I'm thinking of ordering a 105TSi with DSG box this week. This would be my first auto box and I confess ignorance regarding how secure parking is likely to be on my rather steep drive with a DSG box.

Does the Park setting employ any engine braking? I have never felt secure parking my manual Fabia without it being in gear.

Also, has anyone had any luck recently in getting any more than the 20% VAT discount from a dealer?

You have got the normal hand brake which is keeps my car steady on the infamous "hilltoon" which is a good 30° slope for 100m or so.

Plus you'll have Park brakes, which lock the fronts, so you basically have all four wheels locked with brakes so shouldn't move anywhere.

Agree with what apmaman says, couldnt have put it better myself. If your car was ever to be towed from car park etc they would have to lift, as hand brake locks rear wheels and gearbox locks front wheels when put in 'P'

When the gearbox is in park, it locks it in gear. That's why you have neutrel aswell

Would you leave a manual in gear with the handbrake off?

When the gearbox is in park, it locks it in gear. That's why you have neutrel aswell

Wiki quote:

"P position of the floor-mounted gear shift lever means that the transmission is set in "Park". Both clutch packs are fully disengaged, all gear-sets are disengaged, and a solid mechanical transmission 'lock' is applied to the crown wheel of the DSG's internal differential."

Doesn't sound like it's being locked in-gear, but rather a separate locking mechanism takes over. Maybe that's why User Manual states that on flat surfaces, just leaving it in "P" suffices. (Although I can't get rid of the old habbit of handbrake myself)

"Would you leave a manual in gear with the handbrake off?"

Yes,

there are times that you might want to.

possibly when parking up in very cold weather for any time.

Bricks or Breeze blocks in front of the wheels.......

(remember to move them, or tell the next driver they are there, take them away, do not leave Breeze Blocks at the road side).....

Or not applying the Hand Brake right after the Discs have been getting a Cooking.

But then that is different senarios.

This is not a serious post,!!! but it is a real life Senario.

george

EDIT, PS

A wee picture incase anyone that does not know Dundee

& might wonder why a Good 'P' & hand brake and turn your wheel into the kerb is still important.

(in the old days of cars with bad handbrakes, Bricks in the boot, for parking on the Hilltown.)

If I were to leave my car for an age, then I would leave the brake off. Or more likely, forget and come back to seized brakes...

Piddly drums on the back of my Monte though, so I could push it free.

the infamous hilltoon! i remember going down there in my old fabia and my brakes failed. had to throw up the hand brake and engine brake to save me smashing into the wellgate.

turned out a brake pad material had fallen away from its backing plate and cut the pipe.. still got the pad as a reminder... scary stuff!

Only possible issue with using "P" is that its not an absolute brake - it won't move, but there's some play in that the car can move an inch or two due to backlash (its normal). Also, if parked on a good hill, you some times get a "clunk" when taking it out of Park as the cars weight has been on the mechanism.

Been driving autos/DSG for a few years and unless I need to keep the car in exactly the spot i've stopped (like hitching up a trailer) then the only time my handbrake gets used is MoT time!

"Would you leave a manual in gear with the handbrake off?"

Yes,

there are times that you might want to.

possibly when parking up in very cold weather for any time.

When parking the car for weeks, in any weather.

There were times when I would be lightening it off its tyres maybe in that situation.

Or around some areas, someone will put it on bricks for you, if you wanted or not.

The Hilltoon would have been one such area, or Beachie.

george