why are cars/suv's/vans moving away from column mounted shifters?

[DominionSeraph]

I always missed whatever gear I was aiming for with the column shifters in both the 1990 Caravan and the 2000 Odyssey whereas I never miss with a normal shifter. The Odyssey was particularly bad about flying right past D4 to D3 or D2. I despise column shifters.

I don't think you're shifting right. After unlocking to get out of Park you should be able to go R->N->D without holding it in to unlock. It'll stop at D and require you to hold in the shifter again to select the lower gears.

If you hold it in to shift you're going to go all over the place.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

On a related note, why have shifters been getting bigger? Pretty soon you're going to need a crane to move the massive chunk of plastic.

 

[jlee]

I don't think you're shifting right. After unlocking to get out of Park you should be able to go R->N->D without holding it in to unlock. It'll stop at D and require you to hold in the shifter again to select the lower gears.

If you hold it in to shift you're going to go all over the place.

Some feel way different than others, though - I am pretty damn good at hitting 'D' in a Crown Vic, but in a Honda Ridgeline I'll often overshoot to 2. I'm sure if I drove a Ridgeline every day, I'd get used to it, but eh.

I am looking forward to this..with a column shifter and a 365hp TT V6..

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Some feel way different than others, though - I am pretty damn good at hitting 'D' in a Crown Vic, but in a Honda Ridgeline I'll often overshoot to 2. I'm sure if I drove a Ridgeline every day, I'd get used to it, but eh.

I am looking forward to this..with a column shifter and a 365hp TT V6..

You aren't getting it... not environmental enough...

 

[Harrod]

I have a friend who has a mini-van with the shifter on the dash, every time he drives up I tell him to be sure to put the boat into park.

 

[Zenmervolt]

I always missed whatever gear I was aiming for with the column shifters in both the 1990 Caravan and the 2000 Odyssey whereas I never miss with a normal shifter. The Odyssey was particularly bad about flying right past D4 to D3 or D2. I despise column shifters.

Honda's column shifters were notoriously bad about that. They simply didn't have strong enough detents between the positions. Used to have the same issue with my father's older Pilot, but I've never had any issues with the column-mounted shifters in Ford or Chevy trucks.

ZV

 

[Corn]

I'm pretty sure that most autos with a console located shifter incorporate 2 switch stalks into the steering column. Column mounted shifter means you get only 1 stalk, so either lights or the wiper switches will end up being mounted on the dash.

 

[Raduque]

I'm pretty sure that most autos with a console located shifter incorporate 2 switch stalks into the steering column. Column mounted shifter means you get only 1 stalk, so either lights or the wiper switches will end up being mounted on the dash.

This. People are too stupid to correctly work a multifunction wiper/blinker stalk.

I had column shift in my truck, and even after 5 months of driving my Altima, I still grab at the wiper stalk sometimes to try and put it in gear.

Edit: Of course, for the longest time after getting my truck, I kept reaching for the non-existent floor shifter and trying to clutch at a stop light, coming from my manual Accord.

 

[dawp]

Why even have the shifters in an automatic? Add a couple more buttons on the dash and call it day.

That way we can eliminate those stupid "What gear am I in" indicators from the gauge cluster.

ya mean like this?

 

[zerocool84]

Column mounted manual tranny. Biggest pain I've ever tried to drive. 3 on the tree

 

[dawp]

Welcome to ancient history. Chrysler products had button shifters on the dash back in the 1950's with their torqueflight transmissions.

as did ramblers.

 

[SparkyJJO]

What is that shifter doing on the dash?

 

[BornStar]

I had column shift in my truck, and even after 5 months of driving my Altima, I still grab at the wiper stalk sometimes to try and put it in gear.

When I had a column shift vehicle as a daily driver I would nearly rip off the wiper stalk in the console shift car that I occasionally drove.

 

[CrimsonWolf]

5 speed girl might have a hard time with the column mounted shifter.

 

[Arkaign]

^^ lol.

I personally don't care if it's an auto without a meaningful sport-shift manumatic style mode.

I wonder if safety regulations have pushed it out related to 3-person front seating (center air bag? no center shoulder belt?), meaning that you may as well just use the shifter down on the center area.

Oh well. I do prefer handbrakes to the floor brake pedal for sure, and typically the column-shift selection means that you also get a floor brake as well.

 

[thedarkwolf]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/01/ford-shows-off-police-interceptor-stealth-concept-ahead-of-sema/

The cops can still get column shifters. They need that extra room for other crap.

 

[jlee]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/01/ford-shows-off-police-interceptor-stealth-concept-ahead-of-sema/

The cops can still get column shifters. They need that extra room for other crap.

want

 

[Monster_Munch]

Most sports cars seem to be going for either 6 speed manual on the center console, or a double clutch semi-auto gearbox with up and down paddle shifters on the steering column.

 

[shortylickens]

I hate my S-10 but one of the very few things I like is the column shifter. Not necessarily cuz thats a great place but because it keeps it away from the center console. So I dont get it up in my nutsack when I hop over, and I have more storage room for crap.

 

[Bl0cks]

I remember watching a news clip a couple years back where kids would actually pull the column shift down in minivans and cause some damage.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Why even have the shifters in an automatic? Add a couple more buttons on the dash and call it day.

That way we can eliminate those stupid "What gear am I in" indicators from the gauge cluster.

The more we change, the more things stay the same...

 

[DivideBYZero]

I hate my S-10 but one of the very few things I like is the column shifter. Not necessarily cuz thats a great place but because it keeps it away from the center console. So I dont get it up in my nutsack when I hop over, and I have more storage room for crap.

My car has doors on both sides to prevent the shifter from getting all 'up in my nutsack'.