Hi

STW advice/experience required,

I am thinking of changing car soon (2nd hand) and have my eye on a couple of options but trying to find the spec I want is proving difficult primarily as it appears that about 70% of those for sale have a DSG/PDK/DCT type gearbox.

I like driving and the added involvement of a good manual box and while i have been impressed with the DSGs I have tried I am not sure a relatively short test drive is enough of an experience to make a decision.

Just wondering if anyone has changed from a manual to DSG type box and not liked it, has the novelty worn off, will you never go back to manual etc?

Cheers

The only thing that might make me consider manual again is the fuel economy. On paper it’s slightly less for some DSGs. Having said that, I am getting well over 65mpg from my Passat on motorway runs so I can hardly complain.

When you hit a traffic jam, you’ll be thankful.. much easier than faffing around with a clutch for an hour.

I git my first DSG car in February, a Fabia VRS. They come with the dry clutch dsg7 and it was a completely new experience to me; I’ve never had anything remotely automatic before.

They take getting used to; you need to train your right foot to do different things than it is used to to get the best driving experience but, once you do, it’s brilliant!

I find a lot of the time in average traffic ill just poodle in drive and then drop two or three gears on the paddles before overtaking. That seems to be the beast way for me. Then, being able to get utterly instant changes at high revs is lovely.

Manual downshifts are perfectly executed; which is something I always struggled with in the Impreza. Actually, come to think of it, I’m probably able to accelerate from a standing start quicker in the Fabia than my first Impreza simply because gear changes are perfect, every single time.

Rachel

They’ve been recalled in Australia and parts of Asia

But “apparently” uk/Europe unaffected. I wouldn’t get one until this plays out.

Mine is Toyota Corolla 2005 old fashion automatic no clutch … love it.

I’ve just got a Freelander 6 speed auto, my first autobox in years. It’s fab in ‘Command Shift’ a bit sluggish in normal auto. Likes a drink, though …….

my only worry with a DSG is if the clutch gives up there’s two clutches to replace, and most modern clutches are £1300 for VW and they are as soft as butter. I test drove a 12K 8 month old Transporter with a DSG and it had already had a clutch 🙄

I’d go for a BMW 8 speed myself

95k miles on my Passat, same clutches. But then I’ve got the 6 speed which is a fluid filled clutch, so maybe they are longer lasting then normal ones.

They are getting better!

I had one of the first 3.2 audi TT’s in 2003, it was great and the gearbox was part of that greatness!

Upshifts were smooth and quick so you never get the toing and froing when accelerating quickly.

Only real problems were reversing (sometime set off like a scolded cat

I would say paddles are useful for when you want to drive it, leave it in D for the rest of the time!

I had an 8 speed auto 3 series whilst mine was being serviced a couple of weeks ago – really good gearbox and made the fuel consumption less than the manual.

However I also drive a manual, and really enjoy it as you feel a bit more connected to the experience!

Thanks all, interesting reading may have to try and wangle a weekend test drive somewhere.

ZF 8sp auto in the new BMWs etc gets very good write ups everywhere but unfortunately in almost all applications is too new and too expensive for my budget, and in the case of M135i too ugly as well.

Also have a Fabia vRS with DSG. I live in London so spend too much time crawling in traffic (even though I’m usually heading out when everyone is heading in) to bother with a manual. It works really well, the only thing that takes some adjustment is how much to press down on the accelerator for how quick a pull-away you want. It’ll do from a creep to as quick as it can get the power down and anything in between, but the only thing it can go on is how heavy you’ve been with your right foot.

Not sure there’s that much scope for them going wrong any more than manual gearboxes do. DSGs have been around for 10+ years now, and in serious quantities for 6+ years and they don’t seem to be failing in huge numbers.

I don’t miss a manual for fun driving either, take it out of D or S mode and it will stay in the gear you selected unless you’re bouncing off the limiter or the revs are so low you’d stall.

I do wonder if people who bemoan the lack of “involvement” and need for “driver skill” also yearn for the days when you had to adjust richness and ignition advance via levers on the steering wheel as well.

simon_g – Member

I do wonder if people who bemoan the lack of “involvement” and need for “driver skill” also yearn for the days when you had to adjust richness and ignition advance via levers on the steering wheel as well.

With all the narrow winding roads, roundabouts, traffic lights, zebra crossings etc … there are already too much involvement. I can’t even relax without having someone tailgating me 🙄

I do wonder if people who bemoan the lack of “involvement” and need for “driver skill” also yearn for the days when you had to adjust richness and ignition advance via levers on the steering wheel as well.

Sure do, would love a mk2 RS2000 or Original Elan sprint running twin 45 weber carbs, or a Caterham on roller barrels….and yes before you ask my main mtb is a rigid 29er 🙂

We have to have automatics for the wife to drive, currently have an old (55 plate) Octavia estate with the 6 speed DSG box and 1.9 TDI engine and a newer Fabia with the 7 speed box and the 1.2 TSI engine.

Both are fine – obviously different car set ups, but both really smooth to change gear, I’ve occasionally tried driving them with the manual + and – and frankly, couldn’t see why anyone would bother. That is what the “S” mode is for!

Tried various other cars/autoboxes when we changed to the Fabia, nothing came close to the smoothness of the DSG boxes.

I get to drive manual hire cars for work one day a week, have no desire to go back to a manual box unless it was something properly sporty like an Elise. Discovering automatics was one of the great unexpected pleasures of meeting MrsMCTD!

No first hand experience but a good pal works at a vw dealer and says they are great when new and in warrenty BUT v v expensive when they go wrong and apparently they do a lot. I’m a huge vw fan but he and 90% of the dealership don’t drive them due to reliability issues with the new ish (3/4) year old vws.
Like most other manufacturers at the min terrible diesel injector and egr problems etc