If the drivers information display, that 4.2" screen on the dash between the tach and the speedo can show me what gear I'm in when the tranny is in Manual, why not show the current gear all the time? Wouldn't it be nice to know what gear the tranny is in at any given time while driving just as a point of information?
The same display could be used to graph vehicle speed along with the gears and engine rpm. You could see how the tranny reacts and shifts with various loads.
Also why can't the computer figure out that it doesn't always need first when starting from a dead stop when there is no trailer connected or no load in the bed? I would think that for mild acceleration with no load other than a couple passengers that second gear could be used and the computer could be smart enough to figure that out.