With all the real estate on the steering wheel why did they NOT place the manual mode shift pads and the cruise control on the face of the steering wheel instead of the signal and gear selector sticks? When I first saw photos of the interior I was excited to see the buttons on the wheel and thought it was for the shifting and could have dealt with the cruise control on-a-stick issue. A call to the dealer really bummed me out when I found out what the buttons are for.

I have three vehicles I drive and all have cc on the wheel. IMO I find it easy to use cruise on the open road with my thumbs since my hands are on the wheel anyway. Four years ago I test drove a Silverado with the manualmatic shift control and found it to be a pain to stretch my arm out to shift it. In my hilly area it would get plenty of use.My 02 Passat had Tiptronic on the console and it used it on 50% of my drives.

I understand the comp controls are on the wheel but I think cruise and shifting would be used more on the open road.

What do y'all think?
Regards,
Joe

 

Cruise control on a stick would be good but only if the auto had a tiptronic setup like the VW or Porsche does. Radio controls would then be moved to the face of the wheel (thumb driven) versus under it to make room for the tiptronic paddles.

But then they would need to make the tranny a bit tougher for those times when you (quite a few of us to be honest) would get on it harder than usual.

But then I can dream, can't I?

 

I would sure like to have the option of a manual transfer case with the Laramie package.

 

I think audi has the best cruise set up, small stick on the near the left side of the the wheel, all the way forward is off, tap for is disengage, tap back is resume, set is on the end , up is faster, down is slower, works awesome. Still have your passat?

 

Small paddles would also be good just behind the wheel on each side at the 10 & 2 o'clock positions that you can use index fingers to operate. Then there would still be room for cc and the comp. control. My Crown vics and 05 Ram are great! it is like playing play station when using cc. My Subaru has the little stick behind the wheel at 4 o'clock you can reach with your index finger although not as easy to use as my other cars.

I was impressed by what I saw on the truck but those features may keep me in my old truck for a while. Does Dodge have a suggestion box?

Cheers

 

I don't find moving my hand 6" to be that onerous a task.
If I had wanted a manual transmission I would have bought one.

 

Just wondering why the 2010 3500 SWR trucks no longer have overload springs on the rear like the third gen trucks did. Also have noticed that some 2010 manual trucks have 1st gear labeled as 1 and others have it labeled as L on the shifter, are they the same transmission?

 

[QUOTE=JOE M;2684420]Small paddles would also be good just behind the wheel on each side at the 10 & 2 o'clock positions that you can use index fingers to operate. Then there would still be room for cc and the comp. control.

IMHO Paddle Shifters blow... I have them on my 09 Malibu and they are as useful as mamory glands on a bull. The tiptronic we had on out VW Passat worked real well. I thought I would like having the paddles on the wheel but when you are turning and need to shift, they are not exactly easy to get to. If you are driving straight they are convienent but they are not nearly as reposnsive as the Tiptronic. If they are going to add manual mode, put the shifter in the CC with the maunal controls. Again just MHO.

 

I beg to differ. If you want to use it as Sandhopper and I did on the Passat would become "onerous". In manual mode it is a Tiptronic and would be nice while towing, plowing and hill climbing as I do here all day long. I am constantly shifting down to 1 and 2 especially in winter. It would have been more comfortable in another place. I stick next to the transfer case floor shifter would have been sweet.

Yea, a manual would be nice but the clutch is a PITA especially with a bad knee if you do allot of local driving. Tiptronics leave the truck usable and open to all, especially at resale. The Japs and Germans are always coming up with creative ideas so why don't we stop following and start leading.

 

Joe, couldn't agree more with you. I have an Audi A4 with tiptronic and I love it. As far as I'm concerned the radio controls could be on the dash as changing from the news to music is typically not as critical as a down shift -- at least in my world. Ed

 

I feel better now. I thought I was all alone in my wishes.

 

To each his own.
I fail to see the need to constantly upshift or downshift. Sometimes, sure. Enough to gripe about the inconvenience?
I just don't get it. Seems like there's something I'm not quite grasping.
Then again, I've never had a foreign car...excepting my HD RAMs, of course.
I could click it up or down w/ my baby finger and still have my hand on the wheel.
Enjoy your truck as you see fit.

 

I didn't mean to put your drawers in a ringer. Just binging forward my wishes I find that in American Automobile design and ourselves as a nation have become followers of innovation instead of the leaders we once were.

I am renting a 2006 Malibu. I has some nice controls on the wheel. There is cc and full radio controls. The tiptronic is a thumb button on the console shifter to change gears. What garbage the switch is and the rest of the car is mediocre at best. My dads 2005 Honda Accord with 180,000 makes the Malibu look like junk.

Dodge began using the auto/manual a couple of years after Chevy and of course they just followed along rather then find a better place for it. I feel that if we are paying 50,000 plus for a pick-up truck why not have all the modern conveniences in a CONVENIENT place.

 

I hate the cruise on the stalk. We have that in our company car Dodge Magnum.

 

Wasn't Dodge the first one to have the auto/manual? They called it the "slap stick" and it was in mid 90's (95 or 96??) Intrepids.