Gear shift and drive mode buttons— Why?!

[Gsbrryprk8]

I came to my Kona from a 10-year old base model Honda Civic, so pretty much everything about it is an upgrade for me and I’ve loved owning it so far.

The “feature” that I still don’t like is the push button drive gear selector. I like having physical buttons for various items, rather than the virtual screen buttons of Tesla, but not for this! Also, why is the drive mode (eco, reg, sport) selector located way down on the center console by my waist?!

Both require the driver to take eyes off the road to make changes, a safety issue. A small 3-position shifter containing a thumb button for drive mode would be more tactile, intuitive, and safer.


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[SkookumPete]

I don’t know that there's a safety issue with the gear selector, but I agree that it is poorly thought out. Besides the fact that push-button transmissions should have died with the Edsel, the layout is all wrong. Drive should be at the top (front) and Reverse at the bottom (rear). That at least would be intuitive.

 

[R P]

I don’t know that there's a safety issue with the gear selector, but I agree that it is poorly thought out. Besides the fact that push-button transmissions should have died with the Edsel, the layout is all wrong. Drive should be at the top (front) and Reverse at the bottom (rear). That at least would be intuitive.

I think it is just what you get used to. What is most important is that all manufacturers adopt the same standard shape and location for push button selectors, similar to the old gear lever.

I don't drive our ICE car that often, and often find myself probing for buttons when backing out of the garage, and then again when I want to put it into Drive. Habits are very strong, and so whatever the standard ends up, hope it is consistent across all vehicles.

 

[Esprit1st]

I am not sure why it would be a safety issue. I "switch gears" when I am at a standstill, so it is safe to take my eyes of the road or parking lot. In fact I personally leave my right hand over the great selector if I have to maneuver back and forth so I can switch back and forth if I have to like when wiggling myself into a tight parking spot.

As for the mode selector, yes, it's positioned very low and there is literally no way to find out without looking, however, I rarely use it. I drive in normal 90% of the time and when I need it, have a little bit of foresight and switch when there is a good/safe time to do so.

I think they are minor things, considering that about 80% of drivers do other things than driving when they are behind the wheel, this is nothing. I see people driving without lights at night, smoking, putting on makeup, eating, texting, switching Lanes without watching, holding their phone, dancing behind the wheel way too many times. THAT needs to be addressed!

 

[Tim94549]

Yea, I have to agree with RP .. It's well, just different and you'll get used to it. As far as the ECO/REG/SPORT, you'll use will vary of course - personally, I don't find myself changing the Drive much at all ... I pretty much just leave the car in ECO mode ... so it's not like I'm "shifting" drive modes constantly - in which case, yea, not an optimum spot for the button.

 

[hobbit]

I shift on the fly without looking down, so I fixed it.

_H*

 

[Toolworker]

And why is the steering wheel heat button not on the steering wheel, but on the center console, right between two buttons that change the way the car drives (Drive Mode and Auto Hold)?

IMO all four of those button panels - console, climate, touch screen and the one on the left - were designed by someone with a financial interest in a chain of body shops. The arrangements are illogical and the labels unreadable.

 

[SkookumPete]

And why is the steering wheel heat button not on the steering wheel, but on the center console, right between two buttons that change the way the car drives (Drive Mode and Auto Hold)?

IMO all four of those button panels - console, climate, touch screen and the one on the left - were designed by someone with a financial interest in a chain of body shops. The arrangements are illogical and the labels unreadable.

No doubt some of the illogicality comes from the need to cram in different buttons for different markets and trims. The one that annoys me most is the rear parking sensor on the console while all the other safety options are on the awkward panel.

 

[electriceddy]

"The one that annoys me most is the rear parking sensor on the console"
Control might have been in a better location, but I find with a quick glance the blue lighted button gives me an indication that both front and rear senors are engaged without having to guess. Probably just used to it now.

 

[SkookumPete]

"The one that annoys me most is the rear parking sensor on the console"
Control might have been in a better location, but I find with a quick glance the blue lighted button gives me an indication that both front and rear senors are engaged without having to guess. Probably just used to it now.

That’s a good point. I just never turn it off, so to me it belongs over there with the blind spot warning, or on the binnacle menu.

 

[R P]

The only time I turn mine off is when I have bikes on the back. Beeping starts as soon as you select R. No big deal.

 

[Jonathan in France]

I am not sure why it would be a safety issue. I "switch gears" when I am at a standstill, so it is safe to take my eyes of the road or parking lot. In fact I personally leave my right hand over the great selector if I have to maneuver back and forth so I can switch back and forth if I have to like when wiggling myself into a tight parking spot.

As for the mode selector, yes, it's positioned very low and there is literally no way to find out without looking, however, I rarely use it. I drive in normal 90% of the time and when I need it, have a little bit of foresight and switch when there is a good/safe time to do so.

I think they are minor things, considering that about 80% of drivers do other things than driving when they are behind the wheel, this is nothing. I see people driving without lights at night, smoking, putting on makeup, eating, texting, switching Lanes without watching, holding their phone, dancing behind the wheel way too many times. THAT needs to be addressed!

I do find my Jack Russell likes to change the mode when she wanders over to the front seat to sit on the wife’s lap.

 

[R P]

I do find my Jack Russell likes to change the mode when she wanders over to the front seat to sit on the wife’s lap.

Haha, reminds me of our little Shih Tzu, loves to step on every button in the car. Wanders back and forth between driver and pax seats, as well as puts his front paws on door handle buttons to look out the window.

 

[ericy]

Haha, reminds me of our little Shih Tzu, loves to step on every button in the car. Wanders back and forth between driver and pax seats, as well as puts his front paws on door handle buttons to look out the window.

One of our cats does that to my laptop. The other day she stepped on the keyboard and all of the windows turned 90 degrees so that I would have to turn the laptop sideways to read them. I had to google to see what I needed to press in order to put things back the way they are supposed to be..