Thoughts about the Shift Lever

Its essentially the same as the Prius, so if you have experience with a Prius it will transfer over. Otherwise, yes it takes getting used to.

I think its a good idea, and is a pretty simple concept. The location is good though, right next to the wheel making it easy to locate.

To simplify things, just push the power button to park the car. When you push the power button with your foot on the brake and the car stopped, it automatically places the car in park and turns the car off. Like killing two birds with one stone.

Matt_Tom said:

To simplify things, just push the power button to park the car. When you push the power button with your foot on the brake and the car stopped, it automatically places the car in park and turns the car off. Like killing two birds with one stone.

Click to expand...

Agreed, I don't even know where my Park button is because I always just hit the Power button when I park.

i have a problem with the look of the shift lever period. any way we can just put a nice little round shift knob in this thing?

Only have dealt with it on test drive so far, but I am sure I will get used to it.

It certainly is different from a regular automatic shifter in which hardly takes any cognitive power to maneuver and know when in certain gears (especially the toyota/lexus zigzag). If I remember correctly, is the only way to make sure in proper gear is to look at the display on the instrument cluster (because it snaps back into "B")?

cenix said:

i have a problem with the look of the shift lever period. any way we can just put a nice little round shift knob in this thing?

Click to expand...

Possibly a prius knob?

prius knob is just as bad.

My only problem with the whole system is I accidentally hit the Park button thinking I was pressing the EV button. They're fairly close to each other, similar button size, shape, and color that one's peripheral vision can easily mistaken it. Luckily car was moving at walking speed so tranny only slightly jerked into Park.

My second gripe is with the knob. I wish placement into Reverse had more resistance, the need to depress the knob, or gate it to move it to the side then up (like a conventional tranny) as opposed to just flicking it up. Again, some taking used to being alert every time you engage the tranny knob.

Does anyone know if the electronics kick in to prevent the tranny from shifting into Reverse or Park if car's at a certain speed? This concerns me since what happens to the tranny if one accidentally clicks the knob or presses the Park button while car is in motion... (I got kids!)

Well maybe it's because the wife had a Prius since 2005 and am more used to it, but I LIKE the Lexus shift lever and it's operation.

Give it time and I'm sure you'll end up loving it and hate the conventional type after you get used to it.

I just sold my BMW 135i and it had the DCT that included pushing a button to put it in park and the flick of the stalk to place it to reverse and drive. It was weird at first but I got used to it. THe CT seems to be a smaller version of the same concept.

Did not know you could hit the Power button and turn it on and place in park at the same time. This undoes 30 years of driver training!
Is there any potential impact to doing this and not placing it in park first before turning off?

JohnS said:

I just sold my BMW 135i and it had the DCT that included pushing a button to put it in park and the flick of the stalk to place it to reverse and drive. It was weird at first but I got used to it. THe CT seems to be a smaller version of the same concept.

Did not know you could hit the Power button and turn it on and place in park at the same time. This undoes 30 years of driver training!
Is there any potential impact to doing this and not placing it in park first before turning off?

Click to expand...

Unlike the early Prius's it appears if you now power off with out hitting Park first the car will automaticly apply the Park.

So it is safe to do so repeatedly?

RTFM.....

Its no problem......

wackid said:

RTFM.....

Its no problem......

Click to expand...

I will RTFM as soon I get my CT! What page is it on?

JohnS said:

I will RTFM as soon I get my CT! What page is it on?

Click to expand...

OWWW haha.... I have a different manual than you are going to have.... I live in the Netherlands

OMG. The manual for our CT is one of the largest I've seen yet for ANY Lexus!

Here its under capitel "driving procedures" Switch position P.....

Looked on the USA website but the manuals are offline.

@matt.

Yes its a big study.... 681 pages for the car and 481 pages for the audio/nav..... we received a leather cased ct200h 1GB USB Stick and two manual on paper also

corrado_mr2 said:

Does anyone know if the electronics kick in to prevent the tranny from shifting into Reverse or Park if car's at a certain speed? This concerns me since what happens to the tranny if one accidentally clicks the knob or presses the Park button while car is in motion... (I got kids!)

Click to expand...

Yes, it does have a cutoff (at least the Prius does). IIRC, it was 7 mph (I could be wrong - it was a long time ago).

Wow. We didn't get a USB stick. BOO.