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Tiny Manual-Shift Buttons - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test
Edmunds.com
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Tiny Manual-Shift Buttons - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test
Edmunds thinks the manual-shift buttons for the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel's eight-speed automatic transmission are too small to find quickly, or when wearing gloves.
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It's an obvious cost-cutting decision by C-F. Buttons are cheaper to integrate in the steering wheel as opposed to the more complicated set up of paddle shifters.
i dont see Edmund's testers fascination with engine braking the automatic cars. only time i bother using the manual function in automatic cars (that arent sports cars that will benefit from full manual control) is when a really long curve is coming up and i want to hold a gear through the turn.
These buttons serve plenty of functions in an Auto setup on a truck. Great for controlling speed and avoiding the brake pedal in icy/snowy/hilly conditions. Great for keeping truck in the power band while towing a heavy trailer. Good in off road conditions as well.
Hard to say for sure but it looks like if you have shorter fingers or just smaller hands overall you wouldn't be able to downshift without moving your hand almost off of the steering wheel.
Not really. The paddle shifter steering wheel from the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 8-speed would fit really well in the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel.
What kinda sucks with that button setup is that for full turns in a corner, your buttons will be out of place when you want a downshift so you have to wait for the steering wheel to turn straight, vs. a center counsel which is more accessible anytime when driving, especially in twisty roads.