FCA On The Ropes Over Gear Shifters - Who Is To Fault, The Owners, Or The Designers?

For people driving automatics, the stick with detents is automatistic (i.e. be able to do something correctly without thinking about it) because that was the norm for decades.

Now with car companies hell bent to reinvent the wheel, more driver error is bound to happen, but if the design induces driver error, then the company is at fault.

I am surprised that more brands haven't adopted the Mercedes column transmission shift switch. Its pretty self-explanatory, pretty clear, and pretty idiot-proof.

I'm sure that more than a few old people broke it, by trying to pull it towards them when shifting (like the old column shifters) but that most everybody is used to it now.

Curiously, BMW used it on its 2001 to 2007 7-Series but then moved to its own poor-tactility console-mounted shifter.

The best thing about the Mercedes design is that it frees up a whole bunch of space on the center console. Its a very well-thought out design.

This FCA issue has the potential to be a gigantic legal liability that might very well bankrupt FCA, given its existing precarious financial state.

I agree.

Even the Mercedes has issues. It is an alleged factor in the death of the woman hit by the NYC Metro North train. Only had the Mercedes a couple of weeks when she got caught on the RR tracks in front of the approaching train. She moved the vehicle the wrong way apparently confused by the shifter. It too violates Matt's "automatistic" factor. That is the essence of all these electronic selectors. In an emergency when ones automatic responses kick in, developed via years of tactical experience, these new "different" selectors can become dangerous.

FCA "fixes" these with a recall transmission software change that automatically shifts the transmission into park if the drivers door is opened with engine running and the vehicle isn't in park. Most of the reported incidents occurred in these situations. That won't bankrupt them.

if thats the case i think you could say lincoln's set up with individual buttons on the dash to switch is also pretty idiot proof. i personally like bmw's set up the best , especially in sport mode - push forward to down shift and pull back to upshift, any other way really drives me crazy ( lexus )

The Lincolns remind me of old Mopars in that respect.

dont get me wrong, i dont like the lincolns set up at all, but i guess most people who arent enthusiasts like that set up. just something different.
im not a fan of land rovers/ jaguars rotating knob for changing gears either.
it looks different, but whatever.

The Lincoln set up--I think--is all about the gimmick.