14 and Newer 6 Speed Select Shift

[Beta Don]

I really *like* the digital readout of what gear I'm in when using the Select Shift mode  -  How hard would it have been for them to make that readout there all the time?  Bet it would be nearly impossible to change anything to make it happen now

Don

[mrtn]

Less distraction for the average driver. My other cars switch back to blank display right after the first automatic shift has been performed in manual mode. So, manual shift > gear display > remains on until the car is forced to make an automatic shift due to out of range rpm/torque condition.

[kxrf]

One man's distraction is another man's information...

Just like shifting is a bother for some, but keeps me involved in the act of driving.

 

Edited October 18, 2016 by kxrf

[Beta Don]

I don't see how it could 'distract' anybody  -  The number is less than 1/4 by 1/4 inch, right next to the 'S' on the display  -  You've really gotta be looking for it to see it at all.  It would have been nice if they'd just made it standard in all modes

Don

[mrtn]

5 minutes ago, Beta Don said:

I don't see how it could 'distract' anybody

You haven't met my sister :D

[G B L]

If it was a real standard you would not have an indicator on the display. You would know what gear by the road speed and the Rpm's. 

[Fifty150]

3 hours ago, mrtn said:

You haven't met my sister :D

That sounds like the punchline to a naughty joke.

[Boomerweps]

I used the select shift extensively in Utah and Colorado. Only way I could regain travel speed after encountering moving roadblocks in the mountains. 3rd gear to get back to 65+mph. High revs but I figure it was designed for that. 

This engine in the SWB 2014 seemed "sporty". In the LWB, more of a dog when it comes to mountains. 

[Fifty150]

When I bought this car, I knew that I was not getting V8 power.  But it does just fine for me on the hills in The Streets of San Francisco.

 

[zalienz]

On 9/2/2017 at 7:38 AM, Boomerweps said:

I used the select shift extensively in Utah and Colorado. Only way I could regain travel speed after encountering moving roadblocks in the mountains. 3rd gear to get back to 65+mph. High revs but I figure it was designed for that. 

This engine in the SWB 2014 seemed "sporty". In the LWB, more of a dog when it comes to mountains. 

I just returned from a long 4300 mile road trip through 7 western States. I also used the select shift in the mountains of Colorado, Utah, and more.  It worked flawlessly. I was carrying a bunch of gear in the back, so my expectation of performance with a 4 cylinder was pretty dead on. All in all, a really great trip, no problems with the van. I did pick up a rock chip on the windshield on my way in to Flagstaff, AZ. I called a local windshield shop in town and they fixed it bright and early the next morning for $35. It took 20 minutes. Beats a flat tire any day. Averaged 27mpg overall, used the factory NAV and Android Auto, again, no issue except Android Auto sucked up all my data on my wimpy 1GB plan. $5 added another gig, so on I went....

Home now, life is good. I love this little scoot.

[G B L]

This cars power is from 3000 to 5000 Rpm's When you remember that the Performance is fine.  It is busy when you need to get busy.  In the western mountains a 4000 lb car needs 120-140 hp to get up and go. 

[Fifty150]

5 hours ago, zalienz said:

 

I did pick up a rock chip on the windshield on my way in to Flagstaff, AZ. I called a local windshield shop in town and they fixed it bright and early the next morning for $35.

 

 

Safelite wanted $225 to fill a rock chip.  They suggested that I pay out of pocket, and file a claim for reimbursement from my insurance company.  

I found a local shop that did the job for about what you paid to have your chip filled.

 

I've always heard that the shop materials were not the same as what you buy over the counter.  Those $25 kits for windshield repair are simply not as good, in comparison to whatever they use in the glass shop.  I don't know.  Just what I have heard.  What I do know, is that you end up making a big mess with those kits if you do not know what you're doing.  One of my friends wound up with that compound all over the place, and no way to clean it off.  

 

[Boomerweps]

15 hours ago, G B L said:

This cars power is from 3000 to 5000 Rpm's When you remember that the Performance is fine.  It is busy when you need to get busy.  In the western mountains a 4000 lb car needs 120-140 hp to get up and go. 

169hp @ 6000rpm

171 ft/lb @ 4500rpm

factory specs tell me you have to wind it up when you want or need power. It's rare that a gasoline engine has more torque than horsepower. Regular automatic mode just doesn't shift down as needed in the mountains, even when you floor the accelerator. Thank Ford for the Select shift mode. Even just leaving it in "Sport" automatic mode was not enough. So my downshifting showing 5000rpm when needing to increase speed on an uphill makes more sense to me now.

[MLB]

18 hours ago, G B L said:

This cars power is from 3000 to 5000 Rpm's When you remember that the Performance is fine.  It is busy when you need to get busy.  In the western mountains a 4000 lb car needs 120-140 hp to get up and go. 

I think the 2.5's most impressive performance is part throttle off the line stuff.  Very peppy and uses the properly spaced gears very well. Yes you can get a bit more wringing it's neck but it's the torque and tranny down low that impress me.  Great city driveability in the flatland I live in. 

 This isn't a motor (2.5)  that loves to rev or is designed to spend a lot of time there.  I think I'd get frustrated driving it in the mountains with any load. 

 

Apologies if you're talking about the turbo.

Edited September 5, 2017 by MLB

[G B L]

I don't live in the western mountains where the turbo would help the altitude induced power loss, but in the mountains where I live the engine finds its up hill stride after 3000 rpms.

[mrtn]

For small engines in hilly areas or in town the CVT would be the best solution. 

[Dandytc]

19 hours ago, MLB said:

 This isn't a motor (2.5)  that loves to rev or is designed to spend a lot of time there.  I think I'd get frustrated driving it in the mountains with any load. 

 

Actually, that engine is designed to rev; it is inherent to a DOHC 4 bangers. Drivers that are uncomfortable revving small engines are usually people that are used to driving north american vehicle with over-sized engines that lets them get away with under-utilizing resources. When I bought my TC, a family member in Europe asked me why I had chosen such a large engine. To understand that question, take a look at one of the European Ford site and check out their engines. 

[Fifty150]

In The US, we like everything bigger.

[Dandytc]

18 hours ago, mrtn said:

For small engines in hilly areas or in town the CVT would be the best solution. 

Back in the mid 80's, when I was living in Europe, I owned a Volvo 66, with a 1.3l engine coupled to a Variomatic transmission, which was the original CVT. That little car was a hoot to drive. I could start faster than much bigger, more powerful cars. I once beat a Porsche twice in a row, starting at light controlled intersections. Of course, it was game over for me as soon as the Porsche shifted into 2nd. Still a lot of fun, though. That car was also unbeatable on snow. With regular tires and some weight in the trunk, I could stop uphill on a snow covered road, and get going again no problem. In fact, I have never owned or just driven any other car that was that good on snow (2 wheel drive), even equipped with snow tires. Before buying my TC, I considered other cars, some of which were equipped with CVT, but they all had low towing capacities.

 

[mrtn]

Some drunk girl in a plane once told me she had a Volvo 343 with a CVT which had a variable ratio also going backwards. So she frequently found herself reversing at 50 mph.

[G B L]

Sounds like a Dukes of Hazard movie !

[Dandytc]

The Volvo 300 series was the successor of the Volvo 66, itself the successor of the Daf 66. Volvo had bought Daf and continued production with some changes and improvements. The cars were referred to as Daf, even after the name change. The variomatic transmission basically allows you to go as fast in reverse as in forward. These cars were successfully raced in rally competition, and later on, were raced in reverse in demolition derby type races. There are some videos on youtube, but most are not in English.