Overall I'm delighted with me new 13MY, but one change from my previous models that is a clear step backwards in quality of the Terrain Response selector.

On earlier models it was the substantial metal dial that you rotated to your choice of setting. It was solid, had some designed resistance that made it feel 'real' and it looked the part. Now there is a simple pair of pushbuttons. They feel and look so much cheaper, and being flat, facing upwards, the switch surrounds will attract dust and crud in a big way. Need to keep a child's paintbrush in the glove box to keep it clean..

A bad move in my opinion.

I'd prefer old style knob but its called "progress"  * GONE. GS TD4 Manual MY2013. Orkney Grey with privacy, cold and clearview packs, armrests (a must!) and a spoiler.
* 2011 4.4 TDV8 Full Fat. Amazing piece of kit.
* GONE.2012 RR Sport HSE SDV6 Orkney Grey. Rocket ship. 33mpg.
* Range Rover Classic '93 200Tdi Factory fit
* 1949 80" in family since 1975

It would be interesting to know if the dial could be Retro-fitted to MY13....I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult in terms of connecting up circuit boards, the question would be where to mount it I guess! Foraging near Gaydon....
——————————————
MY13 HSE Lux SD4, Baltic Blue - current, 30,000> miles without fault
MY12 HSE 2.2 SD4, Sumatra Black - gone after 10 months/43,000 fault-free miles

The way I look at it, they both do the same thing, and I kind of like the new version.

But I also like the chunky ness of the dial. Freelander 2 HSE Lux 2013MY - Barolo Black with Ivory Leather. Alpine DVD - Privacy -Evoque 20" Dynamic Wheels and more to come.........

The reason for the change is the Evoque has a rotary gear selector and LR thought there was to many knobs so changed it, as the two cars share technology Fl2 gained the new TR switch gear. I think it will change again on the next Freelander as on the new Range Rover the rotary TR switch gear as been reintroduced. 21MY Defender 90 S 3.0 D200

Having driven a MY13 at a LRE day, I much prefer the rotary TR switch on my MY12. In the MY13's favour it does have a graphic display for the HDC which is nice to have. 2020 Defender D200 110S Pangea Green
Gone: 2018 L550, TD4 SE Tech Auto, Carpathian Grey
Gone: Defender 90 200Tdi, Grey Raptor
Gone: 2012 FL2, TD4 GS Manual, Santorini Black

The new buttons are cheap and nasty. The old rotary knob was so much nicer in every way. (Coming) 2016 RR Evoque td4 180 HSE Dynamc
(Going) 2013 TD4 GS Auto - Santorini Black with black leather. Cold Climate, UK Lighting & Armrest Packs. Privacy Glass. LR Rubber Mats. Full size spare.
60 000 miles averaging 35mpg

(Gone) 2010 TD4 Manual GS - Stornoway Grey. Sold at 3yrs old & 64k miles. Final average consumption 39.2mpg.

But the evoques buttons seem better ihmo, where you scroll across all the selections, compared to the FL2's 2 sets of buttons for each side.

I much prefer the rotary dial though. As 1st post says, feels nice and chunky.

Driving over the A66 yesterday there were some large areas of drifting snow so I therefore decided to switch to GGS on the move. I have to say the new switch is quite difficult to reach for without looking down when on the move and is located too far back on the centre console. The rotary knob was much easier to reach when on the move without taking your eyes off the road. So yes, a step back. gone MY2010 GS TD4 Manual Stornoway
arrived MY2013 GS TD4 Manual Aintree Green

Loss of the nice twist knob was raised in another post - new row of switches just a styling change. Are a row of switches in any way better - could they for example better repel a spilt cup of coffee? Improve component quality and functional design rather than mess with styling.
My pet hate is the rotary gear selector dial on the new Disco 4 etc- a Jaguar sourced bright idea of some stylists who have no sense whatsoever whern it comes to functional design. A gear /transmission selector control should be a major control which reacts to positive gross motor skill movements . By that I mean - when for example you want to get out of the car quickly you need to be able to slam a nice big lever into an unambiguous "Park" position - without having to look down at a dial or read a screen and twiddle something with your finger tips. This should be a gross motor skills action. In contrast looking down to twiddle with a small rotary dial is a fine motor skills action which requires precise movements and concentration to read a dial. Another example of the silliness of the small dial is when off-roading and you need to change back and forward in and out of reverse - the control should be big and bold not something akin to a mouse click.
I have seen a personal injury accident caused by those electronic switch activated transmission column controls- in that case on a BMW with the column activated lever which scrolls through a screen and lights up when in "park". Driver wanted to step out quicjky so flicked the little paddle a few times - thinking it had clicked through to "Park" - alas it had not got out of "D" so off the car went running over an unfortunate.
So please Mr Landrover - have some of you designers read up about gross motor skills and fine motor skills - a mouse click is fine for a computer - at the very edge of suitability might be use in a toy car. A real car needs a decent control for something as iimportant as the transmission. A Jag should have a sensous tactile lever - a Landrover should have something a bit more rugged and functional looking. The unseen components will of course be electronic - but the correct interface with the driver is important.
Robin

Quote:

Driver wanted to step out quicjky so flicked the little paddle a few times - thinking it had clicked through to "Park"

In the evoque I had, if left in D and switching off the engine, the box resorted to P by itself. This is also the case in the 7 series beemer too.

Poor design compounds any mistake by a driver - that is what safety by design is all about and why good design is safe design. A clear example of that is exactly what others mention even if out of context - the designed in default for an auto when engine switched off should be - auto revert to "Park". But envisage any situation where the driver might quickly want to put the car into "park" mode whilst leaving the engine running. This is exactly when you need an unambiguous gross motor skill - slam a nice big tactile lever as far away from you as you can and the car is in absoutely definitely in "Park". Contrast that with fingers twiddling a little dial and turning or nudging it until it clicks through to "Park" and it lights up a pretty coloured "P" which requires a visual check to confirm where it has decided to alight at. That is not inherently safe and any goof by the driver can cause someone to get run over. Does that compute?

Robin

No it does not compute, not sure if your just trying to be clever there but never mind, I do agree that poor design compounds mistakes.

By pressing the big stop/start button or using a gross motor skill as you put it, places the car in P and also applies the handbrake in the case of the Freelander, that is a safe design, one button one press and your on your way out of the car quickly if needed. Safe design by good design

Agree with tradewind. Would seem that the hard stick gives better physical feedback, less need for visual confirmation and with less scope for error than the rotary dial. It would appear to be a form over function design decision (not saying that is bad).

I'd also say that "user error" is not really an acceptable answer these days. Good design includes a focus on mitigating possible user error. Humans are flawed and will always make mistakes, technology and good machine interface design can step in and help us do that less and reduce the impact if mistakes do happen.