Let’s only focus on the reverse gear position, I believe there are as follow:

  1. all the way to the right and down.

  2. all the way to the right and up.

  3. all the way to the left and up.

  4. knob pull then shift to left and up.

For me, if I drive an old 5 speed then 1).

For modern cars with 6 speed, I prefer 4). It makes me feel confident that I am definitely in reverse.

A 6 speed with 3) imo is just terrible. I know many BMWs have this pattern. The idea is to really push to the left so you engage reverse and not 1st. Tried it on a friend’s car and I was quite nervous: what happen if I yank too hard and damage the shifter?

  • AnotherMadHatter@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    6 months ago

    This is the shift pattern of the army deuce and a half trucks we had when I was in the army. Reverse was in kind of a weird place, until you got stuck in the mud and needed to rock back and forth, then it was nice.

    • jaxxed@lemmy.mlEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      My mind is changed.

      The US Amry is good at designing things for my level of idiot.

  • A7thStone@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    5 months ago

    I like VW’s push in shift lever then left and up. I have yet to drive a six speed (soon though), but it works for me on a five speed so I have no reason to believe it will be different on a six.

  • brap@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    6 months ago

    4 for sure. 1 is a pain in the ass when you get in a 5 speed and you’re used to something else. I subconsciously double-clutched once and almost released the clutch in reverse gear at 70 once with that.