VW UP! review of ASG

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/up/61316/volkswagen-asg

I'd have bet my mortgage on some magazines saying that. I get the impression that all they've driven is manuals and have no idea how to drive an auto be it "a proper one" or an automated manual. Adapt your driving style to suit the lurch between gears and accept it, and you'll be fine. If you're expecting it to slot into gear like a manual, then don't bother buying one. The mere fact that it's linked with $ hitroen, says it all really. I won't be bothering to try one.

Well, ordered an AGS in early October... But I am an old man, no hurry anymore (well, inside an impatient youngster)... Exciting, waiting for delivery.

Never too keen on Auto Express opinions. Auto box linked to a small engine is never going to be as smooth as a big car but lots of people have this marriage and love it.

The shifts are a bit slow compared to the new DSG boxes, but are fine for pottering about.

It's when you press on they get a bit clunky. So it suits a relaxed driving style.

I'd be more interested in how it rates against other small auto's.

I mean how bad is it against say the smartcar's autobox for example.

It's smoother than the old Smart gearbox, although (understandably) you still get the lull between gears.

In my opinion it isn't that it's slow to change gear, it's that it doesn't hold the revs when you need it to.

I.e. you pull out at a roundabout, by the time you are one car lengths forward you're having to wait over a second while it chooses second by which time there's usually something right behind you. I agree that you have to adapt your driving style but that means you can forget every single gap in traffic you ever used to nip into. In a city car this is unforgivable.

I have driven probably 100+ cars in my time and the ASG Skoda is the worst I've experienced (in my opinion of course!)

In my opinion it isn't that it's slow to change gear, it's that it doesn't hold the revs when you need it to.

I.e. you pull out at a roundabout, by the time you are one car lengths forward you're having to wait over a second while it chooses second by which time there's usually something right behind you. I agree that you have to adapt your driving style but that means you can forget every single gap in traffic you ever used to nip into. In a city car this is unforgivable.

I have driven probably 100+ cars in my time and the ASG Skoda is the worst I've experienced (in my opinion of course!)

I have no idea whether your opinion re the ASG is shared by others, I only know I once had a Nissan Primera sport 2.0 with CVT and that was the same, A cracking car but it took an eternity to get off the mark, as a result pulling out into traffic was a nightmare..damn dangerous.

Does it not have a manual mode that coud be used to hold on to a gear when you need to?

Yup...

Don't forget the gearbox can't see the road or know whats going on inside your head - only respond to the inputs it gets.

If its changing up a gear within a car length or so, then it must be on a very light throttle - which doesn't seem a marvellous way to drive onto an island?

Does it not have a manual mode that coud be used to hold on to a gear when you need to?

The MMT/ASG gear boxes have both auto and manual gear change possibility and not only that (at least in Toyota MMT and perhaps in VW ASG) you can shift from the auto to manual while on the move. This is exactly what I do when approaching roundabouts and junction. As you slow down the car (even in manual mode) the car automatically shifts down to 1st or 2nd gear and it will hold that gear till you shift up manually. So the trick is to change to manual if you are approaching a troublesome roundabout (just flick the gear!), slow down (it will downshift by itself), quick stop and then into the round about in the gear chosen by the car (usually 1st gear). As you pull into the round about, change gear to 2nd and 3rd and so on. After leaving the round about and on reaching an open stretch of road continue to drive in 4th or 5th gear manually or flick the gear to automatic on the move. This way the hesitation at junctions and round about disappears and you will get to grip with this car. Besides driving it in manual mode occaisonally adjusts the clutch gap automatically (according to one of the Toyota mechanic, in a toyota Aygo forum) and this is good for your clutch. Having used our Aygo in both manual and auto mode for the past one year, I am very happy with it. I change from one to another on the move depending on the road situation and my mood. It is all about adjusting to new technology!

Edited 28 November, 201213 yr by raj55

Makes sense as even with the DSG you need to adapt how you drive slightly.

The MMT/ASG gear boxes have both auto and manual gear change possibility and not only that (at least in Toyota MMT and perhaps in VW ASG) you can shift from the auto to manual while on the move. This is exactly what I do when approaching roundabouts and junction. As you slow down the car (even in manual mode) the car automatically shifts down to 1st or 2nd gear and it will hold that gear till you shift up manually. So the trick is to change to manual if you are approaching a troublesome roundabout (just flick the gear!), slow down (it will downshift by itself), quick stop and then into the round about in the gear chosen by the car (usually 1st gear). As you pull into the round about, change gear to 2nd and 3rd and so on. After leaving the round about and on reaching an open stretch of road continue to drive in 4th or 5th gear manually or flick the gear to automatic on the move. This way the hesitation at junctions and round about disappears and you will get to grip with this car. Besides driving it in manual mode occaisonally adjusts the clutch gap automatically (according to one of the Toyota mechanic, in a toyota Aygo forum) and this is good for your clutch. Having used our Aygo in both manual and auto mode for the past one year, I am very happy with it. I change from one to another on the move depending on the road situation and my mood. It is all about adjusting to new technology!

Hi Raj,

Good response and well put. I would agree fully but it seems the only way to make it less hateful is to use your 'workaround.'

I'm not saying it should be as good as a DSG or the latest ZF unit but it's designed for the city and to say you just need to faff with its manual capabilities just to do what it ought to is criminal on VW Group's part.

But then I maybe wasn't being manly enough on the throttle? Good grief! :-) Sarcasm mode back off.

Edited 28 November, 201213 yr by pumpsmynads

Just had an automatic as a loan car for the day. Don't like it one bit :no:

The changes can best be described as "a manual in slow motion", taking far longer than any other a/box I've experienced.

Unless it's being pushed quite briskly the car slows a little during every up change. It's something that an owner would probably get used to, but I wouldn't want to.

Shame, 'cos otherwise it's quite a nice little car.