Automatic transmission

[Tommytaylor]

Hi All

I'm looking to buy a Skoda SUV automatic and wondering which is the best one to buy.

Looking into any Skoda SUV model but curious which are the best and if any have automatic transmission issues?

I had heard the Nissan Juke has bad auto gearbox issues even after 30k miles?...hence moving to Skoda

[KenONeill]

2 hours ago, Tommytaylor said:

I'm looking to buy a Skoda SUV automatic

I think the closest you'll come is a DSG, which is more like an automated manual than an olde skool slushbox.

[Ootohere]

Welcome.

The SUV's that are AWD will have different DSG's (auto boxes) from FWD SUV's.

 

There are just the Karoq or Kodiaq's being built, or the Yeti's they stopped building.

Then there is the Enyaq EV which is a 2 pedal car.

 

The Kamiq is not really a SUV but seems to be sold as such. FWD only and with a DQ200 as the only DSG fitted. 

 

 

Edited 16 November, 2022 by toot

[carefree]

The Kamiq is a mini SUV and the dsg7 box is superb so far.

[BoxerBoy]

After many years since my first DSG box I’m unlikely to use anything else.

 

Forget ECO mode. It kills the car.

 

Forget Stop/Start. It kills the car.

 

Flip flopping between Drive and Sport let’s you enjoy a gearbox setting to suit the road and your mood.

 

Combined with DCC you can drive a “Different” car many times on every journey.

 

With paddles of course.

[EnterName]

On 27/11/2022 at 20:20, BoxerBoy said:

Forget ECO mode. It kills the car.

How so? AFAIK it just dips the clutch and allows coasting.

I realise this arguably adds more clutch wear, but that's a fairly low-risk trade-off.

I use ECO fairly regularly and if there is a big downside to using ECO, I'd be happy to know what it is.

(Stop/Start is more trouble than it's worth a lot of the time, and will probably give your starter motor more use than is good for it, IMO.)

[Ootohere]

ECO, is not the same in all engines / DSG,s.   As in a 1.0 or 1.4 TSI without ACT and a DQ200 DSG, or a 1.6 TDi,. Then there are 1.5 TSI,s ACT with maybe a DQ200 or a DQ381.  Then you get to 2.0 TDI or TSI,s and wet clutch 7 speed DSG.s.  lots of choices and also modes making differences. 

[EnterName]

2 minutes ago, toot said:

ECO, is not the same in all engines / DSG,s.   As in a 1.0 or 1.4 TSI without ACT and a DQ200 DSG, or a 1.6 TDi,. Then there are 1.5 TSI,s ACT with maybe a DQ200 or a DQ381.  Then you get to 2.0 TDI or TSI,s and wet clutch 7 speed DSG.s.  lots of choices and also modes making differences. 

Thanks Toot. Which gearboxes "don't like" (for want of a better phrase) ECO mode?

[Ootohere]

None in my experience.  Different cars / engines can be used in different ways at different times.  If someone does not use ECO another driver might find it suits them.  I use 'coasting' function with any car.  Some ages / types need to be in ECO to Coast.  Others can let you coast in D or S. 

[EnterName]

1 minute ago, toot said:

None in my experience.  Different cars / engines can be used in different ways at different times.  If someone does not use ECO another driver might find it suits them.  I use 'coasting' function with any car.  Some ages / types need to be in ECO to Coast.  Others can let you coast in D or S. 

The one downside to ECO mode I can foresee, is that as I switch it off and on with the pedals (a slight tap of the brake pedal engages the clutch, and a dab of throttle disengages it) someone behind me may interpret the dab of brakes as a signal to them that they are too close, or may even assume I'm brake-testing them. I've not had any aggro, but it's something I've thought about.

Before I had an automatic, I was always puzzled as to why cars stationary at traffic lights would dab their brakes prior to moving off, which was purely down to my ignorance of how autos work. So I can imagine someone with no experience of the coasting feature on VW DSGs misinterpreting my tiny dab of brakes as some sort or reprimand to them.

[Ootohere]

I never tap the brake pedal, I tap the accelerator if someone is behind.  

[EnterName]

23 minutes ago, toot said:

I never tap the brake pedal, I tap the accelerator if someone is behind.  

That doesn't disengage coasting though, does it?

[Ootohere]

Yes. Surely you have tried that have you not.  'D' goes to D7, D6 or what ever.  Again depends on what car.  Why would you want to be braking or decelerating if you want to be going into drive and get a move on?    

[EnterName]

57 minutes ago, toot said:

Yes. Surely you have tried that have you not.  'D' goes to D7, D6 or what ever.  Again depends on what car.  Why would you want to be braking or decelerating if you want to be going into drive and get a move on?    

No, I meant for engine braking. For example, if I'm coasting downhill and the car picks up too much speed, I dab the brake, and the car goes to E7 and with no throttle applied,  the car will slow with engine braking,

Then when it's slowed enough, a tap of the throttle lifts the clutch and I coast again.

It's not exciting driving, I'll grant you that.

[Ootohere]

I change down a gear or 2 if I want to be in control and slowing down, then I accelerate maybe in D.  I am not much for touching a brake pedal.  But then I have only driven 2 pedal cars for almost 5 decades as I have only one foot.  

[EnterName]

49 minutes ago, toot said:

I change down a gear or 2 if I want to be in control and slowing down, then I accelerate maybe in D.  I am not much for touching a brake pedal.  But then I have only driven 2 pedal cars for almost 5 decades as I have only one foot.  

I'm not talking about steep hills, just inclines on motorway driving.

I like to drive on motorways with minimal use of the brake, so I have to judge things carefully.

Coasting makes things a little more challenging as I don't get engine braking unless I activate it with a dab on the brakes.

Cruise control makes things even more difficult as I don't have ACC, with my challenge being not to disengage the CC.

(Obviously I have to accommodate other traffic and not inconvenience other drivers while I'm doing this.)

I'm not saying it's an optimal way to drive, but I enjoy it and it forces me to anticipate what's going to happen a good few seconds ahead and mitigate for it.

 

[BoxerBoy]

5 hours ago, EnterName said:

How so? AFAIK it just dips the clutch and allows coasting.

I realise this arguably adds more clutch wear, but that's a fairly low-risk trade-off.

I use ECO fairly regularly and if there is a big downside to using ECO, I'd be happy to know what it is.

(Stop/Start is more trouble than it's worth a lot of the time, and will probably give your starter motor more use than is good for it, IMO.)

1. ECO makes the car very lethargic. Often at the most inconvenient times. Like exiting junctions, joining roundabouts, making an overtake. Not a driving mode that suits my smooth and controlled style.

2. Insists on freewheeling and giving you that out of control sensation whenever you hit a down slope.  Which has to be countered by using brake or throttle as appropriate. Chasing yet he last fraction of MPG doesn’t figure in my driving.

 

Half a century ago I was trained that freewheeling was very Bad Practice and only for the loons trying to beat the Mobil Economy Run fuel consumption figures.  Utter nonsense from our 21st century car makers who are simply playing the economy numbers game using every possible tweak, sensible or otherwise. And some fall for it as being gospel.
 

I’ve never seen freewheeling recommended by anybody promoting advanced driving techniques. I’ll maybe go double check in my old copy of Roadcraft.

 

For some reason my car in normal Drive mode insists on dropping out of gear regularly, so I’m wearing out the LH paddle to kick it back in to whatever gear it was in. Obviously doesn’t misbehave in Sport mode.

Edited 1 December, 2022 by BoxerBoy

[Ootohere]

Sometimes you can not teach old dogs new tricks or how to get the best from available tech.  Eco settings and Coasting can be rather different and just keeping your toe off the accelerator can use less fuel.  Not just on rolling roads in a test regime for the WLTP or RDE.    But if your routes, roads or way you choose to drive does not suit then it is nobody else loss.     You easily see once on EV,s the differences coasting can make and also regeneration and that regeneration can also work with ICE vehicles.  

[EnterName]

14 hours ago, BoxerBoy said:

1. ECO makes the car very lethargic. Often at the most inconvenient times. Like exiting junctions, joining roundabouts, making an overtake. Not a driving mode that suits my smooth and controlled style.

Agreed, if I'm at a junction where I need to make a sharp exit, I knock it into sport and then back into eco.

 

14 hours ago, BoxerBoy said:

2. Insists on freewheeling and giving you that out of control sensation whenever you hit a down slope.  Which has to be countered by using brake or throttle as appropriate. Chasing yet he last fraction of MPG doesn’t figure in my driving.

I'm not even sure it's much more economical, as driving off throttle in drive mode should use less fuel than coasting with the engine idling. I find the coasting function most useful in 40mph zones. I suppose having been a keen cyclist for years, throttle/freewheel feels very natural to me.

 

14 hours ago, BoxerBoy said:

Half a century ago I was trained that freewheeling was very Bad Practice and only for the loons trying to beat the Mobil Economy Run fuel consumption figures.  Utter nonsense from our 21st century car makers who are simply playing the economy numbers game using every possible tweak, sensible or otherwise. And some fall for it as being gospel.

Yeah, freewheeling in manual cars is suboptimal bad driving technique, IMO.

 

14 hours ago, BoxerBoy said:

For some reason my car in normal Drive mode insists on dropping out of gear regularly, so I’m wearing out the LH paddle to kick it back in to whatever gear it was in. Obviously doesn’t misbehave in Sport mode.

Huh! That's odd. Not heard of that before. Then again, I don't have paddles, sadly.

[KenONeill]

3 hours ago, EnterName said:

Yeah, freewheeling in manual cars is suboptimal bad driving technique, IMO

As is free-wheeling in automatics.

[EnterName]

4 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

As is free-wheeling in automatics.

Be sure to let VAG know they've got it wrong, Ken.

[Ootohere]

If it was just 'Freewheeling' without it being engineered into the vehicle and type approve & allowed in the legislation /law then it would be an issue. 

The driver is responsible for their driving and being in control of the vehicle and what they enable and when and where and when safe to do so.

It helps if they know what the system in  the vehicle they are driving actually does.

 

As it is it came about because 'Those in charge in Europe or those that work for those in charge wanted lower emissions and have allowed kidology to prevail.

 

But Cylinder Deactivation, Cylinder / Turbo on demand, engine stop / start, coasting and the likes can have less fuel used and so less emissions emitted.

They are still banning the sale of new Petrol & Diesels in less than a decade.

 

Just now the EV's, Mild Hybrid and PHEV's are allowing manufacturers to get the Low Average C02 figures needed with Partnerships with other manufacturers.

VW Group are not building or selling enough of their own cars with Low Emissions. 

 

The thing is if you do not want functions do not use them.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/494047-coasting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 2 December, 2022 by toot

[Gomezz]

I quite often use eco / freewheel mode on undulating roads and have never found a problem but have found better mpg.

As Toot says a dab on the throttle or brake puts you back in full control, not that I feel out of control anyway.

As an old guy I was told not to freewheel in the good!!! old days.

[Kenny R]

On 01/12/2022 at 19:43, BoxerBoy said:

 

For some reason my car in normal Drive mode insists on dropping out of gear regularly, so I’m wearing out the LH paddle to kick it back in to whatever gear it was in. Obviously doesn’t misbehave in Sport mode.

Latest models go into “ freewheeling “ mode if you lift off the accelerator not just only in ECO mode. If you keep your foot on the pedal lightly it will stay in gear and as you know if more engine braking required using the brake will force a change down , or downshift using paddle.

My previous Kodiaq only freewheeled in ECO mode, so small learning curve in new Kodiaq, but certainly helps mpg, never feels out of control, and call me sad, but seeing how far you can travel freewheeling without loosing speed becomes addictive.

Edited 2 December, 2022 by Kenny R

[BoxerBoy]

7 hours ago, EnterName said:

Be sure to let VAG know they've got it wrong, Ken.

VAG and all others have got it wrong. They’re playing games. Arsoles!

 

I don’t give a **** about 0.25 mpg, freewheeling is total nonsense.

Edited 2 December, 2022 by BoxerBoy