The DSG I had a test drive in also couldn't decide what it wanted to do :thumbdwn:

You should try a TSi with the 7 speed box - if you can locate one.

Trying to find a TSi with the 7 speed box, is like trying to find Rocking Horse dung!

gilesk, when I say free revving, it occurred when I put my foot hard down on the throttle (kickdown?) and it seemed to do a bit of free revving, yet at the same time, apply power by the bucket load, it really pulled like crazy and shoved you into your seat.

If that's the diesel, I wonder what the petrol would be like with another 30bhp on tap! :eek:

Well I've had my test drive today in a 170 CR vRS DSG & was very impressed by the engine, it's so quiet I genuinely at first thought it was a petrol!

As for the driving experience, very impressed once I got going, but I did notice that in traffic that the box seemed a little in decisive you could feel it ever so slightly going up & down repeatedly as if it couldn't quite find exactly the right gear. Is this normal?

Took it for a spin out on the A331 and tried an overtaking maneuver and I found when it did kickdown it revved like it wasn't in gear for a second or two, again is this normal?

But it absolutely flew, it got to 80 so quickly I didn't notice it, good job the boys in blue weren't about...

The out & out pulling power of this car is incredible absolutely superb.

Build quality, I'd say is better than my Golf! I cannot knock it at all.

Now, would I buy one with a DSG box is the question & the answer is I don't know, the test drive has left me utterly undecided, I think it was the twitchiness that I felt at around the 25-35 mark has left me unsure. :confused:

It will adapt to you and vica versa. They are are doddle to drive in traffic,very smooth.

I drive a Passat TDi 170 DSG, its been in the dealers a couple of weeks while they sorted the bluetooth out, meanwhile I had a manual, I was soo glad to get my DSG box, its a pleasure to drive in traffic.

The only time I wouldnt have DSG would be for track day/weekend car and even then id be tempted by a vRS DSG

Indiana, brilliant write up, can you please go and try the 6 speed manual CR 170 diesel now and compare!, I have been astonished by the CR 170 and it’s pulling power too, never had a car that is as good as this for overtaking in 3rd and 4th gear. Interested in anyone’s comparison of the DSG & 6 speed manual with the same CR 170 engine.

Unfortunately there are none available for at least 2 months, (apparently) this is due the scrappage scheme.

I had the "pleasure" of a loan of an Octy L&K with a seven speed DSG box. Didn't like it one bit - acted like Gordon Brown, useless, indicisive, noisy and no power when it was required.... Mine's a vRS CR 170 with DSG and love it. I've had three Octy's now and this is definitely the best combo. For the record, it puts out mid to high 40's mpg too without trying and I've seen 60mpg on the trip during a "leisurely" run but how accurate that was is anyone's guess.

As for the driving experience, very impressed once I got going, but I did notice that in traffic that the box seemed a little in decisive you could feel it ever so slightly going up & down repeatedly as if it couldn't quite find exactly the right gear. Is this normal?

As others have said, the learning sorts things out after a few miles, and they do better once you get used to them.

Took it for a spin out on the A331 and tried an overtaking maneuver and I found when it did kickdown it revved like it wasn't in gear for a second or two, again is this normal?

But it absolutely flew, it got to 80 so quickly I didn't notice it, good job the boys in blue weren't about...

Overtakes are sharper in tiptronic mode or sport. I used to think sport was just a way to get a load of noise, but there are times it makes sense.

Apologies for that.:handshke: Friends???

LOL, of course. Takes more for me not to be friends

Indiana, brilliant write up, can you please go and try the 6 speed manual CR 170 diesel now and compare!, I have been astonished by the CR 170 and it’s pulling power too, never had a car that is as good as this for overtaking in 3rd and 4th gear. Interested in anyone’s comparison of the DSG & 6 speed manual with the same CR 170 engine.

Cruel comment to one who has on order another PD140.

Skoda won't do me an L&K with a CR170, or a 7 speed DSG.

But, it is VERY rare that anyone overtakes me. Love the DSG, far better than any other auto box I have driven. Sadly yes there are issues - slowing then trying to accelerate again, it has often still has the higher gear pre-selected so it has to think about it and select the lower one to accelerate again. Hope the new flappy paddles help on that one.

Cruel comment to one who has on order another PD140.

Skoda won't do me an L&K with a CR170, or a 7 speed DSG.

Sorry old chap, Skoda wont do it on the L&K as it will east into the VRS clientelle I reckon, esp those wanting leather and all the goodies that are common across the VRS & L&K ranges. Reading some comments about the Elegance Superb II CR 170, looks stunning value when you tot up what all its extras would cost on a CR 170 VRS.

http://briskoda.net/superb-ii/superb-bargain-octavia-too-expensive/153420/

It will adapt to you and vica versa. They are are doddle to drive in traffic,very smooth.

I think you have hit the nail on the head here, they do adapt to you and when taking a test drive you never know how it was driven before, I have been mainly motorway driving with it for 3 years, and it was a tad tricky in and out of 2nd in town. Now i drive in town like a nutter and it has adapted and is much smoother.

I think I've made up my mind to stick with a manual box.

The reasons being, I feel more in control with it, it's more involving.

When I tried the vRS with the DSG box, I could feel it trying to work out whether to go up or down, whilst doing lowish speeds (20-25mph) it was twitchy and whilst it was silky smooth on the move, it just didn't do anything for me & whilst I didn't initially find the twitchiness a problem, with hindsight I think it was irritating, I want it to make a proper decision either UP or DOWN, not keep flicking between the damned two!

Also I feel at odds with it not having a clutch pedal, when I drove it I felt that my left foot was actually a danger, it kept wanting to operate the clutch, but on my test run it accidentally operated the brake pedal & nearly sent the sales guy through the windscreen!

So in the short term it'll save me £1,110, it might cost me ever so slightly more fuel, but I think I can live with it, which is something I don't think I can do with a DSG.

Manual here as for me, the tactile use of the stick to shift up and down is all part of the driving experience. Auto or flappy paddles just doesn't have the same feel.

Manual also for me as i like to control the car.

I have the DSG. I wouldn't pay extra for it.

It's OK most of the time, but it's caught flat-footed far, far too often to be considered good; by which I mean it has anticipated the wrong next gear and then fannies about for too long before it shifts horribly into the correct one.

Also I would have to say that while in general I quite like self-shifters on diesel cars as the torque suits the lazy nature of an auto I don't share the same view with the petrol / auto combo in question here.

Add to that any reliability issues (perhaps not for a low-mileage new car buyer who expects to change before the warranty is out, but for me an issue with my 3 year old on an insurance warranty that does 30k miles per year) and I think that when I finish my current work contract and get a new one that hopefully pays better I might well move the Octy on, primarily because of the DSG 'box.

So in the short term it'll save me £1,110, it might cost me ever so slightly more fuel, but I think I can live with it, which is something I don't think I can do with a DSG.

Unless you chose the 1.8TSi, the DSG will not use less fuel, it will generally use more fuel.

The DSG only uses less fuel in the 1.8TSi, and 1.4TSI (Urban ONLY). On all others, the DSG uses more fuel!!!

Edited 14 August, 200916 yr by Gers
Add Indie's quote

Unless you chose the 1.8TSi, the DSG will not use less fuel, it will generally use more fuel.

The DSG only uses less fuel in the 1.8TSi, and 1.4TSI (Urban ONLY). On all others, the DSG uses more fuel!!!

The difference in mpg & emissions is negligible. With a DSG, you have choices - full automatic mode, sequential normal mode or sequential sport mode either via the stick or paddles and to round it off, a well rested left peg. With a manual it is one mode only and if you do not wish to over exercise the left peg best steer clear of traffic snarl ups.

Manual here as for me, the tactile use of the stick to shift up and down is all part of the driving experience. Auto or flappy paddles just doesn't have the same feel.

Many moons ago, my transport was an ANTAR, with 2 gear boxes. So you will understand why Im well happy with a DSG!

The Antar Web Site

Bassa, as I said in a previous post, when I was driving the 170CR DSG as I was going along at around 20-25mph, I could feel it constantly switching between two gears & it felt a little twitchy, don't get me wrong the car was rolling along quite smoothly not a hint of jerkiness, but I could feel it doing it.

Now that's not really what I expect from a DSG box, I was expecting it to be smooth & make positive & decisive changes not be twitchy or indecisive.

Also like I said when we came back to the garage, I made the mistake of using my left foot & nearly sent the salesman through the windscreen, it just feels exceptionally odd not using my left leg & foot and I don't feel that a DSG box would allow me enough fidelity in very low speeds (1-5mph) unlike a manual and as I see it my instinct to use my left leg & foot may cause a problem, as I've only ever driven a manual car before, so it's normal habit to use it.

Bassa, as I said in a previous post, when I was driving the 170CR DSG as I was going along at around 20-25mph, I could feel it constantly switching between two gears & it felt a little twitchy, don't get me wrong the car was rolling along quite smoothly not a hint of jerkiness, but I could feel it doing it.

Now that's not really what I expect from a DSG box, I was expecting it to be smooth & make positive & decisive changes not be twitchy or indecisive.

Also like I said when we came back to the garage, I made the mistake of using my left foot & nearly sent the salesman through the windscreen, it just feels exceptionally odd not using my left leg & foot and I don't feel that a DSG box would allow me enough fidelity in very low speeds (1-5mph) unlike a manual and as I see it my instinct to use my left leg & foot may cause a problem, as I've only ever driven a manual car before, so it's normal habit to use it.

The novice method with no clutch pedal car is to place your left foot behind your right leg until you adjust to it - the idle left foot soon becomes second nature and you do not even think about it - like riding a bike.

As to the indecision you found with the box, I can only speak as I find. My 7 speed DSG linked up to the 1.4 TSi is very smooth and very decisive - perhaps the extra ratio helps with this? Not being familiar with the 6 speed DSG, I'm in no position to comment. Having driven/owned other semi autos (Honda's i-Shift & Toyota's MMT) my DSG box is in a different league, far superior in every way.

This may be of interest to you IJ.

Volkswagen Group - The 7-speed DSG

Sorry, but I don't get the point you're trying to make?

I think Bassa is just trying to defend a very good gearbox. When I let my friends or work colleagues drive my car who are not used to it they don't seem to get on too well with it either. I can assure you that after a very short period of time you will get the hang of driving the DSG. The idol clutch leg problem would be behind you after a couple of days. I do approx. 80,000kms a year and am well into my fourth year with the DSG and I will probably never buy a manual again. Just to be clear, I am a motorsport entusiast, I enjoy "very" spirited driving, my hobby is motorcycling (Ducati 996S), the point I am trying to make is that the absence of a clutch pedal does not dilute the fun of driving in any way. Either way its a matter of personal choice, but you can take it from me, you will not be left wanting when it comes to enjoying your drive.

P.S Best of luck with the new car, whichever one you choose.

Sorry, but I don't get the point you're trying to make?

My point is that the DSG offers a varied choice of driving modes and each one is very satisfying according to your mood or road conditions. With a manual there is no choice and in very slow moving traffic I find it hard to believe that anyone actually enjoys the constant dipping/releasing of the clutch pedal. Taking into account economy and emissions, the DSGs in my opinion are the best by far of the auto/semi auto transmissions currently on offer. A manual car for me is now history but it is each to their own.

Good luck with your choice.

My point is that the DSG offers a varied choice of driving modes and each one is very satisfying according to your mood or road conditions. With a manual there is no choice and in very slow moving traffic I find it hard to believe that anyone actually enjoys the constant dipping/releasing of the clutch pedal. Taking into account economy and emissions, the DSGs in my opinion are the best by far of the auto/semi auto transmissions currently on offer. A manual car for me is now history but it is each to their own.

Good luck with your choice.

Well put