GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: maczi on 09 February 2016, 11:01
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Maybe it's just me, but I find the GTI DSG box is rarely in the gear I want. Obviously it depends on what you deem the "right" gear to be for any given moment and driving style but neither Normal mode or Sport mode generally does it for me. I really think there should be a mode in-between these two.
Normal mode often changes up too quickly and is always languishing around 2000rpm and offers limited immediate response to throttle.
Sport mode is the opposite and will often not change up until north of 6000rpm which I feel is a bit too high.
I know in Normal mode you can put your foot down and it will kick down a gear or two but that takes time and does not make for a smooth and controlled driving experience.
I think the DSG is a fine system in itself and it's great for easy driving and with the ACC etc but I'm just not convinced the programming of the modes is ideal.
I now fully appreciate I should of got the manual but I just wondered what other people thought?
Cheers.
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I have no problems with the dsg. I change the mode, depending on the road I am on and traffic conditions. We are lucky to have some fabulous and quiet driving roads where I live especially during week days. Unfortunately, at the weekends and especially the summer they become infested with bicyclists ! So you then have to take great care and go slowly.So experiment with dsg a bit more and you should soon be fine, I would never go back to manual. Jeremy Clarkson has dsg on his Gti and that says something.
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For me the mode in between normal and sport mode is manual mode :whistle:
Get using those paddles and you can drive the car in the right gear (for your driving style) all the time :tongue:
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For me the mode in between normal and sport mode is manual mode :whistle:
Get using those paddles and you can drive the car in the right gear (for your driving style) all the time :tongue:
This! :smiley:
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So glad I ordered a manual. I have the same issue when I drive my wife's A3 s-tronic
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I have no problems with the dsg. I change the mode, depending on the road I am on and traffic conditions. We are lucky to have some fabulous and quiet driving roads where I live especially during week days. Unfortunately, at the weekends and especially the summer they become infested with bicyclists ! So you then have to take great care and go slowly.So experiment with dsg a bit more and you should soon be fine, I would never go back to manual. Jeremy Clarkson has dsg on his Gti and that says something.
Jeremy Clarkson is a tool.....it's common knowledge :wink:
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I hate the DSG box. Could not have one at all, my wife has a Mk6 GTi with a DSG box and it is horrible to drive.
I have tried loads of other VW cars with DSG and they were all crap(in my view) I would always go with a manual unless it was in a bigger car like a 4x4
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Jeremy Clarkson has dsg on his Gti and that says something.
It's because Jeremy Clarkson is always banging on about hating manual labour.
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I hate the DSG box. Could not have one at all, my wife has a Mk6 GTi with a DSG box and it is horrible to drive.
I have tried loads of other VW cars with DSG and they were all crap(in my view) I would always go with a manual unless it was in a bigger car like a 4x4
I'm with you on that one, wouldn't have it as a free option. It either sticks you in 6th gear at 30mph or with more than a tickle of the throttle it has you dropping 4 cogs and revving the nuts off the car. Normal acts as you'd expect Eco to. Leave the gear changes to a dumb computer and sometimes you'll get a dumb decision, like dropping from 6th to 3rd at 6000revs for a fraction of a second before milking 4th, rather than going straight to 4th.
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The DSG is a bit too digital.
For some driving conditions it's absolutely perfect and others it's just a bit pre programmed.
If you sit in traffic jams it's probably your best friend but then again if that's all you do you'd be better off with an e-golf whilst you sit there mimicking a steam train puffing on an e-cig alleviating the boredom.
If you have a GTD on a company car scheme and spend hours driving on motorways it's probably the best invention since convenience food (both of which you probably rely on to get you through the day). Fire up the ACC, relax and let the car do the work for you. Can't be all bad, just remember to steer once in a while as you sip your overpriced coffee in a designer label paper cup.
If you do trackdays then DSG is probably also a nice option to have for ultimate speed on the limit, but then again it takes away some of the car and driver connection and again it becomes a bit digital. Not that you have chance to think about how digital it feels when a bend is fast approaching and you're bouncing off the red line in Race/Sport mode.
I don't have the best co-ordination in the world and I do fluff my gear changes from time to time but I do pride myself in the fact I can look, brake, steer and select a gear for an upcoming bend far more satisfyingly than a chip hidden away under the car can.
The BMW 8 speed that uses the nav to select gears sounds a great idea in theory but 8 gears in a car that's rarely going to go above 80mph in the real world?
For me I think that with modern high torque turbo engines that reach peak torque around 1400-1500 rpm, like the M135i and GTI, then carry that torque until well over 4000 rpm don't need lots of gear changes to hustle them along quickly. They need the driver to be paying attention to the road not fiddling with settings on the car, then using a bit of anticipation you can actually avoid the other morons on the road and make good progress.
For me with a car that has that broad torque delivery I'd say the less time it's buggering about changing gear the better and a five speed manual would be best. 5th gear for cruising and just slot it into 3rd when you want a blast of acceleration; or if you're on a challenging road and want to have maximum power but top speeds can't be attained then 4th down to 2nd then back up through the box would have the gearbox decoupled whilst gears are being changed for the least amount of time.
6th to 4th can be a bit of a hit and miss change and 6th to third even worse!
Mind you there are times when I do wonder whether I'd make better progress in a DSG but not £1400 better progress - I'd rather have £1400 worth of engine and/or chassis mods!
What's nicer to use - a touch screen Sony ultra modern hi-fi or a Linn turntable?
Horses for courses.
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For me the mode in between normal and sport mode is manual mode :whistle:
Get using those paddles and you can drive the car in the right gear (for your driving style) all the time :tongue:
This (again).
One day VW will be nice and give us an auto mode that slots in between the 'changes up too quickly' D mode and the 'hangs onto the gears a tad too long' S mode. :rolleyes: But until such time (and I'm not holding my breath) use the paddles.
And for all you DSG haters.............
:tongue: :tongue: :tongue:
DSG rocks! You just have to know how to get the best out of it.
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I've always hated automatics, but had a mk6 GTD DSG for a few months whilst waiting for my manual mk7 GTD, now I miss DSG! :whistle:
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I've always hated automatics, but had a mk6 GTD DSG for a few months whilst waiting for my manual mk7 GTD, now I miss DSG! :whistle:
It's made you lazy!
Time to get back to actually driving a car :laugh:
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For me the mode in between normal and sport mode is manual mode :whistle:
Get using those paddles and you can drive the car in the right gear (for your driving style) all the time :tongue:
This (again).
One day VW will be nice and give us an auto mode that slots in between the 'changes up too quickly' D mode and the 'hangs onto the gears a tad too long' S mode. :rolleyes: But until such time (and I'm not holding my breath) use the paddles.
And for all you DSG haters.............
:tongue: :tongue: :tongue:
DSG rocks! You just have to know how to get the best out of it.
It's not that people hate it, it's just that it's set up for "ideal world" situations rather than real world.
EU emissions and economy lab testing dynamics or PlayStation mode.
It's not the VW engineers fault.
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For me the mode in between normal and sport mode is manual mode :whistle:
Get using those paddles and you can drive the car in the right gear (for your driving style) all the time :tongue:
This (again).
One day VW will be nice and give us an auto mode that slots in between the 'changes up too quickly' D mode and the 'hangs onto the gears a tad too long' S mode. :rolleyes: But until such time (and I'm not holding my breath) use the paddles.
And for all you DSG haters.............
:tongue: :tongue: :tongue:
DSG rocks! You just have to know how to get the best out of it.
It's not that people hate it, it's just that it's set up for "ideal world" situations rather than real world.
EU emissions and economy lab testing dynamics or PlayStation mode.
It's not the VW engineers fault.
Funny that, because I drive every day in the real world and never on a PlayStation or in a lab, and somehow I manage to get from A to B rather enjoyably in my DSG car.
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My wife loves hers. and would probably never go back to a manual.
For me, I'm glad I had her car to experience the DSG box for myself over a good period of time.
It really gave me the chance to make my mind up which box to go for.
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I refer your honour to post number 10 above in which Ms Booth, the witness for the defence, clearly states she also wished there was an in between mode which isn't set up for the aforementioned lab conditions as defined by the EU grey suited gravy train.
The council rests its case and is now off to spend the next umpteen hours doing more pointless beurocracy.
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I refer your honour to post number 10 above in which Ms Booth, the witness for the defence, clearly states she also wished there was an in between mode which isn't set up for the aforementioned lab conditions as defined by the EU grey suited gravy train.
The council rests its case and is now off to spend the next umpteen hours doing more pointless beurocracy.
I present to the prosecution - Exhibit 1 - DSG paddles
If it's any consolation I've just finished my shift of umpteen hours of pointless bureaucracy.
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My wife loves hers. and would probably never go back to a manual.
For me, I'm glad I had her car to experience the DSG box for myself over a good period of time.
It really gave me the chance to make my mind up which box to go for.
Are you saying we ladies are lazy?
Do we have a 'the finger' smiley on here? :tongue: :laugh:
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I genuinely paused before my last post, knowing I would receive a severe and deserved rollocking from you Rebecca :laugh:
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My previous car was a DSG diesel Scirocco and, generally, I thought the transmission suited the engine. 90% of the time I left it in Normal and it was fine. IMHO, it had two flaws: it often didn't change down fast enough for my liking when slowing down so that it would be in too high a gear for pulling away smoothly when the road was clear again - paddles came in handy for that one; its worst trait however was the combo of DSG and Start-Stop at busy junctions & roundabouts. Once it had killed the engine, starting off again required not only engine restart (which was fast) but for the DSG to wake up and engage the clutch (which was painfully slow and could be hair-raising if pulling onto, say, a busy roundabout). In town, I mostly disabled Start-Stop.
I thought I might miss the relaxed nature of the DSG when I changed to a manual GTI last year, but not a bit of it. It's good to always (mostly!) be in the right gear and the manual box seems to suit the the car more. Horses for courses, I suppose.
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If you could turn stop/start of permanently, a lot of people would be delighted I'm sure.
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My R is the first DSG car I have had, and it wasn't an option I chose, my car was a cancelled order that I snapped up to skip the 9 month wait (3weeks instead)
I agree D changes to quickly and S changes to late, but once I started using the paddles it all made sense. I literally don't ever use auto mode, all manual mode. My Mk7 GTI was a manual and my Jag is a manual and I genuinely prefer the driving experience of the DSG more.
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I genuinely paused before my last post, knowing I would receive a severe and deserved rollocking from you Rebecca :laugh:
Severe rollicking? That's me being a pussycat. :laugh:
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I refer your honour to post number 10 above in which Ms Booth, the witness for the defence, clearly states she also wished there was an in between mode which isn't set up for the aforementioned lab conditions as defined by the EU grey suited gravy train.
The council rests its case and is now off to spend the next umpteen hours doing more pointless beurocracy.
I present to the prosecution - Exhibit 1 - DSG paddles
If it's any consolation I've just finished my shift of umpteen hours of pointless bureaucracy.
Yes, but at least you can spell it correctly at the end of your stint whereas I messed it up before I even arrived at my cell office!
BTW, I'm not accepting paddles as an excuse from all you DSG adopters as that wasn't the issue raised in post 1. It's the inability of the DSG brain that's at question here.
If you can (and have to) flip a paddle you may as well flip a lovely golf ball gear knob.
The gear knob itself is reason enough to spec a manual GTI or D.
:evil:
R's may be a different kettle of fish as the power band is different, the power delivery is different and the gear change isn't quite as slick.
Though I still prefer manual.
In a couple years when I get my Aygo I might consider a slush box...
:whistle:
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I pretty much use it in manual mode 90% of the time now, the fact that i cannot be arsed to use the Polo these days which is a manual says it all
Not prefect with kick down and change up in manual mode, looking forward to seeing how the DCT box compares on the 2
I get why some people say they don't like it but not this but a manual is more engaging, the manual box on the 7 isn't its crowning glory
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DSG in auto mode will never be exactly what you want as what you want changes. If you want complete control then a manual will only ever be the choice to go for.
Personally I'm very happy with the DSG, I've just learned how it does it's thing and adjust accordingly.
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I refer your honour to post number 10 above in which Ms Booth, the witness for the defence, clearly states she also wished there was an in between mode which isn't set up for the aforementioned lab conditions as defined by the EU grey suited gravy train.
The council rests its case and is now off to spend the next umpteen hours doing more pointless beurocracy.
I present to the prosecution - Exhibit 1 - DSG paddles
If it's any consolation I've just finished my shift of umpteen hours of pointless bureaucracy.
Yes, but at least you can spell it correctly at the end of your stint whereas I messed it up before I even arrived at my cell office!
BTW, I'm not accepting paddles as an excuse from all you DSG adopters as that wasn't the issue raised in post 1. It's the inability of the DSG brain that's at question here.
If you can (and have to) flip a paddle you may as well flip a lovely golf ball gear knob.
The gear knob itself is reason enough to spec a manual GTI or D.
:evil:
Correct. It's the automatic/ non-paddle part of the DSG that I and many others dislike.
R's may be a different kettle of fish as the power band is different, the power delivery is different and the gear change isn't quite as slick.
Though I still prefer manual.
In a couple years when I get my Aygo I might consider a slush box...
:whistle:
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I refer your honour to post number 10 above in which Ms Booth, the witness for the defence, clearly states she also wished there was an in between mode which isn't set up for the aforementioned lab conditions as defined by the EU grey suited gravy train.
The council rests its case and is now off to spend the next umpteen hours doing more pointless beurocracy.
I present to the prosecution - Exhibit 1 - DSG paddles
If it's any consolation I've just finished my shift of umpteen hours of pointless bureaucracy.
Yes, but at least you can spell it correctly at the end of your stint whereas I messed it up before I even arrived at my cell office!
BTW, I'm not accepting paddles as an excuse from all you DSG adopters as that wasn't the issue raised in post 1. It's the inability of the DSG brain that's at question here.
If you can (and have to) flip a paddle you may as well flip a lovely golf ball gear knob.
The gear knob itself is reason enough to spec a manual GTI or D.
:evil:
R's may be a different kettle of fish as the power band is different, the power delivery is different and the gear change isn't quite as slick.
Though I still prefer manual.
In a couple years when I get my Aygo I might consider a slush box...
:whistle:
Human brain + DSG + paddles = driving perfection.
Forget the Aygo. Such is your reluctance to embrace the dual box, I suspect your first and final dalliance with DSG will be as you are laying in your coffin, which, by then, will be able to drive itself to the cemetery (choice of D or S of course), manoeuvre into your pre-paid plot and park itself perfectly in your final resting place. From one cell office to another. I shall send a wreath spelling out Bureaucracy. RIP Mr Ex. :kiss: :laugh:
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A few years ago, I was a confirmed automatic hater... I've driven plenty of cars with DSG and they didn't sway me... but my g/f has a BMW 320d M-Sport with the 8 Speed Sport Auto and it is magnificent... you can trick it if you try but 95% of the time it is fine... and for the odd time it's not use the paddles...
My 5.0 XKR has an older school 6 speed auto... that's pretty good too but I guess many of its flaws are masked by 500+bhp and 400+ lb/ft or torque... :evil:
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A few years ago, I was a confirmed automatic hater... I've driven plenty of cars with DSG and they didn't sway me... but my g/f has a BMW 320d M-Sport with the 8 Speed Sport Auto and it is magnificent... you can trick it if you try but 95% of the time it is fine... and for the odd time it's not use the paddles...
My 5.0 XKR has an older school 6 speed auto... that's pretty good too but I guess many of its flaws are masked by 500+bhp and 400+ lb/ft or torque... :evil:
To be fair I have driven a few autos that were fine, VW Touareg was fine and suited the car it was in. I have never driven a DSG that was okay on a day to day basis.
The one auto that I have driven that would make me move to auto full time is BMW 8 speed box, VAG could learn from it.
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I think VW should just learn to program their existing 6speed unit better before moving on to anything more complicated.
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Maybe it's a petrol thing, but I've been perfectly happy with my DSG Passat. On occasion in D, it might seem a little slow to change down to accelerate (I don't mean full throttle kick down), but it's still probably quicker than changing in a manual. By that I mean from the time your brain says 'go' the first the car knows about it is when the throttle is pressed, whereas in a manual, your brain says 'go' you have to select the gear before pressing the throttle. Essentially the same process, just in a different order.
Having read this thread, I thought I'd give manual mode and the paddles a go this morning, but the first T junction I came out of, when I needed to change to second, the steering wheel was completely the wrong way round, so by the time I could reach the + paddle, I was doing about 4,000rpm. I carried on for a bit longer, but soon go fed up and put it back into D. The only times I've really use S, is when towing, but that's not really a GTI sort of thing to do.
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Maybe it's a petrol thing, but I've been perfectly happy with my DSG Passat. On occasion in D, it might seem a little slow to change down to accelerate (I don't mean full throttle kick down), but it's still probably quicker than changing in a manual. By that I mean from the time your brain says 'go' the first the car knows about it is when the throttle is pressed, whereas in a manual, your brain says 'go' you have to select the gear before pressing the throttle. Essentially the same process, just in a different order.
Having read this thread, I thought I'd give manual mode and the paddles a go this morning, but the first T junction I came out of, when I needed to change to second, the steering wheel was completely the wrong way round, so by the time I could reach the + paddle, I was doing about 4,000rpm. I carried on for a bit longer, but soon go fed up and put it back into D. The only times I've really use S, is when towing, but that's not really a GTI sort of thing to do.
[/quote ]
I think it's easier to just bump the gear lever up or down when you are in that situation
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Maybe it's a petrol thing, but I've been perfectly happy with my DSG Passat. On occasion in D, it might seem a little slow to change down to accelerate (I don't mean full throttle kick down), but it's still probably quicker than changing in a manual. By that I mean from the time your brain says 'go' the first the car knows about it is when the throttle is pressed, whereas in a manual, your brain says 'go' you have to select the gear before pressing the throttle. Essentially the same process, just in a different order.
Having read this thread, I thought I'd give manual mode and the paddles a go this morning, but the first T junction I came out of, when I needed to change to second, the steering wheel was completely the wrong way round, so by the time I could reach the + paddle, I was doing about 4,000rpm. I carried on for a bit longer, but soon go fed up and put it back into D. The only times I've really use S, is when towing, but that's not really a GTI sort of thing to do.
With a manual the physical gear change takes a bit longer but your eyes send the message to your brain in advance and you anticipate the change well in advance of the DSG ECU which knows nothing about the manoeuvre until you start pushing down on the pedal, at which point it has to decide whether the preselected gear is the right one to use or whether it needs to line up another.
We all get caught out occasionally and find ourselves in the wrong gear but I'd rather rely on my own scatty brain than something buried in the bowels of the car somewhere.
As I said earlier and I'm not the only one to say it in this thread - horses for courses and gradually the tech will become better and better but by which time ...
I refer your honour to post number 10 above in which Ms Booth, the witness for the defence, clearly states she also wished there was an in between mode which isn't set up for the aforementioned lab conditions as defined by the EU grey suited gravy train.
The council rests its case and is now off to spend the next umpteen hours doing more pointless beurocracy.
I present to the prosecution - Exhibit 1 - DSG paddles
If it's any consolation I've just finished my shift of umpteen hours of pointless bureaucracy.
Yes, but at least you can spell it correctly at the end of your stint whereas I messed it up before I even arrived at my cell office!
BTW, I'm not accepting paddles as an excuse from all you DSG adopters as that wasn't the issue raised in post 1. It's the inability of the DSG brain that's at question here.
If you can (and have to) flip a paddle you may as well flip a lovely golf ball gear knob.
The gear knob itself is reason enough to spec a manual GTI or D.
:evil:
R's may be a different kettle of fish as the power band is different, the power delivery is different and the gear change isn't quite as slick.
Though I still prefer manual.
In a couple years when I get my Aygo I might consider a slush box...
:whistle:
Human brain + DSG + paddles = driving perfection.
Forget the Aygo. Such is your reluctance to embrace the dual box, I suspect your first and final dalliance with DSG will be as you are laying in your coffin, which, by then, will be able to drive itself to the cemetery (choice of D or S of course), manoeuvre into your pre-paid plot and park itself perfectly in your final resting place. From one cell office to another. I shall send a wreath spelling out Bureaucracy. RIP Mr Ex. :kiss: :laugh:
Unfortunately by that stage I'll be unable to write a review of the DSG and google self drive software so you'll at least all be spared that trauma!
In fact I took my manual for a spin on the way home from work which ended up a 40 mile drive (as happens).
This thread, amongst other things, was on my mind and I was thinking I may try and borrow a DSG car for a few days and see how I get on.
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Having read this thread, I thought I'd give manual mode and the paddles a go this morning, but the first T junction I came out of, when I needed to change to second, the steering wheel was completely the wrong way round, so by the time I could reach the + paddle, I was doing about 4,000rpm. I carried on for a bit longer, but soon go fed up and put it back into D. The only times I've really use S, is when towing, but that's not really a GTI sort of thing to do.
When I first started driving DSG with paddles I regularly 'lost' them at virtually every roundabout, lol. But in time you get used to changing gear with the wheel upside down/wrong way round and become expert at it. The paddles would be perfect if they were mounted on the steering column but it is not to be. :sad:
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Unfortunately by that stage I'll be unable to write a review of the DSG and google self drive software so you'll at least all be spared that trauma!
In fact I took my manual for a spin on the way home from work which ended up a 40 mile drive (as happens).
This thread, amongst other things, was on my mind and I was thinking I may try and borrow a DSG car for a few days and see how I get on.
Well I'm certainly not wishing you into an early grave Mr Ex. Far from it, forum land would be a much duller place without you.
But I think you should spend a prolonged stint in a DSG. I'm not convinced you will be won over as I think you are a dyed-in-the-wool manual driver, but stranger things have happened! :laugh:
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I'm not dyed in the wool by any means. I love tech and I don't wear rose tinted specs about anything.
My other car that tends to get general use is a manual and all the work vehicles are manuals so I've always maintained doing about 5k a year in a DSG and lots of miles in manual cars I'd never get the best out of a DSG as I'd always be readjusting.
I might see if I can get a GTD DSG or something similar on a 24/48 hour loan from a local dealership.
Is quite happily have a mapped/boxed GTD over the R 99% of the time. Sad but true.
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I'm not dyed in the wool by any means. I love tech and I don't wear rose tinted specs about anything.
My other car that tends to get general use is a manual and all the work vehicles are manuals so I've always maintained doing about 5k a year in a DSG and lots of miles in manual cars I'd never get the best out of a DSG as I'd always be readjusting.
I might see if I can get a GTD DSG or something similar on a 24/48 hour loan from a local dealership.
Is quite happily have a mapped/boxed GTD over the R 99% of the time. Sad but true.
Fair enough. I wasn't implying that you are averse to change in any way.
I don't think 24 or even 48 hours is long enough to really get to grips with DSG, not unless most of those hours are spent driving it. Guess it depends how many miles (on varying roads/conditions etc), you can get under your belt but I reckon you need at least a full week to become fully au fait with it. Of course that's not a possibility loaning from a dealer (unless they are very cooperative).
It doesn't surprise me that you might prefer a GTD to the R. Sounds to me like you respect the R and its capabilities but there's not a huge affinity there. It's never a given is it that you are going to fully gel with a car. Maybe another change on the cards Mr Ex?
Before I got my R, I did wonder if I would find it less fun and engaging than the GTI's I've had, but that's proved not to be the case and I would say that the R and I suit each other very well. It feels 'right'. I was fully prepared to spend 3 years in the R and then maybe back into a GTI but I can't see that happening now. Mind you my other half is not at all enamoured by the R. He doesn't like the look of it compared to my old GTi and (though he's only driven half a dozen times) he's not that keen on the drive, much preferring the GTI. Good job it's not his car, and anyway he's in love with the BEAST (Amarok, not me!). I would not put a bet on you turning up here in a few months (weeks) time having chopped your R in for a GTD.
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I think VW should just learn to program their existing 6speed unit better before moving on to anything more complicated.
I agree - it does really need to be renamed so that the current Drive (D) is called Ecco, Sport can remain as sport but a ratio between the two is introduced as the normal D.
Not helped by that fact the VW are one of the few manufacturers who give you an indication of what gear you are in with an autobox.
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I'm not dyed in the wool by any means. I love tech and I don't wear rose tinted specs about anything.
My other car that tends to get general use is a manual and all the work vehicles are manuals so I've always maintained doing about 5k a year in a DSG and lots of miles in manual cars I'd never get the best out of a DSG as I'd always be readjusting.
I might see if I can get a GTD DSG or something similar on a 24/48 hour loan from a local dealership.
Is quite happily have a mapped/boxed GTD over the R 99% of the time. Sad but true.
Fair enough. I wasn't implying that you are averse to change in any way.
I don't think 24 or even 48 hours is long enough to really get to grips with DSG, not unless most of those hours are spent driving it. Guess it depends how many miles (on varying roads/conditions etc), you can get under your belt but I reckon you need at least a full week to become fully au fait with it. Of course that's not a possibility loaning from a dealer (unless they are very cooperative).
It doesn't surprise me that you might prefer a GTD to the R. Sounds to me like you respect the R and its capabilities but there's not a huge affinity there. It's never a given is it that you are going to fully gel with a car. Maybe another change on the cards Mr Ex?
Before I got my R, I did wonder if I would find it less fun and engaging than the GTI's I've had, but that's proved not to be the case and I would say that the R and I suit each other very well. It feels 'right'. I was fully prepared to spend 3 years in the R and then maybe back into a GTI but I can't see that happening now. Mind you my other half is not at all enamoured by the R. He doesn't like the look of it compared to my old GTi and (though he's only driven half a dozen times) he's not that keen on the drive, much preferring the GTI. Good job it's not his car, and anyway he's in love with the BEAST (Amarok, not me!). I would not put a bet on you turning up here in a few months (weeks) time having chopped your R in for a GTD.
No, I knew where you were coming from Madamoiselle B, I was just saying I'd love to be won over to DSG. It would be a minor triumph for the engineers at VW to get this old grouch to convert. I'm a tough one to please.
I can't see me changing car anytime soon you'll be relieved to hear! I have both an 18th and a 21st birthday coming up this year in the house so my expenditure will be very limited on the car I think. Even Mrs Ex is working more than her usual six hours a week some weeks. Yes that's six and not sixty! It's a tough life for some!
I do like the idea of running a GTD with map/box purely for the low end response and punch being ideal for my type of driving but with current depreciation my R would probably require a hefty dollop of cash on top even with the massive incentives right now. I'm sure not going to actively pursue a vehicle change but as ever with me, if a deal dropped in my lap I'm all ears!!! :grin:
The mapped GTD is the one configuration of Golf I've never tried (although I had a couple Ibiza TDI's and a Fabia vRS many many years ago that were all 'experimented' with). I do like to have a little project on the go.
So, maybe a dealer would loan me one if they could sniff half a chance of a sale? I've been hoping my leasing manager friend would have one in and free for a couple days but it's been a while since they've had a GTD.
The DSG one I quickly borrowed off him a year or two ago left me with mixed emotions. In D it masked the torque too much so felt a bit lethargic, in S I found it a bit scary (especially when I tried launch control and messed it up!!) plus I kept getting the paddles mixed up. I'm definitely not a 'natural'!!
As for the R.
I can't really fault it.
I'd list just about all of its features in the "pros" column.
The only "con" for me is the fuel economy and that's only a very minor one that's snuffed out when considering the potential power on tap.
An extra 30-50 lb ft in the low to mid range would make it perfect.
If it doesn't get damaged or worse and reliability stays good I can see me keeping it a long time. It's a hard car to fault.
I can't see me ever buying anything like it again though. I'd rather have less power but more 'fun'. It's just a bit too polished.
I think VW should just learn to program their existing 6speed unit better before moving on to anything more complicated.
I agree - it does really need to be renamed so that the current Drive (D) is called Ecco, Sport can remain as sport but a ratio between the two is introduced as the normal D.
Not helped by that fact the VW are one of the few manufacturers who give you an indication of what gear you are in with an autobox.
Maybe the aftermarket should be a bit proactive here so we don't have to wait years and years for a revised factory setting on a future Golf model.
A DSG remap that did exactly that would be good and entirely possible to come up with.
Instead of the mapper concentrating just on revised rev ceilings and clamping forces at full bore acceleration maybe a perkier D setting could be devised? Would there be a market for the latter?
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When I first started driving DSG with paddles I regularly 'lost' them at virtually every roundabout, lol. But in time you get used to changing gear with the wheel upside down/wrong way round and become expert at it. The paddles would be perfect if they were mounted on the steering column but it is not to be. :sad:
Funny thing is that Ferrari, Lambo etc. put the paddles on the column and get differing opinions on that. I imagine that with very direct steering it's not as easy to lose the paddles, but it probably depends more on you steering style - ie. arm crossing vs. shuffling. Maybe extended paddles would be a useful compromise.
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Maybe 2 metal boomerangs in place of paddles is the way forward 😀
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A DSG remap that did exactly that would be good and entirely possible to come up with.
Instead of the mapper concentrating just on revised rev ceilings and clamping forces at full bore acceleration maybe a perkier D setting could be devised? Would there be a market for the latter?
I would certainly want a revised drive map.
Owned my 7 speed A6 for just 3 weeks and Efficiency is just dangerous simply because the throttle response is just completely dead!!
Drive changes up too early and whilst Sport is ideal for thrashing around, a map inbetween the two would be perfect. It needs to have the sharp throttle response of sport but not change up as late. This would be perfect for 90% of people's driving :smiley:
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When I first started driving DSG with paddles I regularly 'lost' them at virtually every roundabout, lol. But in time you get used to changing gear with the wheel upside down/wrong way round and become expert at it. The paddles would be perfect if they were mounted on the steering column but it is not to be. :sad:
Funny thing is that Ferrari, Lambo etc. put the paddles on the column and get differing opinions on that. I imagine that with very direct steering it's not as easy to lose the paddles, but it probably depends more on you steering style - ie. arm crossing vs. shuffling. Maybe extended paddles would be a useful compromise.
It was 30 years ago that I learnt to drive but I can still remember one or two things from way back then.
One of those things was basic physics which state that if you change gear and get a huge dollop of extra engine torque whilst you have steering lock applied there's a fair chance you'll end up in someone's privet hedge. At least I think people still had privet hedges back then.
That's probably why the paddles are mounted on the column - safety. You can't reach them properly making it more difficult to change gear manually with steering lock applied. Just a thought.
A DSG remap that did exactly that would be good and entirely possible to come up with.
Instead of the mapper concentrating just on revised rev ceilings and clamping forces at full bore acceleration maybe a perkier D setting could be devised? Would there be a market for the latter?
I would certainly want a revised drive map.
Owned my 7 speed A6 for just 3 weeks and Efficiency is just dangerous simply because the throttle response is just completely dead!!
Drive changes up too early and whilst Sport is ideal for thrashing around, a map inbetween the two would be perfect. It needs to have the sharp throttle response of sport but not change up as late. This would be perfect for 90% of people's driving :smiley:
Gradually as DSG's take over the world and tuners realise that not everyone wants to be going flat out all the time then they'll realise there's a huge untapped market there.
It's the one thing that would entice me into retiring my left leg from driving duties.
Obviously I can't now copyright the idea so I'm still going to live in poverty, but maybe one day they'll build a statue to me outside a large tuning house - it'd give the pigeons something to aim at rather than the paintwork of the swanky cars parked outside.
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I had an accident 20 years ago which caused enormous damage to my right leg and because driving means so much to me I wouldn't sign the form to let them amputate my leg. If it had of been my left leg I would have let them take it off so I would be driving a DSG now.
I would most definitely be in less pain every day but I would rather have the pain than drive an auto.
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Maybe 2 metal boomerangs in place of paddles is the way forward 😀
A tad more subtle than twin boomerangs - this is what you want.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/733/22780116257_ac6cddeff7_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/AH13V8)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5758/22547080353_e33f541a77_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/AmpFsH)
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Drive changes up too early and whilst Sport is ideal for thrashing around, a map inbetween the two would be perfect. It needs to have the sharp throttle response of sport but not change up as late. This would be perfect for 90% of people's driving :smiley:
Totally agree.
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I had an accident 20 years ago which caused enormous damage to my right leg and because driving means so much to me I wouldn't sign the form to let them amputate my leg. If it had of been my left leg I would have let them take it off so I would be driving a DSG now.
I would most definitely be in less pain every day but I would rather have the pain than drive an auto.
Ouch!
I'm not sure what to reply to that; mixed horror and admiration I think.
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I had an accident 20 years ago which caused enormous damage to my right leg and because driving means so much to me I wouldn't sign the form to let them amputate my leg. If it had of been my left leg I would have let them take it off so I would be driving a DSG now.
I would most definitely be in less pain every day but I would rather have the pain than drive an auto.
Ouch!
I'm not sure what to reply to that; mixed horror and admiration I think.
Agreed. That post has brought this thread down to earth with an almighty bang!
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I had an accident 20 years ago which caused enormous damage to my right leg and because driving means so much to me I wouldn't sign the form to let them amputate my leg. If it had of been my left leg I would have let them take it off so I would be driving a DSG now.
I would most definitely be in less pain every day but I would rather have the pain than drive an auto.
Ouch!
I'm not sure what to reply to that; mixed horror and admiration I think.
Agreed. That post has brought this thread down to earth with an almighty bang!
This is the good side
Edit: photo deleted.
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Blimey, you really don't like autos :shocked: And that's the good side?!
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I had an accident 20 years ago which caused enormous damage to my right leg and because driving means so much to me I wouldn't sign the form to let them amputate my leg. If it had of been my left leg I would have let them take it off so I would be driving a DSG now.
I would most definitely be in less pain every day but I would rather have the pain than drive an auto.
Ouch!
I'm not sure what to reply to that; mixed horror and admiration I think.
Agreed. That post has brought this thread down to earth with an almighty bang!
This is the good side
i'll skip lunch now thanks...
Jeez, that's quite something.
I'm even more lost for words.
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i'll skip lunch now thanks...
Jeez, that's quite something.
I'm even more lost for words.
[/quote]
Yeah sorry, I shouldn't of posted a photo of my leg. I've deleted it now.
The other side is worse and they had to take all the back off my leg from my heel to 6 inches above my knee. They said that I would never be able to use my leg again but what do doctors know. Obviously they were wrong.
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i'll skip lunch now thanks...
Jeez, that's quite something.
I'm even more lost for words.
Yeah sorry, I shouldn't of posted a photo of my leg. I've deleted it now.
The other side is worse and they had to take all the back off my leg from my heel to 6 inches above my knee. They said that I would never be able to use my leg again but what do doctors know. Obviously they were wrong.
[/quote]
You needn't have deleted it, my comment, as usual, was tongue in cheek. A picture speaks a thousand words and it got the message across very well.
Your strength of character shines through in that little story.
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You needn't have deleted it, my comment, as usual, was tongue in cheek. A picture speaks a thousand words and it got the message across very well.
Your strength of character shines through in that little story.
[/quote]
I know but as my wife said it isn't something that a lot of people would like to see.
Strength of character? More a case of stubbornness.
I'm getting tattoos of open zips around all the scars this year.
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I'm getting tattoos of open zips around all the scars this year.
It's one of those "it's just got to be done" things!
Don't forget to post up the photos when you've had that done.
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I'm getting tattoos of open zips around all the scars this year.
It's one of those "it's just got to be done" things!
Don't forget to post up the photos when you've had that done.
It is actually my Christmas present from my wife. I have had a test on it already without the ink and to say it is bloody painful is an understatement.
I reckon a couple of inches at a time is the most I could stand. However the total length of the scaring is over 80 inches. Can't even have a drink when getting it done because it thins the blood.
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It certainly sounds like you're a bit sensitive around the scarring. Though scarring sounds a bit of an understatement.
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It certainly sounds like you're a bit sensitive around the scarring. Though scarring sounds a bit of an understatement.
All the nerves in my leg were badly damaged and parts of my leg have no feeling but other parts are super sensitive. If I scratch a certain part of the front of my leg I feel it in my foot but yet I have no feeling in the front of my leg at all. It's a bit odd but you get used to it after a while.