DSG vs. Manual

[nouse4aname]

Saying you'll never go back is flat our false.

I think he was referring to there no going back to a traditional automatic or cvt.

 

[(. )( .)]

Are you buying the car to share with a female? If so get the automatic dsg.

 

[grambles423]

Keeping with your need for opinions I will give you just that. However, if we REALLY want to have a general discussion about why this certain OP should pick either transmission, I think we should understand that opinions are just that. I just searched about 10 different threads and 3-4 of the were locked.....

So with THAT being said, bear with me this will be a TLDR;

I've been a die hard manual freak ever since I was young. I enjoyed rowing the gears. 4speeds, 5 speeds, and now 6speeds they're all very very fun. I drove manuals extensively and NEVER found an issue with shifting in bumper to bumper traffic. I'm THAT guy that always loved a manual even at the worst of times. My left foot was amazingly stronger than my right after rush hours in Birmingham but so what......I was a MAN that drove a MANual.

I drove my first GTI as a manual FSI and fell in love with it. HOWEVER, when I started to look for one I found the perfect low mileage at an amazing price (~$14K) but it was DSG. Having NEVER driven the DSG I managed to test drive the vehicle and fell more in love with the power, rather than the transmission. The owner told me about the DSG Recall that had to be done, so I kept that in the back on my head when I bought it.

It probably took about a good 2 months after the recall work before I appreciated the simplicity (Yes.....simplicity) of the logic and the output and the control. I was never in love with D-Mode but I enjoyed the fact that it was there on days I could just cruise and talk on the phone with my business colleagues if I needed too. The novelty wore off as quick as Stage 1 did, which was around the time I bought K04. Knowing I didnt have to buy a clutch for those power levels saved an immediate $2K which was phenomenal. Soon after I feel in love with the car again. Shifts were even quicker and manual mode felt like BOSS. S-Mode was a cracked out free for all of power, burnt rubber, and testicular growth. I love it and it was intoxicating.

Soon after K04 I found the "quirks" starting to show again which brought up my need for DSG tuning. I've never driven into the realms of actual transmission tuning because I always drove MANuals, but I took Unitronic's Stage 2 DSG tuning a go and sure enough what awesome that had left had came back with a vengeance and brought its awesome friends with. Currently, the car is awesome to drive and very very worthy of others to drive it. My wife loves the smoothness of it all and cant tell when its shifiting sometimes. She noticed the power feels more "on demand".

Overall, My choice to move to DSG was definitely not really by "choice" but more by my dream to own a GTI. The cards sort of played themselves out in the right manner. Its nice to know my wife can drive my car if I ever get hurt and its nice to know I never really have to worry about clutch troubles at these power levels.

My personal opinion: DSG is only as good as its tuning relative to the engine's power output. K04 + DSG Tune = Awesome Possum. Its no wonder that Golf R DSG's over seas are running sub 4s 0-60s and that the TT-RS is blasting 2.9s 0-60s on a similar system.

I love my DSG and I ask those who havent driven one to drive my car.

 

[dubessa]

This topic will never get old, and it was definitely a major question on my mind when purchasing my car. Found this on autoblog.com and I find it describes the difference quite well.

.............Then there's the new eternal argument, DSG versus plain old manual. A couple of facts we learned about GTI transmissions: Interestingly, unlike most cars sold in the U.S., a full 50% of GTI buyers opt for the manual (as opposed to the 90% slushbox rate in VW's other offerings). The fast shifting dual-clutch unit weighs 22.4 pounds more than the manual. That might seem like nothing (in fact, other journalists laughed at our question once the answer was given), but remember that people pay big $$$ for a Porsche GT3 RS fitted with a lithium-ion battery that saves... 22 pounds.

While largely carried over from the old GTI, the DSG now features launch control, and it's incredibly easy to use: Disengage the traction control. Flop the transmission over into Sport. Push the brake pedal in with your left foot. Floor the throttle with your right and watch as the tachometer climbs to 3,200 rpm. Then, simply dump the brake. You are treated to a bit of wheelspin and a slightly faster jaunt to 60 mph. It should be noted that you can get a whole bunch more wheelspin by dumping the clutch with the manual, though Volkswagen claims this way is slower.

So, which transmission to get? Call us Luddites if you must (Luddites!), but if your desire is a satisfying driver's car, then there is no question that the six-speed manual is the box to get. It's just more fun. Oh yes, we know that the DSG can change gears faster (VW claims 1/10 of a second) and all that, but it feels artificial. While there are dual-clutch transmissions that float our boat (hello, Nissan GT-R), in the case of the MkVI GTI, the manual transmission is the enthusiast's way to go. Which is no doubt why Volkswagen sells so many row-your-own GTIs. It's cheaper, too.

I went with manual because I'm young and am proud to say that I learned how to drive stick. It helps to keep me focused and aware when driving. And it's definitely alot of fun. If I'm still into VWs after I age a bit (which will probably be the case), I will try the DSG. But right now, living in the suburbs at my age.... having a manual seemed to suit me better.



Sorry for the long post but good luck on your choice! regardless you'll love your new GTI

 

[Eswin17]

Otherwise get the manual. In a performance car like the GTi a manual is a must. Plus you also need to factor in the maintenance costs of the DSG in 10k miles since DSG fluid service is at 40k.

I don't understand this. You can get more performance (read: results) out of a DSG over a manual. Also, you bring up the maintenance costs of the DSG...but if you plan on tuning the vehicle...you have to buy a better clutch for the manual. Something you do not need to do with a DSG.

edit: I'm not against manual. My next car will most likely be manual. But that because the DSG has jaded me. It is an amazing transmission. I just want to be engaged a little more.

 

[DUBPL8]

I don't understand this. You can get more performance (read: results) out of a DSG over a manual. Also, you bring up the maintenance costs of the DSG...but if you plan on tuning the vehicle...you have to buy a better clutch for the manual. Something you do not need to do with a DSG.

edit: I'm not against manual. My next car will most likely be manual. But that because the DSG has jaded me. It is an amazing transmission. I just want to be engaged a little more.

I'd rather spend the money on a new clutch than a new transmission, and manual transmissions usually tend to be more reliable than conventional automatics and specialty ones like the DSG or God forbid the SMG gearboxes lol

Make no mistake I love my DSG gearbox but I cant deny the fact that a manual makes you more in control of the vehicle. I could have got mine in manual but I already another car as a manual (my Civic hatch) so don't need another one that's also my HWY commuter.

 

[(. )( .)]

Be a man do da right ting

 

[Mk6-ATX]

I was debating the same thing a couple months ago. I ended up going with a manual even though I'd never owned a manual car before (been driving 12 years). I think it'll get better, but I'm still having some trouble getting used to it. I don't drive much (only 200 miles on the car in a little over a month), but I do live in downtown Austin and traffic is more of a bitch than I thought it would be.

I test drove an automatic but I didn't give it enough of a chance - I didn't try manual mode at all and never even got it over 40mph. I did enjoy the interaction of the manuals I test drove but that interaction is required all the time. Sometimes I don't want to have to worry about it. I'm dreading my next drive up to Dallas, half of which usually ends up being traffic. I think I'm still getting used to the stick, but I kinda wish I had just gone with what I knew instead of thinking I needed to go manual "because racecar".

 

[DUBPL8]

I was debating the same thing a couple months ago. I ended up going with a manual even though I'd never owned a manual car before (been driving 12 years). I think it'll get better, but I'm still having some trouble getting used to it. I don't drive much (only 200 miles on the car in a little over a month), but I do live in downtown Austin and traffic is more of a bitch than I thought it would be.

I test drove an automatic but I didn't give it enough of a chance - I didn't try manual mode at all and never even got it over 40mph. I did enjoy the interaction of the manuals I test drove but that interaction is required all the time. Sometimes I don't want to have to worry about it. I'm dreading my next drive up to Dallas, half of which usually ends up being traffic. I think I'm still getting used to the stick, but I kinda wish I had just gone with what I knew instead of thinking I needed to go manual "because racecar".

Boy it must be much worse than SXSW rolls around hahaha

 

[Mk6-ATX]

Haha I don't drive during SXSW - got a bike for that. I work downtown and live 2 miles away I actually enjoy all the traffic that week because I don't feel like I'm always about to get hit when I'm biking downtown!

 

[DUBPL8]

Haha I don't drive during SXSW - got a bike for that. I work downtown and live 2 miles away I actually enjoy all the traffic that week because I don't feel like I'm always about to get hit when I'm biking downtown!

haha everytime I come down during SXSW I always park east of 35 (fuck paying for parking) and walk literally everywhere from venue to venue to catch the acts over there. I'm surprised VW hasn't sponsored the Fader Fort like Fiat did lol

 

[akiszois]

I bought mine manual so the MRS does not drive it. She complains every day but I love that i'm the only one driving it.

 

[Tk_mkv1]

i didn't own a manual until i got my gti, even though i never drove dsg i was happy that i made the right choice of trans...and it is by far the best manual car I've driven, the clutch is smooth like butter and seems so easy to drive stick...believe me manual is fun but DSG has its perks on traffic...but one thing sucks about the manual gti is when you take off in first gear about 3/4 a throttle the tires cause a little wheelspin

 

[CFG9000]

Agree with above statement I've had a passat dsg and it was fun....but I like my manual better even in rush hour traffic it doesn't bother me to much maybe bc I'm used to it. IMO dsg is actually better performance wise until k04, example my friend has a Vw cc apr stage3+ dsg and I'm k04 manual and I can keep up with him pretty good bc he hasn't flashed and rebuilt his dsg to make it capable of holding that power. Shop told him to completely redo tranny to make it worth it was about $8,000. For me it's &2,000 you get the picture???

Somebody's lying to you, because the DSG doesn't need to be built for stage 3.

 

[quality_sound]

Doesn't stage 3 go well past the TQ limits of the DSG?