I went to the local Motor Trend sponsored auto show, today. Basically, it was the standard fare. The most interesting item is the NEW Acura RLX Sport Hybrid electronic shifter. Talk about complicated engineering for complication's sake.
Is it just buttons of different shapes? Automatic shifters are already electronic. Going from a lever to buttons is actually a simplification from what I saw of the HHR shifter assembly.
If you saw it in person, you'd be surprised... P for park and R for reverse requires the driver to put his or her index finger in the cavity and pull back about a quarter of an inch. The Prius shifter is much better. When you get used to it, flick your index finger for drive and your thumb forward for reverse. P for park requires only pushing a separate button.
They're sticking with it. The Acura TLX V6 with the 9-speed automatic gets the same electronic button shifter. It doesn't save any more space than the 4 cylinder version with its 8-speed dual clutch transmission and "traditional" shifter
