Golf R 7.5 DSG - what a miserable gearbox
Discussion
We have been running a 2017 Golf R with 7 speed dsg for nearly 20,000 miles and I just don't understand the love for this awful gearbox.
I must be one of the only people who doesn't get on with it judging by the all the plaudits and people who go weak at the knees over it. We had the 8 speed zf in recent 330d and m135i's and that performed really well. I know the zf is a proper torque convertor auto. But this dsg is just appalling.
Some of the annoying characteristics include - desperation to change into next gear asap - on a light throttle round town its in 4th at 20mph, 5th soon after and 7th at less than 40mph. That's barely above tickover. This makes the car feel sluggish and unresponsive. Coming up to junctions or roundabouts, it wont let you accelerate forward gently in 2nd, it changes down into 1st with a delay and a lurch. Its often sluggish to respond from stationary making pulling out onto roundabouts etc pretty hit and miss and often leaving you flooring the accelerator with nothing happening for a second or two followed by a flat out rush. On a 40 / 50 mph a or b road in traffic, the gearbox changes up and down relentlessly, sometimes every couple of seconds, sometimes it will change up then back down immediately and then back up again and so on. At motorway speeds, the slightest pressure on the throttle, even at 75 plus, results in a downshift and then no upshift for ages. The shifts aren't usually very smooth and the damn thing is constantly busy up and down the box even on a steady throttle. If you are in say 4th gear, and lift off for a junction or corner, it will change up through the gears into 7th as soon as it can with a surge between each change, even though you want to slow down gradually.
It was checked at the last service and apparently its performing as intended. Of course I can change gear manually but it still overrides you a lot of the time. I've tried all the different modes and its smoothest and least frenetic in eco mode but we didn't get the car for economy and lower performance.
Are they all like this? Its so bad it ruins the car in my opinion and I would never have another vw dsg. I'm interested to know what are other peoples experiences like?
I must be one of the only people who doesn't get on with it judging by the all the plaudits and people who go weak at the knees over it. We had the 8 speed zf in recent 330d and m135i's and that performed really well. I know the zf is a proper torque convertor auto. But this dsg is just appalling.
Some of the annoying characteristics include - desperation to change into next gear asap - on a light throttle round town its in 4th at 20mph, 5th soon after and 7th at less than 40mph. That's barely above tickover. This makes the car feel sluggish and unresponsive. Coming up to junctions or roundabouts, it wont let you accelerate forward gently in 2nd, it changes down into 1st with a delay and a lurch. Its often sluggish to respond from stationary making pulling out onto roundabouts etc pretty hit and miss and often leaving you flooring the accelerator with nothing happening for a second or two followed by a flat out rush. On a 40 / 50 mph a or b road in traffic, the gearbox changes up and down relentlessly, sometimes every couple of seconds, sometimes it will change up then back down immediately and then back up again and so on. At motorway speeds, the slightest pressure on the throttle, even at 75 plus, results in a downshift and then no upshift for ages. The shifts aren't usually very smooth and the damn thing is constantly busy up and down the box even on a steady throttle. If you are in say 4th gear, and lift off for a junction or corner, it will change up through the gears into 7th as soon as it can with a surge between each change, even though you want to slow down gradually.
It was checked at the last service and apparently its performing as intended. Of course I can change gear manually but it still overrides you a lot of the time. I've tried all the different modes and its smoothest and least frenetic in eco mode but we didn't get the car for economy and lower performance.
Are they all like this? Its so bad it ruins the car in my opinion and I would never have another vw dsg. I'm interested to know what are other peoples experiences like?
The ZF8 shows up the flaws of a dual clutch box when the car is driven normally. Especially as manufacturers work harder and harder to meet emissions regs so it throws more shifts in. With a torque converter these shifts are unnoticeable but the dual clutch always has a slight thump. If you can't get used to it then you'll want to get rid as they only get lumpier over time.
kick buttowski said:
. Coming up to junctions or roundabouts, it wont let you accelerate forward gently in 2nd, it changes down into 1st with a delay and a lurch.
This.. on my RS5 which has the ZF8, especially when in dynamic mode. It really irritates me how abrupt it changes down.. If you have an individual setting, set the gearbox to auto, rather than Sport/Dynamic..G
I had a MK7 Golf R with the 6-Speed DSG and it was fantastic. Incredibly responsive and always where you wanted it - changed it out for a new Audi A5 Coupe with the 7-Speed S-Tronic and it is garbage. Gearbox is exactly as you've described there....I am waiting at a junction, go to accelerate and there is a huge delay where it appears to be making its mind up.....slowing down for a roundabout and then accelerating to pull out, once again, takes ages to decide what it wants....really poor gearbox - appears they've gone backwards.
Has completely put me off any new 7-Speed VAG Models unless they change it - find it unbearable at times. The 8-Speed in the BMW 435D we have also is miles better in comparison.
Has completely put me off any new 7-Speed VAG Models unless they change it - find it unbearable at times. The 8-Speed in the BMW 435D we have also is miles better in comparison.
kick buttowski said:
We have been running a 2017 Golf R with 7 speed dsg for nearly 20,000 miles and I just don't understand the love for this awful gearbox.
I must be one of the only people who doesn't get on with it judging by the all the plaudits and people who go weak at the knees over it.
I wouldn't say that's true - you see a lot of complaints about it. The people on here who leased the Passat Alltracks almost all said the DSG was terrible.I must be one of the only people who doesn't get on with it judging by the all the plaudits and people who go weak at the knees over it.
They vary though - missus has the 7 speed wet clutch in her diesel Tiguan and it works fine, and my reference point is the wel regarded 5 speed Merc auto I drive.
I have the 6 speed DSG in a Mk 7.5 Golf GTI, it's generally very good.
It does change up quite early, but with one less gear I suspect that it's less annoying shuffling up and down compared to the 7 speed.
It can jerk though when it's changing down just as you've hit the accelerator, e.g. changing down to second just as you've hit the throttle to accelerate onto a roundabout.
It does change up quite early, but with one less gear I suspect that it's less annoying shuffling up and down compared to the 7 speed.
It can jerk though when it's changing down just as you've hit the accelerator, e.g. changing down to second just as you've hit the throttle to accelerate onto a roundabout.
A lot of modern auto boxes do the "eco-no-fuel-mode" when braking which makes them unprepared when you hit go on approach to a roundabout expecting some nip'n'tuck only to painfully slowly roll out looking like a complete tart only for then the cars brain to go "oh duhh he's got his foot flat duuuhh maybe duuh I should go??!" Then you take off like a scalded cat to a shake of the head from the oncoming driver whos clearly wondering just what the dithering wittery you're up to.
You could probably put a button on the wheel to keep the fueling/gearbox in a ready-mode but most car manufacturers prefer to subscribe to their own delusional marketing guff that their auto-boxes are somehow "smart" and "clever" and don't need this, rather than just give us a working product.
You could probably put a button on the wheel to keep the fueling/gearbox in a ready-mode but most car manufacturers prefer to subscribe to their own delusional marketing guff that their auto-boxes are somehow "smart" and "clever" and don't need this, rather than just give us a working product.
Teddy Lop said:
You could probably put a button on the wheel to keep the fueling/gearbox in a ready-mode
As I said a few posts back, tugging the gear lever to go into Sport mode does that, even when in Eco mode. You don't get quite as crisp throttle response with the gearbox in Sport mode and the engine map in Eco, but it is good enough for what you are describing. In fact, the throttle response is surprisingly good with that combo, which makes what I describe a viable workaround when you need a quick squirt. Teddy Lop said:
A lot of modern auto boxes do the "eco-no-fuel-mode" when braking which makes them unprepared when you hit go on approach to a roundabout expecting some nip'n'tuck only to painfully slowly roll out looking like a complete tart only for then the cars brain to go "oh duhh he's got his foot flat duuuhh maybe duuh I should go??!" Then you take off like a scalded cat to a shake of the head from the oncoming driver whos clearly wondering just what the dithering wittery you're up to.
It's worth bearing in mind that DSG isn't an auto in the conventional sense - it's an automated manual (x2). Catch it in completely the wrong gear and it can take a second (which seems like ages) to unload and load gears to get going. You can mostly drive around some of the issues - ie it might be better not to floor the throttle all in one go.I don't drive ours enough to worry about it too much and, like I said earlier, it seems to work pretty well to me. I did find this forum post interesting, but don't regard it as gospel - it's just someone's opinion: https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5989734...
The DSG gearbox doesn't function anything like a traditional automatic so you can't drive it as you would a traditional automatic. Provided you alter your driving style to accommodate the DSG's quirks, it performs without issue.
I've been driving one for 100k now and I really like it. True, it's not as good when pootling about as the most recent traditional automatic gearboxes however it's great (better) when you want to zoom along.
I've been driving one for 100k now and I really like it. True, it's not as good when pootling about as the most recent traditional automatic gearboxes however it's great (better) when you want to zoom along.
MrBarry123 said:
The DSG gearbox doesn't function anything like a traditional automatic so you can't drive it as you would a traditional automatic.
Based on my experience of having both at the same time I'd say you can - I drive both my Merc and the VW in exactly the same way. Maybe we've been lucky with the DSG implementation we have - it might be different with another DSG/engine combination.
Gassing Station | Audi, Seat, Skoda & VW | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff