I Hate the Stupid Dial Shifter: Now With Poll

[Moorparkmark]

I feel like I've given the dial a fair shake and have determined I frikken hate the stupid thing. It is just not intuitive to being able to grab it and put it where you need it to go without deliberately looking down at it.

The Mav is my wife's DD and I drive a manual trans Tacoma or MT Miata and am used to knowing by the feel what gear I'm in. I'm lost in the Maverick with the dial. I have had many, many episodes of going the wrong way with it when trying to turn quickly when turning around.

Today sealed the deal for me and the stupid thing.

Wife and I were driving an old 55 mph 2 lane backroad in Podunk, OK. Idiot 2 cars ahead was running 60mph for most of the time but would drift into a coma (or on the phone) and slow down randomly for no reason to 45mph.

I was getting frustrated being 2 cars back and after about the 15th time flopped my arms down at my sides like "Why, why?". As the lead car sped up I was not accelerating while pushing the gas pedal down.

I looked down and the tach was at 4,000rpms and we were slowing down. I immediately started thinking about reports in here of people's trucks doing this and being stranded with an electronic glitch.

Looked down again and the dial was in "N" neutral. Flipped it to "D" and all was well. Just a random flop of the hands and the truck was inoperable. No locking detent or button to push to make the shift, no click or tactile feel, just a flick and it's in neutral.

I really hate this dial.

It’s a shame the Maverick doesn’t come with training wheels.

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[pmcdonald387]

I have had the very same thing happen to me not long after I got it (2 years ago). No power, rpms up, anyway it happened when I set my coffee togo cup back in the cupholder. I wonder what happens if you hit reverse at that speed??

Weird, I've had my Mav for almost 3 years and have never had this happen.

 

[Steve Urquell]

It’s a shame the Maverick doesn’t come with training wheels.

It did have training wheels/tires. The garbage Continentals that couldn't make it one pass down my dirt road without getting cut to shreds.

 

[Silver23]

Who cares?
I'm not wearing pants.

 

[Steve Urquell]

Who cares?
I'm not wearing pants.

Yes! Mah brotha!

 

[pigsareus]

It did have training wheels/tires. The garbage Continentals that couldn't make it one pass down my dirt road without getting cut to shreds.

yep - i have less than 20K on mine and I'll need to swap them out b4 winter, terribly wearing tires

 

[William Buckman]

Maybe we can go back to the push button transmission like on my '63 Dodge Dart wagon.

 

[Guv]

Hell yeah!
My buddy inherited his grandparents light blue 64 Belvedere 4 door with a 318 2bbl and a push button automatic.
He had duals with glass packs put on it and a we put a 500 cfm Holley 2bbl, with an adapter.
Sometimes he would rev it up to about 3000 in neutral and push 1.
That old Plymouth would make the right rear disappear leaving a black stripe about 50’ long. He’d wind it out until it stopped pulling (maybe 50 mph, it had mechanical lifters) and punch 2 being rewarded with a chirp from the tires.
Bad Ass car. We called it the “Bombardier”. One of the toughest cars I have ever been around!
We did have to drive home from the drive in one Saturday night in reverse because it got stuck in R
We survived

 

[iarla]

Get your finger away from the trigger while operating the slide.

 

[Steve Urquell]

Get your finger away from the trigger while operating the slide.

I saw that too. Rookie mistake

 

[Guv]

I saw that too. Rookie mistake

Typical anti gunner making $$$$$$$ playing with guns.
Obviously needs some training from Alec Baldwin.

 

[SLJ]

Don't give Ford any ideas. Next they will just move it up on the touch screen like they have with the climate controls. I had a 1962 Plymouth that had PRNDL push buttons on the dash.

 

[Tbone289]

Don't give Ford any ideas. Next they will just move it up on the touch screen like they have with the climate controls. I had a 1962 Plymouth that had PRNDL push buttons on the dash.

It may be too late. The current Lincoln Navigator has PRNDL buttons on the dash.

 

[Montana]

Get your finger away from the trigger while operating the slide.

I'm sure they'll be fine. Alec Baldwin is doing great...

It may be too late. The current Lincoln Navigator has PRNDL buttons on the dash.

I don't know how I feel about this. Very conflicting. One one hand its.... wait...

Nope.. I hate it.

 

[Tbone289]

Nope.. I hate it.

Me too. Talk about having to look down at your gear selector... You would have no choice with this. It's rather low on the dash too.

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