Opinions please - vRS TDI, DSG or not?

[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.

In fairness to the above:-

I havent driven an O3 DSG

Its likely to have more sophisticated control software than used on earlier cars so is likely to be smoother than the v late O2 I currently drive.

My O2 vRS Blackline does not have Hill Hold which accounts much for my complaints above RE smooth movements on gradients. I understand all O3's be it a manual or DSG now have standard HHC. My Fabia did and was better than my current car in this respect.

I am just trying to give the OP my own take on the situation and really they ought to drive both and see for themselves.

Personally I just find it a little backwards that becuase the vRS is forced to use the older 6 speed box that you end up spending a rather large sum on DSG for it to not really provide any other sub-benefits other than changing gears for you.

If it provided some on-paper performance advantage and inherrently made the car a bit more frugal and cleaner (and so potentially cheaper to tax) id consider much more heavily ticking the DSG box again.

They should really start allowing the use of the more modern 7 speed wet box that can now be had on various VW and Audi vehicles; particularly given that the vRS are targetted as kind-of bespoke O3 models.

I do however stand with the comment (and think its a valid one) that there are smoother torque converter boxes out there in vehicles that provide the DSG "quick shift and next to no drive-chain losses" advantage with the sub-benefits I described previously. There is of course a huge difference between and good and bad torque converter box but there are some now that IMHO better VAGs DSG option.

Edited 26 January, 2014 by pipsyp

[Guest Cossiecol]

My advice is simply this....

Get what's right for you.

Test drive both and if you like one over the other than that's the one to go for

For me it was simple, I did like the thought for DSG but didn't like the additional cost, weight, tax and poorer mpg so went for the manual and am 100% happy that this is the right choice for ME.

[bigkevyorks]

I've had my Octavia VRS Diesel DSG for 3,500 miles now. At first, I found the DSG notchy and erratic. Soon realised that was due to me lifting left and right feet ready to change gear. IT TAKES A LITTLE TIME coming to terms with. After 2,300 miles or so I felt  I was learning the car better and, MORE importantly, the car was learning about me. Now I find the gear changes almost undetectable, the ride level and economy are fine (over 54mpg long term).

I agree there can be times when "kick down" is a bit disappointing in D but you also have the S option or the "individual" option. I have tried both D and S and find S too sporty, so maybe I'll experiment with the "individual" setting.

On the question of the auto changing down on hills I was AMAZED that the car knows what angle the car is at and accommodates that; hell, apart from F1 or WRC who wouln't want to shift down on descents.

At the end of the day guys, with the "auto" box, you have a manual intervention.

A lot of the comments I've seen seem to come from drivers who want the car to drive them and then, when it does, they question the car.

 

Open your eyes, smell the coffee, take the aroma, and deal with the result

[Torchythomas]

I've had my VRS TDI DSG for nearly 9 months and done 15,500 miles. I wanted a manual and had a test drive but couldn't agree on the price. I found the car I wanted in Swansea but found out as I was arranging a test drive that it was a DSG. I was persuaded to go for a test drive, even though I'd said I only wanted a manual.

After 5 minutes I was hooked, bought the car and after 15,500 miles haven't regretted it once. It's fabulous.

[snala]

Take it for a drive. I tried both the DSG petrol and TDI cars and they are quite different. The petrol I could live with as it seemed to know what to do at all revs and situations but the diesel was very erratic, almost not suited to it's torque curve and power delivery. So I went with a manual instead. 52 mpg ave so far vs 49 for my old one.

[Stodgy]

I debated this also and plumped for the DSG in my TDi VRS. Got to say, it's very good and so pleased I did. 

 

Lovely and relaxed when you want it to be, but when you want to press on just flick it to manual and use the flappy paddles (takes some getting used to, but once you do it's excellent). 

 

Saying that, it doesn't give you quite the feeling of control that a manual does. Nothing can beat pressing the clutch and changing gear when having fun...but 95% of the time the DSG is absolutely the best option.

[Neily03]

 I was tempted by a DSG but with the increase in price of the car and running costs you might aswell get a manual TSI, bet it could cost the same to run over 3 years.

[GatorLinearFade]

I test drove a TSI DSG and didn't like it: I can shift much smoother myself with a manual gearbox, especially at low speeds in city driving. Don't get me wrong: I love the proper slushbox on my father's Cadillac, but that's of a silky smoothness a DSG will never match. 

Edited 7 July, 2014 by GatorLinearFade

[BjornP]

This is my first non-manual gearboxed car. Had it for only one week yet, but I must confess I've become a lazy git lately. Can't ever see myself getting a manual car again. And yes, I do have acc and lane assist too. Quite a difference to the 500 Abarth...

[Spudey]

I've just had my diesel vRS DSG for a few days, my first non manual car.

I chose DSG over manual for those lazy 50-mile dual carriageway and A-road commutes and so far I am impressed. For cruising around in normal traffic or with the family at weekends the DSG is perfectly fine with the Diesel engine.

Sometimes it will kick down a bit harshly while pulling away from junctions etc, but I think I just need to recalibrate my right foot to the pedal a bit.

When I feel like pushing on a bit it seems to pick a higher gear than I would like through corners and roundabouts, being in 4th wheel 3rd would have been better, but just click the box back into sport mode and it's far better at choosing ratios and holding gears for more stable and predictable cornering lines.

If that's not enough then you can override the box with a flick of the paddle, or slot it left into full manual mode if you are really gunning it.

So, the box works perfectly with the diesel if used as intended; D for comfortable cruising, S for pushing on, M for pretending to be a racing driver.

[cube]

I ordered a vRS with DSG back in April and picked it up today.  I was having second thoughts about the DSG box and wondered if I had done the right thing.  The dealer wanted my MK2 vRS and offered me their DSG vRS until mine arrived.  

 

As Spudey said I also found that it was a gear higher at certain times than I would have liked, so I just used the paddle to change down.  

 

This was the first auto that I have had and after just a week I am glad I went for DSG.

[fiisch]

Can't comment on the DSG, but love the manual box - smoothest shift I've ever driven (and I used to drive people's cars for a living!).

[rekojoker]

My first taste of DSG was in a passant when my old VRS manual broke down and VW thought they would entice me with a better car... I was hooked and had a VRS DSG diesel as my next car. It's great, can't fault it. Twice it's over revved in first at the same junction but that's it. I use the paddles on two roads only for a short time for a bit of fun as quite frankly I can't do a better job than the cars brain. I've forgotten what to do with the left hand side of my body and it makes me a bad driver if I ever climb back into a manual. My new car is delivered tomorrow, another DSG, it's a company car so I only really have an eye pointing towards cost and running costs, I have a diesel because the petrol would just be too much of a mickey take, however after years of driving diesels I don't actually enjoy driving petrol cars too much any more. I'm hoping Skoda haven't messed too much with the DSG, there are a few things they've changed already which aren't to my liking, seat height and pedal type/positions. I haven't driven a new VRS or DSG so hopefully it will be as good or better as before as I'm stuck with it for 3 years!

[rekojoker]

It's better