FCA: I want a SHIFT LEVER!

[Travelin Ram]

Spending the last month doing a lot of off roading has changed my perspective on the rotary shifter. Mainly because of what it brought with it, those damn steering wheel mounted range selection switches.

That stuff is no big deal when you’re on the highway, where gear changes are seldom and the steering wheel is straight more often than not.

Take it to some technical trails in the mountains and it just sucks. Crawling around in low range on changing slopes and gear choice is a key element of vehicle control. And where are the switches when you’ve got the wheel cranked maneuvering an obstacle? Not where you need them. Maybe upside down on the left. Or up top. Check the bottom? If they really HAD to be different, a better choice would be fixed in position paddle shifters. Gear selectors on the steering wheel is just STUPID.

OK, I feel better now.

But seriously, the PW is such a great machine, an oversight like should be addressed. Give us the lever back with the range select in a fixed position where you can find it with your eyes closed. That’s the way a gearshift should be.

And while you’re at it, steal a better idea from Ford, and replace range selection with manual shift mode. That’s the way to go.

If a vendor ever offered a column shift kit, I’d cough up $500 in a heartbeat.

 

[Quyonmob]

I want a stick shift.

 

[Trailmaker]

Spending the last month doing a lot of off roading has changed my perspective on the rotary shifter. Mainly because of what it brought with it, those damn steering wheel mounted range selection switches.

That stuff is no big deal when you’re on the highway, where gear changes are seldom and the steering wheel is straight more often than not.

Take it to some technical trails in the mountains and it just sucks. Crawling around in low range on changing slopes and gear choice is a key element of vehicle control. And where are the switches when you’ve got the wheel cranked maneuvering an obstacle? Not where you need them. Maybe upside down on the left. Or up top. Check the bottom? If they really HAD to be different, a better choice would be fixed in position paddle shifters. Gear selectors on the steering wheel is just STUPID.

OK, I feel better now.

But seriously, the PW is such a great machine, an oversight like should be addressed. Give us the lever back with the range select in a fixed position where you can find it with your eyes closed. That’s the way a gearshift should be.

And while you’re at it, steal a better idea from Ford, and replace range selection with manual shift mode. That’s the way to go.

If a vendor ever offered a column shift kit, I’d cough up $500 in a heartbeat.

The new TRX has paddle shifters, so it may happen on the next gen.

 

[pacofortacos]

Column shifter won't help anything, it is still electronic.
Fixed position gear selector or better yet fixed position manual gear selector would help some.

What I find really limiting about the electronic shifter is the lack of the ability to be able to rock the vehicle - which can be really useful in snow, probably other situations also.

 

[nameuser]

I totally agree about wanting to select a different gear while the wheel is spinning
Maybe we need to back to 1965

 

[crash68]

What I find really limiting about the electronic shifter is the lack of the ability to be able to rock the vehicle - which can be really useful in snow, probably other situations also.

You can rock a vehicle with an electronic transmission, just a matter timing and manipulating the brake pedal to allow you to flip between the D/R.

 

[pacofortacos]

You can rock it to a degree, but nothing like you can with a manual shift lever and old style trans.

It's more like pull ahead, brake, wait, go backwards, brake wait, rinse and repeat. IF you are good enough to not hit P or N while moving the knob quickly.

I have used rocking to get out of or moving in snow dozens of times in years gone by.

 

[6.7CumminsDrvr]

Paddles have been done on the 4th gen, I’d assume the 5th gen is possible, especially since as stated above, the TRX has them!

IIRC, this member was going to build some kits, and they would just been the smaller paddles, not with the red extensions.