gpseymour

Given the roads I drive on, those are unsafe options. My drive starts on a very twisty mountain road. The empty space wouldn't keep a drink from falling over, and I need both hands for driving at that point.

If it's that bad (that people just don't use it), I'm rather surprised nobody has come out with an aftermarket alternative - even something that fits into the space and provides a pair of cupholders (that can't be stowed away) would be okay.

gpseymour

I can understand that, but there's really no place else to put a drink on long drives (which is most of my drives). It sounds like the stock holder is a kludgy add-on for the US market, but doing something different pretty much still keeps the drink near the shifter.

I've been mulling over some thoughts on alternatives. Might have some time in a couple of months to work on making something. If I do, I'll have to make sure it is sealed, so any spills are less likely to reach the TCU.

On a related note, I wonder if it wouldn't be prudent to take a look under that shifter housing, to see if something could be done to protect the TCU from spills.