I Hate the Stupid Dial Shifter: Now With Poll

[Montana]

I remembered today the one real thing I dislike and it's that sometimes a click isn't a click or it hangs in limbo and then you look down and wonder why you are not in reverse but still in neutral. It's rare, and it's because after I full send it to the left or right it might not end inside one of it's plastic grooves.

Maybe what the system needs is an audible feedback (optional of course). It's like "accessibility" settings in video gaming.... where you get all sorts of handicapable options even some have gaming for the blind. I promise that's real and was super cool to see someone use it.

But no, I'm not really serious although I think it would be a decent option. I'd still prefer more of a haptic feedback and just having the dial stop at one end or the other.

Sponsored

 

[clofan]

Well that poll is pretty decisive, the dial shifter is a winner, no more topics allowed on forums for this question. Glad that is settled!

 

[Sonicaceman]

It seems technology and change are difficult for some to adapt to. They are not going to change it and it saves a ton of space. I’ve driven manual my whole life as well and have been used to a column or console shifter but it didn’t take me long to adapt. It’s an auto, clockwise into gear and counter clockwise to reverse or park. Your brain must just be so programmed with driving the manual. Go up to an f150 or some of the Rangers have the traditional auto stick. If it messes you up don’t drive it but the design does what’s it’s supposed to. Safe travels

 

[Sykotyk]

I was not pro or against it when I first got it. But, I have learned to use it. And like that it's not intrusive. But it took at least a month to get used to it and which way to spin it. Now, it's second nature. So, I guess give it time.

 

[1929]

It seems technology and change are difficult for some to adapt to. They are not going to change it and it saves a ton of space. I’ve driven manual my whole life as well and have been used to a column or console shifter but it didn’t take me long to adapt. It’s an auto, clockwise into gear and counter clockwise to reverse or park. Your brain must just be so programmed with driving the manual. Go up to an f150 or some of the Rangers have the traditional auto stick. If it messes you up don’t drive it but the design does what’s it’s supposed to. Safe travels

10 clicks from park to drive.
9 clicks from park to drive.
11 clicks from drive to park.
1 door open from drive to park.
14 clicks from park to drive.

It seems technology and change are difficult for some to adapt to.

That's what Ford said about the Edsel.

 

[asylus]

Hopefully @Ford Motor Company reads the comments and we can get better placement of these things. I think a harder to turn dial with clicks and stopping points on either end would be an improvement.

 

[1 lil black dog]

I would love a bench seat but with the option to flip up the center for some storage.

Couldn’t imagine the LPOS with 3 in front and back.

 

[MYMAVXL]

My 2 cents…
Electronic shifting isn’t going away…sooo…we will all need to get cozy with it. But I will say that Ford already had a better way (in my opinion…). My 2020 Lincoln MKZ had buttons up on the dash…easily reachable and in line of site w the road. No accidental bumps, no looking down, no counting clicks….not even needing to look at the dash. It probably costed $1.95 more…so Fabulous Ford canned it.
I don’t hate the shift knob…but I’ll never love it whilst knowing that Ford already knew of a better way

 

[Steve Urquell]

Well that poll is pretty decisive, the dial shifter is a winner, no more topics allowed on forums for this question. Glad that is settled!

It's pretty decisive that 54% are in some way dissatisfied with it. Given the high chance of fanboi-ism on a Maverick forum I'd say that's pretty significant.

 

[electruc]

I just wish they move the dial somewhere in the dash and just make a single front seat, that or the capacity to have the center console deleted, for me that's a waste of space. But i know i might be alone on this.

I see I am 17 pages behind, but I totally agree. I started a thread years ago asking if anyone had attempted to remove the center console or just taken a look at how the console was mounted to the floor and dash under the plastic housing. The truck was too new for much of a response, but I considered the console area as mostly wasted space that I wanted to reconfigure.

I still don't own a Maverick yet, but imagine it would not be super difficult for someone to move the puck to some place a little higher. But there is no obvious place to mount it and have it look good. Modifying the internal circuit board to support push button controls would be a nice electronics project. I assume there is a microcontroller behind the knob interfacing to some secondary communications bus, but I don't know any details.

 

[Old Fart]

It's a quirky vehicle, what do you want for under 30K the dash board rattle is a quirk, the shifter is a quirk, stopping in the middle of the interstate towing a trailer is a quirk, dead battery at 14,000 is a quirk, now Furd (rhymes with Turd) realized it was too cheap, so what I got for $26,280, you now pay $30K, for all of these quirky items. It still looks good, drives pretty good, fairly good mileage and tows my camper, what's not to like. I voted "I don't have pants on" because I'm in the head as we type.

 

[SLINGSHOT]

(from Macbeth, spoken by Macbeth)
" full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing."

 

[clofan]

It's pretty decisive that 54% are in some way dissatisfied with it. Given the high chance of fanboi-ism on a Maverick forum I'd say that's pretty significant.

Uh, check that math again?

Like it - 43%
Like it BUT - 20%
Don't like it - 24%
Hate it - 8%

63% like it, only 32% don't. You can't count the second option as a dislike because it literally says otherwise

 

[John Bauer]

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.

Me too. 60 yrs of using a lever, why change? Too many times I grab the wiper arm to go into reverse.

 

[Steve Urquell]

Uh, check that math again?

Like it - 43%
Like it BUT - 20%
Don't like it - 24%
Hate it - 8%

63% like it, only 32% don't. You can't count the second option as a dislike because it literally says otherwise

Ha, ha, your fanboi is showing. Probably wearing pants too

Even though the second choice is "I like it". The "but" also says they don't 100% like it.

If you want to split that it'd be 52--48% in your favor. Now remember what this forum is. People who go out of their way to post about Mavericks. Probably a different percentage among people who aren't enthusiasts.

Sponsored