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5K views 39 replies 24 participants last post by  210hawkeye 
#1 ·
After almost four years of absolute satisfaction with my '11 Summit, I ordered a new Escalade the other day.
Why, after the Jeep was such a great vehicle?
The shifter.
Someone in the Chrysler organization thought it was such a great idea to hang that T-handle shifter right in the middle of the console….right where my leg hits it.
I only hope that the Cadillac brings me the same smile my trusty Jeep has delivered through all types of driving conditions over the past 70k miles… !
 
#4 ·
A short one….I think the long one looks like it should have a pine box hangin outa the back of it…IMHO of course...
 
#13 ·
6'5"/ lean 240 lb.
That shifter is pointless.
I even looked into the feasibility of putting a dial into the SRT.
When I first drove the new ('14) SRT, I could not believe what they had done..
Because I am a bit slow, I actually went back and looked a a few others just to be sure I was correct...
 
#18 ·
You guys need to back your seats up some to compensate for those lurpy knees!

I'm 6'6" and never noticed any issue with spacing related to my legs and the shifter.

Interesting to hear it's a deal-breaker for the OP though, because I wouldn't assume they'd imagined it.
 
#19 ·
One would think that after all the computer-aided studies of ergonomics (yes there is even a name for it) that Jeep would have realized they needed to adjust their prototype a bit to compensate for all of us over 6'2". I find myself with the same issue in my 2015 Summit and wonder w h y??
Seems like a no brainer in such a great vehicle. Geez.


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#20 ·
Gents,

I'm 6'5 205lb never hit the shifter once :)

I do like sitting far away from the wheels though......
 
#25 ·
LOL at all the heights posted and varied interactions with the shifter. Yesterday, I tried to hit my knee on the shifter and I had to lift my right leg about 6-8" off the gas pedal and crank it sideways to do it. I'm 5'11" but unsure why my weight and build would matter haha.

I also like sitting fairly far away from the dash, hate having my ankle cramped up on the pedals. I actually kind of wish the Jeep had adjustable pedals for this reason. My seat is really far back and the steering wheel sticks wayyy out from the dash as well, so my head is almost in line with the a-pillar.
 
#26 ·
Maybe it isn't height that is the issue, but the size of the bits between your legs that mean you have to stick your leg out at an angle to avoid crushing?

:)
 
#30 ·
Suddenly at 6'3" (and a bit heaver than some of you guys) I am feeling short -- that doesn't happen very often!

For clothes Casual Male has been great. If you are near one of their retail stores, you can also order online and get shipping for free to the store to pickup from there.
 
#32 ·
Hey, thanks for chiming in on this one!
I was pretty active on these boards for the first couple of years.
I actually had the seat bottom on my Summit supplemented by a upholstery shop because I thought the seats were too hard…Turns out:
1. it was a great move
2. The Summit has the most comfortable "long range driving" seats I have ever had!

At the end of the day, it all comes down to where you are comfortable. I was all set to purchase a C7 Corvette when they launched last year. After a 600 mile "test drive" (four day rental courtesy of Hertz) I decided that the car is entirely too small. Visit the Corvette forum, and there are 6'8/350lb guys stuffing themselves into them..?!?!
 
#34 ·
6'4", 250lb here...never hit the shifter. I tend to lean my right leg to the right but my knee tends to rest against the curved plastic in the beginning of the footwell.

In fact...I can't imagine how you could hit the shifter unless you angled your butt to the left and your legs to the right which seems really awkward to do. When I push my leg as far to the right as I can and still drive (foot on the accelerator or brake) I can just barely make contact with the outer edge of the shifter.

Ah...wait. I think I figured out how it can get in the way. Sit really close to the wheel, knees up. Then you can hit the shifter if you bend your right leg outward slightly.
 
#35 ·
Nah, not even close.
36" inseam, 6'4 3/4" at my last physical.
The fact that my leg could even come in contact with the shifter is just not acceptable to me.
That there is such an obnoxious, useless shifter in the car makes no sense either. The gate shifter in the '11-'13 worked just fine, the dial is a nice attempt…Too bad the MB column mounted shifter I had in my '07 didn't make it into the GC line-up, it made the most sense of any vehicle I have ever owned...
 
#37 ·
I do have to say that the shifter arm that the Escalade has is THE cheapest looking shifter I have ever seen. It sticks out to far that it looks like something out of an old 60's Buick. No doubt they are still using the same lever underneath the tiny piece of leather that they try and dress up that ugly shift handle with. What a joke in a vehicle as pricey as that thing.
 
#38 ·
Hey, I am by no means touting that the Cadillac is any better (or worse) than the Jeep, it just now suits my needs (and wants) better.
 
#39 ·
Back to derailing the thread.....lol

I'm "only" 6 feet tall, but it seems that the way I sit in a car, my right knee hits the center console/center stack in many cars. Most compacts are a squeeze for me. I have to have a mid-size or larger car. Corvettes are snug, and probably wouldn't work for a longer drive.

The Jeep is about the right size for me. My knee doesn't rest or interfere with the center at all. I don't have the seat all the back, but it's at the lowest position, and that works for me.
 
#40 ·
I have a T shifter in my Altitude. I'm 6:4 and my problem is the T Shifter hits the large McD Coke cup in the cup holder. I may have to switch back to the factory shifter or start buying the medium coke. LOL. I did notice in the new Cherokee the moved the cup holders below the shifter versus to the side.


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