[Fallout4]

Not a fan of how Ford moved away from the conventional stick to a rotary dial. It's just not something I'm used to and they placed it on the center console instead of the dash where most manufacturers put it. The dial is taking up space where extra storage space could have been added.

Who else isn't a fan of the new dial?

 

[escape]

This seems to be the latest trend. many manufacturers have these nowadays.

I'd have to spend some time with it to form an opinion. It's probably just a matter of getting used to.

 

[Bamm1]

Not a fan of how Ford moved away from the conventional stick to a rotary dial. It's just not something I'm used to and they placed it on the center console instead of the dash where most manufacturers put it. The dial is taking up space where extra storage space could have been added.

Who else isn't a fan of the new dial?

Autoblog fan I see.

Even though they didn't get to drive the Sport model yet the article that these thoughts are mirrored from is worth a read for anyone looking for general impressions of some of the changes made to the 2017 model.

2017 Ford Fusion First Drive - Autoblog

 

[Drof]

I'm not really fond of the dial either ... I experienced them quite a bit in the new Rams, prefer the stick shifter as well

 

[FordPWR]

What they should do instead is give us something along the lines of a smartphone that can be detachable and when mounted acts like the touch and scroll pad Lexus has.

 

[Drof]

What they should do instead is give us something along the lines of a smartphone that can be detachable and when mounted acts like the touch and scroll pad Lexus has.

Which Lexus model has that ?! That's some news to me :|

 

[FordPWR]

It's just that when in a holder that it acts like the touch pad that lexus has, the RC is one of them.

 

[Bamm1]

Which Lexus model has that ?! That's some news to me :|

I think there might be some confusion here. The OP was talking about the new rotary knob to control the transmission in the 2017 Ford Fusion.

But.........it was posted in the "Audio, Electronics and Lighting" section. So now there are comments about Lexus' infotainment system.

 

[Drof]

I think there might be some confusion here. The OP was talking about the new rotary knob to control the transmission in the 2017 Ford Fusion.

But.........it was posted in the "Audio, Electronics and Lighting" section. So now there are comments about Lexus' infotainment system.

Ohhhh Thank you very much for clearing that up for me lol ! I was thinking of some sort of crazy touchpad, removable shifter of some sort ahaha

 

[Aaronodle48]

I sell Ford's and ordered my sport last month. I already have a few 17 fusions with the rotary dial and I am not a fan..

 

[Drof]

If you could explain it as descriptive as you possibly could on how it feels... what would it be ?

 

[Chad3179]

I am glad that when putting in the rotary dial, Ford had the foresight to make it fairly large and chunky. It has a certain stiffness to it, which makes it feel "right". It is still brand new to me right now and am not sure how other manufacturers make theirs.....but Fords is not as bad as I first thought it would be. My big concern is that for next year they go back to the stick, which would p me right off. Gotta love the sport button though.

 

[Kevin74]

I am glad that when putting in the rotary dial, Ford had the foresight to make it fairly large and chunky. It has a certain stiffness to it, which makes it feel "right". It is still brand new to me right now and am not sure how other manufacturers make theirs.....but Fords is not as bad as I first thought it would be. My big concern is that for next year they go back to the stick, which would p me right off. Gotta love the sport button though.

I was used to the stick shifter myself, and at first the dial seemed.... Weird. But it didn't take long for me to get used to it. It works quite well, has a decent feel to it, not cheap in my opinion. As one video reviewer said you can go from Park to drive, and drive to park without even looking at it. And as a side note the arm rest is significantly better than any I've experienced. Most don't come forward enough. Really like the Sports. Not sure they needed to get rid of the shifter for this though.

 

[kentak]

It's taking me awhile to get used to not having the stick shift to shove around. I keep reaching for the spot the shifter used to be. The paddle shifters are nice however.

Ken

 

[kentak]

The bad thing about the rotary dial is the safety mechanism that goes P when you get out of the car. I'm sure it's meant to prevent the kind of accident that killed Star Trek's Anton Yelkin. It could be a problem for car washes that pull the car thru the wash. If it shifts to Park and gets pulled thru the wash the tranny could be trashed. They mention it in the owner's manual, and they have a procedure to keep it neutral, however for car washes where you don't drive it into the wash mechanism, I can't imagine trying to train the attendant to know what to do. Could be a real problem at some car wash places, including my favorite! My sales person didn't have any answers.

Ken

 

[MicroFusion]

Well having read all the opinions and responses to the rotary dial I could only find one that made any sense - except for those saying I like or don't like - and that was the car wash concern. As for the "could be used for storage space" .... well that is where the term SUV comes from: Storage Unit Vehicle.

Been driving a stick for over 35 years - Mustang GT, 65 Dart GT up through an Impreza WRX. My F-150 has a stick with shift buttons on the side and I like it. The dial and paddles is different and adds some thought to driving the car. Cornering and shifting is very strange as you have to find which end of the steering wheel is up and down shift.

But overall adds class to a sport styled car. Nice touch Ford.

 

[elronino]

It could be a problem for car washes that pull the car thru the wash. If it shifts to Park and gets pulled thru the wash the tranny could be trashed.

This exact thing happened to me this past weekend. I pulled in, put it in N, didn't think anything of it... attendant starts the wash... and clunk clunk go the rollers. I look down and it's in P.... Questioned myself, then it did it again. Definitely have to understand how to keep it in neutral for those situations.

 

[Frizz2112]

I've had 2017 Fusion sport for a few days now, and I am a big fan of the rotary shifter. It feels substantial and high quality, and after a very short time you get used to it and don't have to look down to make sure you're in the right gear. There are also easy to read gear indicators in the usual place under the speedometer. For comparison, we also have a brand new Honda Pilot with push button shift controls in the same place as the Fusion's rotary dial, and I still have to pause and look at the Pilot's controls every time I shift. There is also a noticeable lag before the vehicle shifts after hitting the buttons in the Pilot, whereas the Fusion shifts instantly. I know people are used to the classic stick shifter, but I think it's worth it to gain the extra room you get with the rotary dial. It looks cool too!

 

[omar302]

From the 2017 Fusion owners manual:

Stay in Neutral Mode
Note: Always put your vehicle in Stay in Neutral mode when entering an automatic car wash. Failure to do this could result in vehicle damage not covered by warranty.
Stay in Neutral mode allows your vehicle to stay in neutral when you exit your vehicle. Your vehicle must be stationary to enter this mode.
To enter Stay in Neutral mode:

• Move the transmission selector to neutral (N).
• A message will appear in your information display screen prompting you to press the sport (S) button.
• Press the sport (S) button again to enter Stay in Neutral mode.

To exit Stay in Neutral mode, select a different gear.
A message will appear in your information display screen when your vehicle has entered Stay in Neutral mode.

 

[claudeh]

Mind reader! I just found that in the manual as well. Does the third bullet-ed item mean press the S button once or twice? The word "again" seems a bit misleading.

Car made in Mexico, User manual written in Taiwan I guess