Column Shifter

Two beers deep random thought…

You know what I miss? Column shifters. I feel like center consoles have gotten too big.

I’m not calling for bench seats to come back, but I do miss the flip up center console that allowed the front seat to become a bench seat as needed.

 

I agree 100% it took me 2+ months of searching to find my Tundra (2016) with the column shifter and that seat configuration. This was a must have for me when I was truck shopping. While I don't mind console shifters in cars, IMO, In a truck, unless there is a third pedal on the floor, they are a huge waste of space. Plus, having 4 kids, I like/ needed that middle seat flexibility to load the whole family up at a time if needed.

 

I love my column shifter and the 6th seat. Beautiful thing is I can always put a center console in whenever I want.

 

I'd like a column shifter and centre console like GM does (or used to).

 

Gen 2 SR/SR5 (no packages) column shifters are great. The tow haul button is in the shifter too and the +/- for manual shifting is right there as well. The armrest is huge and works just like a center console would. I think the center console is mostly about image/status as people think it’s saying “I’m so fancy” vs a 1990s work truck aesthetic inside. Maybe like the Wrangler/Bronco/4runner old school ways, the column shifter may come back as cool.

 

I sort of thought the column shifter isn't on the 4WD package because you're more likely to bump something when off-roading. Like the shifter.

 

As soon as you added any packages like the “Sr5 package” which has the bigger fuel tank it deletes the bench seat/column shifter, but 4wd you can get in both SR ans Sr5 trims including the elusive SR5 Crew Max 4wd with bench seat. I’ve offroaded mostly in a column shift and sometimes in a console shift and they both seemed like no difference I can remember. Non push start keys dangling and making a ton of noise is much more annoying haha.