The most difficult gear shifters to use in a car.
Along with the improvements on modern cars come new gear shift designs that can confuse many drivers the first time they use them.
Gear shifter behind the steering wheel
Appearing on some vehicles, this type of gear shifter is easily mistaken for a windshield wiper lever because it's often positioned similarly to the wiper lever. It's an electronic gear shifter; to change gears, the driver holds the brake and moves the lever to the right of the steering wheel. Moving it down puts the car into D (drive) and moving it up puts it into N (neutral) or reverse. To park, the driver presses the outermost button on the gear shifter.
Currently, paddle shifters behind the steering wheel are found on Mercedes models manufactured after 2015 and older American models such as the 2003 Ford Escape.
Rotary gear shift
The rotary gear selector is commonly found on Land Rover vehicles prior to 2020 or on the higher-end 2021 KIA Sorento models. On Land Rovers, the gear selector is raised and rotated once the vehicle is running. To adjust the gear, the driver simply holds the brake and then rotates the selector to their desired gear.
The Sorento's gear selector is similar to the Land Rover's, but the P position is a push button, located on a rotary knob.
Push-button gear shift
In vehicles using push-button gear selectors like the 2021 Santa Fe, drivers won't find any control levers on the center console. Instead, there are four buttons corresponding to the four basic automatic gear positions: P, R, N, and D.
While the car is in motion, if the driver wants to shift gears manually, they adjust using the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. Many people find the button-style gear shifter aesthetically pleasing and convenient, but others find this new design "unfamiliar."
Crystal gear shift
The crystal gear shifter is featured on the Volvo XC40 Inscription upgrade package. This special crystal gear shifter is crafted by the renowned glass manufacturer Orrefors. However, this material makes the shifter heavier than the standard version. Therefore, pulling the shifter can be a bit inconvenient for the driver.
Lever-type gear shifter
The Titan's paddle shifters are cleverly positioned behind the steering wheel. However, the traditional hand-foot coordination for shifting gears has been replaced by small buttons. This might seem unfamiliar to first-time drivers.
