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Steering wheel radio controls, why, oh why?

6K views 31 replies 21 participants last post by  WhiteBird00 
#1 ·
Why in the world did Ford put the radio controls on the right (WRONG) side of the steering wheel?

As an auto driver it doesn't affect me that much, but it's got to be a royal PITA for your manual guys.

Attn Ford: Put them on the LEFT side and leave our right hand free to do just about everything that needs to be done in the cockpit while driving
 
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#2 ·
I drive a manual and I think they are in just the right spot. It should be common sense that you should not be doing anything while you are shifting gears, so radio control position should not have any bearing on that conversation.

If I'm on the highway and cruising with one hand on the wheel, I am more likely to be adjusting cruise control than the radio. If I am around town I have both hands on the wheel 90% of the time so adjusting the radio would be just as easy with either hand.
 
#4 ·
It should be common sense that you should not be doing anything while you are shifting gears, so radio control position should not have any bearing on that conversation.

If I'm on the highway and cruising with one hand on the wheel, I am more likely to be adjusting cruise control than the radio.
I have driven a manual in the past and am confident I could bend my thumb on one hand while shifiting with the other. Also, In a MT I'd much rather be able to keep my hand in proximity to the stick when Im in a driving situation that requires frequent shifts. I am also a habitual radio changer; just ask my kids. I never use cruise control, hate the transparency of it
 
#3 ·
You guys steer w/ your hands? :?:




:kooky:

Seriously though, the placement doesn't bother me at all.
 
#5 ·
I have a manual also and having the radio controls on the right side of the steering wheel doesn't bother me whatsoever. I'm happy with them where they are.
 
#6 ·
Two of my cars have them on the left, and two have them on the right ..... I prefer them on the right. :bigthumbsup Perhaps because I am right handed, I don't know, I just find that I am not as dexterous with my left hand and have to think more when using the controls on the left side...
 
#7 ·
wtf a guy complaining about something he doesn't even have to bother with? I have ZERO issues with the radio controls.
 
#12 ·
wtf a guy complaining about something he doesn't even have to bother with? I have ZERO issues with the radio controls.
I've had the car now almost a year. I am used to the controls being on the right, but it seems unintuitive just the same.

I guess coming from my Maxima that I drove for 7 years that had them on the left, it got ingrained.
 
#9 ·
Next time you're driving, give this fix a try... while your hand's on the shifter, extend your finger just about 3 inches more and press the dash radio controls. You'll find they're substantially closer than the ones on the steering wheel... :banana:
 
#11 ·
LMAO!!! Thank you. :heha:
 
#10 ·
They are fine on the right. If they were on the left then the speed controls would be on the right, completely out of place.

Right hand equals shifting, tuning radio, drinking coffee, flipping ricers the bird.

Left hand equals setting the cruise, using the turn signal, operating the light switch, lowering the window to explain to the nice officer why I was speeding while flipping the aforementioned ricer the bird.

If the radio controls were on the left, how would I lower the volume while lowering the window to speak to the officer?????
 
#16 ·
They are fine on the right. If they were on the left then the speed controls would be on the right, completely out of place.

Right hand equals shifting, tuning radio, drinking coffee, flipping ricers the bird.

Left hand equals setting the cruise, using the turn signal, operating the light switch, lowering the window to explain to the nice officer why I was speeding while flipping the aforementioned ricer the bird.

If the radio controls were on the left, how would I lower the volume while lowering the window to speak to the officer?????
My vote for best answer :bigthumbsup
 
#15 ·
...and for some reason you felt it was up to you to post a complaint?

This thread is useless. No one needs YOU to be the steering wheel police.
 
#17 ·
...and for some reason you felt it was up to you to post a complaint?

This thread is useless. No one needs YOU to be the steering wheel police.
I'm sorry, I didn't realize that this was YOUR forum. :worship

If the thread is useless to you, then you have the option to stay out of it. I was simply expressing an opinion. Thanks for all the value you have added with your editorial
 
#18 ·
In all seriousness though, think about it for a second:

Back in the 70's and 80's most domestic car makers had their cruise control functions on the turn signal stalk. Ford migrated to steering wheel mounted controls, first with two big buttons, one on each side of the steering wheel (on/off on the left, set/resume/coast on the right). Then everyone started moving stereo and HVAC functions on the wheels, cruise went to the left, stereo/HVAC to the right (which just happens to be the side that the dashboard/center console mounted controls for the same items are, which is completely intuitive to the driver of a vehicle whose steering wheel is on the left side of the car.

Japanese cars often have these controls reversed. Why is that? Because MOST of their models were originally designed to have the driver sitting on the RIGHT side of the car, so the center controls would be to their left. That's how they roll over there.

When they import the cars to America they have to build the car with the steering wheel on the left side, they don't redesign the entire wheel, they just pop it on the column so now the controls are backwards to most Americans, and only the one's who habitually buy Japanese cars feel like its counter-intuitive because they don't normally buy American so they just don't know any better.
 
#19 ·
Good point! (15 characters)
 
#20 ·
THAT ^^ makes absolutely perfect sense, especailly since I came from a Japanese car; now that I think about it, at least my last 3 or 4 cars were Japanese. I maintain that I like them better on the left, but thank you for the thorough explanation
 
#21 ·
I don't fiddle around with radio controls while I'm trying to shift, whether on the main control panel or on the steering wheel. That's just inviting disaster. And once I'm cruising, the steering wheel controls are just fine. No problems at all.
 
#23 ·
My Mustang is the first Ford since 1992 that I've owned with the cruise control up/down buttons on the left side.

'93 Topaz, '95 Windstar, 3 Rangers ('92, '94, '08), '99 Taurus SHO, '05 Taurus, and '05 Focus all have the up/down on the right. THAT annoys me more than anything else. I've pressed the volume up/down a few times trying to adjust the cruise control. I could care less where they put the radio volume though.

If I had to make a choice though, I like the way the radio controls are on my Focus with the Audiophile package.

They're under the steering wheel on the left side

 
#25 ·
Because this is AFM, people complain and whine about everything. Just look at the automatic owner complaining about the MT82 :heha::heha::heha::heha::heha::heha:
 
#28 ·
I've come from Jap cars as well and prefer the Mustang position. I don't find it necessary to change while I do a half second shift.
 
#29 ·
Why cant' Ford put the steering wheel by my knee?? When i am texting with both hands, i can't steer......what is Ford thinking???? sighhhhh
 
#30 ·
My Mazda 6 has the radio controls on the left, cruise on the right. It makes sense. When using the cruise control, you're less likely to be shifting gears, so your hand is on the wheel.

I like to have my right hand free to pet my little dog. Sometimes he likes to rest his head on my hand.

And why are there three buttons next to the gear shift? My dog is always opening the trunk or turning on the 4-ways when he gets out of the car.
 
#32 ·
As long as we're complaining about buttons... why do you have to turn on the cruise control every time? Back in the days of stalk mounted controls, you would leave the cruise turned on and you could just touch the button to set your speed. I rented a Dodge recently and its steering wheel controls had a sliding switch for cruise on/off (that could be left on) and push buttons for set/resume - makes much more sense.

Not a major issue but one of those dumb things that makes you shake your head.
 
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