Hatchback with Decent Performance
- Thread starter ET16
- Start date
Maybe it has to do something with gearbox preferences - up until fairly recently, the default here in Europe was a manual gearbox and automatics were for old or lazy people - or worse, women.*
With a manual, your right hand is naturally busy. It is thus natural to put anything that you would have operate more often in reach of the right hand.
Left hand only does lights: light switch is always left of the steering wheel, as is the control dial for headlight adjustment (in the day prior to xenon and LED headlights), and then there is the indicator lever mounted to the steering column. That is it. So the left hand only has controls that either are used very rarely and before starting to drive, or, such as the the indicator lever, that can be operated with the hand at the wheel. In short: while driving, the left hand may never leave the steering wheel.
*To be clear: I am citing popular sentiment. In my personal experience, those women who take a certain interest in cars usually are better drivers than the vast majority of men - as is to be expected: if you are interested in something, sooner or later you are going to get good at it. Unfortunately, the percentage of car people seems to be lower amongst those with an XX-chromosome set compared to bearers of XY. Nature or nurture? Who knows...
With a manual, your right hand is naturally busy. It is thus natural to put anything that you would have operate more often in reach of the right hand.
Left hand only does lights: light switch is always left of the steering wheel, as is the control dial for headlight adjustment (in the day prior to xenon and LED headlights), and then there is the indicator lever mounted to the steering column. That is it. So the left hand only has controls that either are used very rarely and before starting to drive, or, such as the the indicator lever, that can be operated with the hand at the wheel. In short: while driving, the left hand may never leave the steering wheel.
*To be clear: I am citing popular sentiment. In my personal experience, those women who take a certain interest in cars usually are better drivers than the vast majority of men - as is to be expected: if you are interested in something, sooner or later you are going to get good at it. Unfortunately, the percentage of car people seems to be lower amongst those with an XX-chromosome set compared to bearers of XY. Nature or nurture? Who knows...
I don't understand what is so difficult about rolling down windows from the door panel, and I would hate having them on the center console despite the fact that I drive a stick. Maybe it's because window switches in my case are not used often, or perhaps I'm extra talented in that I can use both of my hands effectively?
Seven pages and no mention of the new gen Subaru STI TR? It's a hatchback, right?
(STI stands for Subaru transmitted infection, I think?
)
(STI stands for Subaru transmitted infection, I think?
)
Last edited:
