Is This The Worse Gear Dial Placement Of All Time?

[Montauk]

It's come to my attention that a lot of people don't like the rotary gear dial in the maverick. Personally, I love it, and got used to it after a few days of ownership. Even my technology and change adverse 57 year old mother loves it.

But for anyone who thinks the maverick's dial is bad, I found one that's easily 10 times worse. Feast your eyes on the dashboard of the Chrysler Pacifica.

Yep, that's a rotary style gear knob sitting right next to the radio dial and climate controls, ya know, all the dials that the driver is blindly spinning as they're driving down the road at 80 mph. There are a few times while renting this POS that my 68 year old father would feel around for the radio dial, not wanting to take his eyes off the road, and land on the gear shifter instead, and we'd all have to scream before he could turn it.

Unless there's some sort of gear lockout while in motion, this design is genuinely going to get someone killed someday, or at least destroy a few transmissions.

I’m waiting to see a mod that relocates the shifter knob to the dah in a mav. It’s just wiring and I really don’t understand the design choice to leave gear selection and drive mode buttons in the line of fire for coffee or a frozen beverage.

Saab had their key switches down there on the 900’s in the 80’s and a friend had one that filled with muck right away.

Just my preference of course but I think all that should be on the center stack up higher.

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[lajlmt]

Auto transmissions are not going to shift into reverse or park while the vehicle is in motion. That has been standard since the beginning of automatic transmissions. Even Mythbusters showed it won't happen (or that the vehicle could even get the gears to shift anyway). I routinely shift into D before I've finished backing up.

Well, I did that to a brand new 1976 Pontiac Bonneville in drivers ed. Threw it in to P at 5mph. HOW AM I DRIVING TODAY???? The instructor was also my science teacher. He was the best RIP (he lived a long life after that)

 

[OneAlienBoi]

There are many terrible versions.

Prius is one. Hell, even the RAM's are in that same location as the pic in OP's post.

and then there are these:

even new corvettes are crappy:

Button gear selectors don't both me as much, just because buttons force you to look down at them before pushing them, so you have to know what you're hitting. The issue with dials and knobs is they're some of the only controls in a car interior that people manipulate by feel rather than sight. Which isn't an issue with something like the maverick where the gear selector is on the console, and will never be touched while in motion.

But putting it right next to the dial most likely to be touched by the occupants was a bone head move. They probably thought they were being smart putting the gear dial so close to the steering wheel, but they didn't think it though. I know I'm ranting about it, but it's quite possibly the worst interior layout choice I've ever seen in a car.

 

[Montana]

Button gear selectors don't both me as much, just because buttons force you to look down at them before pushing them, so you have to know what you're hitting. The issue with dials and knobs is they're some of the only controls in a car interior that people manipulate by feel rather than sight. Which isn't an issue with something like the maverick where the gear selector is on the console, and will never be touched while in motion.

But putting it right next to the dial most likely to be touched by the occupants was a bone head move. They probably thought they were being smart putting the gear dial so close to the steering wheel, but they didn't think it though. I know I'm ranting about it, but it's quite possibly the worst interior layout choice I've ever seen in a car.

I would honestly rather have one in the location of the RAM's than I would where I have to look down to make sure it's in the right gear. I've gone into Park or Neutral more times than I can count on both the previous Escape and current Maverick. At least near the steering wheel you can see it a bit easier. I can't remember having many issues with it in the RAM.

 

[Fcnrwy]

Chrysler products had push button shifting and a slider switch Park selector on the left side of the wheel years before most of you guys were born. They were not very popular then and quickly discontinued to the tree mounted lever. Personally, I do believe I will like the selector knob. Coming from 33 straight years of vintage Rangers I am looking for a different ride. I am confident the Mav will supply that.

I am old enough to remember the "push buttons" and got to drive them (on the farm, on the back 40).

Coming off of 36 years of Rangers, the change really hasn't been that different..
except for the "power windows, power locks, rear camera"...

Jerry

 

[Senior Master Ford Guy]

If you want to, go ahead and give the worst shift dial location award to Chrysler for that. I am going to nominate the Maverick Lariat for worst start/stop push button location. I still can't believe they stuck it down at the bottom of the center stack and when mine arrives I am either going to go nuts the first several months of ownership or park it and drive my 99 Ranger until I have a chance to relocate it to a user friendly position.

 

[Maverick Grabber]

Yes. I had one while my Maverick was at the dealer. Absolute trash placement. But I doubt the transmission would kick into reverse when going 70 mph. There has to be a lockout.

The rest of the vehicle? Phenomenal.

No they will not go into reverse by accident while driving. My 200 is similar I went to turn the vent fan down and turned the wrong one, nothing happened

 

[LeatherPants]

Other than "grasping at air", looking for the T-handle in the console that my previous Nissan Frontier featured and looking silly, I like the Dial in the Ford Maverick. I'm honestly not crazy about "drive by wire", but that is the standard in todays auto industry and I think the Maverick handles it just fine.

 

[Dignam]

I think someone earlier said there were protections in place since auto transmissions were around. Does that apply to neutral drops?

Now, I distinctly remember "a friend" doing a neutral drop or two in a '96 Cherokee 4.0L and you could smoke the tires doing that. And potentially destroy the transmission of course, but I was lucky (the AW4 trans was bulletproof).

Has anyone tried neutral dropping the Mav?

 

[Timothyd]

Reminds me of neutral drop burnouts. My 84 extended Econoline wouldn't smoke the tires with it's 302/2bbl. So I would go in reverse a few feet then roll in neutral give her some revs then slip into drive. The AOD held up fine and the tires would break free and burn for a while. It also had the 2 piece driveshaft so it was balanced and braced nicely with 3 joints to share the load. I could also put all my buddies in the way back behind the tires keep it in first and slap the pedal repeatedly to get the front end hopping. the Twin I beams had a lot of droop so I don't know if I ever pulled a tire up but it sure felt like it!

I remember those days. Presently I pay too much for my stuff and feel the pain of the machine. Sure was fun though.

 

[RLmesc]

It's come to my attention that a lot of people don't like the rotary gear dial in the maverick. Personally, I love it, and got used to it after a few days of ownership. Even my technology and change adverse 57 year old mother loves it.

But for anyone who thinks the maverick's dial is bad, I found one that's easily 10 times worse. Feast your eyes on the dashboard of the Chrysler Pacifica.

Yep, that's a rotary style gear knob sitting right next to the radio dial and climate controls, ya know, all the dials that the driver is blindly spinning as they're driving down the road at 80 mph. There are a few times while renting this POS that my 68 year old father would feel around for the radio dial, not wanting to take his eyes off the road, and land on the gear shifter instead, and we'd all have to scream before he could turn it.

Unless there's some sort of gear lockout while in motion, this design is genuinely going to get someone killed someday, or at least destroy a few transmissions.

agreed. Planned obsolescence?

 

[Capn Tom]

When I did sea trials on big ship we would do "crash reversal" tests. Full power on to full power reverse. Scary. We said there were two times this happened. At sea trials and just before she sinks.

 

[LM42]

It’s a Stellantis . Enough said.

Doesn't matter. It still wouldn't happen

 

[Capn Tom]

Nuke submarine: ahead full, then back emergency… the turbulence to our 8000 ton boat was beyond awesome!!
And while fooling around; did drop uncle’s ‘66 Buick Riviera from drive into reverse at about 35 mph and the rear wheels responded… quite startling!!

 

[Pearl]

OneAlienBoi,

You're right. Baily, my corgi, put mine in neutral last week without telling me in my just received Mav hybrid after 23 months of waiting. Took a bit to figure out why truck wasn't moving! He also changed radio stations.

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