What's the Best Automatic Shifter on the Market?

"shpuker" (shpuker) 06/28/2016 at 12:15 • Filed to: None

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With all the hype about how big a show of incompetence Jeeps latest floundering is, I’m curious what everyone thinks is the best automatic shifter design on the market (new or old).

Keep in mind that this doesn’t mean which vehicle has the best automatic transmission, that’s a whole different debate. What I’m looking for is what shifters give the best feel/feedback. Which are the easiest to figure out?

Sidenote: Bonus points to FCA for designing a shifter that’s even shittier than BMW’s SMG shifter.

Grab Paddle > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 12:20

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PDK.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 12:22

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Cotal. Okay, not 100% automatic, but similar to the topic of discussion in ways that matter.

functionoverfashion > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 12:24

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http://seatsafetyswitch.com/post/146359528…

lone_liberal > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 12:24

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Ah, yes.

My citroen won't start > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 12:24

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Don’t kill me for this, but the doorknob J-gate is my all time favorite.

shpuker > functionoverfashion 06/28/2016 at 12:28

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Seems legit

shpuker > lone_liberal 06/28/2016 at 12:30

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Yup...

functionoverfashion > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 12:31

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Simple and effective. Thank you Volvo.

For someone who rarely drives an automatic, this just works for me. If I want to force a downshift (or hold a gear) for some reason, I just bump the shifter over to the “manual” mode. Then just bump it back. Otherwise, it operates exactly like every single other auto shifter I have ever encountered, column or otherwise.

functionoverfashion > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 12:32

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I literally laughed out loud reading that. It should be published on Oppo, some of his stuff is...

jariten1781 > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 12:35

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Column shifters always made the most sense for autos to me. Saves console space with no functionality degrade.

Nibbles > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 12:35

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FCA has simultaneously the worst and the best shifter on the planet. The worst, obviously, being the shifter in question and recall at the moment. The best?

There’s no physical link between the shifter and the transmission any more; the dial makes an argument for the cleanest, simplest redesign of the standard. It still falls into PRNDL , or in this case PRNDS , style so it is still simple, intuitive and easy to use. It’s small, innocuous and can be placed anywhere - dash, center console, headliner - allowing for better and more efficient use of space.

lone_liberal > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 12:35

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That baby was stock in Oldsmobiles . Well, Hurst/Olds anyway. I think they were trying to mimic Lenco shifters with their “one stick per gear” setup.

shpuker > Nibbles 06/28/2016 at 12:37

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The only time in history something reliable has come from someone saying, “Hey we should copy Jaguar.”

BigBlock440 > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 12:48

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Didn’t Chrysler have theirs before Jaguar though?

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 13:03

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I really like the one in the BMW i3.

shpuker > BigBlock440 06/28/2016 at 13:04

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Jaguar’s had one since at least 08' so nope.

Nibbles > BigBlock440 06/28/2016 at 13:04

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I dunno. They had the pushbutton shifter back in the day but the dial I think FCA introduced in 2013?

Sweet Trav > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 13:05

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B&M mega shifter is the best aftermarket shifter, with the right valve body modifications it turns your auto into a sequential manual trans.

The best automatic shifter from the factory was the 70ish-81 “slapstick” Camaro shifter. Put it in low, and slam it forward resulting in only shifting one gear at a time per hit. Great for not missing shifts at the drag strip.

CaptDale - is secretly British > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 13:14

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!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Obligatory post cause OPPO

not for canada - australian in disguise > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 13:17

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I’m gonna get hate for this. But the Escalade. Simply because Caddy had the balls to put a column shifter in a $100k luxury SUV. Luxury SUVs are the new land yachts. And a true land yacht should have a column shifter. End of story.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > My citroen won't start 06/28/2016 at 13:17

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What is this from? I've never seen this before.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 13:19

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I’m partial to the Mazda ones (at least the one I used in my friend’s ‘13 Mazda3). A simple PRNDL setup and a manual gate with the upshift/downshift oriented correctly.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > gin-san - shitpost specialist 06/28/2016 at 13:19

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Every Jag until around 2004.

BigBlock440 > Nibbles 06/28/2016 at 13:26

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You’re right, I thought it was earlier than that but it looks like it was 2013.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 13:29

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This one.

shpuker > gin-san - shitpost specialist 06/28/2016 at 13:48

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Ooo Mazda puts it the BMW way?! That’s fantastic. I’ve always been a fan of the pull back to up-shift shifters.

shpuker > not for canada - australian in disguise 06/28/2016 at 13:50

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My Sierra has the same shifter, same holds up with the Silverado and all that too. Honestly though it makes sense. Nobody I’ve ever talked to despises them, they’re really hard to get wrong without noticing, and they’re nice and out of the way.

shpuker > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 06/28/2016 at 13:53

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What on earth...

gin-san - shitpost specialist > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 16:15

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Yep! I remember I was waiting at the airport to pick up a friend, I was in my friend’s car at the time (I don’t remember why I wasn’t in my own car) but because it’s a pick-up/drop-off zone with no parking I decided to do a couple of loops of what I called the “airport circuit”. It was somewhat fun to use although the system does feel slow at times, but I think I’d enjoy a rally-style sequential shift like that a lot more than a paddle shift, even if there is no clutch.

nermal > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 06/28/2016 at 16:31

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It’s surprisingly easy. Twist forward to go forward, and back to go backwards. Press P to Park.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > nermal 06/28/2016 at 16:53

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I know that. I drove one at a local auto show. It is very relaxing to drive.

kanadanmajava1 > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 18:54

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If a shifter for an automatic transmission doesn’t (anymore) have any mechanical connection to the transmission why does it have to be anything more than couple of buttons? Select what do you want do and just push a button. A lever is good for things that require some force but you are only flipping some micro switches in most modern vehicles. Fiat 500e and Tom’s push button shifter for a Prius are my examples.

sellphones2493 > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 19:39

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TheBimmerGuyWhoNowOwnsAChevy > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 20:29

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The 2014 Ford Fusion has the best shifter in my opinion, it’s nice and simple, not electronic, easy to remember and has a hill assist button on the side.

The Compromiser > shpuker 06/28/2016 at 23:08

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This one. It helps thin the herd via natural selection:

Amoore100 > functionoverfashion 07/12/2016 at 23:13

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Completely agree. Except when I’m being an utter idiot and shove it forwards into neutral rather than manual. The weighting seems weird on mine, it’s almost harder to select manual toggling than it is to go up to neutral. As long as I actually pay attention, it’s fine though and is rather necessary to scoot the little 2.4 up hills with aplomb.

Amoore100 > TheBimmerGuyWhoNowOwnsAChevy 07/12/2016 at 23:15

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Not a fan of the leather shift boot though. Actually, not really a fan of leather shift boots in general. They look bad when they wear and are a dust-gatherer IMO. Gated/similar manuals are just perfect.

functionoverfashion > Amoore100 07/13/2016 at 08:26

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After driving one for several days in a row, I found there were a few places I would bump it over, like entering the highway, just to keep it from shifting to 5th with a delay when all I want is to get up to speed quickly if needed. Or like you said, climbing hills - if it were a manual I’d probably never use 5th on a local road I drive all the time. So sometimes I just use the manual option to keep it from shifting back and forth between 4th and 5th a million times.