Swop Reverse and Drive Positions on the Stick Shift

[nerys]

3 van 2 metros 1 tracker all stick all forward for drive rearwards for reverse. Now that I think about it all 5 speeds so that might have something to do with it?

Most other cars not stick were column shift so neither forward nor backwards but clockwise and counterclockwise or "up down"

Only the jeep had a park ward rest backwards floor/console shifter.

[RonDawg]

Most Japanese cars with manual transmission have reverse to the right and back, whether it had 4, 5, or 6 speeds.

VW's have almost always, if not always, been to the left and forward (with a downward movement in between) to engage reverse. I think BMW's are same, I don't know about Mercedes (most of which were sold with automatics in the US).

[nerys]

Hmmm interesting

I had a vw thing but I cant recall the shift sequence.

Just simple coincidence.

Either way the point remains. Forward for reverse backwards for drive is not "the norm" but in fact the exception until console shifting became more common.

[Nubo]

Hmmm interesting

I had a vw thing but I cant recall the shift sequence.

Just simple coincidence.

Either way the point remains. Forward for reverse backwards for drive is not "the norm" but in fact the exception until console shifting became more common.

Oh, you want "the norm". Well, then, stay away from the bad-boy below. Especially when it's old and leaky and you're driving through the hills of West Virginia and have to spend an hour convincing the gas station attendant to sell you a quart of automatic transmision fluid.

"No Sir, I am NOT goin' to let you roo-in yer Volkswagon!"

Well, there's only one thing for it at that point. You gotta pull out the 4-foot-long spring-articulating transmission fluid dipstick. Then give him a couple of minutes to regain his composure.

Ah, fun times. "The Norm" it was not.

[RonDawg]

Hmmm interesting

I had a vw thing but I cant recall the shift sequence.

Just simple coincidence.

Either way the point remains. Forward for reverse backwards for drive is not "the norm" but in fact the exception until console shifting became more common.

Oh, you want "the norm". Well, then, stay away from the bad-boy below. Especially when it's old and leaky and you're driving through the hills of West Virginia and have to spend an hour convincing the gas station attendant to sell you a quart of automatic transmision fluid.

"No Sir, I am NOT goin' to let you roo-in yer Volkswagon!"

Well, there's only one thing for it at that point. You gotta pull out the 4-foot-long spring-articulating transmission fluid dipstick. Then give him a couple of minutes to regain his composure.

Ah, fun times. "The Norm" it was not.

Ahh yes, the infamous VW Automatic Stick-Shift. Turning an already slow car into one with the acceleration capability of a supertanker. "Glacial" is the best description for its gain in forward speed.

My mother had one as my father simply could not teach her to drive "stick" even though us kids had no problem learning from him. She would leave the car in 1st gear all of the time, only using 2nd on the freeway.

"Fun times" is when the vacuum servo (which operated the clutch when you moved the gear lever) would fail, making the car stuck in whatever gear it happened to be in at the time.

It was an anomaly among transmissions (the only other example I know of is Porsche's similar "Sportomatic") but VW to this day still uses left-down-forward to engage reverse on their stick shift cars.

[RonDawg]

Hmmm interesting

I had a vw thing but I cant recall the shift sequence.

Just simple coincidence.

Either way the point remains. Forward for reverse backwards for drive is not "the norm" but in fact the exception until console shifting became more common.

I don't think you've driven very many European cars. Ford of Europe is to the left and forward, as is Renault. A quick Google Images search shows Opel, BMW, and Mercedes to be that way as well.

[tuanies]

My Mazda is the same way as well, over and up for reverse.

[dgpcolorado]

The point that I, and some others, have been trying to make is that there is no real "norm" and that it is up to the driver to learn how to operate the particular vehicle. To me it makes sense that Nissan followed the well-established Toyota Prius shifting pattern. I found it easy to learn to shift the LEAF (even though I've only driven a Prius once). This complaint about the LEAF strikes me as petty.

[johnrhansen]

The point that I, and some others, have been trying to make is that there is no real "norm" and that it is up to the driver to learn how to operate the particular vehicle. To me it makes sense that Nissan followed the well-established Toyota Prius shifting pattern. I found it easy to learn to shift the LEAF (even though I've only driven a Prius once). This complaint about the LEAF strikes me as petty.

well said. +1

[tuanies]

Yea I drive a lot of different cars, the shifter is the last thing that bothers me. I don't even notice the differences half the time. The wiper stock bugs me the most though.