Why isn't there a manual transmission standard shift pattern design?

I used to drive a Mack straight truck many years ago. The 5 speed in that truck was the worst I have ever seen. First gear was left and down. Second was left and up. Third center and down. Fourth center and up. Fifth right and down and reverse right and up. I cannot remember how many times I mis-shifted either up or down because of this. Never really got used to it because it is just wrong. Swapped trucks after a few months and all was well

Don
 
The pattern is basically the same except for the position of R (reverse), which on newer cars is typically locked-out if the car is moving.

If no reverse lock-out, then the driver will learn real fast where reverse is if they grind reverse while moving forward.

Good thing this isn't the standard ... 😄

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"annoying"?

Vive la diversite!!

Just remembered the push/twist/pull shifting of a Citroen 2cv I drove for a while, don't get me going on a pre-select.....

Half the fun of driving widely differing vehicles is learning their operation, feel and idiosyncrasies, at least for me.
 
All of the fleet is 5-speed manual except for the Sonata. All of them have "R" to the lower right.

The Cobalt has a ring under the shift knob that you have to pull up to be able to shift into reverse.

The two trucks don't but in the 20-26 years of driving them, I've never even come close to accidentally hitting "R" when moving forward or downshifting.
 
Dadillac said:
I used to drive a Mack straight truck many years ago. The 5 speed in that truck was the worst I have ever seen. First gear was left and down. Second was left and up. Third center and down. Fourth center and up. Fifth right and down and reverse right and up. I cannot remember how many times I mis-shifted either up or down because of this. Never really got used to it because it is just wrong. Swapped trucks after a few months and all was well

Don
Click to expand...

This illustrates my point perfectly. I like trying to understand what designers/engineers were thinking with such a backwards stupid design with odd gears backwards and even gears forwards. It would seem to make the vehicle unpopular to buy or own.

IMO Reverse should always be to the left and down, with some form of physical manipulation required to get into it (pull up on a lever, push down or pull up on the shifter, etc.). R is a low specialized gear and should be on the left. Ideally rearward on the shifter. Odd gears forward, even gears rearward.

Flipping the gears around, or putting R on the higher gear section of the shifter is illogical in my opinion.
 
Different layouts have different advantages. For example, having 2nd directly across from 3rd lets you shift faster when and where it counts in a sports car.

I do prefer reverse to the left front forward because I find shifting forward more comfortable while turning my body right so I can look back.
 
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Thought about this thread as I stepped out in the oldie for a coffee, deciding whether I was fast enough for overdrive...:)

At least the levers are color coded, but the gearbox, especially the linkage, is vintage, so I'm never quite sure if I got the gear I wanted until I let the clutch up.

Appreciating this subject may be one of those intangibles that you just get or you don't.

LR 3 lvrs.jpg
 
Well I guess none of you ever shifted with a V-Gate.. LOL
This thread is one for the books.... a universal shift pattern...really??? LOL

It only takes a few seconds to set you brain to how a shift pattern works in different vehicles, IMHO the trick is knowing how to shift at the proper engine speed for best overall performance and I am not talking about racing.
 
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Because Volkswagon exists.
Remember when you had to push down, then left and back for reverse?
This ends up actually being a way to prevent people from putting their cars in reverse at 50 mph.
 
Convert said:
Manual transmissions is a greatest thing to prevent people from texting while driving .

Why make it easier by standardizing a standard shift would only make it easier for them to text

Tom
Click to expand...
...exactly why our 15 y/o will be getting one whether she likes it or not. Also a decent anti theft device and makes it much harder to lend to her friends. Win/win/win
 
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