Hi All

As a member of this venerable owners club for 3 yrs now I know DSGs have been discussed a lot but it's difficult to find the old threads, hence asking again.

I'm going to trade Hetti (54400 mls now) in for a new L&K soon and was wondering about going for the DSG. User reviews, please.

Also, what's the best place to get the best discount on the new one once I've decided?

BTW, even We Buy Any Car has quoted £13,095 for Hetti! That's what I call keeping it's value. I'm waiting for local dealer's offer - I'll let you know.

Thanks for all your help guys 'n gals.

Trevor

Hi, Trevor I,ve just bought a 2ltr 140 DSG Elegance Yeti and had never driven this type of set-up before. Had always driven Manual so when I picked it up I was a little wary of what to expect.Let me ashure you it is the best combination of gearbox and engine I have ever driven.It is a daily pleasure to drive, and I can,t get enough of it.It is quite simply the best motor I have ever driven.

How,s that for a recommendation!!!

Tony

I know DSGs have been discussed a lot but it's difficult to find the old threads

Clicking on the little gear wheel next to the search field will take you to the advanced search screen where you can specify things like "DSG" as the search term, in thread titles only, and in the Yeti forums only. It's pretty easy to pick out the relevant threads from the resulting <3 page list.

(I don't have a DSG so this is the most useful contribution I can make to this thread.)

The only downside to the 140 DSG is the fuel economy.

The more modern dry clutch DSG boxes have better economy, but the 6 speed in the Yeti 4x4 is the old fashioned wet clutch.

Most of the DSG boxes in the VAG range now are the newer type.

Other than that, it's good.

Trevor,

I have a 140 diesel 4 x 4 with a DSG and I love it! So much better than the old slushmatic auto boxes in my previous cars.

It changes up and down in the blink of an eye. Sometimes you don't even know it has changed gear!

I do have concerns about the long term reliability of the box which you read about from time to time on the web. But for now, its the best! :love:

Buy with confidence!

Having got the dry plate DSG box in my Fabia, I can vouch for the smoothness and lightning quick changes this gearbox provides. I've been so impressed with mine that I've specced the 140 diesel 4 x 4 with a DSG box on the Yeti. Didn't even give a second thought to a manual box.

I did test drive the 140 diesel 4 x 4 with a manual gearbox and it felt, shall we say, agricultural at the side of my DSG-equipped Fabia. As others have said, it's not like a traditional 'slushy' automatic, more like a manual gearbox with automatic shifter if that makes sense.

It was the probable need to go auto that very quickly led me to the Yeti. Like so many others here, I wouldn't go back, even without the original reason for the change. M'lady, who drives because she must but hasn't enjoyed it in recent years, now finds driving less of a chore. We have the 140 diesel in order to handle a big caravan; I haven't towed yet (Annie wasn't run in last autumn) but I am looking forward to it - I have confidence now that the DSG will pick the 'sweet spot' to change up while I concentrate on the traffic patterns.

If economy is, for the prospective owner, a serious factor in choosing a car, then the rest of the selection algorithm (size of car/fuel/power/transmission etc) might not bring you down the Yeti route at all. If it's fun you're after, mpg isn't a critical factor, is it?!

I'd be happy to recommend the DSG but, if buying new again and thinking of keeping it in the longer term, I'd get the extra two year warranty just for peace of mind.

My last car (a Mitsubishi) had a dsg box which felt positively dangerous at times because of the way it would hang instead of providing an instant response when pulling out at a junction or a roundabout. When choosing a Yeti I didn't consider a dsg box, partly because I wanted my daughter who had just passed her test to gain more experience with a manual, and partly because I read frequent references in Honest John's answers http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/askhj/keywords/?word=DSG to drivers having problems with their Golfs. Before I got another car with dsg transmission I'd need a lot of convincing that the implementation provided safe response at all times, and that I was genuinely in control of gear selection.

The DSG box on the Yeti has none of the problems that Honest John might think it has without trying it and also has nothing to do with Mitsubishis difficulties in building a decent car. Like most on here who have used it I would never go back to manual. Don't get too concerned about mpg issues. I had a Yeti with the same engine and a manual box before and the actual difference is only 1 or 2 mpg.

DSG, best gearbox in the world, I've had 2 cars with DSG so far both faultless, it's just a shame my Yeti is manual, however the next Yeti will be DSG.

Hi Trevor,

I can't offer an opinion on DSG as I've a manual, but I'd be cautious about 'we buy any car.con' and similar set ups. I've seen a couple of shows on the box that have given this crew a bad review. Apparently what their rouse is they quote you their top dollar price, then when the come and view it they do the intenet equivelent of sucking air though their teeth and start knocking money of for this scratch and more of for that and so on so they end up offering you a lot less. Obviously what they 'report' on the telly is likely to be somewhat polar and biased towards what the editor wants but could be something to be wary of as if you decide to go with them and they try this stunt your options to then sell your current yeti might be limited if you've got your new one at the dealers ready and waiting depending on your personal circumstances

cheers

Ade

I've got 2 cars with DSG, one with the 6 speed , Yeti , and one with the 7 speed, California. Both are brilliant, haven't experienced the hesitation mentioned above, and actually prefer the responsiveness of the Yeti but could be a weight issue with the Cali To be fair but can't see me going back to manual gearbox, as if I need to, I have one by just moving the lever across and get control of gear etc but rarely used in normal driving. Any gearbox can fail and only the ones that do will get highlighted on forums or Honest John type websites. Not to say they are wrong but out of the oodles of DSG boxes made, law of averages says some must fail as do 'standard boxes' but would I ever go back to non DSG? Not a chance.

DSG = Awesome! End of.

California??? You have a Ferrari?? Now I'm jealous :'(

Hi, Trevor I,ve just bought a 2ltr 140 DSG Elegance Yeti and had never driven this type of set-up before. Had always driven Manual so when I picked it up I was a little wary of what to expect.Let me ashure you it is the best combination of gearbox and engine I have ever driven.It is a daily pleasure to drive, and I can,t get enough of it.It is quite simply the best motor I have ever driven.

How,s that for a recommendation!!!

Tony

Same here. My other car (currently for sale) is a WRX which I have had since new in 2005 is a manual. I absolutly love my new DSG Yeti. It took a little to get used to but I've done some spirited driving and once you know how to work it, it's fantastic.

Happy Days.

Pros of DSG:

• Almost all gear changes up are incredibly smooth, and most but not all down-changes are also smooth
  
• More efficient than a torque converter box.
  
• Manual control of each gear available if desired.
  
• The lag issues often commented upon seem to have been resolved. If I want a very quick getaway, I would use S mode.
  
• Matches the 1.2 TSI well, and down-changes quickly to get more power from higher engine speed.
  
• Real-life acceleration tends to be quicker than the equivalent manual.
  
• As with most automatics, you may be able to achieve a more ergonomic seating position, because you don't have to set your seat distance to put the clutch all the way down with your left foot, whereas your right foot will almost never move so far down.
  

Cons:

• Requires a delicate right foot to avoid a jerk when pulling away from stand-still
  
• Does not recognise hand-brake as a brake, therefore tries to pull against it. If you do not like keeping your foot on the brake at rest, you will need to move from D to N.
  
• S mode is too aggressive for most driving.
  
• With the 1.2 TSI DSG, the box changes up very quickly, which can cause minor issues on large roundabouts on exit, where it thinks you have reached cruising speed on the roundabout itself, and is in too high a gear for acceleration after the exit.
  
• Slow speed manoeuvres in confined spaces can be a little tricky because the pull at idle is quite strong.
  
• To achieve long life may require avoiding bad gearbox habits such as using the slippage to hold you stationary on a slight slope.
  

Ultimately, it's best to drive one. You'll either love it or hate it. Even if you can't manage to try one in a Yeti, you can get an idea by driving the equivalent in other VAG cars - in my opinion, the similarities are much greater than the differences, even between a 6-speed wet-clutch diesel and a 7-speed dry-clutch petrol.

Hope that helps.

Edited 29 January, 201313 yr by Zib

Pros of DSG:

• Almost all gear changes up are incredibly smooth, and most but not all down-changes are also smooth
  
• More efficient than a torque converter box.
  
• Manual control of each gear available if desired.
  
• The lag issues often commented upon seem to have been resolved. If I want a very quick getaway, I would use S mode.
  
• Matches the 1.2 TSI well, and down-changes quickly to get more power from higher engine speed.
  
• Real-life acceleration tends to be quicker than the equivalent manual.
  
• As with most automatics, you may be able to achieve a more ergonomic seating position, because you don't have to set your seat distance to put the clutch all the way down with your left foot, whereas your right foot will almost never move so far down.
  

Cons:

• Requires a delicate right foot to avoid a jerk when pulling away from stand-still
  
• Does not recognise hand-brake as a brake, therefore tries to pull against it. If you do not like keeping your foot on the brake at rest, you will need to move from D to N.
  
• S mode is too aggressive for most driving.
  
• With the 1.2 TSI DSG, the box changes up very quickly, which can cause minor issues on large roundabouts on exit, where it thinks you have reached cruising speed on the roundabout itself, and is in too high a gear for acceleration after the exit.
  
• Slow speed manoeuvres in confined spaces can be a little tricky because the pull at idle is quite strong.
  
• To achieve long life may require avoiding bad gearbox habits such as using the slippage to hold you stationary on a slight slope.
  

Ultimately, it's best to drive one. You'll either love it or hate it. Even if you can't manage to try one in a Yeti, you can get an idea by driving the equivalent in other VAG cars - in my opinion, the similarities are much greater than the differences, even between a 6-speed wet-clutch diesel and a 7-speed dry-clutch petrol.

Hope that helps.

Absolutely spot on!!!!!

Probably the best description of one I've seen.

Had my DSG Yeti now just over a month and cannot find anything to persuade me it could be a mistake, it is absolutely fabulous and I would recommend it.

Incidentally, I have noticed that the gear knob on my model is different to others seen on the forum, it has an almost invisible button to the front of the knob rather than at the side, I assume this is a recent change and seems in a better position as your forward fingers engage the button

Edited 29 January, 201313 yr by jonceebee

Had my DSG Yeti now just over a month and cannot find anything to persuade me it could be a mistake, it is absolutely fabulous and I would recommend it.

Incidentally, I have noticed that the gear knob on my model is different to others seen on the forum, it has an almost invisible button to the front of the knob rather than at the side, I assume this is a recent change and seems in a better position as your forward fingers engage the button

Any chance of a picture? Have to say I don't find any problem with the side mounted button but I might just have got used to it. I don't like the styling of my Yeti's knob (ooh err missus) - too big, too chrome, too american. The wife's Fabia has a much better looking one.

I have a DSG 140 diesel and love it. It is my first automatic car and I too will never go back to a manual (but have to admit that as you can see in the signature, there is a manual Mazda MX-5 to play with should I want to use a clutch).

Nothing beats the relaxed drive in a Yeti DSG though. You can do hundreds of miles a day without ache or pain and the DSG just adds to that ease. One more advantage not menioned yet is that the cruise control works without being interupted as it does on a manual car with a clutch (depressing the clutch or the brake pedal switches the cruise contol off in a manual car). So in France you slow down for the Peage, pay and as you exit you click Resume on the cruise control stalk and the car goes through all the gears to the desired speed with you doing but only the steering! Easy peasy. Same going up and down hills of course with the cruise control on. You never touch anything bar the steering wheel for mile, upon mile, upon mile as the DSG does the gears as appropriate to keep the speed up and downhill.

Only negative thing as stated is the (relative) fuel consumption. But that I knew of beforehand and it is part of the price you pay for how amazing it is the rest of the time. And to be honest long distance 39 to 40mpg ain't that bad. It is just in town where my 34mpg is a bit harder to swallow...

Never having tried the DSG can anyone out there give me their views on whether you experience greater brake wear as you will not necessarily be using engine/change down braking as in the manual version?

Thanks

Never having tried the DSG can anyone out there give me their views on whether you experience greater brake wear as you will not necessarily be using engine/change down braking as in the manual version?

Thanks

If driven properly you can still make use of engine braking. You just let go of the throttle and as the speed decreases it changes down and you get engine braking.

Phil

Never having tried the DSG can anyone out there give me their views on whether you experience greater brake wear as you will not necessarily be using engine/change down braking as in the manual version?

Thanks

The latest DSG has an angle sensor and an accelerometer as part of the package. So if on a level surface you let go totally of the throttle it will stay in the gear you're in and it will slow the car down with engine braking. If you are going downhill or if you press the brake pedal it will automatically go down a gear (the older DSGs did not do this however) and stay in that gear (slowing the car with engine braking) until you accelerate again. At this point you can even let go of the brake (and no throttle) and the car will crawl down the hill (just like as if you were doing it in say 2nd gear in a manual car, or whatever gear is appropriate). All of this with the gearlever in D. Tipping the gearlever to the left an going to the Tiptronic mode and manually dropping gears and hold them, of course does the same. By why bother doing that if it does it for you in D? Doing it either way means you use the brakes exactly the same amount as you would have in a manual car.

Thanks for two speedy replies!

Any chance of a picture? Have to say I don't find any problem with the side mounted button but I might just have got used to it. I don't like the styling of my Yeti's knob (ooh err missus) - too big, too chrome, too american. The wife's Fabia has a much better looking one.

Photo's as requested, sorry about the quality camera phone in bad weather outside

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Edited 30 January, 201313 yr by jonceebee