So I drove a 2023 Prius today (the dealership I went to didn’t have a new one, which I thought was odd, but w/e). I’ve driven Priuses before (rentals and a relative’s), and I like them a lot on paper. There’s really only two things I actively dislike: the tiny view out the back window and the shifter knob design. (The 2023 has the shifter between the seats, not on the dash, but it’s still got the faux-manual-transmission design.)
Now obviously both these things are pretty immutable. And I think I could get used to the window – for one, I’ve never had a daily driver with newfangled things like “backup cameras” before.
But the shifter knob, folks.
I have to know.
If you were neutral or against the Prius shifter setup, but bought one anyway, how did your opinion change as you got used to it?
(No, I’ve never driven a manual transmission. No apologies and no excuses – just never made the effort because I’ve never needed to.)
No one buys a Prius that is worried about a shifter man.
Seriously. They want a super reliable and fuel-efficient machine that is seemingly higher tech than the rest of the world. They have a very specific purpose in life: to be driven a long, long way.
Ever seen the previous generations? Look at them. They look like video game joysticks. This is an improvement.
Buy the car because you can’t argue with 57mpg or 500K miles of service.
Shift it into drive and don’t give it a second thought.
You’re really thinking you’d rather give up that mpg because you don’t like how the shifter looks? Is that really the choice?
“I want to get 600 miles on a 12-gallon tank of gas, but that damn shifter is gonna make me think twice.” C’mon. I don’t mean to be rude.
This isn’t an actual manual where you have to worry about the ergonomics or the throw.
@Foster
Eh. You’re being direct and kinda snarky, but I’d stop short of rude. I recognize that a fair amount of this is a me issue, not a Prius issue. Fwiw, my concern isn’t the look – it’s the unfamiliarity of function, and concern about learning it on a muscle-memory level, as my spatial memory is complete trash. (I do agree the dashboard joystick was worse.)
More generally, I’ve driven three cars on a regular basis in my adult life, and while none have been truly terrible, certain unalterable aspects of them were consistent irritations. I can’t tell if the Prius shifter will be one of those, but it has the potential.
Of vehicles on the market that I can afford, the Prius is by far the most appealing to my rational brain, for all the reasons you state (and fwiw, all the others I’m considering are hybrids and most are Toyotas). Emotionally/subjectively, tho, this is the first car I’ll own where I’m making the vast majority of the decisions, and I’d like to love it, y’know? But I’m not finding a lot on the market to really love right now. So I’m just seeking reassurance that the things I gut-level dislike aren’t widely viewed as irritations I’ll end up gritting my teeth about for the next 500k miles.
I have a Prius and a RAV4 Prime. Buying the Prius, I was like ehh that looks like a joystick and didn’t like it. The RAV4 has the normal shifter, and I liked it from purchasing. In the case of the Prius, I’ve grown to the point where the shifter doesn’t bother me, especially with how little you actually have to use it.
I have a 2024 Crown, and I think it has the same shifter that you’re referring to. I will say it was an adjustment for the first like five rides, but I’ve gotten so used to it now that driving my husband’s car with a traditional shifter feels so weird.
Cars evolve, you’ve got to evolve with them. I’m sure your muscle memory will adapt quickly.
Thank you for pointing it out!