Opinions please - vRS TDI, DSG or not?

[Zzap]

I really like the thought of the DSG gearbox but have read differing opinions on whether mated to a TDI is a good combo.

 

I'm looking at adding it to a vRS but any thoughts/experiences on any combination would be great.

 

Cheers

 

 

[mk4gtiturbo]

It's what I have ordered (it's not build yet) but best advice is to test drive both if you can.

[B19RAK]

I had the same dilemma. Currently drive a Blackline Dsg. Whilst it's very good I do feel detached from the driving experience at times. The car doors also feel nose heavy due to the added weight. Therefore I went manual on my new vRS. £1300 cheaper, lower road tax, not nose heavy. Also better mpg.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[littleade]

I like my manual, the 6 speed box is very smooth and you feel 'in control' if you get my drift. The dsg box is very marmite-my dealer said its better suited to the tsi engine so I followed his advice and stayed clear. They are good if you do alot of stop start motoring and want to save your left leg from suffering clutchitus. Decent test drives in both will be the big decider though and will probably be the thing that will settle it Good luck.

[Zzap]

It's what I have ordered (it's not build yet) but best advice is to test drive both if you can.

 

I drove a vRS tsi manual estate which was good and a tsi se DSG.  Did you try the vRS TDI DSG and if so what did you think?

Cheers

Edited 23 January, 2014 by Zzap

[Zzap]

I had the same dilemma. Currently drive a Blackline Dsg. Whilst it's very good I do feel detached from the driving experience at times. The car doors also feel nose heavy due to the added weight. Therefore I went manual on my new vRS. £1300 cheaper, lower road tax, not nose heavy. Also better mpg.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

 

I like my manual, the 6 speed box is very smooth and you feel 'in control' if you get my drift. The dsg box is very marmite-my dealer said its better suited to the tsi engine so I followed his advice and stayed clear. They are good if you do alot of stop start motoring and want to save your left leg from suffering clutchitus. Decent test drives in both will be the big decider though and will probably be the thing that will settle it Good luck.

 

Good points on the weight and costs.

I think part of it is the commute with stop/start which is tedious in my current manual car but I fo move around quite a lot for my work (IT contractor) so it might not be too much of an issue, of course saying that I might be there a while. 

[pipsyp]

Agree with most of the comments on here, DSG on a TDi isnt a big no-no but I dont think it works as well on the diesels as it does on the petrol versions.

Having had DSG previously on a TSi engined car, really liked it and then buying a Blackline with DSG, whilst i want to love it there is just something missing.....so ive sold it for a regular 2.0 TDi Elegance MK3 manual.

Edited 23 January, 2014 by pipsyp

[Mence]

This question will divide the readers for sure! I guess it comes down to you, your driving habits and what you really want from a 'drive'

Because I have a back problem and my wife who is very unwell is unable to drive a manual any more, the DSG was the obvious choice.

I traded my Scirocco diesel 170 DSG for the Octy3 184 DSG and haven't stopped smiling! I'm sure plenty will disagree but I think the combination of engine and gearbox is pretty good, a nice torquey engine with a smooth Auto box works for myself and the wife really well, it's an effortless drive.

Of course it comes with sport mode and flappy paddle shifters but the latter become a little boring after the novelty wears off.

I'm sure the manual boys would view it very differently and if my circumstances were different I might have gone for the manual box too but as it is, I'm not disappointed, I'm very pleased.

Just be aware that the claimed economy figures are damn hard to achieve...

[pipsyp]

Ive had a turbo petrol (Fabia vRS) and a diesel (Blackline estate) DSG. Really liked it on the Fabia and seemed to add an additional dimension to the cars general fun factor.

Really cant say the same with the Octavia, seems to detract from the enjoyment of driving it somehow. Just doesnt quite mate with the TDi in the same way.

If you need an auto the DSG isnt a terrible option but id personally say the manual is better. The gearshift quality and clutch weighting/action on the manual MK3's is rather exceptional and was surprised when test driving how good it was; was more than happy to forego the self shifter for it.

[bichti]

I currently have a GTD with DSG and it worked like a charm for the last 4 years. When I ordered the VRS TDI I never once considered a manual and my view is that once you go automatic...you don't go back.

Mence probably put it best by saying that it is down to you and your expectations. I don't have to have a manual as I like my drive to be fast and comfortable... and DSG around town is just an absolute peach.

[pipsyp]

Its also worth pointing out that the older DQ250 6 speed wet clutch box, whilst considerably smoother and (seemingly) more reliable than the DQ200 7 speed dry clutch box; it hurts fuel economy quite a bit even on the TDi.

My Blackline will average 45-46mpg on a half sensible run but its a struggle to get it to perform any better; mixed runs are normally low to mid 40's...not terrible but not outstanding either. The manuals seem to do better seeing high 40's to low 50's in most conditions.

[mk4gtiturbo]

I drove a vRS tsi manual estate which was good and a tsi se DSG.  Did you try the vRS TDI DSG and if so what did you think?

Cheers

 

I test drove a vRS TDI DSG Estate and liked it, so it is what I have ordered.  I do a lot of miles and that had a bearing on my decision as well.  You need to try to drive the car you will potentially be purchasing.  I'd say find a vRS TDI DSG and have a go in it.

[Tim1631]

I had the DSG on my last. Gone for a manual this time.

Personally I found it a lazy drive. The novelty wears off soon after you get it.

Although it's all personal preference.

Tim

[paulobrien]

Our car is our first diesel and our first DSG.

 

Very very impressed by the combination, very smooth indeed. Highly recommended!

 

P

[TheWanderer]

I find that DSG makes my life a lot easier in town driving and I can't foresee me returning to manual.

 

I have had one or two oddities, such as parking on a hill, in that I have now learned to let it take power on it's own, rather than just go for it, otherwise it tends to snatch a little.

 

And it got it completely wrong at a roundabout the other day and it went down instead of up & stuttered then engine raced like anything as if it were in N, then took traction in 3rd perfectly, Very weird in that I did exactly the same move the next day and it was fine. 

 

But generally, no complaints whatsoever from me.

[Paul007]

On my second vRS, CR with DSG. Nice to drive - currently do 250 miles a week and get mid 40's in mpg. Not worth swapping for the mk3 IMO. 

[blokart]

Never again manual gearboxes for me, traffic jams become more common as driving, DSG is the champion for that.

If you consider the acc option D'ONT take the manual as with the DSG it brake,stop and start automaticaly to the set speed/distance

without ANY action, this is NOT the case with the manual.

[pipsyp]

Fact however that they are not as smooth as some of the more modern torque converter boxes available today, its a robotised manual after all. The ZF 8/9 speed boxes with their lockup clutches offer all the benefits of DSG without any of the negatives. As long as youre accepting of that and wont mind a bit of stop/start jerkiness at slow speeds and occasional not-so-smooth shifts (normally going down the box) DSG's a good system. Still mates much better with petrols IMHO though and wouldnt buy another DSG diesel.

[The Plumber]

Test driven the 150 and 184 DSG and they both appeared smooth and gave good performance. Only odd thing I found was they seemed to get 'bogged down' in eco mode (particularly the 184) if you tried or needed to give it a bit of throttle.

 

Would have also liked to try them on a good hill decent but there wasn't that opportunity, as I've noticed with some DSG set-ups they select to low a gear when going down hill; revs very high.

 

If your OK with using manual and not very regularly stuck in crawling traffic then save your pennys and stay with the standard three peddle set-up; my thoughts on it anyway.

 

 

 

TP

[Dodgy]

 As long as youre accepting of that and wont mind a bit of stop/start jerkiness at slow speeds and occasional not-so-smooth shifts (normally going down the box) DSG's a good system. Still mates much better with petrols IMHO though and wouldnt buy another DSG diesel.

 

I honestly don't know what you're on about I'm on my second DSG equipped vRS and have not experienced any of those problems.

 

 

Anyone else experienced them?

[RandomSkodaperson]

I have had my vRS TDI DSG for 3 months and it's fantastic. Super smooth power delivery and it's just effortless to drive. Ok just under 50mpg but I drive it for a bit of fun sometimes. I will not go back to a manual after this one. Stop / start is also much easier with the dsg as you just put your foot on the break then it stops lift off and it restarts perfect. Best car ever for me.

 

One thing I noticed after a while was the start/stop seems to have two settings on the brake. Light touch at the roundabout and it stays running and heavier foot then turns it off.

 

Just read pipsyp - not had any of those issues with mine.

Edited 25 January, 2014 by RandomSkodaperson

[Paul007]

Me neither. It learns how you drive. 

[pipsyp]

Dont misunderstand, I think DSG is good and have owned two DSG equipped cars now. There are however times and situations they betray the fact they are a robotised manual box and not a torque converter auto. I find there is occasional lack of smoothness with shifts, hesitancy and clutch slip when pulling away particularly in D and slow speed manouvers particularly on steep gradients can be a real bore. Theres nothing wrong with the gearbox on my car as the dry 7 speed box on my Fabia was very much the same minus so much clutch slip.

If you think DSG is good you should go in a car with a ZF 8 speed box. Ive been in an M135i with one of these gearboxes and frankly it changes gears like a DSG but is super smooth all the time way more so than my vRS; also serves to make the car faster, cleaner and more efficient than its manual counterpart...most if not all cannot be said about the DQ250 they are still fitting to the vRS TSi and TDi's.

Thats one main reason ive not ordered another.....ill miss the convenience of having an auto but I wont spend 1100 quid (or whatever it is) to end up with a car thats not really any quicker, dirtier and less efficient...particularly given the O3 has such a nice gearbox anyway.

Edited 25 January, 2014 by pipsyp

[TheWanderer]

I came from a car which had a torque converter gearbox and I think that they're the biggest pile of manure going. Gawd darn awful it was up & down more times that a girls knickers in Bridge St, Guildford on a Saturday night.

 

Highly inefficient and in the end it forced me to get rid of the darn thing. Yuck, 

[VRSmissile]

Fuel economy .... Manual

Not botherd by that ?

DSG!!!

Wish id gone for the dsg over my manual!