GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk8 => Topic started by: Tarmac_Terrorist on 08 March 2025, 22:22
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Picked up my new 8.5GTI in Friday and really pleased with it so far. Much more engaging to drive that yhe RSQ3 that I traded in. Only small annoyances are having to switch of stop/start, lane changing alert and speed donging nonsence.
I often like to paddle shift manually. In my previous Audi I could select manual mode and it stayed in manual. Am I missing something simple? I can’t see how to select manual mode from the little gear select nugget.
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You can’t do it from the “nugget”. You need to do it from the paddles on the wheel. It will stay in manual M mode unless you deliberately switch it back to D/S again via the nugget.
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You can’t do it from the “nugget”. You need to do it from the paddles on the wheel. It will stay in manual M mode unless you deliberately switch it back to D/S again via the nugget.
It will only stay in manual mode temporarily if you use the paddles while in D, but, it stays in manual if you use the paddles while in S, you can also manually switch back to auto by holding in the right (+) paddle for a second or two. 👍
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Thanks for the information. That’s disappointing that it only stays in manual in sports mode. My previous car you could knock the Dsg lever to the left and use manual without it switching back.
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Thanks for the information. That’s disappointing that it only stays in manual in sports mode. My previous car you could knock the Dsg lever to the left and use manual without it switching back.
It doesn’t have to be in sport mode, S on the gear selector is sufficient, it will however hold a gear in D if you are descending a hill for instance, this is because the car has an inclinometer and ‘understands’ you are not on level ground, the car also appears to be able to deduce wether you are still using the paddles or not in D, throttle inputs etc indicate to the ECU that the driver has not relaxed and waits to see if another paddle input is actioned, only when it is clear that a manual gear change is not going to take place does it revert to auto, usually this occurs when the ECU expects and needs a gear change that is not forthcoming.
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Picked up my new 8.5GTI in Friday and really pleased with it so far. Much more engaging to drive that yhe RSQ3 that I traded in.
Why do you like 8.5 GTI more than RSQ3 in terms of driving perspective? I heard 8Y RS3 has a lot of turbo-lag, and really not going anywhere under 3000 rpm. Curious to hear your thoughts and comparison!
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Picked up my new 8.5GTI in Friday and really pleased with it so far. Much more engaging to drive that yhe RSQ3 that I traded in.
Why do you like 8.5 GTI more than RSQ3 in terms of driving perspective? I heard 8Y RS3 has a lot of turbo-lag, and really not going anywhere under 3000 rpm. Curious to hear your thoughts and comparison!
The engine itself in the RSQ3 was a peach. However, the rest is little more than a that a mis-match of parts from the VAG parts bin. Throttle response was dreadful. The gearbox slow, indecisive and clunky (it’s apparently the same DSG box from a T6! The suspension was so hard, it crashed down the road and jumped about on bends. It’s a heavy car too and you know it. The interior isn’t as nice as a GTI either - the GTI is much better quality fittings and plastics. It felt more like CVT gearbox than DSG. The Volvo XC90 T6 which I had previously was a much more responsive car. No way should it have ever been a £60k car.
I chose to go back to a GTI as the last car I really, really liked was. mk5 GTI. I didn’t even have any interest in the Golf R - I find it a bit boring to look at compared with the GTI. The thing is, when a car passes a certain level of performance, you simply cannot ‘use’ that performance on the road. If you want to have a spirited drive, the front wheel drive of a GTI is far more engaging and challenging to the driver than say, a Golf R, which has more traction.
I only picked up my GTI a couple of weeks ago but I’m really smitten with it - i feel that I am ‘driving’ it rather than simply ‘operating’ it, as it feels with so many modern cars. Over the years, I learned some hard and expensive lessons. Faster, is most certainly not always better - only if you like pub performance stats and bragging rights.
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It will only stay in manual mode temporarily if you use the paddles while in D, but, it stays in manual if you use the paddles while in S, you can also manually switch back to auto by holding in the right (+) paddle for a second or two. 👍
Also worth noting that if if you hold the left (-) paddle it will put in M (if not already there) and change down to the most appropriate gear for a fast overtake
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I've never had a DSG or auto car before the Golf, I quite like it to be honest and is easy to drive around town, and then open up on the back roads. The only bit that annoys me, is even if in manual mode it changes up automatically when you near the red-line. So not quite manual in that sense.
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I think the current R doesn't auto shift up... Or you can get new dsg software to change that...
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I think the current R doesn't auto shift up... Or you can get new dsg software to change that...
That’s interesting, I’m assuming the DSG software to do this would be aftermarket, like having an ECU remap?
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Yes a company called TVS are the best probably.
The whole thing can be customised to how you want it.
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I think the current R doesn't auto shift up... Or you can get new dsg software to change that...
That’s interesting, I’m assuming the DSG software to do this would be aftermarket, like having an ECU remap?
when the transmission is locked into its manual mode, kickdown and automatic change-ups are deactivated, putting the task of the perfect shift squarely on the driver. Not sure if it applies to the non performance R and GTI’s or not?!
Source:
https://www.rushmagazine.co.uk/post/revised-2025-volkswagen-golf-r-mk8-facelift-unveiled
Also talked about here by Benny Leuchter and Misha Charoudin.
https://youtu.be/vjrQK2E-r5w?si=ldj4awUKlp0s7iAr
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Although there is no auto upshift with the R I would hope that there is some kind of DSG protection built in - would it be possible to accidently buzz the gearbox with a miss-shift or keeping it at the redline for extended periods.
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Although there is no auto upshift with the R I would hope that there is some kind of DSG protection built in - would it be possible to accidently buzz the gearbox with a miss-shift or keeping it at the redline for extended periods.
It will hold max revs at whatever max revs is set to.... just like a manual... up to you if you blow the engine but it will be a limit that is safe (unless you tune the box to less safe!)
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I think the current R doesn't auto shift up... Or you can get new dsg software to change that...
That’s interesting, I’m assuming the DSG software to do this would be aftermarket, like having an ECU remap?
when the transmission is locked into its manual mode, kickdown and automatic change-ups are deactivated, putting the task of the perfect shift squarely on the driver. Not sure if it applies to the non performance R and GTI’s or not?!
Definitely R only, whether thats just PP version I don't know. Its definitely not clubby or GTI.... without TCU software swap anyway