Any Japanese-Branded Cars With Left-Hand Indicator Switch ?

whyisave on 23/05/2018 - 01:21

I have been driving a European-made car, for over 10 years now,
and got used to the "indicator" switch on my left-hand side
(the windscreen / lights are for my right-hand )

Now, I want to get a new car, and with all of the troubles I faced,
with maintaining / repairing an European-car, I wanted to go with a Japan-branded car.

The thing is, I am wondering if anyone knows if there are any Japanese-branded car,
which has the steering-wheel set-up of an European car,
i.e. arrow indicators are on the left and headlights are on the right

( I checked Lexus, Subaru and Honda, but it seems the switches/levers are not European-orientated )

Automotive

Comments

  • Cluster on 23/05/2018 - 02:53
    +15

    I don't think you'll find one, as the Japanese drive on the same side of the road as we do. The only reason left hand drive cars have the indicator stalk on the left after being converted to right hand drive is the designers couldn't be bothered moving the indicator stalk.

    Koreans drive on the right but Hyundai puts the stalk on the right for our market. It seems only European makers are a little lazy.

    I had a Mercedes with a left stalk too before buying a Japanese car. You'll get used to it within minutes.

    • Oz8argain on 23/05/2018 - 11:27
      +1

      The first time I drove a merc I used the stalk on the right to indicate which is a bloody gear shifter and put myself on neutral and I almost redlined.. It was a scary moment.. I still dont understand why euro & US cars have gear levers behind the steering wheel

      • alvian on 05/06/2018 - 03:49

        Front bench seats for 3 people, so can't use floor mounted gear lever. Carried over design from trucks and the old days.

  • Cheeper on 23/05/2018 - 03:08
    +27

    You will get used to the indicator being on the other side faster and easier than you think.

    Anyway, there is an automatic warning system built into all korean and japanese cars for those who are not familiar with the stalk being on the right,… the wipers come on. :-)

    • RockyRaccoon on 23/05/2018 - 20:08

      ROFL Great comment

      automatic warning system built into all korean and japanese cars for those who are not familiar with the stalk being on the right,… the wipers come on. :-)

      However they copied the Europeans who did this first.

      My Brothers BMW always got clean windows after I drove it - me being used to Japanese/Korean/Aussie cars

  • twww on 23/05/2018 - 05:10
    +6

    Such a trivial thing. You'll get use to it.

    Having driven a Japanese car for almost 20 yrs and recently purchased a euro car, it really has not been an issue.

    Ok, I have been caught out a number of times but don't let it be a deciding factor when purchasing your next car.

    • chumlee on 23/05/2018 - 07:14
      +3

      I sometimes have a mental blank when in my wife's nissan and go around the round-a-about with my wipers on

  • airal3rt on 23/05/2018 - 05:24
    +7

    When I switched from a Right to Left indicator I was pretty much used to it after the first drive, and only hit the windscreen wipers by mistake two or three times ever after that first drive. You'll get used to it.

    Do not use this as even a minor criteria for purchasing a car.

    • Skramit on 23/05/2018 - 08:55
      +1

      This ^^^

      Your brain will be retrained at best after about an hour at worst maybe a week. Don't make it a critical reason not to buy a particular car.

  • Nugs on 23/05/2018 - 06:14
    +10

    hand in your license

    .

    • Colombian on 23/05/2018 - 10:10
      +4

      Which one? the Ozbargain one or the Driver one?

      • pegaxs on 23/05/2018 - 17:13
        +3

        Both.

        • whyisave on 24/05/2018 - 05:47

          I got my Driver's Licence at a 50% discount too :-P

          OzBargainer's discount, by driving "safely" for 10-years

  • Ryanek on 23/05/2018 - 08:03
    +1

    You're saying a contributing factor for your choice of vehicle is the position of the indicator? Dude…

  • Stewardo on 23/05/2018 - 08:23
    +4

    This is a great post
    I’m looking for a new car that has a cassette deck. As I already have cassettes and I don’t want to adapt to CD or Bluetooth.

    You could import an American made Japanese car and get it converted to RHD but leave the indicator assembly the same.

    • mskeggs on 23/05/2018 - 09:29

      Finally, somebody with an actual solution!

  • Speckled Jim on 23/05/2018 - 08:36
    +1

    They exist on some Asian cars for UK/EU markets. If you were really determined to achieve this, look into pricing for combination stalks or whole switch assemblies. An auto electrician should have no trouble swapping them in an hour or less.

  • nafe on 23/05/2018 - 09:17

    It's not hard to adapt. I grew up driving old Italian cars and modern Japanese and Australian cars. I never got confused. Yes, you need to make a conscious effort at first, but it becomes second nature very quickly. If it's that hard for you, stick a label on your dashboard .

  • skyva on 23/05/2018 - 09:48
    +1

    My mum has a honda civic with a very annoying left hand indicator. It takes me a few days getting used to it when I go and visit her and drive her car. Then when I get home I always get it wrong again once before I remember.

    Anyway, as someone said, cars made in UK/EU are likely to have it and I believe some models of the civic are made there.

  • BuyoTheCat on 23/05/2018 - 09:56
    +1

    It is a bit of a pain if I am driving a manual car with the indicators on the left side.
    If I am stuck behind someone and I want to indicate to switch lane, I head check, hands on the stick, flip the indicator…..wipers some on. It is something I can live with, but I figured I dont have to.

    I drove me friend's renault for a week. I got use to it, but I didnt like it. We had a road trip a few weeks later in a Nissan Pulsar. YEAH! a Japanese car!
    I took first shift driving. Pulling out of the drive way, head check, flip indicator, wipers came on again.

    It seems that this was an import from NZ which was an import from somewhere. I was too pissed off to hear the explanation.

    • CMH on 23/05/2018 - 11:33
      +2

      CONGRATULATIONS!

      You're the first manual driver to comment (I think).

      It is a bloody nuisance to have the indicators on the left side, and have to shift gears for an upcoming turn AND put the indicators on at the same time (getting out of a roundabout for example, you need to shift up since you're now accelerating out, and you need to indicate left to exit).

      For people driving auto, I agree, it's a small adjustment to make, but no biggie.

      • BuyoTheCat on 23/05/2018 - 16:08

        you brought back traumatic memories when i was trying to negotiate a roundabout of death 10 min into getting into that renault. there was a lot of wiper activity and not a lot of signal activity.

  • DarthAntz on 23/05/2018 - 11:37
    +1

    i hired a honda hybrid car in the gold coast in March. It had the left handed indicator, a real pain. i think (from a google search) it was a honda insight 2013 model. it was auto.

    btw, it takes 3 days and youve adjusted to left or right indicator. dont let this govern your purchase. there are other conveniences that can take priority.

  • coxjon on 23/05/2018 - 14:54
    +2

    Is there no one with a Euro AND non Euro car here? My wife and I drive both and swap regularly (whoever needs the baby capsule) with no issues…?

    • [Deactivated] on 23/05/2018 - 15:12
      +3

      Lots of OzBargainers drive BMWs. I heard they aren't equipped with indicators.

      • coxjon on 23/05/2018 - 15:15

        What about when it rains? :p

        • [Deactivated] on 23/05/2018 - 17:43

          Only peasants get rained on.

      • Neenie Beamer on 24/05/2018 - 19:06

        (I'm flipping you the bird)

        • [Deactivated] on 24/05/2018 - 19:59

          Username checks out.

  • Meowcat on 23/05/2018 - 16:10
    +1

    My car is a manual Renault and the car i drive for work is a Colorado, so i'm swapping from left ind to right back to left daily.

    You get used to it. Occasional wiper when changing lanes etc at 1st but i havent done that in months.

  • coin saver on 23/05/2018 - 18:02

    I used to swap between a l/h column gear shift to a r/h column gear shift on a near daily basis after a couple of days i had no problems at all.

    • whyisave on 24/05/2018 - 05:50

      I drive regularly, by switching between EU and Japanese cars.
      I don't have much of a problem, with indicating.

      I was just talking about changing my car model, and I found the mechanics/motion of driving better,
      when the indicator is on the left-hand side (e.g. the occassional one-handed steering grip when going around a round-about or turning AND indicating at the same time, with the same hand)

  • doctordv8 on 23/05/2018 - 18:52
    +1

    The Japanese have designed their vehicles to suit the markets they are sold in. Fortunately they are correctly mounted for most of the world, including us here in Oz.
    Now if you seriously want to stay on the wrong side of steering column lol, if legally available import your own Japanese model of your choice directly from Europe and even though the costs will hurt you will have the control stalks back to front to suit your needs.

    But seriously, you will learn to change your habits after only a few days.

  • Euphemistic on 23/05/2018 - 20:57

    It’s not hard to retrain yourself. Weirdly though, my wife used to have trouble driving my falcon with the correct indicators but no trouble driving her parents car that were the wrong way around (euro car) when her car was the normal side.
    She only used the wrong side a couple of times after not driving for for a while.

    Right hand indicators are a pain if you have a manual car if you need to indicate and change gears at the same time.

  • whyisave on 24/05/2018 - 05:45

    Thanks to everyone who replied.

    My question was specific to whether there were any Japanese cars, with the left-handed indicator stalk.

    Ozbargainers are definitely keen to help! :-D
    with advice about how to adapt and retrain my self, etc.

    I just found my right-hand more dominant (and before I get all the puns/jokes about this),
    and I drive Japanese cards, occasionally anyway (relatives, friends, parents, rentals).
    I can re-train and adapt very quickly, with the odd wind-screener/indicator due to old habits.

    It's just that having the left-hand indicator represents other 'conveniences' too,
    whether it's maneuvering a round-about or operating a mobile phone "on the sly" (shock! horror! I don't do condone this, but jus' saying)

    So, the kinetics/mechanics of steering and using left-hand for indicating, is what I'm trying to maintain,
    but with a Japanese model car, because I found EU model cars more troublesome/costly with maintenance (although more JOYful to drive)

    PS: I don't drive a BMW and it's an old Opel car.

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