Golf R32 manual Vs DSG

[baz1985]

and then a nearly new Mk3 8P S3 would be the default choice.

[RS54]

I have a DSG R32 and its absolutely fantastic-great gearbox!

[cuprabob]

RS54 said:

I have a DSG R32 and its absolutely fantastic-great gearbox!

I concur with this statement

[mpaul0055]

+ 1

Changed my whole view on Automatic, absolutely love it..

Wasnt what i fully expected when i got it, and took a few weeks adapting driving. But now it just feels so intuative. Best of both worlds IMO....

Its making a change to an RS4 hard!!!

[catso]

mpaul0055 said:

+ 1

Changed my whole view on Automatic, absolutely love it..

Wasnt what i fully expected when i got it, and took a few weeks adapting driving. But now it just feels so intuative. Best of both worlds IMO....

Its making a change to an RS4 hard!!!

+2, never been a huge auto fan although they have their place in traffic, motorway tailbacks etc but I really like the DSG and although it was my original intention to use it mainly in manual (playstation) mode I find myself driving mostly in auto (I must be getting old).

[Anderooo]

Finally had a chance to drive a DSG box car. Although it is GTI rather than a R32 as a direct replacement for my GTI while it gets repaired. So I have had the thing about a week now and although really only gone to work and back in it. My drive is down B roads and country lanes with a small section of main road.

Personal opinion: I absolutely hate the damn thing!

Although it has improved my MPG slightly as I tend to drive it perhaps a bit slower and let "D" do all the work and just amble to work letting the box change up when it feels like. But the times when I want to actually try and get past the slow old folk I find it cumbersum and difficult to get what I want from it. When I drive my manual I will no doubt drive it a lot more aggressively than the DSG box is doing, keeping it in lower gears because I know the roads rising slightly and that small section afterwards I can nip past cars if I am on the money. But with the DSG it feels so much more unsafe, the best way to describe it is it feels really laggy. I even throw it into "manual" mode but the damn thing still will not leave the gearbox alone and has to interfere. I aren't sure I like not being in complete control of the gearbox and when it comes to moving away from junctions again it feels laggy and slow to react unable to just let me mash my foot down on the throttle to pull out quickly.

How ever during the drive the gear change is smooth and effortless, and I can really see the good side of it and had my drive include motorway miles and long stretches of A road I think it would be great. But I just don't get on with it at all and struggle with it. I have tried to find some tips on using it as maybe I am not getting the best out of it yet, but for me a manual gearbox makes my driving more enjoyable and gives me more control over my car.

As I said just my opinion, I am happy to have finally got a chance to drive one but I don't think I will asking for one in my next car.

Andrew
PS I hate bus drivers who decided to redecorate my silver GTI.

EDIT: Reports look like the next generation won't be a R32 but a R20 giving it a higher tuned 2.0L rather than a V6 lump. http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high...

Edited by Anderooo on Friday 13th February 18:04

[steelbru]

The only 2 times it should interfere when in Manual mode are either too high revs, ie about to hit the limiter then it will change up, or too low revs ( ie if you pull to a stop it will change down to first, or if you slow to 10mph in 6th it will change down). Apart from that it should not be changing gear for you in Manual mode which should be causing you any concern.

Did it over-ride things outside the above 2 scenarios for you ?

[Tame Technician]

I drove an 08 plate 2.0TDi DSG A3 this morning, Interestingly its got to have a new gearbox at 8,000, but thats for an unrelated fault.

I noticed a new DSG annoyance when test driving it. Was in manual mode at 2500rpm 2nd gear and floored it, I actually pressed the accelerator pedal onto the kickdown switch by mistake, and even in full manual mode, it changed down! how annoying is that!!!

Cant say I have actually noticed if all DSG/S-tronic cars had a kickdown switch before, might just be the diesels, but thats just another reason for me to hate them.

Sorry DSG lovers, I'm glad you like them, but I hate it.

[cuprabob]

Yip my R32 has a kick down switch at full throttle but you get used to it you just need to change your driving style but DSG will always be marmite

Edited by cuprabob on Saturday 14th February 11:52

[catso]

cuprabob said:

Yip my R32 has a kick down switch at full throttle but you get used to it you just need to change your driving style but GSG will always be marmite

A3 3.2 has it and it also works in manual but you have to 'want' it to work by pressing the pedal that bit harder. I find it a good thing because when you want to it will shift down without the full sequential shift enabling a quicker downshift than 'paddling' it, for example if you are in 6th gear at 30mph (it will cruise gently in 6th at 30) and you want a quick 'getaway' if you manually shift then you need to do 5, 4, 3, 2 however if you kickdown it will do it in 2 shifts ie 5, 2 as it shifts between the evens and odds.

you really need to learn how a DSG works to get the best from it.

[thehawk]

Anderooo said:

when it comes to moving away from junctions again it feels laggy and slow to react unable to just let me mash my foot down on the throttle to pull out quickly.

That's one thing I didn't find wrong with it when I drove one. It's 0-60 is noticeably faster than the manual and there also is launch control.

The only fault I found was that it was a bit slow on kickdown if you were doing say 30mph.

[baz1985]

For me the DSG/S tronic issues.....full manual mode still upshifts automatically at the redline (vice versa) and you can't blend throttle and brake pedal when left foot braking unless you only slightly feather the brakes.

[Anderooo]

thehawk said:

Anderooo said:

when it comes to moving away from junctions again it feels laggy and slow to react unable to just let me mash my foot down on the throttle to pull out quickly.

That's one thing I didn't find wrong with it when I drove one. It's 0-60 is noticeably faster than the manual and there also is launch control.

The only fault I found was that it was a bit slow on kickdown if you were doing say 30mph.

I read something the other day, as I was unaware it had Launch Control. I just think it is a personal thing I perfer the ability to control the cars get away from traffic lights, junctions etc. As somebody said very marmite. Depends how long I get to keep this car, I might grow to like it a bit more after a few more weeks.

[Auditdi]

cuprabob said:

If you have it in manual mode to you can use the gearstick and or paddles the computer will only change gears if you hit the red line or stop in which case it selects 1st gear for you.

There are basically 3 modes

D - Changes up and down when the computer fels like it
S - More performance focussed, changes up late and down early
+/- - Basically manual change up and down using paddles or gearstick

Nore when in D you overide using the paddles and use as manual and then 20secs after last gearchange will go back into D mode.

With DSG you also have launch control.

Put it in S Mode, switch ESP off, left foot on brake, right foot on full throttle, car holds revs and release brake and enjoy

Edited by cuprabob on Friday 18th April 15:47

I have read about the launch control, It doesn't work on all DSG's. Why?

[catso]

Auditdi said:

I have read about the launch control, It doesn't work on all DSG's. Why?

Not sure but I think only the Quattro models have it?

[Auditdi]

catso said:

Auditdi said:

I have read about the launch control, It doesn't work on all DSG's. Why?

Not sure but I think only the Quattro models have it?

I thought so, I suppose it would just smoke the front tyres on not Quattro’s

[mitch78]

That would surprise me, as I know the Golf Edition 30 has it too.