To DSG or not to DSG

[Torchythomas]

Once you gone DSG... there's no going back!

 

We randomly decided to try a DSG car... then put a deposit down the next day!

 

I would never go back through choice to a manual.

 

But as above it's entirely down to personal preference.

 

See if you can get a nice long test drive in a manual and a DSG car with same engine etc and compare which you prefer.

 

And in terms of enjoyment in a DSG car it's got a great point and squirt kind of feel to it.

Phil

I must agree with Phil.

I've never considered an automatic and was very sceptical when the dealer asked me to try the DSG. My reply was 'I've waited a long time for this car and will only consider a manual'. I did test drive a DSG and bought the car the minute I finished the drive. You won't be sorry.

[RandomSkodaperson]

I agree with Phil and TorchyThomas. The DSG is brilliant and doubt I'd ever go back to the manual box.

 

I use it for work and sometimes lots of town/city driving. So much easier with the DSG and have even seen over 60mpg on a steady run in eco mode. So it can return decent mpg too in the right conditions.

 

I also have the leather seats. These are great and very supportive.

 

Out of the two I would go for the DSG if you are limited to choice.

[philbes]

I have had both and dsg is not for me.........

changing down by itself when going down hill.....no control in bad weather even  when put in manual mode ....

 

give me a gearbox any day .........................love my 6 speed manual

Do you mean that in a manual you don't change down when descending hills?  Why not?  Better than constant pressure on the brake pedal.

[RandomSkodaperson]

The DSG is fine going down hills and feels really controlled. You can always select a gear with the dsg by pushing the lever over to the left.

[greatdane]

Do you mean that in a manual you don't change down when descending hills?  Why not?  Better than constant pressure on the brake pedal.

what I  mean is when coasting down hill it was changing down into 4th sometimes the revs where off the scale ........

been in several times about ,,,,,,,,I change down in mine not putting the gearbox at risk

[philbes]

The DSG is fine going down hills and feels really controlled. You can always select a gear with the dsg by pushing the lever over to the left.

Or, if your car is fitted with them, using the steering wheel paddles,  I won't have SG without the paddles.

 

what I  mean is when coasting down hill it was changing down into 4th sometimes the revs where off the scale ........

been in several times about ,,,,,,,,I change down in mine not putting the gearbox at risk

I have NEVER had the DSG in my car change down to too low a gear when travelling down hill.  in fact I often select Sport mode to encourage it to change down an extra gear.  

[greatdane]

Or, if your car is fitted with them, using the steering wheel paddles,  I won't have SG without the paddles.

 

I have NEVER had the DSG in my car change down to too low a gear when travelling down hill.  in fact I often select Sport mode to encourage it to change down an extra gear.  

must have been a fault on mine then......also it wouldn't let me select a gear in manual mode...I carnt understand in manual mode why it would change up or down for you .

[Orville]

must have been a fault on mine then......also it wouldn't let me select a gear in manual mode...I carnt understand in manual mode why it would change up or down for you .

Within Manual mode it will change up automatically when you hit the red line and down when the revs drop too low. This protects the engine from damage and stalling. If it changes at any other times there is a fault.

 

I own a manual VRS but think DSG is great. Whether it is worth ~£1400 is down to the individual. If I owned two VRS's I would have one of each.

[TheWanderer]

I have DSG, because I have a damage left leg, which means that the constant use of a clutch pedal can be painful. So a DSG is pretty much essential.

 

I've had two DSG cars, both have been brilliant and I wouldn't go back to a manual now, even if I could and my leg got better overnight, probably because I've been in "Autos" now for the last 10 years and I've pretty much forgotten how to do a manual gearbox, I expect I'd go bouncing up the road like a learner! 

 

DSG in snow & ice can be problematic, however if you're prepared to invest in Winter or "Snow" tyres, then it's a lot easier.

 

Driving in traffic is a boon, the only thing I find tricky is getting the car to go reverse uphill, but I don't do it very often and the technique is coming back to me now.

 

As for getting a car with a Torque Convertor or "TC" box, never again, I had one in my last car (the marque shall remain anonymous it's so embarrassing), it was always making mistakes with "bad calls" going up & down quicker than a girls drawers on a Saturday night and it was mated to a 2,0 ltr diesel and it was awful, it drank diesel like no tomorrow and it was costing me about £160 pcm in fuel! 

 

It had to go! I had it just 11 months, lost a bomb on it, but I won't make the same mistake again.

 

Pipsyp, I'm sorry mate, but we've got a couple of ZF boxes on our trains and they're fecking awful and are always failing.

LM are having issues with them on their stock as well, so I'd never go to a TC boxed car again.

 

However I digress. The DSG box IMHO is superb, there have been horror stories where it goes into neutral for no reason, leaving the user stranded and other things like the mechatronics going kaput after a short time. However this would be covered under warranty if it was a new car and shouldn't be of any concern to you.

[RGKTSi]

Very interesting posts here and 2 sides of the story.

I have never owned an auto or DSG. However I have driven plenty of both, family cars, hire cars, test drives etc.

Only 4 weeks ago I borrowed a new 14 plate L&K Superb diesel estate,170bhp CR DSG on 24hour test drive. First of all the car was fantastic, personally I prefer petrols now as I do relatively low mileage but that's another matter.

My present 6 speed manual Octavia 1.8TSi is great, sweet engine and gearbox.

The next car may well be a DSG, very quick gearchanges, liked playing to be a budding F1 driver.

However one thing bothers me, long term reliability. Now I look after my cars but if I kept a car for say 3 years or maybe up to 5 years if you include extended warranty I would say DSG, if you keep the car longer then I think a manual would he a better long term proposition. I have heard of horrendous repair bills which could effectively write off a car off if the value was less than £5K.

[MidVRS]

Cheers for all the replies, much appreciated. I think it really seems to be a matter of personal choice so I'm looking forward to my overnight test drive this week...The feeling seems to be (if I'm reading it right) that most (but not all) of the people who currently drive DSG wouldn't go back...I remember back in '08 when I ordered my last vRS I test drove an Octy DSG and liked it but at the time it wasn't available on the vRS so it was a choice of a DSG or a vRS so the vRS won....It'll be interesting to drive one this week in the knowledge that I can have it on the vRS...Will report back!

Edited 9 August, 2014 by MidVRS

[KiDr]

By the way have anyone noticed that for some reason in skoda's dsg officially is slower from 0-62 then manual. If you check audi's or even brother vw's, they state that dsg in vw and s-tronic in audi is faster then manual? I find it very odd:)

[TheWanderer]

So the differences are minor and academic in the real world. Unless of course you (want to) drive like a loon & attract unwanted attention from Mr.Plod, HADECs, GATSO, SPECs!

[KiDr]

By the way have anyone noticed that for some reason in skoda's dsg officially is slower from 0-62 then manual. If you check audi's or even brother vw's, they state that dsg in vw and s-tronic in audi is faster then manual? I find it very odd:)

yes 0.1 is really nothing but still i wonder why it is like that, may be vag tunes it differently for audi's and vw's?

[andyvee]

Probably a bit late, but I will add my two penneth worth .....

 

Last car was a PD140 Octavia II L&K Estate manual. I spent months looking for a diesel DSG L&K Estate, and they were consistently selling for £1k more at 4 years old, and only a couple were ever available at any point in time, so in the end I went for manual. I had a stage 1 remap by Shark, EGR delete and a host of other mods before it hit the best part of 180k and I sold it.

 

This time round - a CR150 Octavia III Elegance hatch - my only regret - I didn't get an estate. So glad I got DSG - driving in traffic is effortless, gear changes are smooth and so fast, and economy is exactly the same as my Octy II - 50mpg. It is quicker off the mark and a lot quieter than the remapped PD140. It changes down on hills for engine braking, even with cruise turned on, and it adapts to your driving style.

 

So, what car have I got on order - a CR150 Octy III L&K Estate with just about every option added - I missed little things like the memory seats, auto dimming mirrors etc. from my last L&K, and as a fisherman the estate makes getting all my tackle in the back for a 48hr session a lot easier.

 

I do about 20k p.a. and I cannot believe how much easier it is with DSG. My advice is like a few previous posters - if you intend keeping the car longer than 3 years take out the extended warranty as DSG repairs can be horrendously expensive.

[Paul007]

Aren't automatics awful in snow and ice?

 

My 170 CR vRS DSG is. At slow speed in awful conditions it just keeps plugging away but get stuck in snow and it will spin for fun and go nowhere.

[PUFPAF]

I very much like the DSG in my 1.8 TSI. I am sure the car would be just as good as a manual, but the DSG makes it feel a bit more premium. I hope it is just as reliable as well

 

Driving is relaxed most of the time and what really makes the difference for me is the strong kickdown. Ok you can downshift in a manual as well, but the way the DSG it goes from 5th to 3rd when you put your foot down just puts a smile on my face

 

Choose carefully, but whether you DSG or not changes completely the character of your car. I also think that DSGs have stronger residuals

[TheWanderer]

My 170 CR vRS DSG is. At slow speed in awful conditions it just keeps plugging away but get stuck in snow and it will spin for fun and go nowhere.

 

Then put Winter's on then! I had the problem in the past with the 1,8 & it was useless in the snow, however I then got "snow" (Winter) tyres and the next winter when we had snow it was a completely different beast and brilliant.

[pipsyp]

Unless you really need an auto I still contest that you may as well save the 1400 quid and change gears yourself. The new Octavia has a very nice gearbox; is a bit more interactive and in most cases will prove to be more efficient.

The only exception I'd possibly make is on a new Golf R or Leon Cupra as you do get that lovely barp noise when changing gear which is something I do love about the high powered DSG equipped cars with slightly more tuned exhaust notes....its seemingly missing from the lower powered ones and non existent on the diesels. My Fabia vRS and Octavia vRS TDI certainly didn't do it.

Edited 12 August, 2014 by pipsyp

[GTR27]

The DSG is a good gearbox (well the relatively reliable 6spd is....avoid the 7spd) but it has some unique issues. It affects some people, and others dont notice it, but only you can tell if you're one of the group that likes or dislikes how it works.

 

Because of the way the gearbox works, if you ever want a gear that isn't pre-selected (potentially one gear either way of whatever gear you are in - so say your in 3rd, then it can only instantly go to 2nd or 4th depending on what the computer has preselected), then its roughly a 1 sec wait for that gear (not instant) - a manual will be faster changes in those circumstances - skipping gears is one of those times. If you ever skip gears up or down, then your changes will be faster in a manual than in a dsg. DSG's low speed performance is a bit off too - shunting/jerking at very low speed. It doesnt always seem to happen, but the more you drive one, the more you will notice it. It's also harder to take off quickly without planning - with a manual, you hold the clutch in and bring the revs up more for a rapid take off any time you desire - dsg will only ever rev to a certain amount before engaging the clutch (unless you use the brutal launch control which makes you look like a ****). Which is why in some cases it can feel laggy, or doughy. However, you can learn to adapt your driving style to suit the gearbox, and mask nearly all of those issues (let go of the brake and allow the clutches to engage before pressing the throttle). It's a great gearbox for flowing along a country road, using the paddles and thinking about corner lines, rather than what gear you are in.

 

It does a good job of replicating most auto gearbox functions (changing gears for you) while still feeling close to a manual to drive (i.e. engine braking when you let off the throttle, rather than coasting like a traditional TC auto). It's a compromise between the two, which is why they are popular with a lot of people.

 

I'm a manual person, so the dislikes of the DSG really annoy me - while at the same time, it is impressively smooth on changes and nice when not in traffic. For me they are fun to drive and I can see the appeal, but I wouldnt personally own one. I enjoy the better control over gears and additional reliability a manual gives. Slightly better performance and economy is a bonus (the newer 7spd dsgs are better than the 6spd manual due to more ratios).

[old newbie2]

I have DSG, because I have a damage left leg, which means that the constant use of a clutch pedal can be painful. So a DSG is pretty much essential.

 

I've had two DSG cars, both have been brilliant and I wouldn't go back to a manual now, even if I could and my leg got better overnight, probably because I've been in "Autos" now for the last 10 years and I've pretty much forgotten how to do a manual gearbox, I expect I'd go bouncing up the road like a learner! 

 

DSG in snow & ice can be problematic, however if you're prepared to invest in Winter or "Snow" tyres, then it's a lot easier.

 

Driving in traffic is a boon, the only thing I find tricky is getting the car to go reverse uphill, but I don't do it very often and the technique is coming back to me now.

 

As for getting a car with a Torque Convertor or "TC" box, never again, I had one in my last car (the marque shall remain anonymous it's so embarrassing), it was always making mistakes with "bad calls" going up & down quicker than a girls drawers on a Saturday night and it was mated to a 2,0 ltr diesel and it was awful, it drank diesel like no tomorrow and it was costing me about £160 pcm in fuel! 

 

It had to go! I had it just 11 months, lost a bomb on it, but I won't make the same mistake again.

 

Pipsyp, I'm sorry mate, but we've got a couple of ZF boxes on our trains and they're fecking awful and are always failing.

LM are having issues with them on their stock as well, so I'd never go to a TC boxed car again.

 

However I digress. The DSG box IMHO is superb, there have been horror stories where it goes into neutral for no reason, leaving the user stranded and other things like the mechatronics going kaput after a short time. However this would be covered under warranty if it was a new car and shouldn't be of any concern to you.

Re. ZF boxes on trains, would this be the better economy experiment on a 158/159?

 

As for DSG's we own three & are quite happy with them.

 

DC

[decuk]

When people see mine is auto, they go , oh. Then I mention the flappy paddles and its, ooh I bet they're good, I like them. Goes to show how people can change their views on things. I love the dsg, only use paddles down hill, and have the habit of going to sport via the stick just for the power fix....

[MidVRS]

Hi all, I picked up a 1.6 TDi DSG yesterday and I'll be driving it for a few days to test out the 'box. Obviously its not as powerful as the vRS I'm looking to order and it has the 7 speed rather rather than 6 speed DSG but initial impressions are good. I like the fact that it can be basically two different cars. If i press the accelerator normally it will cruise up through the gears whereas if I wallop it it will hold each gear much longer through the rev band and pick up really well. I don't think the start/stop function suits it very well and would have to admit it is a bit annoying but that can be switched off so its no biggie. Overall though I'm happy with it and it does make my long commute (1.5 hours each way) much more comfortable (and when I want to entertaining!)

 

Two other things I notice...Firstly, I'm really impressed by the 1.6 TDi engine. It is really smooth and surprisingly quick...And secondly, having just had a hoot of a time chucking the car through the winding back road that makes up the last 3 or 4 miles of my commute I really have to think, what the &%$# was I thinking getting a soft roader last time )

 

So thats it, Looks like it will be DSG for me!

[TheWanderer]

Re. ZF boxes on trains, would this be the better economy experiment on a 158/159?

 

As for DSG's we own three & are quite happy with them.

 

DC

 

Yes. Spot on! 

 

The ZF boxes cause problem & some lurching when accelerating & changing gear! 

[TheWanderer]

 

Hi all, I picked up a 1.6 TDi DSG yesterday and I'll be driving it for a few days to test out the 'box. Obviously its not as powerful as the vRS I'm looking to order and it has the 7 speed rather rather than 6 speed DSG but initial impressions are good. I like the fact that it can be basically two different cars. If i press the accelerator normally it will cruise up through the gears whereas if I wallop it it will hold each gear much longer through the rev band and pick up really well. I don't think the start/stop function suits it very well and would have to admit it is a bit annoying but that can be switched off so its no biggie. Overall though I'm happy with it and it does make my long commute (1.5 hours each way) much more comfortable (and when I want to entertaining!)

 

Two other things I notice...Firstly, I'm really impressed by the 1.6 TDi engine. It is really smooth and surprisingly quick...And secondly, having just had a hoot of a time chucking the car through the winding back road that makes up the last 3 or 4 miles of my commute I really have to think, what the &%$# was I thinking getting a soft roader last time )

 

So thats it, Looks like it will be DSG for me!

 

 

I would recommend that you budget for some "Winter" tyres/wheels as well, I've got mine from last year & they'll last me another couple (until I trade in).