Shift Knob - Appreciation Thread

Any more info on where one can purchase the "Momo Italy" knob? That looks great.

 

How do you take off the shift knob? I am a harmonica player and I would love to take one of my old microphones and mount it on the shifter.

 

It screws off.

 

I think the shift knob is the worst designed item in the Prius. You make everything a button and then present this faux mechanical interface. It was the first thing I replaced. It also got in the way of the hvac and mode buttons.



Review: OGS Intelligence Position Switch IPS for 2010+ Prius | Balancing Act

Even Dodge gets it:

 

Push-button shifters for the Prius, while nice looking, possess an important disadvantage over mechanical shift knob especially if you find yourself in an emergency situation under duress. With the shift knob, you can grab the only thing there's to grab and shift intuitively. The push-button shifter requires you to first put your hand in the proper location then push the button; try going straight to the button and the error rate increases dramatically (really no different from "pedal confusion" in the case of sudden unintended acceleration).

Here's my JDM piano black shift knob (basically an enlarged version of the stock knob in piano black/perforated leather and RHD shift pattern):

 

The stock shifter is not intuitive. It is similar in look but not function to a mechanical shifter. I am not a ricer, I did not do it for looks. The stock shifter is illogical and in the way of commonly used buttons. A perfect example why either shifter is bad in a emergency situation is that neither will respond if the car hasn't been in ready for a few seconds. I just power it on and then keep mashing the D button until is really ready. In a traditional car you would start the car and put it in gear, the Prius is not traditional and they are trying to replicate a traditional interface. I would be willing to bet the next gen Prius does away with the faux shifter.

 

A common newbie mistake. You're supposed to hold it in position for just under a second then it'll be in gear, a safety feature to prevent accidentally shifting into gear. I agree the pattern isn't intuitive at first until you get the hang of it but blame that on regulation that requires the pattern to follow PRND. I doubt Toyota will get rid of it given the flurry of lawsuits over pedal confusion in SUA cases.

 

I don't know if I buy the argument that that the shift knob is any more or less intuitive or useful in a emergency than simple push buttons. Both present the possibility for error and both take some time to adjust to.

I think it comes down mostly to personal preference, and what you like.

I'm NOT a huge fan of the Prius Shift Knob. But as I have stated in other threads, I kind of refuse to think of it as a "shift knob" and prefer to think of it as an 'input selector".

As a "shift knob" I think it looks impotent and ridiculous. As an "input selector" I can accept it.

I know this is a personally applied slight semantic change, but it allows me to accept the "dongle" that Toyota provides without too much aversion.

I've thought about changing to a push button. Can't say I'm too thrilled or impressed with any of the "knob" changes people have made.

As much as I initially did not like the "shift knob" with the passage of time, I can't say I've found or seen anything that much better or better enough to make me want to make a change.

 

If it doesn't function/operate mechanically then it is a button/switch, no matter how it is presented. I try to have a low to mid level understanding of how things function/operate. I don't need to build a Prius myself but I perceive the dumbed down interface and it bothered me enough to replace it with a more logical alternative. My wife has a very low level of understanding of automobiles and she prefers the button/switch replacement.

 

I guarantee you if we were to operate the gas/brake as a single pedal (press to accelerate and depress to stop like bumper cars), pedal confusion and therefore SUA would be far less common. Same concept with a single lever and multiple buttons.

 

My Tom's Shift Knob

 

Great thread!