Manual or DSG?

[Ess_Three]

try it in an R32 mate.. scares the crap out of anyone stood within 10ft of you!! 

I remembered it working better on the 3.2 V6s...doesn't it blip the throttle on a down change on the 3.2?
I couldn't hear that on the GTI.

The 3.2 is maybe better suited to DSG.
Certainly the TDIs seem better suited, from my experience.

[Max Q]

Jules, you can override the kickdown in manual by holding the '+' paddle after a shift-up while mashing the pedal into the kickdown switch.

Ess_Three, full throttle on a DSG car is full travel of the accelerator as far the kickdown switch only but not beyond it. You'll feel a definite resistance when you get to the kickdown switch. This is WOT in a DSG car. You must have gone beyond WOT and into the kickdown on that bend. There is a way to override it as I said above. There is a definite learning curve with DSG - you've really got to understand how it works and the logic it uses to get the most out of it. I know this won't be everyone's cup of tea, as some people will say I just want to be able to drive the car without having to learn how to use it first and that's understandable too.

Edited for typo.

[Jkctr]

It will drop down in manual if you hit the 'kick' button too

I didn't like that either...
I had already decided 4th would be fine, as I'd dropped two gears (at the speed 'it' wanted too, not the speed I wanted it to!) but oh no, DSG wanted 3rd...
The result was manic revving and much cursing...
4th and full throttle would have been just fine.

Thats why a test drive is not a good enough example. All the things you have said you dont like happened because you cant use DSG. Once you know how to use it its sublime, some people just dont click with it though which is fair enough.

[gabrialboy]

I've been reading this tread with some interest as I'm about to make a decision on DSG/Manual When I bought my mk5 everybody was going on about the dsg and I was sure about my manual choice as I didn't want an "automatic"
Then after getting mine I drove a mates dsg and felt geeeez this thing is something else.... so
After driving a 6 DSG last weekend I was blown away by it It's clear that it's a different application all together when it comes to driver input. For me the DSG box will work... well because I'm no longer "racing" my cars...  gear selection into corners with lift off oversteer and all sorts of reckless boyish behaviour is not going to go on forever (in my case)  so the comfort of a dsg for city use and the fun element while planting your rightfoot is more than sufficient for keeping me entertained.

About 2 years ago I went to a motorshow and drove with a professional instructor. This was in a mk 5 DSG on a short circuit track and boy was I impressed with his skills Won't even manage to do half the stuff he did with a manual so guess as MaxQ said you have to learn the dsg's dynamics. So I don't really think the one is better than the other. It all depends on what kind of driver you want to be and to use your tools correctly...

[squirrelGTi]

Jules, you can override the kickdown in manual by holding the '-' paddle while mashing the pedal into the kickdown switch.

Ess_Three, full throttle on a DSG car is full travel of the accelerator as far the kickdown switch only but not beyond it. You'll feel a definite resistance when you get to the kickdown switch. This is WOT in a DSG car. You must have gone beyond WOT and into the kickdown on that bend. There is a way to override it as I said above. There is a definite learning curve with DSG - you've really got to understand how it works and the logic it uses to get the most out of it. I know this won't be everyone's cup of tea, as some people will say I just want to be able to drive the car without having to learn how to use it first and that's understandable too.

Thats interesting i didn't know that. I'm bouncing between the manual and DSG on a weekly basis. But this advise might just convince me to go DSG.

[Ess_Three]

Thats why a test drive is not a good enough example. All the things you have said you dont like happened because you cant use DSG. Once you know how to use it its sublime, some people just dont click with it though which is fair enough.

I understand there is an element of understanding and adapting to be done. But I'm not prepared to. I'll adapt to the limits of the chassis and brakes...but the gearbox has to do what I want it to do - like the manual does.
So for me, it was a no-brainer.

I'd argue that an extended test drive isn't enough.
I was frustrated with it within 10 mins, didn't like it by 30 mins...and after an hour, I hated it.
No amount of living with it was going to give me any other opinion...it doesn't do what I want it to...so I'll buy the manual instead.

I'm sure it's different for others...

[AdrianM]

I understand there is an element of understanding and adapting to be done. But I'm not prepared to. I'll adapt to the limits of the chassis and brakes...but the gearbox has to do what I want it to do - like the manual does.

Um, but it was doing what you told it to do... you just weren't telling it the right things because obviously you don't understand how to use a DSG. I guess it's a case of someone blaming the tools for his own mistakes.

[matchboy]

i thought this discussion had ended 10 pages ago when it was decided that a manual is for a real driver and a dsg is for an old man/granny

 

[VWmaindealer]

Thought I may aswell dive in.

I remember speaking to someone at Volkswagen when we all went to the Mark 6 Golf training at Milton Keynes about customers (mis)understandings around DSG.  He said then that by the end of the year (2009) they intend to include a "training" DVD with every new car that has a DSG box. This presumably would explain exactly what it does, how to get the most from it etc. So far we haven't seen any info about these DVDs but I hope they do bring them out.  Not only would they be a good thing for customers to have once they've got the car (Could even watch it on the RNS510) but also for guys like you who are still undecided?

If they do bring anything out, i'll be sure to post on here.

Incidentally, there are several videos on youtube (mainly from the states) where people have made some actually quite factual films explaining DSG....

[GTaye]

Have gone for DSG (my first auto in 20 years - clearly must be getting middle aged) in the Mk6 I pick up on Tuesday.  Previous car was a Z4 3.0 Coupe and before that I had a number of test in TTs some manual some S-Tronic (Audis DSG) it was mainly the S-tronic that nearly swung it for the TT.  This time I decided I'd give the DSG a try as it seems to give you the best of both worlds.  My intention at the moment is pop it in D and in town and in heavy traffic (M6 etc) and then in manual when pushing on probably using the paddles rather than lever...and in this situation it swaps cogs quicker than I can and is no less involving.  Hasn't all this technology come from F1?