Tempted by the dark side

[stevemcs]

I really dislike any form of vw group car but would like a newer estate car. I would prefer petrol and there are very few large auto estates about. However one that seems to tick all the boxes is the Skoda superb, auto, petrol and massive while being narrow.

But I dislike dsg …. I always have and always will prefer the zf8, it’s better at low speed, that’s handy when attaching a wobble box. But then I get drawn to F11 530d or the G31 520d (budget) but these are bigger than the current car .. there is always the F31 320/30i but then everything is a 320d. I guess I should just get the 320d……but then the Skoda appeals but I hate dsg …..

[Sheepshanks]

Wife has had a couple of DSGs which I’ve driven quite a bit - did 80 miles on twisty rural A roads today - and they seem fine to me, as did the few I’ve driven as courtesy cars. My auto reference point is the 5 speed Merc box - had one of those for many years.

I don’t use any of the auto hold, stop/start etc features - I think they just get in the way and aren’t needed in an auto.

Edited by Sheepshanks on Thursday 19th October 09:12

[Jag_NE]

stevemcs said:

I really dislike any form of vw group car but would like a newer estate car. I would prefer petrol and there are very few large auto estates about. However one that seems to tick all the boxes is the Skoda superb, auto, petrol and massive while being narrow.

But I dislike dsg …. I always have and always will prefer the zf8, it’s better at low speed, that’s handy when attaching a wobble box. But then I get drawn to F11 530d or the G31 520d (budget) but these are bigger than the current car .. there is always the F31 320/30i but then everything is a 320d. I guess I should just get the 320d……but then the Skoda appeals but I hate dsg …..

First thoughts are, get a grip

[nordboy]

I find the DSG box in the Superb Sportline (280) not bad, I do much prefer the BMW gearbox but can't say that the DSG in the Superb bothers me. We have a couple in work and they get driven pretty hard. They're very capable cars. We have a new DSG Octavia with the new style 'stumpy' gear lever as well and that is good too.

I think the newer DSG's are better than they used to be, I've driven older Golf's which were bad, and I hated.

[clockworks]

Nothing wrong with the DSG box that I had in a Superb 280 a few years ago.

Not sure why so many rave about the ZF8? Had one in an M140i. Perfectly competent, but better than the "high power" VW DSG? Not in my experience. ZF8 would probably last longer though.

[Gerradi]

Jag_NE said:

First thoughts are, get a grip

What nowadays ..??;)

[ZX10R NIN]

They don't appear often (in estate form) but keep an eye out for the 2.0T last of line Insignia, they come with a conventional auto too:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202307089...

[Sheepshanks]

ZX10R NIN said:

They don't appear often (in estate form) but keep an eye out for the 2.0T last of line Insignia, they come with a conventional auto too:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202307089...

Never knew there were 4WD versions of that.


Apparently VW was working on replacing DSG with a torque converter but abandoned the work as EVs came along. I do think the mechanical isolation of a torque converter auto would suit (especially) the SUV better and make them a bit more 'waftable'.

[Fiisch]

I went from the ZF8 (2019 BMW X3 m40d) to the Skoda Superb DSG (2018 220 Sportline) and I'd say there's little to discern the two boxes for daily driving. If I had to be critical, the VW DSG needs more of a kick of the throttle to kick down, but it does the job. If anything, I'd argue the VW DSG is more responsive in manual mode than the ZF8 (at least in the X3).

I am a purist and don't really like automatics (I much prefer driving a manual), however for the commute/school run/mundane drives, it absolutely makes sense. The Superb is a great car, there's plenty of reasons not to buy one but the gearbox isn't one.

I would say it is a big car, so on the standard suspension it's not the best handling of saloons. That said, the practicality and rear leg room is outrageously good.

Still, for the weekend toy I'm shopping for, a manual gearbox is an absolute must-have.

[georgeyboy12345]

You need to drop your old prejudices

[anonymous-user]

They're cars, not football teams ffs.

[stevemcs]

georgeyboy12345 said:

You need to drop your old prejudices

Not so much a predudices, I had the misfortune of owning a dsg car and hated it after 2 weeks. I’ve also driven quite a few and never really liked them as much as I did the zf box.

[MDMA .]

I had the REVO DSG map on mine. Changes it quite a bit.

[wyson]

What car / engine / year was the DSG you tried and what engine / year are you considering a DSG on the Superb?

DSG covers a lot of gearboxes. The general theme I have picked up is early 7 speed dry clutch = bad. Wet clutch = good. Modern 7 speed dry clutch = ok. The newer the box the better as it has evolved over the years.

Edited by wyson on Friday 20th October 07:07

[dhutch]

My MIL has a DSG Octavia estate she lends us for family holidays occasionally.

18 plate with the 1.5tsi ACT petrol and while gets from A to B the 7speed DSG box feels fairly dim witted by modern standards, it I don't know if that's a wet or dry box, or have much else to compare it to as all our cars are manuals.

Don't know if other engines suit the box better?

[bennno]

stevemcs said:

I really dislike any form of vw group car but would like a newer estate car. I would prefer petrol and there are very few large auto estates about. However one that seems to tick all the boxes is the Skoda superb, auto, petrol and massive while being narrow.

But I dislike dsg …. I always have and always will prefer the zf8, it’s better at low speed, that’s handy when attaching a wobble box. But then I get drawn to F11 530d or the G31 520d (budget) but these are bigger than the current car .. there is always the F31 320/30i but then everything is a 320d. I guess I should just get the 320d……but then the Skoda appeals but I hate dsg …..

Volvo v90 nicer.

[SteBrown91]

bennno said:

Volvo v90 nicer.

V90 has a significantly worse gearbox

[Sheepshanks]

dhutch said:

My MIL has a DSG Octavia estate she lends us for family holidays occasionally.

18 plate with the 1.5tsi ACT petrol and while gets from A to B the 7speed DSG box feels fairly dim witted by modern standards, it I don't know if that's a wet or dry box, or have much else to compare it to as all our cars are manuals.

Don't know if other engines suit the box better?

That age was just when VW had issues with 'kangerooing' with the 1.5TSi. It was most apparent on manual's but it's reckoned the DSG's still did it, but the box masked it. So it might be that the drive is somewhat compromised. Super unleaded is supposed to make quite a difference - I put the Costco stuff in ours and it certainly seems to have sharpened it up to extent that I thought the drive mode had been changed.

It'll be the DQ200 dry 7 speed box and wife's 2022 Karoq is the same drivetrain. No issues with that at all, other than an almost compete lack of engine braking makes it a little weird as it doesn't slow itself on the over-run. Some models can have coasting turned on or off but her's doesn't have that option.

It's remarkably economical - at the end of the 80 mile journey I mentioned earlier in thread it was showing 51MPG and I was driving reasonably quickly on the way back as we had an appointment to get to.

OPs 2 litre petrol, not to mention 4WD, will cause a big hit to the MPG. Quite funny reading Tiguan (wife's last car) forums where people switched from 2 litre diesel to 2 litre petrol and are absolutely horrified by the MPG.

[bennno]

SteBrown91 said:

bennno said:

Volvo v90 nicer.

V90 has a significantly worse gearbox

8spd auto refined what’s not to like

[MrTrilby]

bennno said:

SteBrown91 said:

bennno said:

Volvo v90 nicer.

V90 has a significantly worse gearbox

8spd auto refined what’s not to like

It’s an Aisin 8 speed auto - not as refined as the ZF 8 speed, and a bit more dim witted on the move than a 7 speed DSG.