How many owners think the new electronic shifter is better than old ?

[Rockhounder]

Just curious,

How many Jeep Owners are happier with(think it's a better system) the new shifter that always goes back to vertical, than the old/universally used version which lets you know what gear you are in by feel, without having to take your eyes off the road, to look down at the tiny LED indicators on the gear shift handle?

Do you prefer the new system which relies on a computer, and multiple sensors, and electricity dependent solenoid actuators to put the vehicle into different gears/park, or would you prefer a physical linkage, so you can put it into park even if the battery is dead?

Just wanting to get the vibe of people who love the new tech/computer dependent vehicles, versus us old school guys who love actual physical linkage vehicles (like an actual throttle cable, versus "fly-by-wire" tech in a car. I just do not understand what Jeep (and other vehicle manufacturers) think is better about systems which increasingly force you to take your eyes off the road, to deal with things that in the past were all done through tactile feedback.

I am not trying to dis at all. I really want to know and hear from folks who think this is a better way to have a vehicle(or the reasoning of vehicle manufacturers), as I do not understand that way of thought at all. Why do you think vehicle manufacturers are putting in systems that not only cost way more(and add lots of extra weight) than an old school physical system, but have so many more (in my mind) failure points, especially with easily confused computer systems. I just got off the phone with Samsung tech, trying to fix a sudden software failure of my Galaxy phone where the phone only works on speaker mode, and they couldn't fix it, so I now have to replace my phone, because of a software issue they have experienced for 7 years,( with still no clue the cause), not a hardware issue. You all can call me a Luddite, but I really have concerns about going to all central computer controlled systems in a vehicle, when(in my mind) there is no real compelling reason to design out a half century of proven reliable physical systems.

I know you guys who love the latest tech say that all improvements are the path to eventual improvements overall, but when those improvements end up killing people, like yesterday, I have real concerns... especially after seeing that hacker on CNN special report turn on auto-park on someones vehicle as it was driving down the street and crash the vehicle.

 

[BigDaveZJ]

I hated that shifter on our WK2, one of the reasons we got rid of it. When we got the Jeep the salesman told us they had to do it that way because there wasn't enough "room" for the mechanical linkage. No clue as to the accuracy of his statement though. On the highway though the 8spd tranny did a great job, I was really impressed with the power and mileage from a V6 in such a heavy vehicle, and can only attribute it to that tranny as our JKU is a dog compared to the WK2. The detents on our JK make it quite easy to figure out what gear/setting you're in, and on my ZJ the indicator bezel isn't even there anymore and I have no issue making sure I've selected the right gear/setting.

 

[Rockhounder]

Greater power and mileage and safety are all good. I am just, I guess, an old school guy when it comes to driving experience. I own and drive Lotus Esprits, and despite their being the cutting edge of performance driving tech, Lotus still on purpose eschew as much non physical components as possible, like most of the drivers performance hyper exotic vehicles out there, for a good reason. The wiring harness going to the engine has literally only 12 wires. (Ground, TPS, alt, starter, solenoid, oil pressure, water temp, knock sensor, oil temp, ign, crank sensor, boost level.) Yet, it is a reliable 360 hp, with 24mpg average to boot.

Even with our offroad BLM land driving in our suburbans, It is a secure feeling to be able to do things with your right hand and not have to take your eyes off the uneven trail for a second, to do something as simple as turn up the volume on your radio. We took a trip to Orlando last year and rented a chrysler minivan to take the family around in, and it was really unnerving, and actually really unsafe, to have to look down at the central display for practically everything, swiping your fingers across the screen, to change display modes to access different items that in most previous cars I have driven could be done by feel, like the climate controls, stereo,etc, and quick glance at physical gauges like engine temp, fuel levels, etc that are always right in the center of the dash, without having to be dangerously taking your eyes and attention off the road for more than a second to start scrolling through a multidisplay touchscreen.

That same minivan, if it has an error code thrown on the autoclosing doors, shuts down the engine. ******!!! We got stuck in disneyworld parking lot at midnight, called Avis, they referred us to Chrysler tech support, had to disconnect battery, wait 5 minutes, reconnect battery to "reset" system. Luckily I had a multitool to undo the battery terminal. I really, really hate that new cars you will have to call "tech support" on problems that never before were issues.... what if you are stuck somewhere with no cell service.... One good thing about the chrysler in regards to the shifter, was it was offset gated so you knew by feel easily what gear you were in.

Perhaps if there could be a completely separate BCM and ECM, like the previous gen vehicles, which keep all actual vehicle driving elements separate from body control issues, that could be more safe, if you needed to actually drive, and not have to worry that a non engine related error failure shuts down the whole car. Perhaps it is just a "learning curve" that current vehicle engineering is going through, but I would rather have no part in being a guinea pig "beta tester" for auto manufacturers at my family's potential hazard.

In 20 years, most likely these growing pangs will be solved, but for now, it is unsettling.

 

[2drx4]

I'm not a fan.

I want to be able to smash the shifter into reverse or first as I see fit. And that is for safety, not just as something to aid getting unstuck.

I'm not a fan of automation or electrical controls in general. I think most things worked pretty well the way they were, but the automakers are in a race to the bottom to produce more ridiculous features to capture any segment of the market that they can.

Another thing that annoys me is my JK with the 6spd manual, well, the shifter isn't just a shifter. There's an elastomeric (read that as 'rubber') coupling in the shifter to dampen out vibration. I could never figure out why it just felt wrong... Pull the boot up, yeah, that's it. I want to FEEL it shift, the vibration is feedback about what is going on, it is valuable information to me.

 

[bdp1978]

I HATE the shifter in my wifes '14 GC. I have gotten out and left the Jeep in neutral several times when I thought I had shifted into park. Same way that actor was just crushed by his GC. Same deal with shifting into gear...Ive passed drive into sport mode a bunch of times.....

 

[Rockhounder]

Is there a graphic on the dash that tells you what gear you are in? Or do you have to look at the shift knob?

 

[nwoods]

I hate it. Nearly killed me and my family during a test drive in a new Grand Cherokee that went very poorly.

 

[ripperj]

Not exactly the same, but the dopes that designed my '12 Ram 2500 made the shift knob the same shape,color, texture and very close to the similar ventilation controls. More than once I grabbed the wrong one.

Sent from my Passport

 

[comptiger5000]

Having horribly designed non-tactile controls like that would be an automatic "I wouldn't drive this vehicle if it were free" for me. But then again, despite not being old, I'm a cranky old guy about vehicles. I have a problem with the whole "make it safer at all costs" bull**** that leads to new cars getting heavier and heavier due to 50 airbags, mandated backup cameras, traction control, parking sensors, etc. I don't want any of it...

 

[2drx4]

Not exactly the same, but the dopes that designed my '12 Ram 2500 made the shift knob the same shape,color, texture and very close to the similar ventilation controls. More than once I grabbed the wrong one.

Sent from my Passport

I've rented a couple of those trucks. I don't understand what they were thinking. Every time I'd stop to put it in park I would do a double take fumbling for a column shifter and then for a console shifter, and then hitting the heater controls, and then turning the knob the wrong way, etc. There's just nothing natural about that setup.

And my same reservations apply about being able to get it in and out of gear/fwd/reverse in a hurry.

 

[bdp1978]

Is there a graphic on the dash that tells you what gear you are in? Or do you have to look at the shift knob?

There is a graphic but it isnt very large. If you put the vehicle into neutral it does warn you that the vehicle is in neutral.....but you have to LOOK at it to notice, and if youre in a hurry etc getting in and out it is VERY easy to not glance at the cluster.

 

[patsfan]

The new shifter is better in every way.

 

[Rockhounder]

The new shifter is better in every way.

?? are you talking about the Grand Cherokee shifter? The one that Jeep had to recall because it kills people?

 

[Mitch502]

I don't have one, but it looks like a terrible design. Just another example of how they over complicate things that should be simple. Simple doesn't break, simple isn't hard to understand. If it does break, it's easy to fix!

 

[lysol]

When we got the Jeep the salesman told us they had to do it that way because there wasn't enough "room" for the mechanical linkage. No clue as to the accuracy of his statement though.

Interesting in that my wife's '13 WK2 has the standard shifter. lol. Dealer "talk/chat" is the worst. I've been an *** the last few times when buying a car and say "I've done my own research so I don't need your elevated opinions on anything". Pretty much just sit there and shut the @Q#$ up so I can focus on whether or not I like driving the vehicle or not. lol... I had one salesman get pissed when I led with that statement. He said do you NOT want to purchase a car? I said I do but I can already tell it won't be from YOU". lol. Started walking away and he started asking a bunch of questions...

Honestly, I can't wait until dealers are taken out of the equation and cars are sold as products that have a firm price. People are capable of doing their own research vs being "told" what they want/need. The dealer is such an unecessary job.

Back to the topic at hand, I haven't driven with the new shifter, but I already have to look down at my shifter to confirm it's in park before I swing my feet out of the vehicle. I'd hate for that step to be that much more confusing.