I'm not usually one for forums but here goes! In another section of this LR forum there is quite a bit of chat on gear selectors. I refer to 2022 defenders although I'm sure other models have a very similar system.
Having had the vehicle some time now I still occasionally get caught out in the wrong gear, thinking I've selected but in fact remain in previous gear. Can this be safe? It would seem to make sense that a much better and fool proof operation would be for the button to be pressed before the selector could even be moved.
I've had some near misses parking and picking up a trailer. I could see that someone might even panic and go do jam foot on the brake only to inadvertently hit the accelerator and shoot off in the wrong direction.
Have others found the same?

 

Speaking as a relatively new D90S owner, you'll get used to it.

I thought exactly the same thing at first, but quickly got used to the quirks especially pushing forward to back up and down for the forward gear.

I assumed you were talking about this part and not the 'sport' shift from what you said.

To avoid missing shifts, always have your foot on the brake before shifting.

 

My son's BMW doesn't require you to press the release button when shifting from reverse to forwards. This seems like a good idea to me. Several times I thought I had shifted from reverse to drive but had failed to properly engage the release first. Take foot off brake, and keep backing up. Yikes! I think the function of the release button should be overridden if you're stationary and have your foot on the brake.

 

I came from a BMW to Land Rover. The first time I drove it I nearly smashed through my garage wall because of that. Now I'm used to it but it was an adjustment.

 

You will get used to pushing the shift forward to go backward and pulling it back to go forward. Seemed counter-intuitive to me at first. And that release button will break-in as well. Our 2023 button is still restrictive at times after 12K miles but our 2021 release button seems easier to use after 37K miles.

 

Did take some getting used to, but one quickly adapts. I think it is the JLR Owner Intelligence Protocol. They figure if you can’t figure it out, you should sell it and get something less challenging. 🤔

 

Same here.. Moved from Charleston and sold my 430i late last year. Nice car, but I love my Defender!

 

New defender owner here (have a Disco V for last 5 years). Regarding the gear selector in the Defender, sometimes I feel I am either doing something wrong, or the vehicle is sometimes intermittent in the way it selects Forward or Reverse gear. Let me explain: I get in my parked Defender and start engine. In order to back out of my garage and onto street, I depress brake pedal, pull the gear shift trigger, and push the selector forward (I think only one notch, but maybe two). It is now in Reverse and I back out of garage and into street. I now want to drive forward. With foot on brake, I pull gear selector trigger and pull gear selector back - here is where I can’t figure it out - if I pull back one notch, that just selects Neutral. And if I pull back 2 notches it also just selects Neutral. So, after this I have to release the gear selector to the center position and then pull back one more time (1 or 2 notches - it doesn’t matter) and now finally it is Drive.

So, between the two forward and two rearward notches and having to pull back or push forward twice to get it in Drive or Reverse, I have come close to getting into some minor fender benders, or have had someone nearly back into me because I couldn’t get moving fast enough.

What am I doing wrong?

 

Make sure you press that release button all the way in. And as I noted above, the release button will break-in and become less restrictive with use.

Ignore any "notches". Push the release button and push the lever all the way forward in one motion to go in reverse. Same applies to drive...push the release button and pull the lever straight back in one motion to select drive.

Also, whatever software update that ran last night did include something about the gear selector in the list of things the update will improve.

 

Thanks Paul for the description., I was starting to pull my hair out thinking, “it can’t be this hard!?!” My Disco V has the simply rotary selector with no push-button interlocks and just does what you tw it; so I was confused by the seemingly overly complicated gear selector on the Defender.

I just bought the Defender and haven’t attempted any Software updates yet. Can you tell me the Software version # you are referring too, so I know what to look for.