As a general rule mostly only when I'm above 60mph unless I'm  downhill or in eco drive between 50 an 60  

 

My Bravo with a mighty 105 bhp will cope with 6th quite happily at 40-ish, so if a VRS is nearly stalling then there's something wrong with it.

 

If Kit has a CR then he's correct. CRs don't produce maximum torque until 1750 rpm and are relatively flat below that compared to when the torque kicks in. My 1.4tsi pulled better from 1000 rpm than my Blackline does..... but from 1750 its a totally different story. The torque band on the CR is quite narrow compared to a petrol engine which has a greater rev range too. Don't forget one mans 6th gearing is different to anothers and the CR has a top speed of 140 and a relatively short rev range so 6th gear is relatively high which is why it doesn't like pootling at 40 in 6th

Petrol vRS Fl here and I use the 6th gear alot....

Kit I use 6th the whole time usually change into 6th at about 80kmh/50mph my mpg reading usually rises slightly then. Use 6th the whole time N roads/Dual Carriageways and Motorways. Granted I daily a 5 speed Transporter and do often forget that there is a 6th in the car

 

120kmh is 75mph for the users of imperial.

I don't put mine into 6th at all. The DSG does it for me

 

 

Cool

My vRS FL CR DSG will change up at the following speeds on a level road and a light throttle:

 

To 4th at 28mph

To 5th at 32mph

To 6th at 37mph.

 

I am astonished at the steepness of hill the car will climb at 30mph in 4th.

 

However, in traffic 6th gear at 40mph just feels wrong to me.  40 in 4th is 2000rpm which feels better to me than 6th at 1250rpm and gives better engine braking so I need to use the brakes less.

 

Like all auto gearboxes the DSG responds to the circumstance now; it cannot look ahead.  When overtaking I will use the paddles to change down into the gear I want before I start the overtake - the DSG will change down when I push on the loud pedal.  Equally when approaching a sharp bend I will use the paddles to select the correct gear before I enter the corner.  I look on an auto gearbox as an aid to driving not a replacement for the driver's experience, skill and ability to look ahead.

TFSI is so torquey [sic] I often block change up, 1-2-4-6.

Edited 2 October, 201312 yr by Aspman

Yep, block changing is a fairly common occurrence here too, in diesel land.

 

On the DSG issue, and it's willingness to change up so readily, I suppose there's also the issue that the transmission can respond very quickly to road conditions, so if you do need to accelerate or road conditions change, gradient etc, it can very quickly change down for you. 

My mother used to have the problem of not wanting to go to 5th in certain cars as she found it hard to go back to 4th or 3rd. For years it wasn't a problem as the Astra I ended up with didn't like 5th at town speeds and she rarely left town. If we did then my dad would normally drive. I noticed it when she drove up to Aberystwyth one time and I noticed she wasn't using 5th. When we pulled over I showed her that it will center when you take it out of 5th into neutral so do that then find the gear. She's had no troubles since.

How can a car be "more settled" in bends at higher engine revs?

More responsive perhaps, not more settled.

He's right. Being in the correct gear in a bend will make it more settled. For example, 4th instead of 6th will tighten up the drivetrain. You'll have more power and torque available and therefore more grip.

I agree as well. It can be quite hard to describe and makes more sense when you're in the car, but 'settled' is a good description. The car will also respond better to any throttle adjustment, although strictly speaking you should already have sorted that out pre-bend

 

But that might take slightly outwith this topic!

He's right. Being in the correct gear in a bend will make it more settled. For example, 4th instead of 6th will tighten up the drivetrain. You'll have more power and torque available and therefore more grip.

Explain how more power and torque can produce more "grip" please?

Or explain better what you actually mean.

PS

Having many many years ago "rallied" a lightweight LR around the Scottish Lowlands, I noted and "larned"

(Chasing a young lady I got the hots for in another TA LR who was playing cat and mouse with me (I married her, (or perhaps she married me?) but anyway a good decision))

(i) A distinct lack of control in 2WD on the greasy leaf strewn roads.

So I popped her into high 4WD (no centre diff, but no odds, sufficient wheel slippage to compensate, my co-pilot was aghast)

(ii) Better, but still somewhat lacking in control.

Next I started driving much more "agressively" than was my normal style.

(iii) Change down and keep the power on through the bends.

Essentially driving on the throttle.

Much Better

A remarkable difference.

PS

I "won" the race cause the well-spoken lily-livered ponce fay Tayforth, wot was in front,  chickened out "because he did not want to see me crash"

Scheesh!

Edited 2 October, 201312 yr by dieseldogg

I agree as well. It can be quite hard to describe and makes more sense when you're in the car, but 'settled' is a good description. The car will also respond better to any throttle adjustment, although strictly speaking you should already have sorted that out pre-bend

 

But that might take slightly outwith this topic!

Absolutly correct, I can only agree, on both counts.

Engine speed is not a big issue for fuel economy it's how much fuel you need to use squeezing the pedal to maintain it or accelerate. Recent trip brim to empty brim to empty first tank cruise control 6th gear at 70mph 48.9mpg second run 6th cruise control 95mph 50.4mpg. On first leg time was not an issue so could sit more slowly on second trip this was less of an option. 

Engine speed is not a big issue for fuel economy it's how much fuel you need to use squeezing the pedal to maintain it or accelerate. Recent trip brim to empty brim to empty first tank cruise control 6th gear at 70mph 48.9mpg second run 6th cruise control 95mph 50.4mpg. On first leg time was not an issue so could sit more slowly on second trip this was less of an option.

So 70mph got you 48.9mpg

& 95mph got you 50.4mpg

Am perplexed

Edited 2 October, 201312 yr by dieseldogg

So 70mph got you 48.9mpg

& 95mph got you 50.4mpg

Am perplexed

 

I know, me too! I do find that for my car it's more economical at 75-80 than 70 in 6th. Where the peak torque is at a constant speed should be the least load on engine for the small variations needed to maintain speed. 

My normal gear routine around town is first, second, third, top. (So sue me, already !)

Playing on the way home from work today the trip computer was telling me I was doing more mpg in 5th @ 65 than in 6th, which seems a bit weird.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

Can those of you driving around in your diesel Octavia's in 6th at 40mph stop it please?

 

I tend to buy my cars used and after reading this thread by the time I get one of your old cars the DMF will be shot

I'm a taxi driver and most of my work is in town, my superb is a 1.6 TDI 5 speed and most of the time in town I will get max into 4th, I tend to change gears really early but if I get on the motorway which is usually minimal of 3 times a week I will give it a nice boot up the motorway at high revs

Edited 2 October, 201312 yr by United 11

So 70mph got you 48.9mpg

& 95mph got you 50.4mpg

Am perplexed

Don't have the exact figures to hand but my vRS CR DSG definitely uses more fuel at a steady 85mph in 6th (on French motorway) than at 70mph.  Mpg at least 4mpg worse.

Don't have the exact figures to hand but my vRS CR DSG definitely uses more fuel at a steady 85mph in 6th (on French motorway) than at 70mph.  Mpg at least 4mpg worse.

This is definitely more what you'd expect - aerodynamic resistance increases as the square of the increase in speed.  I suspect dieseldogg's figures might have something to do with wind direction.  I drive up to Birmingham from Devon quite frequently and over a number of trips notice that the journey up (with the prevailing wind) is often more economical than the journey back, sometimes by up to 4mpg (I have a TSI VRS).  Given that the speed (using cruise) and weight in the car are the same (or probably lighter coming back as I have less fuel onboard), this is the only variable I can think of. 

Agreed. Wind direction and speed has more of an effect than most people would think.

 

I do quite a regular family trip from Manchester to the Scottish borders, and the other weekend there were high winds on the Sunday coming back. It's a straightforward trip later in the evening, hardly any traffic so the entire journey was done at constant speed, pretty much. That Sunday with the winds, fuel consumption was 3 MPG higher than it usually is!

Tried doing as some suggest and drive at 30mph (50km) in 5th...aye right!!!! Felt like and sounded like i was driving a tractor!!...Think i'll give that one a miss!!...I dont do enough motorway miles to do a brim to brim test so i'll just stick to 5th at 120kph

 

Kit

I want to come see this car of yours! Have you got different gear ratios to the rest of us?

I change up quite quickly, depending on driving style obviously.

 

Normally switch to 6th just over 50mph or if gliding down a hill. Sometimes put it into 6th at 40, if the traffic ahead is constant and there's decent gaps between the traffic.