I think that sometimes modern auto boxes are a bit like sat navs. You have to learn how to use them otherwise you will still get to where you want but not necessarily by the route you would choose. Then there is the difference between absolute trust with no idea of how to get to where you want and the intervention and knowledge to ignore it when you need to. 

 

I use my dsg in auto most of the time as it suits my typical journeys very well, especially in traffic jams or slow moving high volume traffic where the ACC drives for me. I don't miss that clutch in, clutch out. slip a bit, clutch in clutch out activity that might last for many minutes at a time. It is smooth in normal operation. OK it does seem to favour economic driving so it will, in my diesel anyway, use a higher gear than I might have expected sometimes. However, I have not driven a manual so i don't know exactly which gear I would have felt correct in a manual situation. 

I also find that the box will down change on approach to area such as roundabouts when combined with active braking. Even in eco mode it will change down if I brake correctly for the hazard ahead.

 

Then there is the option to use the box manually which gives me the sort of driver control that I could achieve with a manual box. For example,. if you want to move on all the time then using the manual option can make that feel more secure and comfortable but even then I find more and more that I leave it to the box to sort out. Set it to sport and I haven't had an issue with lag or incorrect gear selection for an overtake or to negotiate a bendy bit. 

 

So in summary, I think it gives the best of both worlds for my use of the vehicle. However, faced with a £3000 cost and no obvious desire/need to switch to auto then I doubt I would pay for it.

 

A nicely balanced post. I did bite my tongue a little in my own reply regarding the gear selection on approach to hazards, but you have hit the nail on the head (emboldened). Most people are reactive drivers, and will not see much beyond the car in front of them most of the time. It's not even a conscious thing, but accounts for all the 'He came out of nowhere' comments when the inevitable occurs.

 

I find with the DSG that provided you're looking well down the road (as you should) and brake at a suitable time the box will drop to the right gear and you're away. It is the difference between:

 

* Getting to the hazard (eg roundabout), then braking close to the line and wondering why the box is floundering a little and you have to wait a second for it to shift down, re-engage the clutch and power away as requested when you quickly mash the go pedal again... and

* Looking right down the road, braking to the required speed early on approach, then applying the throttle/gas early to drive into rather than out of the hazard.

 

Using the latter method you'll find you're already in the correct position, speed and gear to negotiate the hazard without issue... So for those who experience this delay, try deciding your speed (or whether you're stopping/going) that little bit early. It feels unnatural at first, almost as though you are holding people up or slowing unnecessarily. However slow in / fast out is very much the better approach and is actually faster overall. The car will always be in the right gear that way, and you'll make much smoother progress. Try it! 

Edited 22 August, 20169 yr by Rainmaker

I'm on the verge of ordering the superb myself, always had manual's.

the demo i drove had DSG which i found interesting and the flappy paddles made it more fun to drive, the main reason for me to get the DSG is traffic on the motorway, i do a fair amount of mileage on them and the m25 is bad on Friday's and the dsg is going to make it so much more easy and relaxing ( hopefully! )  like sagalout is saying, no more of all the clutch in, clutch out business.

looking forward to it tbh!

I test drove the DSG as that is what I set my heart on (getting old)  but found it slow and sloppy so I ordered the manual.

 

What I really, really want is a dual clutch.  Or a chauffeur

I test drove the DSG as that is what I set my heart on (getting old) but found it slow and sloppy so I ordered the manual.

What I really, really want is a dual clutch. Or a chauffeur

DSG *is* a dual clutch...? The box is actually very quick, what you experienced is more likely throttle lag (and turbo lag on a diesel).

@ rainmaker. Exactly so in both replies. Grade 1 advanced by any chance???

dsg is going to make it so much more easy and relaxing ( hopefully! ) 

 

Hopefully? No need to hope for anything, it just will!

 

I feel as if all problems people are facing with DSG are edge cases. In 99.9% of the time, gearbox works just perfect. It will take you a month or two to figure out the rest 0.1% and what to do in these situations. People forget that you can put gearbox in full manual mode and then it behaves just like manual would behave. Except you don't have to press the clutch. 

 

IMHO, manual gearbox for this car makes very little sense. How much fun in driving manual is to be had in a car the size of small bus and the cargo space of small truck? My point of fun in driving Superb is not pressing the clutch at all. The car is just perfect for auto gearbox. Admittedly, a standard ZF slushbox  would maybe work even better but you can't have one from Skoda. Most people find DSG weird because they drove sluboxes before and DSG behaves differently for them. If this is your first auto transmission, DSG will feel natural in about 5 minutes of driving. 

 

 

@BennyS3: My wife also thought she would not be able to drive DSG but it took her whole 30 minutes to never want go back to manual again. Just remember to tell her to plant her left foot BELOW the seat.

The size of the car was also a mental problem right before she sat in the driver seat. 

I don't know if it's just the turbo lag or a combination of turbo lag + DGS lag, but i'm frequently annoyed by having 0 power for 1-2 seconds.

 

 

I'm talking about when coming to a complete or almost-complete stop and wanting to accelerate. Like, say, heading to a roundabout and braking to let a car pass and wanting to accelerate to drive on. Or when braking to a red light, i see the light turn green when i'm rolling on at 10km/h or less, push the throttle and the car seemingly doesn't even register it for over 1 second.

 

 

Overtaking has this problem too. I'm on someone's rear, going 85+ km/h (should have plenty of exhaust for turbo?), i smash throttle to try and pass and for 2 seconds easily, the car gives me 0 power, occasionally forcing me to reconsider the overtake.

 

 

 

Certainly makes me reconsider turbo/dsg in the future. Tried on a friend's Octavia (less hp on engine) and it seemed to have less of this lag.

This size of car should be a auto box.. I was all for auto this time but then as the dsg pushes the price up and co2, I went manual.

I think with the 150 tdi the manual box works well.. Anymore bhp with a petrol it would have to be auto.

@ rainmaker. Exactly so in both replies. Grade 1 advanced by any chance???

 

No mate, I should be so lucky to have had that much training! For me it's NVQ level 2 advanced, RoSPA (test next week) and a healthy amount of private tuition from a retired police examiner and police instructor I'm lucky to be able to go out for long drives with.

Hi Benny, nice to see a fellow Mayo man!!

 

I currently have a manual 150bhp Superb, my biggest regret is not getting the DSG! I do big mileage (currently on 50k since I got the car in November!). I find the manual just does not suit the car, so put an order down a few weeks ago for a DSG

I have just ordered a DSG 190. I have been driving manuals for the last 10 years but fancied going to an auto this time. I managed to arrange 3 test drives, 2 in a 150 dsg and one in a 190 dsg - wanted to be sure going for an auto was right. I know I have not driven them as far as some on here yet who moan about the DSG but they each drove very well. I also fancied the auto as it is so much easier when stuck in traffic.

Interesting comments about Roadcraft, and also spot on, I never have a problem with what gear the car is in or any lag, this is mainly due to the car already being in the right gear, be that by itself or me putting it there first. This is my personal first auto/DSG, but have driven many old style auto's and DSG type boxes in Audi, BMW, and Merc's. Left to there own devises they are generally good, but driven manually they are smoother than manuals and just as accurate and quick. The delay some people experience is mainly due to seeing something then reacting to it and the car taking 1 second to do it, EG change down to accelerate. if the car has already been prepared and is in the right gear already for the circumstances, there will be no delay it will just go.

Interesting comments about Roadcraft, and also spot on, I never have a problem with what gear the car is in or any lag, this is mainly due to the car already being in the right gear, be that by itself or me putting it there first. This is my personal first auto/DSG, but have driven many old style auto's and DSG type boxes in Audi, BMW, and Merc's. Left to there own devises they are generally good, but driven manually they are smoother than manuals and just as accurate and quick. The delay some people experience is mainly due to seeing something then reacting to it and the car taking 1 second to do it, EG change down to accelerate. if the car has already been prepared and is in the right gear already for the circumstances, there will be no delay it will just go.

A much more eloquent way of saying what I was trying to convey. Thanks.

I don't really think a 1 second or so delay on the odd occasions it happens is that much of a deal - the same can happen in a manual car if you suddenly get caught out in the wrong gear, then its a frantic clutch in, grab for the gear lever, change gear, clutch out etc while trying to steer and sometimes indicate all at the same time. If a 1 second delay means the difference between overtaking/pulling out or not then the manoeuvre isn't really on in the first place.

 

As I said before in my last DSG (Passat CC GT) I covered over 110k or so miles - now I have a manual Superb I really miss it.

 

BennyS3 - my wife had never had an auto before but for the past three years she's had a BMW 320d auto. As the BMW is now three years old next month she's getting her new car - and specified auto once again, she wouldn't want a manual car now.

For 90% of the time you are correct, 1 second is not anything to worry about. I said 1 second but is actually a little more. So you are approaching a roundabout and it is quiet but there is traffic about. You look right and see a car positioned and indicating to turn off at the junction prior to yours. You are happy he is going where he is positioned and indicating so you move out onto the roundabout. Only to find he continues round towards you having not slowed at all. Yes your fault, never go unless you know and I mean know but you are in the right gear for the circumstances and just squeeze on the accellerater and no problem. Or your in the wrong gear the car does not react immediately and the other car has to stand on the brakes to avoid the accident or may not resulting in the accident. All of a sudden 1 second is a long time and being in the correct gear for all the circumstances is vital.

Hi Beep,

I sent you a pm. It's good to see more from our neck of the woods here.

Following all the advice posted here, and it continues, I've decided the best way to make my own mind up is to take a demo out for a few days. So I was in at the dealer today and they will give me a 150 DSG for two days to get a proper idea of it. I'll probably put up 3 to 400 miles on it before giving it back. Took another test in one today and it ran very smoothly but there is only so much you can do with the salesman beside you before he starts looking for the passenger brake pedal and glancing at the odometer !

Good decision Benny. You need an extended drive to see if the DSG makes sense. I'm actually picking up a new 150 BHP Style Hatch in manual from Monaghans Skoda Castlebar this afternoon. Went with manual for a couple of reasons. I drove my sisters DSG equipped 2.0 Yeti on my work commute a few times even though it was smooth, slick, convenient etc I found myself having to override manually a number if time as I was caught in the wrong gear. My route is a 22 mile trip on twisty single lane carriageway and limited overtaking opportunities. I would catch the DSG napping on occasion when attempting an overtake or coming into a bend so would have to change manually. The other reason I went for the manual gearbox wast basically price. I simply could not justify paying an extra €3000 euro for DSG. It was either buy the Ambition spec with DSG or the Style spec with a manual. If your looking at the 1.6 TDI the DSG is a €2000 option. Our UK cousins pay £1400 extra for DSG which is a more reasonable price. Now if I was living and commuting in Dublin with constant stop/start driving and maybe some motorway miles then I probably would have gone for DSG for the convenience it would bring.

I would catch the DSG napping on occasion when attempting an overtake or coming into a bend so would have to change manually.

In twisty roads it is better to put it in sport mode.

 

Also, @BennyS3: While you are testing the car, remember to try kickdown "button": press accelerator pedal all the way down and then some more. You will feel a "click" under the foot. This is used for overtaking and is quite effective. 

Another trick I'm using in overtaking situations is to put the gearbox in sport mode (by pulling the gear stick lever) before I start overtaking. This will usually downshift which will give me enough torque to accelerate once I start overtaking. Once all is done, pull the lever again to bring in back in normal mode. All done. 

 

 

A lot of people are keeping their DSG in sport mode constantly. This depends on what type of driving you are used to. I don't like to keep it in sport mode all the time because it is too revvy and I'm more of relaxed driver. If I want revs I'll just kick it down

Edited 24 August, 20169 yr by doublev

Good decision Benny. You need an extended drive to see if the DSG makes sense. I'm actually picking up a new 150 BHP Style Hatch in manual from Monaghans Skoda Castlebar this afternoon.

I was actually in their premises yesterday too looking and a saw quartz grey, business grey and one platinum silver ready for number plates. All hatch. Looked very well side by side. Salesman told me they are dropping lava/petrol blue. Poor uptake and poor resale. So I'll have to reconsider the colour.

Edited 24 August, 20169 yr by BennyS3

Great decision Benny.  Make sure that SWMBO gets a good drive of it as well.  One fiddly aspect that I forgot to mention is low speed reversing.  If you are reversing into a tight space and stop, hill hold will engage and its tricky to feather the accelerator lightly enough to disengage it without the car lurching towards the wall or whatever it is you're manouvering towards.  I've ended up manually disengaging hill hold and edging back that way but SWMBO might not like all that messing and you need to remember to re-engage it or the handbrake doesn't engage.  It'll be easier in the L&K as you'll have the camera - I just have sensors that like to play very safe so its hard to park close to things and with a car that long its often necessary.

 

Another little flaw is if you're reversing uphill.  If you take your foot off the accelerator then it seems to disengage reverse and then re-engage it when you use the accelerator again.  It can be a bit clunky, quite literally.

 

I hope that I haven't been too negative about DSG.  Its not at all bad, super smooth when it warms up, very relaxing in heavy traffic and quite soothing to drive.  My fuel economy has been very good and I've come from a 1.6 Greenline.  Hopefully your extended test drive will show whether its for you or not.  Best of luck with the new car either way.  

I was actually in their premises yesterday too looking and a saw quartz grey, business grey and one platinum silver ready for number plates. All hatch. Looked very well side by side. Salesman told me they are dropping lava/petrol blue. Poor uptake and poor resale. So I'll have to reconsider the colour.

Getting the quartz grey and upgraded to the modus 18" alloys. Was told it will be ready at 2.30 so watching the clock like a little child.

I was actually in their premises yesterday too looking and a saw quartz grey, business grey and one platinum silver ready for number plates. All hatch. Looked very well side by side. Salesman told me they are dropping lava/petrol blue. Poor uptake and poor resale. So I'll have to reconsider the colour.

Sorry a little OT but I just noticed your comment re lava blue!  I'm pretty set on this colour for my next one.  Did they say they discontinuing it soon?  That's the only two decent colours now gone - Rosso Brunello and Lava Blue

I was actually in their premises yesterday too looking and a saw quartz grey, business grey and one platinum silver ready for number plates. All hatch. Looked very well side by side. Salesman told me they are dropping lava/petrol blue. Poor uptake and poor resale. So I'll have to reconsider the colour.

 

 

Sorry a little OT but I just noticed your comment re lava blue!  I'm pretty set on this colour for my next one.  Did they say they discontinuing it soon?  That's the only two decent colours now gone - Rosso Brunello and Lava Blue

 

Seriously?! Skoda UK already have the most boring palette after Audi (not saying much). Getting rid of the red and now petrol blue is just barmy... Quite a few of us on here have the blue, and most of us^* seem to have liked the red, too. What is it with the UK lease/business market and its insatiable thirst for shades of grey? It's not even the exciting kind! All the guff about resale value for business/fleet buyers is one thing, but it assumes the general public (who buy them after said leases) only want greys. Surely not?! 

 

It's looking more and more likely my next car will be anything but VAG. Shame really as the engines are cracking. A big, petrol BMW next for me, probably... with RWD and many cylinders.

 

^* Not a quantitative measurement. Possibly lies.

Edited 24 August, 20169 yr by Rainmaker

Sorry a little OT but I just noticed your comment re lava blue! I'm pretty set on this colour for my next one. Did they say they discontinuing it soon? That's the only two decent colours now gone - Rosso Brunello and Lava Blue

Sorry a little OT but I just noticed your comment re lava blue! I'm pretty set on this colour for my next one. Did they say they discontinuing it soon? That's the only two decent colours now gone - Rosso Brunello and Lava Blue

Phone acting up.

When I told him I'd be looking for lava blue he said that it was being discontinued in the new year and not too order it now for mine. I think he was referring to cars that are ordered in January won't have that option. He told me that there was a poor uptake on it.

Edited 24 August, 20169 yr by BennyS3