[Grfxguy]

Maybe this is me and I'm just being anal, but...has anyone else noted the design inconsistentcy between different controls in the Tucson Hybrid?
First, and IMHO, most completely idiotic and counter-intuitive, is the arrangement of the push button gear selection. The front button is reverse and the back button is Drive. You push the forward-most button to go backwards and the rear-most to go forward. That makes absolutely zero sense, unless the designer was maybe dyslexic?
Moving on to the myriad of steering wheel controls. The left radio volume control operates as one would expect - pushing up raises the volume and down lowers it. The adjacent channel toggle is just the opposite - you push up to go to the next lower station and down to go to the next higher. Hunh? In what mixed up universe does that make sense?
Mind you, I'm very much enjoying the car, but find these counter-intuitive nuances unnecessarily inconsistent and confusing. One shouldn't need to stop and think before using a control to remember which seemingly random direction does what.
I would love to hear the reasoning behind these design choices.

 

[Alan Sh]

My BMW had an auto gear shift lever - push it forwards to go back. Pull it back to go forward. I never understood why.

Alan

 

[Starboy]

Maybe this is me and I'm just being anal, but...has anyone else noted the design inconsistentcy between different controls in the Tucson Hybrid?
First, and IMHO, most completely idiotic and counter-intuitive, is the arrangement of the push button gear selection. The front button is reverse and the back button is Drive. You push the forward-most button to go backwards and the rear-most to go forward. That makes absolutely zero sense, unless the designer was maybe dyslexic?
Moving on to the myriad of steering wheel controls. The left radio volume control operates as one would expect - pushing up raises the volume and down lowers it. The adjacent channel toggle is just the opposite - you push up to go to the next lower station and down to go to the next higher. Hunh? In what mixed up universe does that make sense?
Mind you, I'm very much enjoying the car, but find these counter-intuitive nuances unnecessarily inconsistent and confusing. One shouldn't need to stop and think before using a control to remember which seemingly random direction does what.
I would love to hear the reasoning behind these design choices.

And on the SEL model all the charging instrumentation is on the left side EXCEPT the battery charging level is on the right side where the gas gauge should be with all the charging instrumentation is.

 

[Am Ham Fam]

I don't know the designer or engineers personally, but I would venture to guess that dyslexia had very little to do with the placement of the different gear selections on the push button shifter. These seem to resemble where the shift lever would be in any of the other automatic cars I've ever driven--Saturn, Pontiac, Honda, Toyota, VW. Park is all the way forward (maybe even to the left). Reverse is one notch back; neutral one more; drive one more; and either sport or lower gears one more. Hyundai could have completely broken the mold with gear selection and placed them wherever they wanted. It seems to me they tried to strike a compromise between something different with the clean aesthetic of a push button selector and the "familiar" placement of the gears. This one I'm respectfully going to agree with you that it's just you.

The functional direction of the selectors on the steering wheel is a completely different story. It seems completely foreign to a lot of people in the North American market, myself included. Up is up for volume, going through the menu on the digital cluster. Up is down for selecting tracks and radio stations. Perhaps it makes sense in another market--maybe even the mother market of Korea. I wonder if it's related to the touch interface revolution. Apple computers can select which direction of scrolling the mouse "wheel" works. "Natural" mimics the way that a user would scroll on a touch screen or a phone: pushing the finger up makes the screen go down (making the content go up), pushing the finger down makes the screen go down (making the content go up). "Standard" is the way mouse wheels first worked: scrolling down makes the content go down, scrolling up makes the content go up. I'm not saying this was the reasoning behind it. Just postulating.

I'm assuming that with enough time we'll get used to all of this. Then we'll complain the next time we buy a car where everything is back to what we're currently accustomed.

 

[Grfxguy]

I don't know the designer or engineers personally, but I would venture to guess that dyslexia had very little to do with the placement of the different gear selections on the push button shifter. These seem to resemble where the shift lever would be in any of the other automatic cars I've ever driven--Saturn, Pontiac, Honda, Toyota, VW. Park is all the way forward (maybe even to the left). Reverse is one notch back; neutral one more; drive one more; and either sport or lower gears one more. Hyundai could have completely broken the mold with gear selection and placed them wherever they wanted. It seems to me they tried to strike a compromise between something different with the clean aesthetic of a push button selector and the "familiar" placement of the gears. This one I'm respectfully going to agree with you that it's just you.

The functional direction of the selectors on the steering wheel is a completely different story. It seems completely foreign to a lot of people in the North American market, myself included. Up is up for volume, going through the menu on the digital cluster. Up is down for selecting tracks and radio stations. Perhaps it makes sense in another market--maybe even the mother market of Korea. I wonder if it's related to the touch interface revolution. Apple computers can select which direction of scrolling the mouse "wheel" works. "Natural" mimics the way that a user would scroll on a touch screen or a phone: pushing the finger up makes the screen go down (making the content go up), pushing the finger down makes the screen go down (making the content go up). "Standard" is the way mouse wheels first worked: scrolling down makes the content go down, scrolling up makes the content go up. I'm not saying this was the reasoning behind it. Just postulating.

I'm assuming that with enough time we'll get used to all of this. Then we'll complain the next time we buy a car where everything is back to what we're currently accustomed.

You make some good points and observations. Prior to this, my daily driver had a 6-speed manual where reverse required you to push down then left and up. I've had other manuals where reverse was right and down. The only rare occasions I've driven an automatic over the past 15 years were rental cars with automatics, and now that you mention it, R was always forward and D back, so I guess that was me. 😄

For the steering wheel controls, I kind of guessed this might be a dealer's choice based on country of origin, but I think would have been very easy to add a setting much like the Macs you mentioned.

 

[Jay]

...This one I'm respectfully going to agree with you that it's just you...

I agree with the OP. I drove an automatic with a stick shifter PRNDD2 for 19 years before this Hyundai and I still think the pushbutton selections are back-assward. I've been caught more than once mis-selecting drive modes by choosing what seems logical and natural. Hyundai should have spent more time studying ergonomics before choosing these button positions.

Hyundai's most egregious errors are in the instrument cluster. I have the analog instruments and fully 1/3 of the precious real estate is comprised of the analog speedometer which I never use. The numbers are not only hard to read, the scale changes right at 60mph! What a mess! I have to navigate to the coolant temp gauge through a confusing, non-intuitive interface and then re-navigate to it again when the cluster randomly loses it's stored settings. I can't view the digital speedometer and temp gauge at the same time. I must swap between them. I don't get a tach at all but I sure have plenty of room for that stupid analog speedometer which is worthless. It would sure be nice to have a gear indicator. That wouldn't take up any additional real estate if implemented correctly but no. I can only tell the gear I'm in by shifting out of it manually. Fail.

 

[Alan Sh]

I wonder if there's a way of swapping the Drive and Reverse buttons

 

[mungo544]

The problem with buttons, whether touch screen or mechanical is that you have to eyeball the buttons to use them. It is particularly bothersome to the point of being dangerous with the shift change buttons. A better design would be a shifter for gear selection with a button on the side of the shift to change modes. That would also eliminate the need for the nonsensical paddle shifters. (try shifting on a turn sometime. It is a real kick). Since there is no shift lever, they are needed to shift manually. The button to switch modes from sport to eco etc. seems to be randomly placed on the console. Same with the 4wheel lock button, which is very sensitive. At least once a week my wife hits it by mistake. At least it disables at a certain speed. As far as the cluster goes, on my "blue" hybrid I have TWO speedometers (analog and digital) and NO tachometer, but they give you those ridiculous power distribution displays. Does anyone on the planet actually use those things? And yes, you have to hunt for the temperature gauge.

 

[Am Ham Fam]

I agree with the OP.

Looks like we both agree with the OP, just in different parts of his statement. I'm not saying I was all abuzz and thrilled with the push-button selector. It did have a longer learning curve compared to every other car that I've driven--save the manual transmission. Having to look down to make sure you're pushing the right button instead of just grabbing the lever and throwing it into place isn't as convenient. My point was that I could see some reason behind the design. After driving it for 3000 miles over three months, I can say that I'm used to it.

From what you describe, it sounds like the analog cluster does have a number of shortcomings. Perhaps that also contributes to the difficulties with the push-button selector. The digital cluster does have an indicator and can have a tachometer. Additionally, that atrociously loud beep and the reverse camera on the screen is a very clear indicator of reverse being selected.

 

[CanukRon]

Looks like we both agree with the OP, just in different parts of his statement. I'm not saying I was all abuzz and thrilled with the push-button selector. It did have a longer learning curve compared to every other car that I've driven--save the manual transmission. Having to look down to make sure you're pushing the right button instead of just grabbing the lever and throwing it into place isn't as convenient. My point was that I could see some reason behind the design. After driving it for 3000 miles over three months, I can say that I'm used to it.

From what you describe, it sounds like the analog cluster does have a number of shortcomings. Perhaps that also contributes to the difficulties with the push-button selector. The digital cluster does have an indicator and can have a tachometer. Additionally, that atrociously loud beep and the reverse camera on the screen is a very clear indicator of reverse being selected.

I have never had tranny trouble in any new or gently used car and I think one reason is because I never shift while the car is in motion. If you are stopped, it is no hardship to glance down and find the button you want.

 

[Am Ham Fam]

I have never had tranny trouble in any new or gently used car and I think one reason is because I never shift while the car is in motion. If you are stopped, it is no hardship to glance down and find the button you want.

"Hardship" is a bit of an overstatement. I don't know that anybody here is arguing that it's a hardship. The point is that the muscle memory of moving the shifting lever simply by feel is more convenient than having to look down to do the same.

I'm not complaining. I got used to it very quickly, as it seems you have as well. I'm sure the OP also will, given enough time.

And yes, taking care of the vehicle by practicing common sense driving habits is a great way to protect the longevity of your vehicle.

 

[rabinimray]

I don't understand the gear shift complaint.

A gear shift with a pull stick goes P-R-N-D
The push button gear shift, while P is to the left, goes in the same R-N-D order.

How is that backwards from what is in every single vehicle that exists?

 

[Flashbang]

I don't understand the gear shift complaint.

A gear shift with a pull stick goes P-R-N-D
The push button gear shift, while P is to the left, goes in the same R-N-D order.

How is that backwards from what is in every single vehicle that exists?

Its not.

I belive the thought is, with a shifter you push or pull the shifter lock, then slam it back to it stops all without looking, you know it's in drive.

Push button, you have to look.

 

[Tampa8]

Its not.

I belive the thought is, with a shifter you push or pull the shifter lock, then slam it back to it stops all without looking, you know it's in drive.

Push button, you have to look.

Yes that, but it seems the complaint is the order certainly in the OP, and I too can't follow how it is any different in the push button (Limited) from most any other car. Even Park being to the left in some other cars (with a shifter) they have it that way.

 

[Am Ham Fam]

I don't understand the gear shift complaint.

A gear shift with a pull stick goes P-R-N-D
The push button gear shift, while P is to the left, goes in the same R-N-D order.

How is that backwards from what is in every single vehicle that exists?

This was the exact point that I made. To his credit, OP did concede that his first complaint was just him. OP didn't like the order. Perhaps what he saw as a discrepancy in order was really just getting used to having to look down instead of shifting by feel. It sounds like the majority of his personal vehicles have been manuals, which would seem to add to the fact that he would shift by feel instead of sight.

Others are voicing the growing pain/inconvenience of having to look down. The solution to that is simple. Get used to it. It shouldn't take that long. If a push button shifter isn't your thing, there are other vehicles. Personally, I far prefer the buttons over the rotary dial in the Ram pickup trucks. Even that could be accommodated given enough time.

[edited for clarity of words]