How the Prius shifter stll emulates the outdated mechanical shifters of yesteryear...

Probably for familiarity and expectation reasons. The Prius shifter is already out of the comfort zone for many people so I think people are less accepting of a key press shifter. Coming from 2 gas cars to a hybrid I, in my personal preference, still like large shifters and I actually don't like the Prius's push button park set up and would rather do that via the knob (I still instinctively reach for the knob for parking). I don't really mind the knob shifter on the Prius when the salesman was telling me how people are generally put off by the knob so I do believe that something that's a bit too different, even if its more utilitarian and economical, will put people off. People are more accepting of a ride mower having that set up because the expectation for it have the controls of a car is not there. Give it a generation or two, when people start growing up with the smaller shifters and push buttons and the older generation dies off. That or we go full self driving cars.

 

Some of us like big shifters. When we went shopping, my wife expressed a preference for a traditional floor-mounted shifter, or perhaps better expressed as a strong aversion to a rotary, pushbutton or monostable joystick shifter.

Even with the big clunky selector taking up space on the center floor of our c, it's a heck of a lot less intrusive than the polystyrene battlement console featured in the liftback Prius lately.

In the end, the best part is being able to confirm gear selection non-visually.

Separately, I'm anxious to hear more about your lawnmower. That one is on my shortlist. I noticed it was in the consumer reports book that dropped last week. They said it was good apart from bagging ability and noise. The latter comment was surprising; interested to hear your take.

My lawn is huge but I refuse to burn gas maintaining it.

It's been a struggle with the electrics I've used so far, but I'm not giving up yet.

 

Cruise control on a riding mower? Hmm...

 

Why not? It would save battery power and muscle fatigue and give you a more even cut.

 

couldn't agree more.
idk about federal safety codes, but other than that, i'd be happy with a couple buttons on the dash or steering wheel. i agree on real estate. i'd rather have another cup holder or a phone mount

 

I kind of disagree with the premise as a whole.
I don't think the Prius "selector knob" does emulate the outdated shifter knobs of yesteryear.
I think our "thinking" in regards to the selector knob is what is outdated.

Before I bought my Prius (2013), I thought I would I hate the knob. I grew up driving manual transmissions with clutches, necessary shifters of substantial feel. My experience with automatics were with various layouts that actually shifted in similarly labeled such as D, P, N, ..I thought the Prius knob was embarrassingly impotent looking and feeling in comparison.

But after I became an owner, I realized pretty quickly that I actually liked the SELECTOR knob. When I realized is wasn't a shift knob in any real sense of the word. When I stopped thinking of it as a traditional "shifter" and as what I believe it is, which is a transmission or operational mode selector switch.

Some owners have installed push buttons and could someday, Toyota totally abandon the knob approach? Certainly. It very well could be the future.
But in the meantime, there is a innate familiarity with the layout, the concept of a knob.
And I found peace, acceptance, and even learned to like the Prius knob, when I stopped comparing it to traditional shift knobs, and started thinking of it as a selector knob/switch.

 

As I said in my post, I realize some people have installed aftermarket push button assemblies.
My commentary isn't based on schematic comparisons between "shifters" and the Prius selection knob, which I would not argue do not share common similarities. I'm sure they do.

But IMO, it's how people think about the Prius "knob" that is the difference.
Even in the Prius there are generational and model differences. The Gen 2 Prius had the selection knob placed vertically on the dash, while the Gen 3 Prius reverted somewhat more comparatively conventionally, to the selector being placed in a horizontal mid-console position.

From a non-intrusive, space saving point of view, I feel the Gen 2 Prius actually had the more efficient placement.
Again even though I actually got to the point where I liked the flying buttress design of the Gen 3, it was a lot of plastic and build, to pretty much do little more than elevate the selector knob to a higher position in the middle of the vehicle.

Perhaps my viewpoint within this thread is just wrong.
I'm not arguing the technical similarities in design. I'm promoting the actual approach and difference IMO between what a Prius selection knob actually is, in practice, vs. a Shift Knob in a regular ICE vehicle.

 

even worse is the hycam which has a huge 'automaic transmission' shifter taking up half the console

 

I quite like the PRIUS shifter - works well, easy, becomes 2nd nature after a few days of familiarisation. And - anyone who looks at it is instantly aware (once they realise they need a foot on the brake) of how it works.

Remember Chrysler's attempt at push-button (and others) - they weren't popular, and not as easy to use as a column shift.

 

@alanclarkeau I had the use of a 1958 Windsor for a month or so. The door locks were broken, but I was never worried about anyone taking it because the shift buttons would confuse most would-be thieves. Also the neutral key got always trapped behind the shiny trim, requiring a deft tease to get it into any other gear again.

Would it have killed them to put a mechanical detent in there so the knob stayed where you left it?

 

Had friends when I was a teenager who had a FORD Fairlane like this

The N & P starter sensor was out of whack - and it would only start in "R". Thieves once did roll it out of their yard and down the street - but couldn't get it started - last thing they'd have thought of was to put it in "R". My mate's father never got it fixed after that.

 

But it only engages above 25 mph.

 

Right on. We really like our Greenworks 40V walk-behind mower but there's just so much walking-behind to do. It's a 1.3 acre property and 0.8 acre is lawn.

I've got a robot mower that is set to handle 0.4 acre of that total at present, but usually the first mow or two of the season needs to be done by hand and then it can take over.

Other factor: I want a roller to flatten out uneven spots, and probably a cart for hauling soil and mulch. I've looked into man-draggable ones but it's slim pickings; the manufacturers have assumed that everyone has a garden tractor.

 

Based off of this, could you use a 3rd gen push button shiftier in a 4th gen?