Hi guys, Just looking to trade to a VRS CR TDi and have the option of 2 one manual and one DSG near enough same price and spec just the gearboxes that separate them i've not yet had chance to drive the DSG but quite fancy one in theory. I'm just worried about the faults i've read about DSG boxes granted not found many on skodas how has your experiences been? would you reccomend one/ buy again or should i stick to manual for peace of mind/ reliability?

Please be gentle its my first post and at the moment a hated BMW driver which i have loved the last few years but the mrs is doing more and more miles in it for work now and it's just not practical. i'll openly admit i wasn't taken on the idea of a skoda until i had a test drive in a VRS, cracking balance of value for money practicality and great driving fun it really did surprise me, so much so i will own one by the end of the month just looking for a few pointers whilst i'm waiting to get chance to test one myself.

Dsg with 105k : Zero problems, will never go back to manual.

Edited 14 April, 201115 yr by mcgiver

Deal done all being well collecting black vrs manual estate on Saturday 200 miles away so will test it out on the way home. Thanks again guys

I think you have made the right choice. I was going to add that the 6 speed box on my car is a delight to use - positive changes and very light clutch. And even with my humble 1.4 you can have some fun "stirring" the gearbox! Hope you enjoy your new car.

I've got DSG on my L+K and went to it from a Merc Auto.

Would I have another - no way! It's rough, jerky and un smooth compared to the Merc. I would seriously consider buying a manual instead of another DSG or buying another Merc!

Maybe I have been spoilt as Merc are known for there auto gearboxes.

My penny's worth.

Tom

I like my DSG, but I would test drive both in your usual daily commute and then make your choice.

LOVE ! my DSG !

Until last Friday I was driving an 07 L&K tdi (early model L&K so basically an Elegance with some "tweaks") Am now driving an 11 "true" L&K which is an MY11 version i.e. CR diesel and much improved noise reduction.

The new DSG in this car is FANTASTIC ! much smoother than the 07 (and I thought that was good !)

Would say to anyone considering which to go for to go "auto"

Rockhopper,

Sorry about the possible ambiguity but i DO have the hill holder feature.

I think part of my percieved problem is the 2 second delay before releasing......... plus the fact that it only works on slopes over x% gradient i.e. not on all slopes........ therefore the performance is not consistent or perdictable?

Or is it just me?

*****************

TopCat 2006

Regarding the comment about the Mercedes auto box, I would 100% agree, but then they are torque converter types, so should indeed be slushy smooth.

I commented in an earlier post that I much preferred the wifies Steyr Puch van for slow speed manouveruing, simply modulating progress with the footbrake.

However the DSG comes into its own once on the open road with the better fuel economy.

Simples.

Edited 15 April, 201115 yr by dieseldogg

Hmmm,

I think in general people are going to champion what they own (of course ).

I took the manual for two reasons:

I like the feel of a manual box (I think it's more of a driving experience, but I appreciate that that's an entirely subjective opinion)

But more importantly it'll be much cheaper in the long run. I've bought the car with the expectation of owning it 'till the wheels fall off, therefore I wanted the cheaper, mechanically simpler option.

But there's no doubting that DSG is the future direction of gearboxes and that it works damned well (I did test drive it).

At the end of the day I'd take both out for a spin in both stop start and long haul conditions and then consider your long-term plans....

cheers

Chris.

Rockhopper,

Sorry about the possible ambiguity but i DO have the hill holder feature.

I think part of my percieved problem is the 2 second delay before releasing......... plus the fact that it only works on slopes over x% gradient i.e. not on all slopes........ therefore the performance is not consistent or perdictable?

Or is it just me?

*****************

TopCat 2006

Regarding the comment about the Mercedes auto box, I would 100% agree, but then they are torque converter types, so should indeed be slushy smooth.

I commented in an earlier post that I much preferred the wifies Steyr Puch van for slow speed manouveruing, simply modulating progress with the footbrake.

However the DSG comes into its own once on the open road with the better fuel economy.

Simples.

Having come from an 'original' DSG box on my previous Octavia, the Yeti one is sooo much better. Almost like a 'real' auto. I had 2 BMW 5 series tiptronic e39's before the Octavia and thought that those boxes were brilliant. I didn't know anything about the DSG at that point. I need to have an auto for back reasons. I can't live with a manual. I tried last year for a few months whilst waiting for my Yeti to arrive after I sold my Octavia too quickly.....I had rather too many visits to the osteopath.

I have not found any problems with the DSG other than, at a certain speed, if I want to accelerate, I put my foot down and it changes down and accelerates forward rather faster than I was expecting, but all autos do this to some extent - my IAM observer in his Rav 4 has the same problem in his 'real' auto. In 99.9% of the time the gear is perfect, unless I over ride using the paddles and I have learnt to take the foot off the brake slowly on any incline and the 'creep' will sort out any inclines below 3% or whatever it is.

I think they are great for driving around town and on the NCP carpark called the M25 as well as on the open road, or even round the track at Castle Coombe.

I think that the currrent DSG is now as good as the 'real' torque converter autos available out there now, but you don't have to stand on the brake so much when you are in slow moving traffic (I was given a 1.2 micro auto as a courtesy car a while back and found it hard to stop it compared to the octavia) ....and coupled with the diesel engine they have the best engine braking out there.

Hmmm,

I think in general people are going to champion what they own (of course ).

I took the manual for two reasons:

I like the feel of a manual box (I think it's more of a driving experience, but I appreciate that that's an entirely subjective opinion)

But more importantly it'll be much cheaper in the long run. I've bought the car with the expectation of owning it 'till the wheels fall off, therefore I wanted the cheaper, mechanically simpler option.

But there's no doubting that DSG is the future direction of gearboxes and that it works damned well (I did test drive it).

At the end of the day I'd take both out for a spin in both stop start and long haul conditions and then consider your long-term plans....

cheers

Chris.

I think you did right and you are right when you talk about subjective opinion.

For me dsg is only less stress when i hit long queues and arriving less tired at destination. That's all.

And actually the decision was simples for us .............. with the wifes left kneed being fully replaced but still crippled with arthritis, to the point of being virtually locked straight.

We NEEDED the DSG or some other automatic, I tink I am resigned to paying for extended warrenty....or not & save the substantial pennies? ......just in case.....

Cheers

M

I considered a DSG but the Fuel consumption penalty of about 8 or 9 Miles per gallon is too high.

More complexity more expensive to run. Keep it simple is the answer stay with the MANUAL TRANNY.

DSG is great, really very good but there are always times when I would love to have a manual, when really wanting to press on and on silly things like roundabouts (especially modern ones where the view of oncoming traffic has been deliberately obscured).

When I had a manual there were times, 2 hour tailbacks for instance, when I would have done anything to have a DSG.

Not sure anyone has covered this point but one big part of the reason I went for DSG (7 speed on the 1.8 TSI) was its better fuel consumption and more relaxed revs over manual.

The 7 DSG DSG does 2 mpg better than the manual. It does not hurt acceleration as the 7 speed is about half the weight of the 6 speed DSG. In 7th gear the engine is turning at 29 mph per 1000 rpm, much higher than the TSI VRS which I feel needs another gear when driving.

CO2 is also lower on the 1.8 TSI DSG.

I do not think this is the case with the diesel and the 6 speed DSG. I had one in my SEAT and whilst fine it did not help fuel consumption but was slightly worse than manual's figures. Both on the stats and my drving experience I would not buy a diesel DSG again but the TSI and 7 speeed DSG are a perfect match particularly in the 1.8 TSI where it outshines the manual and with the fact you get the VAT deal off the DSG ie pay less than £1k for it then happy days!

Edited 22 April, 201115 yr by lol

Drove a new A3 with DSG yesterday and didn't think it felt much different to my Octy to be honest. The changes might have been a little smoother, but as you come to a stop it still felt a bit grabby.. I am assuming the gearbox is pretty similar to the current Skoda ones.

The box allows you to put it into neutral just before stopping, to stop smoothly.

Dont worry about the DSG reliability,my dad has a octavia TDI DSG as a taxi,just checked there and it has 237k miles on it,and not a bother,plus the car pulls 2 boats,a caravan and trailer with motorbikes,best gearbox we've ever had,im going with one on my new VRS.

The box allows you to put it into neutral just before stopping, to stop smoothly.

Nice to know that you can 'drive round' these problems, but it shouldn't be doing it in the first place surely?

Nice to know that you can 'drive round' these problems, but it shouldn't be doing it in the first place surely?

Mine is silky smooth coming to a stop in "D" - never feel a single change all the way from 7 down to 1.

In "S" it is just as smooth except 3 to 2 and 2 to 1 - you feel these changes but not enough to worry about - and certainly a darned sight smoother than many folk can manage in a manual.

For me the biggest advantage of the DSG is the smooth gear change under hard acceleration - much more comfortable for the passengers.

This is the first auto I have owned and it won't be the last.

Had the 6 speed DSG in one of my old Octavia's and have regretted not having one since.

Never mind... new car will have one and there's no choice either way

Nice to know that you can 'drive round' these problems, but it shouldn't be doing it in the first place surely?

I believe it's a situation where the gearbox stays in first gear (ready to accelerate), as it cannot ever know if you are only slowing down, or needing to stop. (it's not about gearing down from 7th, only coming to a halt). Someone else mentioned this solution and it prevents that last second stop-jerk as the brakes grab.

Mine doesn't grab coming to a halt, i only go to neutral before halting when i'm rolling up to a stop light or something.

One thing i have noticed when talking about DSGs with others is it really matters when yours was made, the newest ones seem to be the best. All the common issues i read about just don't happen with mine. I've never come across a better auto box.

Mine doesn't grab coming to a halt, i only go to neutral before halting when i'm rolling up to a stop light or something.

As you say yours "doesn't grab coming to a halt", why do you go into neutral BEFORE halting then?, & not after you've stopped.

Have a think about that one, it's pretty obvious :-)

Have a think about that one, it's pretty obvious :-)

Yes, mine does'nt grab when im rolling either, only when I stop whilst still in D.

cheers

Is it definitely ok? Might be worth having the adaptation sequence run on it (via dealer or Vagcom), although if it's had it's oil changed recently that will also have been done by the dealer.

Have a think about that one, it's pretty obvious :-)

Im with newbie on this i cant see why you would move to N when still moving. im no auto box spesh but i dont think it will do the box any good to be moving that way when still moving. and if you have to do that to the box to keep it smooth then it's just a waste of money. ur money ur choice no one else's