Gearchanging

[les]

German engineering has an enviable reputation, so I was surprised when I found the gear selection on the BMW mini is counter intuitive; to select reverse one pushes the lever to the right then UP towards the front of the car, instead of pulling left and DOWN towards the way you are about to travel, ie rearward. Which was the way the original Mini did it, and many other cars. The way BMW do it, it’s possible to engage 1st gear instead of reverse, and visa versa.

[Mercmancdi]

Something I found strange regards to gear changing in earlier stick version of bmw / Mercedes automatics
You push lever forward to go back and pull back to select forward. Strange way they done them. They have learnt now in the ones with lever at the steering column forward for forward etc.

[Guildbass]

German engineering has an enviable reputation, so I was surprised when I found the gear selection on the BMW mini is counter intuitive; to select reverse one pushes the lever to the right then UP towards the front of the car, instead of pulling left and DOWN towards the way you are about to travel, ie rearward. Which was the way the original Mini did it, and many other cars. The way BMW do it, it’s possible to engage 1st gear instead of reverse, and visa versa.

Most VW are across, push down and up to the left of first apart from Ups which are often right and back from 5th. The Mini I drove on a tyre testing day at MIRA had its reverse left and down, next to 2nd, which I found horrible as I'd find the reverse gate going from 3rd to 2nd on the track, especially as I still double de-clutch going down!