I just test drove an automatic car for the first time ever, tried two of them actually, they were dual clutch ones, both were the wet type, an Audi A4 and a Skoda Superb, 7 and 6 speed’s respectively.

 

I was very impressed by both of these cars and particularily by they’re transmissions.  While compairing these two cars to my 03 Passat it was another world entirely, they oozed quality and sophistication: no heavy clutch to have to keep pumping at, fast direct steering, millions of gadgets to play with.  But it was the auto transmissions I was most interested in.  My next car is going to be an auto and it might be the last car I ever buy, so I must get it absolutely correct.

 

I understand that DCT swaps gears fast, but sometimes can struggle in slow ‘cut and thrust traffic’, such as when negotiating road islands, or when rapid accelerations suddenly called for.  My impression was that out of the two cars it was the Audi was the smother in these kinds of situation, behaving with extra alacrity, I imagine the extra 7^th ratio is the reason why.

 

The 6 speed’s due to be fazed out eventually and I wonder if the transverse wet 7 speed as used in the Tiguan and Ateca might filter down to current saloons like the Superb and Octavia?  That extra gear seems to make a hell of a difference, well anyway it did to me having tried them both.

What engines were in the cars you were test driving and what age of cars.?

 

As to struggling in the cut and thrust of traffic, that sounds like driver issues, and some diesels with DSG / s-tronic / CVTs.

They were both dealer demo cars and new ones GoneOffSKi, both 150 diesel, the Audi was a B9 with the 7 speed s tronic transmission, the Superb III had the dq250 6 speed box.

 

I didn't experience any trouble with either, but then it was only short tests I made, just a few miles in each car.  The "struggling in the cut and thrust of traffic" comment I made is hearsay, there's no way I could make my own assertions after such short drives in the cars.  But I definitely remember how the Audi seemed able to make very rapid short shifts as I pulled on to a road island from stopped, it was like 3 or 4 gear changes in less than a few seconds and in not many metres either, very impressive it was.

try the 8 speed in BMWs, sweet. Unnoticeable out of first.

 

Same box is in the Jag XF but it's much better in the Beemer.

I thought the 7-speed dsg was dry clutch?? May be wrong though

Lovely new 7 speeds for the newer engines and vw just hope the past failures of the dq200 will be forgotten. Internet myth

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Aspman said

try the 8 speed in BMWs, sweet. Unnoticeable out of first.

 

Same box is in the Jag XF but it's much better in the Beemer.

 

I have read about ZF's 8 speed slush and how good it is, a friend of mines  got a 300 Chrysler with that transmission, he says it's that good it makes him forget his cars even got one.

 

Beemer's and Jags out of my range sadly :(

 

Evil Miyagi said

 

I thought the 7-speed dsg was dry clutch?? May be wrong though          

Yes that gearbox is called dq200 its generally used for smaller engines that deliver less power.

 

I think this new wet 7 speed's called dq381.

 

I do hope the new 7 speed gets adopted by the current saloons soon, however I got a hunch it wont happen until completely new models are released in a couple of years or so.