It's not great engineering
I hope that was a typo! Because any who thinks the DSG is NOT great engineering needs their head looking at!
two paddles and a centre lever really are more than adequate for manual control of the system. To include a fourth by keeping kickdown activated in manual mode is too much. They should keep it simple. After all a manual gearbox works just fine with two controls - clutch and gear lever.
But the DSG is NOT classed as a 'manual'. For the purposes of driving licence requirements, the DSG is simply classed as an 'automatic transmission'. It doesn't matter a jot on weather the innards are 'manual' based, epicyclic based, chain-drive based - or what ever. And because it is classed as an 'auto', then it must have a 'kickdown' function.
Trying to 'compare' the DSG manual mode with a genuine manual gearbox is grossly misleading. It would be like trying to compare David Cameron with John Prescott - both are politicians (just like a DSG and a manual are both 'transmissions') - but one is handsome, amenable, slim, polite, well-educated and takes care of his appearance. The other is a fat, ugly, obnoxious, agressive, rude, slob!
Plus I'm a lover of the satisfaction of driving a car well. Automated systems like ABS, ESP, DSG, ETC(!) might be safer, or quicker, or supposedly 'more efficient' than me, but I enjoy providing the input myself. Let a machine to do the work and you take away from the man.
I generally agree wholeheartedly with that. However, not everyone is 100% fit and healthy - which is why stuff like power steering, servo assisted brakes, and auto transmissions are available. And others don't have the necessary 'mechanical sympathy' to properly 'control' all the functions on a car.
Having said all that, I've still not decided whether to have DSG or not! Perhaps a longer test drive is needed...
Definately. Ask for a full day unacompanied test drive.
