Model Year 25/26 I just need to vent about this...

[rankoroso]

Hi everyone,
Not a contributor to the forum, occasional reader, but I want to start by thanking you for maintaining this forum and sharing your experiences!
I just need to drop here my biggest frustration with the Formentor, maybe someone somewhere will think about this for the future generations...
Why oh why does the gear selector needs to be pushed FORWARD when you want to go BACWARD, and pushed BACKWARD when you need to go FORWARD????
This annoys me so, so much... especially parking, of course - coming from years of manual gears, when doing a manoeuvre it just breaks the whole flow of "1st-R-1st-R" while doing the "forward-backward-forward-backward" with the hand.
Why did they not make R selector go BACKWARD, and D/S selector go FORWARD??
Does this not bother anyone? I am alone in this? Do I have too much time on my hands?
It is my worst pet peeve about the car, still today I feel it so counter-intuitive, all the time I have to flip my brain 180 degrees to select the right gear without making a mistake... damn it!
Anyway, this was it. No question, no solution. Just venting
Cheers

 

[Bahnstormer_vRS]

It a logical evolution of the classic / standard;-

P - R - N - D where P is nearest to the front of the car.

Isn't it?

Simples

Guy

Sent from my Galaxy S25 Ultra using Tapatalk

 

[rankoroso]

I know where it comes from. Even if I don't see find it "logical" at all. There many shapes and forms for gear selectors, going from circular to push buttons to paddles. So the "logic" is whatever the manufacturer decides to do with it, it has nothing to do with the P-R-N-D front-to-back.
I still find it logical that with a forward/backward selector, you would align it with the natural movement of the car.
You want to move forward? You push forward.
You want to move backward? You push backward.
Simples

 

[serdar_18fr]

... coming from years of manual gears, when doing a manoeuvre it just breaks the whole flow of "1st-R-1st-R" while doing the "forward-backward-forward-backward" with the hand.

There are also cars with manual gearboxes that have the reverse gear on forward, just next to 1st

 

[rankoroso]

Yes, I understand and I am aware of those - I owned a couple of them at some point, and also felt the same. But those cars mostly have mechanical reasons or constraints to why the designs are like that, which kind of justifies it (even if I still didn't like it). Same goes for 2nd and 4th, for example, as they also go "backwards".

But this does not need to apply nor relate to electronic selectors, especially for one as simple as R-N-D mounted and moving in the direction of travel (and yes, I am aware of all the history for PRNDL like briefly explained here).

And there are also cars with gears shifts in the column, which just went in all kind of directions... as the previous examples showed, options and standards have been many, so the initial "PRNDL" sequence can also be questioned today, right?

Anyway, I drove a few automatics here and there, but this is my first owned automatic with R-N-D after tens of years with manual, and I am noticing that driving it every day like this still feels "wrong", and I still find myself pushing to R when I want to go forward, and pulling to D when I want to go back... that's all.

PS - I know I am not touching something new here - see for example this thread. Like I said, just venting.

 

[serdar_18fr]

as the previous examples showed, options and standards have been many, so the initial "PRNDL" sequence can also be questioned today, right?

I believe it's a dilemma for manufacturers. They certainly must have questioned that at some point and even if they wanted to give it a reasonable change, I guess they ultimately decided not to break tradition, with the fear of possible backlash from buyers.

 

[KJA]

Positive G force Acceleration maybe which pushes you back inside seat.... hence the direction of D

 

[trew]

Can't see the problem myself. (I typed this while riding my bike)

 

[tomek_olo]

But it's been like that with AT for ever?

For me with the lever in VAGs (before they moved it next to the steering wheel) it makes perfect sense.

I want to drive forward - it's like I would be grabbing some fixed handle and pushing against it to move myself forward.
I want to reverse? I push back.

I have a 2nd Stellantis car and there it works exactly the same.

 

[rankoroso]

Yes, it has been like this forever - but many things are as they are "forever", until they're not.

I understand your reasoning, it just doesn't work like that for me. I see it more like an airplane throttle (e.g. the Airbus one): "Ahead" is forward, "Reverse" is backward.

 

[trew]

Yes, it has been like this forever - but many things are as they are "forever", until they're not.

I understand your reasoning, it just doesn't work like that for me. I see it more like an airplane throttle (e.g. the Airbus one): "Ahead" is forward, "Reverse" is backward.

I didn't know airplanes flew backwards.

 

[rankoroso]

I didn't know airplanes flew backwards.

I guess you didn't know that reverse thrust is a thing, and that airplanes can powerback on ground using it. It's OK, we live and we learn.

 

[tracktoy]

Personally I don't have any strong feelings on the matter but quick check on the web brought up this

Standardization and Safety​

The design of automatic gearsticks is intended to minimize confusion and prevent accidents. Changing the operation of the gearstick, such as making reverse function differently, is not possible due to these safety standards.

Conclusion​

In summary, the gearstick operation in automatic cars cannot be altered to change how reverse functions. The established P-R-N-D layout is crucial for ensuring that all drivers can operate vehicles safely and effectively.

But if we are looking into the future the user interface with everything on the car is going to change some for the better some not (bit like real buttons being removed

 

[rankoroso]

I understand, thank you. I know that "the web" gets all the standardization and safety justifications. But for me, it's a very weak argument.
Sentences like "changing the operation of the gearstick [...] is not possible due to these safety standards" or that "the gearstick operation in automatic cars cannot be altered" are just absurd. So nothing ever changes, ever? If this was the case, we would all be using the same operation for decades, but today they are not even harmonized between models of the same manufacturer...
Again, I am just venting a peeve, I know where it comes from and why "it is what it is". I just don't agree, in particular for my case where all I have is a R-N-D shifter. That's all. And I especially don't understand all the resistance and anti-discussion statements out there, that "it's like this because it has always been like this" and "drivers are stupid and will all die in accidents if you change it" and all that... that's all.

 

[trew]

I guess you didn't know that reverse thrust is a thing, and that airplanes can powerback on ground using it. It's OK, we live and we learn.

Oh yes, I knew all that.

 

[trew]

Hi everyone,
Not a contributor to the forum, occasional reader, but I want to start by thanking you for maintaining this forum and sharing your experiences!
I just need to drop here my biggest frustration with the Formentor, maybe someone somewhere will think about this for the future generations...
Why oh why does the gear selector needs to be pushed FORWARD when you want to go BACWARD, and pushed BACKWARD when you need to go FORWARD????
This annoys me so, so much... especially parking, of course - coming from years of manual gears, when doing a manoeuvre it just breaks the whole flow of "1st-R-1st-R" while doing the "forward-backward-forward-backward" with the hand.
Why did they not make R selector go BACKWARD, and D/S selector go FORWARD??
Does this not bother anyone? I am alone in this? Do I have too much time on my hands?
It is my worst pet peeve about the car, still today I feel it so counter-intuitive, all the time I have to flip my brain 180 degrees to select the right gear without making a mistake... damn it!
Anyway, this was it. No question, no solution. Just venting
Cheers

Out of interest, when using the touchpad on a laptop, do you prefer a downward movement of your fingers to result in the text on screen going down or going up? I have a very definite personal preference.

 

[rankoroso]

Out of interest, when using the touchpad on a laptop, do you prefer a downward movement of your fingers to result in the text on screen going down or going up? I have a very definite personal preference.

I guess the same reasoning for me, finger movement up "pushes" the text upwards, and finger movement down "drags" the text downards.
Imagine if you flaten the laptop like a tablet - same movement directions as if using a touchscreen and scrolling up/down.

 

[trew]

I guess the same reasoning for me, finger movement up "pushes" the text upwards, and finger movement down "drags" the text downards.
Imagine if you flaten the laptop like a tablet - same movement directions as if using a touchscreen and scrolling up/down.

Interesting - I prefer the exact opposite.

 

[rankoroso]

Interesting - I prefer the exact opposite.

I tried that once... just messed with my brain

 

[tomek_olo]

Maybe you should stick with a stick?