by touch since it's just above that gap. The other buttons (Neutral, Drive) are too close and similar sized to feel comfortable learning by touch over time.
While there's a digital display that shows which gear is selected, I notice it less among all other digital things on the drivers interface. And without the sound feedback that I'm used to for a gas engine shifting directions, the modes in electric all sound the same to me.
When I purchased the car, the push-button gear selector wasn't something I wanted. I decided the safest operation would be to visually check the gears before using, and it's still what makes me feel safest when using the car. It's 'just' a head turn, after all...
The Reverse "pull" is different enough from the rest that it MIGHT become touch-only over time, and I think I COULD find Park easily by touch since it's just above that gap. The other buttons (Neutral, Drive) are too close and similar sized to feel comfortable learning by touch over time.
While there's a digital display that shows which gear is selected, I notice it less among all other digital things on the drivers interface. And without the sound feedback that I'm used to for a gas engine shifting directions, the modes in electric all sound the same to me.
When I purchased the car, the push-button gear selector wasn't something I wanted. I decided the safest operation would be to visually check the gears before using, and it's still what makes me feel safest when using the car. It's 'just' a head turn, after all...
Joined
·
176 Posts
Insightfully, your description almost perfectly matches my reaction. It bothers me that precious seconds may be lost in responding to a sudden emergency. I believe not enough testing has been done by all the auto makers using this or similar feature.
Joined
·
4,510 Posts
Agree - one recent example was @Mobilcams post in this thread, where brake/reverse interlock conflicted when making a 3-point turn.
I always look when shifting. I suppose I could train myself to drag my finger down the buttons and count to do it no-look.
Interesting about the interlock and three-point turns. It's rare I need to make one, so it never crossed my mind. I've always come to a full stop between reverse and forward when backing out of the driveway. I'm sure my wife would hate it. She rarely comes to a complete stop regardless opf how much I remind her how bad it is on her Civic's transmission.
Interesting about the interlock and three-point turns. It's rare I need to make one, so it never crossed my mind. I've always come to a full stop between reverse and forward when backing out of the driveway. I'm sure my wife would hate it. She rarely comes to a complete stop regardless opf how much I remind her how bad it is on her Civic's transmission.
That dial shift falls in a category of dumbness thats nearly beyond comparison. One of my biggest gripes in design on my fusion energi.
After a month I don’t look anymore other than to park. In fact, one time I drove my dad’s car with a conventional shifter and instinctively tried to press the drive button. What I find helpful is placing my palm at the base of the curved shifter area kinda above the e-brakes, and my index finger will be perfectly in reach of the drive button and not the neutral.
When I'm in a rush with the Ford Fusion, usually the below 2 things happen.
- I'm in drive, want to select reverse, turned it too far, and will end up in park.
- I'm in reverse, want to select drive, turned it the wrong way, and end up with park.
lain:Attachments
Joined
·
88 Posts
Interesting question. I do look down when futzing with the gear buttons and obviously there is no need to do this while driving, except when needing to park. Actually I used neutral for the first time last week when in a sloped parking lot where I thought I'd be able to back up enough by gravity before I could pull out in drive. Turned out I needed to put it in reverse to back up a couple more feet than gravity allowed.
I have owned the car over a month and am not nearly familiar enough with the gears to operate without looking. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks and I first learned to drive on a manual shift car back in the early '80s. It's a testament to the technology and how Honda integrated it to make it intuitive. Having said that the complete lack of any type of stick shifter is something that is both easier and harder (if that makes any sense) for me to get used to than going from a manual to an automatic. In a way, you are instantly used to the button shift, but I still catch my muscle memory wanting to me reach for a stick shifter.
I have owned the car over a month and am not nearly familiar enough with the gears to operate without looking. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks and I first learned to drive on a manual shift car back in the early '80s. It's a testament to the technology and how Honda integrated it to make it intuitive. Having said that the complete lack of any type of stick shifter is something that is both easier and harder (if that makes any sense) for me to get used to than going from a manual to an automatic. In a way, you are instantly used to the button shift, but I still catch my muscle memory wanting to me reach for a stick shifter.
Related note:
I had been using brake hold when on a hill so I wouldn't roll backwards. After being bored and reading the manual, it turns out that anti-rollback if already built in. If stopped facing uphill and in drive (with brake hold off), the Insight will not roll backwards. The same applies while facing downhill in reverse. Man, they thought of everything!
I had been using brake hold when on a hill so I wouldn't roll backwards. After being bored and reading the manual, it turns out that anti-rollback if already built in. If stopped facing uphill and in drive (with brake hold off), the Insight will not roll backwards. The same applies while facing downhill in reverse. Man, they thought of everything!
Joined
·
4,510 Posts
Funny, I had done the same with brake hold previously as well, until reading similar info in manual. I realized something else was in play because I had opened the door while on an incline and brake hold disengaged itself. Formal name for the anti-roll feature is "Hill Start Assist."
Attachments
Joined
·
88 Posts
Good to know. I have noticed some roll on gentle incline/decline that the brake hold seems to prevent.
The "hill assist" only prevents rolling in the opposite direction of what the gear selector is set to. Are you still rolling backwards when facing uphill in drive? Mine was rock solid on an incline today.
Heaven help us! American intelligence has finally spiralled to the abyss! 😄
1 - 20 of 20 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!