[tipo949]

Since I've had my Stelvio for a few days, I'd like to share my frustration with the dashboard controls.

Who on earth, came up with the following:

Shifter and shifter control: absolutely bizarre method and shift layout, especially putting the car in Reverse. The Alfa Romeo engineer in charge must have been binging on a 10 day LSD trip.

Navigation - another maddening experience. WTF, came up with this process? FCA, plse fire everyone in charge and get a user friendly Japanese navigation please.

Radio - I have yet figured out how to turn the radio off unless the car is locked with the remote.


However, the rest of the car is absolutely fabulous.

It's like dating a hot looking blonde you met at a bar and you know your mom would never approve.

She's great in bed, turns heads wherever you go, but is somewhat of a pain to put up with, lol.

 

[Marco]

I noticed that bizzare setup in my test drive as well and that's precisely why i am waiting for Apple/Android car play ..... the wierd shifter however is a whole other thing.

Love your analogy of the blond. LOL.

 

[tipo949]

The shifter/shifting process should be a no-brainer.
One should be able to do it blindfold, almost.

But leave it to an engineer who had too much time on his hands, to come up with a puzzling way to make it more complicated that it has to be. Who is this clown??

 

[bzohn]

You can turn off the radio by pushing down on the volume knob on the center console. I think there is another way to do it also but that is pretty easy.

Personally, I thought the shifter was a little stupid when I first started using it but now that I know how it works, I wouldn't describe as a pain. I really don't even think about it anymore other than those few times I end up in neutral and wonder why the heck I can't put it in drive without stepping on the brakes. I orginally thought going to reverse was multi shift process but just pull the trigger button and shift up from anywhere and it goes to reverse. Pretty sure it will go into reverse without stepping on the brake unless, of course, you are in neutral. Then you must step on brake to do anything.

 

[Marco]

You can turn off the radio by pushing down on the volume knob on the center console. I think there is another way to do it also but that is pretty easy.

Personally, I thought the shifter was a little stupid when I first started using it but now that I know how it works, I wouldn't describe as a pain. I really don't even think about it anymore other than those few times I end up in neutral and wonder why the heck I can't put it in drive without stepping on the brakes. I orginally thought going to reverse was multi shift process but just pull the trigger button and shift up from anywhere and it goes to reverse. Pretty sure it will go into reverse without stepping on the brake unless, of course, you are in neutral. Then you must step on brake to do anything.

If it goes into Rev without stepping on the brake then there is a HUGE safety concern. Are you sure? i dont think it would ever be allowed entry into the US market if it could do that!!

 

[jwdm]

I drove a Stelvio for 27 days and did not find anything that bothered me.

Did not notice any issue with selecting gears.

Navigation was straight forward.

Turn of the radio by pushing the volume control down.

Jeff

 

[Marco]

I drove a Stelvio for 27 days and did not find anything that bothered me.

Jeff

Jeff are you a salesman? LOL

 

[tipo949]

You can turn off the radio by pushing down on the volume knob on the center console. I think there is another way to do it also but that is pretty easy.

Personally, I thought the shifter was a little stupid when I first started using it but now that I know how it works, I wouldn't describe as a pain. I really don't even think about it anymore other than those few times I end up in neutral and wonder why the heck I can't put it in drive without stepping on the brakes. I orginally thought going to reverse was multi shift process but just pull the trigger button and shift up from anywhere and it goes to reverse. Pretty sure it will go into reverse without stepping on the brake unless, of course, you are in neutral. Then you must step on brake to do anything.

Weird. Now the radio button is working that way. Push down to shut it off. Yesterday I tried doing that several times and today it's working.

In any case, the shifter and shifting pattern is annoying. Overly abstract/bizarre for no reason, if you have driven other AWD cars you'll know the difference between simplicity and stupidity.

 

[bzohn]

Actually, now that you mention it, I have had at least 1 occasion when the radio was in some state of confusion and I couldn't turn it off. At the time, my son was trying to connect via bluetooth and then with cable so he could blare that obscene, profanity laced nonsense he listens to. I chalked it up to to his impatience as there is occasionally some hesitation with the radio controls (like a slow computer).

I am nearly certain you can shift from drive to reverse if you are barely moving but I will test it later. I KNOW you can go from reverse to drive without brakes. I am also pretty sure I can go from drive to reverse at low speed without brakes in my other 2 cars also. It's not a totally normal practice but I usually find myself (ESPECIALLY in the Stelvio where the last tiny bit of stop to the car is quite abrupt) releasing the brake just before I am completely stopped and sometimes before I put it in gear. So the car might be rolling ever so slightly when the gears change.

 

[bzohn]

I just tested, you can go from drive to reverse and reverse to drive without touching any pedals. You can go from park straight to drive or straight to reverse. If you get to neutral, you have to press the brake to do anything.

 

[1265]

The shifter is exactly the same of bmw and jaguar with the Zf hp8-500 automatic trasmission.
Sometimes, after 12.000km I also make N and not D in selection but when the car start.... fiuuuuu fantastic automatic

 

[Marco]

I'm sure you are correct about the ZF transmission being shared by those brands, but something must be different with the shifting mechanism in the cabin. I drove the F-pace, the X3 and the Q5 and had a completely different experience than the Stelvio. Is the Giulia the same?

 

[1265]

Same for giulia but, the current setup for both need some changes and in the next future Alfa will do it. Trasmission is the same, strategy not

 

[tipo949]

Help me understand why it's designed the way it is.
You can drive a ton of AWD vehicles in the marketplace and it's a brainless motion.
From Park to Drive or Reverse without any other motion required.
Good luck leaving the car with the valet!

I'm sorry, it's an absurd design.

 

[1265]

Help me understand why it's designed the way it is.
You can drive a ton of AWD vehicles in the marketplace and it's a brainless motion.
From Park to Drive or Reverse without any other motion required.
Good luck leaving the car with the valet!

I'm sorry, it's an absurd design.

Agree, 100% . But ZF sell this transmission and we need to relearn motions, clicks, fails, neutral ecc

I like PDK, Zf build it for Porsche

 

[jwdm]

Jeff are you a salesman? LOL

I am a salesman - but not a car salesman.

I do have a QV and a 4C.

Jeff

 

[moparbrian]

One of the reasons I purchased the Stelvio/Alfa Romeo was for the quirks. For me that is what makes the other cars so boring. Same o'l stuff different name. With the Alfa it is unique and I love it.

 

[Gogglespaisano1]

What's wrong with blondes????

 

[Scalewoodman]

I was thinking about the idiot that tries to steal one: first to figure out the keyless entry. Next locate start/stop button. Finally figure out shift lever. And at last give up and go take the Porsche apparently the easier route everything is same as a Ford. LOL!

 

[SailDrive]

@tipo949 & @bzohn You can also mute the stereo by pressing in the volume roller on the wheel.

Agree the shifter was a little weird to get used to, and I still preferred my Evoque for a cool but easy to use shifter (the Jaguar style disappearing rotary knob), but there is one thing I really think should be recalled, and that's when you are in manual (shifter to the left), car stopped, and you squeeze the shifter button and then push forward, it should go into reverse!! I nearly took out the corner of my garage door a couple weeks ago coming home but driving in manual, went to put it in reverse, released the brake and the car started going forwards! luckily I only ever so lightly tapped the edge of the door frame, so it didn't do any damage to anything including the paint, but that was a big oh **** moment!