DSG or Manual

[James1223]

Iv just ordered my DSG Golf GTI with performance pack. It will be my first automatic as I fancied a change from the manual. I test drove the DSG and thought it was fun to drive. What are peoples thoughts on the DSG?

 

[Sandman GTI]

When I was younger had manuals, but running errands with it is a lot of work. My wife also does not drive manuals so I need the DSG in case she needs to drive my car. I also like the GTI DSG as it shifted very quick and you could drive much like a manual. The GTI auto is much better than other models with paddle shifting. manauls are good for a performance car you drive once in a while, weekends.

 

[Gignomeus]

Welcome fellow West Country Bumpkin

DSG for the win; manuals are far more effort than they're really worth; yes, you do have more control with a manual by definition, but 99% of the time the DSG will do a better job, or at the very least save you the effort.

Especially, combined with the ACC having the DSG just makes a whole heap more sense than the manual.

But, that said, I drive a GTD; so this isn't a purist drivers view, this is the half baked wannabe racers outlook.

If you were going to drive the GTI like a nutter 24/7 then the manuals the way to go, otherwise DSG is a total win.

 

[Avanti]

Welcome fellow West Country Bumpkin

DSG for the win; manuals are far more effort than they're really worth; yes, you do have more control with a manual by definition, but 99% of the time the DSG will do a better job, or at the very least save you the effort.

Especially, combined with the ACC having the DSG just makes a whole heap more sense than the manual.

But, that said, I drive a GTD; so this isn't a purist drivers view, this is the half baked wannabe racers outlook.

If you were going to drive the GTI like a nutter 24/7 then the manuals the way to go, otherwise DSG is a total win.

I'm not so sure I agree, racing cars are the DSG box type, not sure if rally cars are all tiptronic now?

 

[tg87]

I find manual transmissions far more fun to drive, so I went with the 6MT. There's just something weird about driving an auto sports car that doesn't do anything for me.

 

[dasgti]

DSG is the future

 

[joema2]

Iv just ordered my DSG Golf GTI with performance pack. It will be my first automatic as I fancied a change from the manual. I test drove the DSG and thought it was fun to drive. What are peoples thoughts on the DSG?

I have 30 years experience driving exclusively manual transmission vehicles. My 2010 Mk6 GTI was MT. My 2015 Mk7 GTI is DSG.

I like the control and interaction of manual transmissions. Good as it is, DSG doesn't have the consistent response of a pure manual.

That said I like DSG better overall. It's very nice to just shift into D mode when in heavy traffic. You can manually shift DSG via the paddles or stick if you want more control. It's still not exactly like pure manual but it's pretty good.

DSG is very flexible. It has D mode, S mode, manual shift by by paddles, manual shift by stick, also you can pull the paddle in D mode and it instantly drops into manual for a period then reverts to D. You can make it revert to D faster by holding the right paddle.

DSG is definitely not a conventional automatic. While it's generally smooth, you can hear some gear noise and feel some faint clunks a torque converter automatic doesn't have. At low speeds you can sometimes feel trailing throttle engine braking.

My Mk7 has APR stage 1 and I have a little more confidence in the torque threshold of the DSG than the MT. Nobody knows for sure but on the Mk6 most vehicles at stage 1 required early clutch replacements. In general Mk6 DSG transmissions were more reliable at stage 1 and above. Time will tell if Mk7 is similar.

 

[bob moodie GT]

DSG is the only way to go unless you are driving like Stirling Moss on a track. I have a GT with DSG.

I don't use the paddles or the other thingie where you push the gear stick over to the LHS and drive it like a manual box, as there is no point in this at all in my opinion.

Leave it in drive D and or snick it backwards in to Sport S if you want a bit more grunt and back in to D with another snick. These snicks are lightning quick, far faster than dropping the clutch pedal in and moving a gearstick.

DSG is fantastic, say no more and it works brilliantly with the ACC on.

 

[Stripey]

DSG is the only way to go unless you are driving like Stirling Moss on a track. I have a GT with DSG.

I don't use the paddles or the other thingie where you push the gear stick over to the LHS and drive it like a manual box, as there is no point in this at all in my opinion.

Leave it in drive D and or snick it backwards in to Sport S if you want a bit more grunt and back in to D with another snick. These snicks are lightning quick, far faster than dropping the clutch pedal in and moving a gearstick.

DSG is fantastic, say no more and it works brilliantly with the ACC on.

Same here!

 

[Sandman GTI]

There he is!

Welcome fellow West Country Bumpkin

DSG for the win; manuals are far more effort than they're really worth; yes, you do have more control with a manual by definition, but 99% of the time the DSG will do a better job, or at the very least save you the effort.

Especially, combined with the ACC having the DSG just makes a whole heap more sense than the manual.

But, that said, I drive a GTD; so this isn't a purist drivers view, this is the half baked wannabe racers outlook.

If you were going to drive the GTI like a nutter 24/7 then the manuals the way to go, otherwise DSG is a total win.

Fire lasers now!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jjm51]

this has been covered a lot. here, and on other forums.

get the manual.

or, to be polite; drive both for as long as the dealer will let you. then, decide what is best for your situation. but...

here is an interesting book i recently came across; 'the glass cage.'

synopsis of the book; (let's see how many of you make it to the end! lol)

***"At once a celebration of technology and a warning about its misuse, The Glass Cage will change the way you think about the tools you use every day.

In The Glass Cage, best-selling author Nicholas Carr digs behind the headlines about factory robots and self-driving cars, wearable computers and digitized medicine, as he explores the hidden costs of granting software dominion over our work and our leisure. Even as they bring ease to our lives, these programs are stealing something essential from us.
Drawing on psychological and neurological studies that underscore how tightly people’s happiness and satisfaction are tied to performing hard work in the real world, Carr reveals something we already suspect: shifting our attention to computer screens can leave us disengaged and discontented.

From nineteenth-century textile mills to the cockpits of modern jets, from the frozen hunting grounds of Inuit tribes to the sterile landscapes of GPS maps, The Glass Cage explores the impact of automation from a deeply human perspective, examining the personal as well as the economic consequences of our growing dependence on computers.

With a characteristic blend of history and philosophy, poetry and science, Carr takes us on a journey from the work and early theory of Adam Smith and Alfred North Whitehead to the latest research into human attention, memory, and happiness, culminating in a moving meditation on how we can use technology to expand the human experience."***

my opinion is that a dsg 'STEALS SOMETHING ESSENTIAL' from the driving experience one can have with a car like the gti. but, then again, i am an old guy that has only ever driven manuals...

again; get yourself the manual.

 

[jjm51]

another long-winded post! sorry...

this is from an old thread over at vortex.

i thought i'd add it, since i was 'proud' of what i wrote. he-he. feel free to flame me! i am replying to the post about 'think about this... 911 pdk, audi dsg only and vw...Time will tell?'

Quote Originally Posted by XXX>com View Post
'Think about this...

Porsche - went 911 Turbo PDK ONLY

Audi - ALL new performance variants are DSG ONLY

VW.... Time will tell.'

***my reply below***

this^^^

'a change is coming. and, if you think you can do anything about it. well, that's just sheer vanity.' quote from 'no country for old men'

15 years ago would you have thought 911's and audi s' and rs' would be automatics, um, i mean dsg or whatever you want to call those automatics? (sarcasm)

we are enthusiasts here. those of us that love manuals are a very small minority overall compared to most car buyers today.

i was a teacher for 30+ years. just retired. a couple of things regarding young people and cars;

1. fewer and fewer are learning how to drive a manual. especially the past 10 years. yeah, there were a few kids that were enthusiasts, but most were indifferent. not a bad thing. things change. one of the ironic deals would be a 12th grade girl driving her dad's rebuilt muscle car. v8/manual. that was rare, but very very cool. some very sweet late 60's/early 70's american classics. these girls got A's in class of course. lol

2. some of us older folks remember that on the day you turned 16 you went down to the dmv and got your license. when i was teaching more and more 17/18 year-olds had yet to get their driver's license. many reasons for this i feel. one i think is kids are bored to actually drive. unbelievable for us over 50! i know there are several other reasons too. money, insurance, etc. just to add, i taught in a very well-off community.

one of the subjects i taught was music history. i LOVED jazz. i mean the real stuff; miles, coltrane, billie, etc. there are almost no jazz clubs left in LA. it is a dying art form. it takes a bit of 'work' to 'get it', but when you do WOWZA. it was really cool turning kids on to jazz.

i think manuals are going the way of jazz; there will be a very small group of us that will want 3 pedals. that group i predict will grow smaller and smaller due to lack of availability and lack of interest from most consumers.

what a rambling post!

i'll finish this book here; somebody has been testing 'self-driving' cars in LA since the beginning of the year. as if being the prius capitol of the world was not enough shame already!

i say grab a manual while you still can.

john

 

[Tk_mkv1]

Op, it really depends on situation. This mk7 is my 4th vehicle and 2nd auto, came from a 1990 corolla 5mt and mk6 gti 6mt. I never really drove DSG until I was in the market for a new car (including mk7) since my mk6 was finito from a distracted driver, After testing the DSG, I never felt the same way as I drove any other auto, even bmw's zf 8 speed's.

My reason for the switch is I drive a lot 300-400 a week, there are times saying "ugh i have to drive manual home, even though i love it". I live in outskirt suburbs of District of Columbia and traffic just plain sucks. Most of my driving life lately consisted traffic and commuting so I went for DSG. I do miss manual, i miss rowing gears, feeling the clutch, love it all. If I live in a less populated area, I would still drive manual. Now I'm considering a 2nd toy in couple years, either a track toy like a ap1 s2000 or an off road toy like a used wrangler manual only(I've always wanted a wrangler, but can't justify as my only car).

Overall as a daily driver, I'm happy with DSG, but if you don't live in an area with terrible traffic, id say dsg is pointless if you're the only driver for your car.

I find manual transmissions far more fun to drive, so I went with the 6MT. There's just something weird about driving an auto sports car that doesn't do anything for me.

same here.

DSG is the future

words i don't wanna hear

this is from an old thread over at vortex.

i thought i'd add it, since i was 'proud' of what i wrote. he-he. feel free to flame me! i am replying to the post about 'think about this... 911 pdk, audi dsg only and vw...Time will tell?'

Quote Originally Posted by XXX>com View Post
'Think about this...

Porsche - went 911 Turbo PDK ONLY

Audi - ALL new performance variants are DSG ONLY

VW.... Time will tell.'

***my reply below***

this^^^

'a change is coming. and, if you think you can do anything about it. well, that's just sheer vanity.' quote from 'no country for old men'

15 years ago would you have thought 911's and audi s' and rs' would be automatics, um, i mean dsg or whatever you want to call those automatics? (sarcasm)

we are enthusiasts here. those of us that love manuals are a very small minority overall compared to most car buyers today.

i was a teacher for 30+ years. just retired. a couple of things regarding young people and cars;

1. fewer and fewer are learning how to drive a manual. especially the past 10 years. yeah, there were a few kids that were enthusiasts, but most were indifferent. not a bad thing. things change. one of the ironic deals would be a 12th grade girl driving her dad's rebuilt muscle car. v8/manual. that was rare, but very very cool. some very sweet late 60's/early 70's american classics. these girls got A's in class of course. lol

2. some of us older folks remember that on the day you turned 16 you went down to the dmv and got your license. when i was teaching more and more 17/18 year-olds had yet to get their driver's license. many reasons for this i feel. one i think is kids are bored to actually drive. unbelievable for us over 50! i know there are several other reasons too. money, insurance, etc. just to add, i taught in a very well-off community.

one of the subjects i taught was music history. i LOVED jazz. i mean the real stuff; miles, coltrane, billie, etc. there are almost no jazz clubs left in LA. it is a dying art form. it takes a bit of 'work' to 'get it', but when you do WOWZA. it was really cool turning kids on to jazz.

i think manuals are going the way of jazz; there will be a very small group of us that will want 3 pedals. that group i predict will grow smaller and smaller due to lack of availability and lack of interest from most consumers.

what a rambling post!

i'll finish this book here; somebody has been testing 'self-driving' cars in LA since the beginning of the year. as if being the prius capitol of the world was not enough shame already!

i say grab a manual while you still can.

john

this is why because auto's like dsg, or with more gears get better mpg's and quicker acceleration. Before that era, the advantage of manual was to surpass mpg of their auto version and have quicker go, if you drive right of course. But this "about to end" breed only applies to US and canada, while in europe, asia, africa, australia, south america will still have plenty manuals. its just sad that americans don't see the light, they think its driving punishment, they just don't get it, but hey at least not many people can steal your car when you drive one here. To be honest, id be happy to pay for manual, mpg's and quicker shifting be damned.

 

[James1223]

Thanks for the replies people. It has been very useful and helpful.

I actually do a motorway run every week and the rest just tends to be the stop start commute at traffic lights and I do get a few dual carriageways to blitz it down. This is one of the reasons I chose the DSG. I just hope I haven't taken the driving thrills away by not getting a manual.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[James75]

Thanks for the replies people. It has been very useful and helpful.

I actually do a motorway run every week and the rest just tends to be the stop start commute at traffic lights and I do get a few dual carriageways to blitz it down. This is one of the reasons I chose the DSG. I just hope I haven't taken the driving thrills away by not getting a manual.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You won't have taken the driving thrills away with DSG - just a different experience, the DSG boxes are highly regarded.

It's personal choice that's all

James