http://www.topgear.c...ment-2011-09-15

It's annoying this, because while a double-clutch gearbox works extremely well on a track, and is fine on the open road, it is annoying and useless in traffic. Because you don't get the slip of a proper manual or the creep on an auto, it is always jerky. And remarkably slow to respond when you are doing three mph in a motorway crawl, and you want to change lanes... wait for it... wait... hang on... NOW.

It won't be ready, and when it is ready, the guy coming up on your inside will have realised what you were attempting to do and closed the gap. You are therefore imprisoned by the limitations of a DSG. You are a hostage to the well-being of the giant panda.

Rubbish imo as I've always found it really responsive and it creeps fine but then again I've only owned the car for 5 days so what do I know eh. What does everyone else think?

He must hate quite a few cars then. The amount of manufacturers putting double clutch gearboxes in their cars. So he can't like the BMW Z4, Ferrari 599, Nissan GTR....list goes on. He'd have been out of a job long ago if anyone took his reviews seriously

On a different note, says the Aventador lacks the 'absolute terror' feeling. Is that the sort of nonsense review who said the S3 was too "clinical"?

Got to agree with him when really hammering it like on a track dsg is awesome. But sometimes you just want that control over the clutch in traffic, and reversing.

Ive driven many a semi auto and full auto cars. And at somepoint in a journey I could quiet easily relate to his points.

http://www.topgear.c...ment-2011-09-15

What does everyone else think?

Personally, I think he's talking a load of old

Bullsh*t. It's fast and accurate, if you want control, you can have it. Put the gear in manual, or just use the paddles. Sometimes he just want to upset people

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The true test of any gearbox is when it gets slippery, in conditions such as snow and slush, and that is when a manual comes into its own. One thing you do have to realise is this, once a car with DSG gets to say 6-8 years old, and it develops a serious fault in the gearbox, it's going only 1 place.

Faults are things made to be fixed.

With all the benefits of a DSG, there is really nothing that can make not worth it having it.

I can't live without the DSG and will NEVER buy a such thing as an old technical gearbox as a manual or automatic. Those times are gone...

The DSG is the next step in the developing of evolution...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited 19 September, 201114 yr by Dekagon

The DSG is the next step in the developing of evolution...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As confirmed by a Skoda Assist mechanic yesterday (who is called out to DSG cars) we are not yet at the point where DSG is THE box to have as there are still far to many failures, get a good one and you will be fine, buy a bad one (out of warranty) and you wish you had never heard about DSG!

I truely believe DSG type of boxes is the way forward - but we are not there yet.

Until then I am happy for all the DSG owners to continue being beta testers so VAG can get it right.

http://www.topgear.c...ment-2011-09-15

Rubbish imo as I've always found it really responsive and it creeps fine but then again I've only owned the car for 5 days so what do I know eh. What does everyone else think?

Clarkson in "talking utter ****e" non-shocker.

Clarkson is doing his job very well.

He is provoking a reaction.

I own a manual and I've driven DSG a fair bit. While it's pretty smooth and great in most circumstances, there is certainly a lack of ability to easily just drop a cog and boot it unless you're in the manual mode.

Sure it's pretty responsive, but not perfect.

More to the point, it doesn't appear to have a winter mode or any such similar things and when it goes wrong is very expensive. A new DSG box will cost more than the value of a 6 year old car to replace.

When they have it more reliable and managed to get a winter mode in it will be better, but for now I'm happy for others to keep testing (as said above).

I have an auto only licence so can speak with some authority. DSG is good but tiptronics if you use D most of the time are a whole load better. So the man is right for once, although how he knows anything about a car costing less than £100k is beyond me. He's used to a 599 with its "flappypaddle" box that changes in a millisecond. No DSG will ever do that.

Clarkson is doing his job very well.

He is provoking a reaction.

Definitely. I "acquired" all the Top Gear episodes and I've noticed he contradicts himself all the time. In one series he loves something about a car then the next he hates it and vice versa. I've gone now I don't watch it for reviews but purely for entertainment. The last good thing they did was the Senna tribute imo.

As I've said I'm still getting used to it but I'm loving it so far. In D it's better than any other auto I've driven so far. Some have been so slow to respond I'd call them dangerous. Paddles are spot on, it's responsive, not jerky and I haven't been in a situation where I've thought I need more control. As for it potentially not being good in ice or snow I'm not sure. There's Mk2 Fabia vRS drivers who drive in icy conditions regularly with no problems with winter tyres. It's only for at most a few days for us anyway and I won't be using the car if I can help it. Far too many other drivers not driving to the conditions.

I'll be doing more driving with in over the next few weeks commuting into Swansea which should give me an idea of how good it really is.

Clarkson is doing his job very well.

He is provoking a reaction.

So what if Jeremy Paxman said that Osama Bin Laden was a "bloody nice bloke"?

That's bound to provoke a reaction, but wouldn't mean he's doing his job well :no:

I drove a 4 year old Passat with a DSG box the other day. The first task was to pull out onto a busy road, pressed the accelerator and absolutely nothing happened for a couple of seconds. It didn't make a good impression on me at all. As a concept it's good, as a product it's not as good as it should be. It's expensive, complicated and requires £200 throwing at it every 40,000 miles and that's if nothing goes wrong with it. I can see faulty DSG boxes being the cause of many a good car getting scrapped before its time.

I hope that the 7 speed dry version is better than the old one.

I have no problems and if off boost occasionally, just hit the paddle shifts (-)and away you go

Winter mode?

You dont need it..Just get winter tyres...it then goes anywhere!!

So what if Jeremy Paxman said that Osama Bin Laden was a "bloody nice bloke"?

That's bound to provoke a reaction, but wouldn't mean he's doing his job well :no:

That depends what you think Jeremy Paxman's job is, but I'm not sure that's a topic for debate on this thread Bryan.

I wonder what his thoughts would be if every car for the past 100 years had only been available with DSG and a manual clutch and gearbox was the new innovation?

What on earth are manufacturers thinking making me use my left foot!

The Nissan GTR has proved very reliable so far, not a single Auto Box failure in the UK to report of(From a Nissan sales brochure dated april 2011)

If Nissan can make a DSG box perfect the first time.... and it really is very good(i've been lucky enough to drive my realistic dream car twice now)

Unrealistic dream car is an £730,000 Zonda F

It's a Shame the VAG group with all their amassed wealth haven't managed to make it as good as it could be too.

i think they should contact Nissan for some info on making cars :p

I have no problems and if off boost occasionally, just hit the paddle shifts (-)and away you go

Winter mode?

You dont need it..Just get winter tyres...it then goes anywhere!!

Winter tyres only solve some problems.

You sometimes still have to start in second and put the gas in very slowly to get away.

That was on winter tyres too.

At the risk of getting flamed hugely, I can't help but think that those who like/own DSG refuse to accept a bad word spoken about it. . .

Personally, I'd rather have a manual regardless unless health dictated otherwise.

At the risk of getting flamed hugely, I can't help but think that those who like/own DSG refuse to accept a bad word spoken about it. . .

Personally, I'd rather have a manual regardless unless health dictated otherwise.

Mine's a DSG and I said that tiptronic is better. Confused. :wonder:

Ok then, the majority.

Didn't see what yours was either in my defense as you didn't say in the other post/profile. :p

We have a 7 speed DSG... but I prefer a manual.

Which was why I looked at a mkII Fabia VRS and then bought the latest mkI I could find. I just find it more... engaging.

But the DSG is better for daily plodding.

Generally people prefer whatever they have, as they bought someting they like.

My Octy had the 6 speed DSG and I hated it in heavy traffic. I also didn't like the feel of the drag when you are stationary, it isn't quite the same feeling as with a conventional auto. It put me off getting a DSG with my current car, although I gather they are considerable better than the earlier versions.