Forum menu
On the swapping thing. I drive my wife's manual car once or twice a month at most. It's no bother switching for me at that frequency.
I have been driving manuals 20+ years so I reckon it would take a good few months to forget completely. I don't forget how to ride my bike after a month off. I do get cheesed off if I haven't ridden for a month but I dont forget how to do it.
Take it to the dealer and ask them to do a clutch reset.
Been there and asked question- they have done what they can but it is no different. My brother (who has owned autos before) has an Ibiza FR with DSG and agrees with me about the dreadful take up from standing starts.
I have a genuine question, how do the new auto's cope now with snowy icy conditions.
Mine has a winter mode which, as far as I can tell, just makes it pull away in third to prevent wheel spin.
This chap doesn't seem to have any problems with quick starts:
Tried the paddles tonight, first time since about a year ago. They are a novelty/gimmick. No doubt. Sport mode does any accelerating you need perfectly adequately and I've never felt the need to pull away quicker than the auto does.
Can understand why wannabe Clarksons find them fun to play with, but I don't often play on the road these days.
Johndoe, I have an A5 Quattro as well and I know exactly what you're talking about. It's the most hateful gearbox and my next car will be another manual. No more autos for me until I'm at retirement age!
I had a remap done but it did nothing to help. I bought the powerful petrol model and Quattro as I wanted the acceleration from a standstill and I'm so disappointed that any manual car on the road can gap me in the first 30 yards. It's put me off ever having another Audi. It's a well known problem apparently but Audi do nothing about it.
I have a genuine question, how do the new auto's cope now with snowy icy conditions.
It is not only about the gear box, all the ESP / traction control etc. electric thingies have bigger effect on how the car goes in the slippery conditions.
Anyway, bigger issue is the tyres, for snow and ice I'd take just about any 80's car with proper (Nordic) winter tyres over any new car with summer tyres. Anyway, winter here lasts for 4-5 months and winter tyres are mandatory.
If I was doing big mileage it would be auto all day long. For circa 12,000 miles though auto is annoying. I like to chose when I kick down, engine braking and gears into bends.
Johndoe, I have an A5 Quattro as well and I know exactly what you're talking about. It's the most hateful gearbox and my next car will be another manual. No more autos for me until I'm at retirement age!
Glad it's not just me! I chose the auto as the previous car I had (2.0l diesel A6) was a manual and I got sick of the constant gear changing - so next time it's back to a manual petrol...
This chap doesn't seem to have any problems with quick starts:
I can't watch that video with sound on so didn't really get the full just of it, but I did note that the blue car seemed to have it's brake light on when it started it's run – was this a 'launch control' start? I have read my user manual and I know it is possible but I have never tried it (as you need to press various buttons in a certain sequence to activate it and I have never been that bothered to try it).
And I don't think you get me about the issue I have – we have clashed on this before. The issue I have is the slooooow take-up from a standing start (not overall performance) - it's fine when going through the gears and quickly gains speed. It would be interesting to see a video of two cars head to head, one manual and the other DSG and see which one responds most quickly off the line when reacting to a light change (and *without* launch control).
[quote="molgrips"]Took an hour or two.I've just had a quick look at your posting history and it looks more like several months of dicking around with a car that wasn't working properly.
[quote="Molgrips"]Having calmed down a bit and spent a few seconds googling I realised that the problem is the DSG. They are extremely expensive to service, and I didn't know this when I got the car!
Another reason for manual next time I think!Arf Arf Arf.
It took me many months to diagnose the original fault; about a year to figure out exactly how the mechanic had ****ed it up in an attempt to fix the original fault; a few weeks to fix the unrelated leak; a few months to get to the bottom of the induced gearbox fault before asking VW; but once that was done only a few hours to actually fix it!
Point was in response to the one about autos being hard to fix - and that the DSG design is actually a good design to work on.
Of couse none of that would have happened with a manual. But no-one's arguing that autos are more reliable or cheaper to fix, of course.
EDIT whoah, that must be an old post, which one is it from?
Found it .. that was in response to the high cost of the service and the fluid change at that garage. VW charge £179 here every 40k miles. Should have mentioned this to the OP.
[i]The issue I have is the slooooow take-up from a standing start[/i]
My Passat doesn't have this issue, that's for sure. Only time is when the engine is cut out and doesn't fire back up in time. Had that twice in 18 months (cos it's only a certain quick stop->start scenario)
I'm surprised at a powerful 4WD automatic Audi being slow off the mark initially.. I've never driven one but a bloke at work has an S-tronic S3 and it is positively rapido off the mark! (not launch control either)
The issue I have is the slooooow take-up from a standing start (not overall performance) - it's fine when going through the gears and quickly gains speed.
I wonder how common an issue this is ? I test drove an A6 Tdi quattro before ordering mine. It was a first time with a DSG box for me, but it seemed faultless to my untrained position.
I think that this is an issue with this model. My DSG equipped car is pretty rapid of the mark too.
There is no issue with slow take-up with 2.0 TDI Audi quattro with auto box.
It is a A4 with DSG type box so it is possible to confuse it if you faff between braking and accelerating.
The other thing to consider on the 'fuel saving' issue is, if the auto is an option, then the additional cost of the auto/DSG gearbox will take a very long time to recoup. For example DSG in a Skoda VRs is £1400 more. Thats a lot of petrol. And, as I checked out, after 3 years having DSG makes for a very small ( £200 or less) increase in value.
Fairs points. But I'm comparing how it used to be with Autos when they were guzzlers.
Though I admit choosing an Auto, cost is not the first thing I think of.
mmannerr - Member
There is no issue with slow take-up with 2.0 TDI Audi quattro with auto box.
that's good to hear !!
^ I will not comment on the car being very thirsty for Adblue though 🙂
Filled 4 times during the last 30 000km...
I think I'm just gonna hang out here today and talk about cars. Political threads are getting depressing.
I find having an auto makes me drive a bit slower overall
I also find having an auto makes my wife pull away from standstill more quickly than in a manual (which obviously canes the petrol!)
Thanks for all your comments, im now 100% decided on an auto.
Anybody any feedback on Evoques and freelanders??
Feedback on the Evoke?
Never driven one, but I find them very, very ugly, especially in white.
Just a personal opinion, not universally shared
The wife of a friend of mine has one. She likes it.
wouldn't go for white one but think the other half thinks the boots too small.... cant win!
I looked long and hard at the new Freelander, aka Discovery Sport. I did all the sums and had test drives in it, along with A6 and Superb Estates in 4wd guise.
The only plus I could determine was the extra seats, which I don't need, so ordered the A6.
[i]Glad it's not just me! I chose the auto as the previous car I had (2.0l diesel A6) was a manual and I got sick of the constant gear changing - so next time it's back to a manual petrol... [/I]
Whereas my experience of an auto diesel Passat CC just made me not consider buying a VAG..., even my current Vectra auto diesel shed works better.
But, getting back to Freelanders, as said my wife has one of these. Smooth, quick and a good place to be - especially for long-distance stuff in bad weather where it feels very safe and secure.
[i]The issue I have is the slooooow take-up from a standing start[/i]My Passat doesn't have this issue, that's for sure. Only time is when the engine is cut out and doesn't fire back up in time. Had that twice in 18 months (cos it's only a certain quick stop->start scenario)
+1 2.0tdi Passat.
It does wallow a little if you get caught in second. Ime it only does that if you're trying to creep it without stopping. It took me a few weeks driving to realise this was a shit tactic on a dsg. Either it's clear and you go or you stop fully look, (stop/start) shove the throttle and go. Piece of piddle.
It's not gearbox its technique.
I don't say my 29r is crap because I have to use a bit more body English in tight singletrack than the 26r. It's quicker but I had to change my technique for the inertia/handling difference.
[i]Anybody any feedback on Evoques [/i]
My kid drove one on a driving experience. So easy a 14 year old could handle it!
I did say to the instructor that there doesn't seem any point in having a car like that if you're not going to take it off road. Just to drive it around like the ol' chelsea tractor cliché is a bit ****. (Oops w word not allowed)
Oh yeah - one other thing re the take-off lag. In addition to the clutch reset thing I also had the latest software upgrade, which might've had an impact.
I was waiting at a junction at 6pm. The car has just pulled away.
I honestly don't see how anyone can say that gearbox is any good.
Sounds shagged johndoh 😆