Help!!! DSG or manual??!!!!

[JJH]

Over the last six years I've owned a manual A3 sport 140 and currently an A3 CR 170 DSG with 81K miles.
When the DGS was new it was the absolute nuts but over the last year or so I realised the engine is just too good not to have a manual, for me that's the bottom line. I'm waiting for a GTD at the mo and decided on a manual because I miss the simple fun of changing gear manualy. I thinking of chipping it straight away. It's not a question of whether a DSG is easier to drive and has great appeal, it has for sure; does that compensate of the joy of changing down hard and fast onto a freshly resurfaced, tight motorway slip road? dont get me wrong I love the DSG box and reccomend them.
If I paid for my car I'd think £1300 was steep though.

 

[Rolfe]

"The simple fun of changing gear manually."  "The joy of changing down...."

You see, that's why I said it's such a personal preference thing.  I get as much joy out of changing gear as I get out of changing my socks.  Having a car that does it on its own?  Coolest thing since the iPhone.

Rolfe.

[JJH]

Manualy changing gear, to me, is one of lifes' pleasures, as is driving my car at the moment, I dont regret the DSG at all.
I'll probably alternative between the two every time I change car.

I couldn't give a flying who drives what, they're both great......how lucky we are.......

PS. Putting on a brand new pair of quality socks is also, for me, one of lifes' little pleasures.....

[orca]

Oh, I bought the DSG after a test drive of only 15 minutes or so that didn't get out of a biult-up area!  And I wasn't even thinking about it when I had the test drive.

I had a test drive in a manual and then out of curiosity had a test drive in a DSG.  If it wasn't for my curiosity then I would be driving a manual today.  The DSG just seemed amazing to me in the hour I had it for.

I recommend people to try both of them out (even if you are not bothered about DSG, you could be surprised).  Try to get both for an hour or more if possible and then decide which one feels the best for you.

[JJH]

Oh, I bought the DSG after a test drive of only 15 minutes or so that didn't get out of a biult-up area!  And I wasn't even thinking about it when I had the test drive.

I had a test drive in a manual and then out of curiosity had a test drive in a DSG.  If it wasn't for my curiosity then I would be driving a manual today.  The DSG just seemed amazing to me in the hour I had it for.

I recommend people to try both of them out (even if you are not bothered about DSG, you could be surprised).  Try to get both for an hour or more if possible and then decide which one feels the best for you.

Good advice, I approve

[Ess_Three]

Is it some sort of macho thing that's threatened if anyone suggests that ability to throw a gearstick around might not be the be-all and end-all of driving a car?

I don't think it's a macho thing at all...or the choice of car would be completely different in the first place.

In a society where we are increasingly told that everything that we used to enjoy, is now either bad for us, socially unacceptable or illegal...enjoying driving a car remains one of the few things the government hasn't managed to stop - yet.
So, I want maximum fun with little external control...so I'm in control not someone else or a ECU.

So it's manual for me.

DSG is deeply impressive...just not for me.

[gossa]

ok  -  setting the scene  -  I'm 43 years old, married, kids  -  never did the hot hatch thing  -  love the Gti Mark 6  -  going to get one  -  test driven manual and DSG  -  first, I drove DSG, loved it, thought it was great technology but afterwards, couldn't get manual out of my mind  -  drove manual  -  loved it  -BUT I keep reading about how clever the DSG is, how the driver has auto, semi auto, flappy paddle choices etc etc...now I don't know again  -  I can see the sense of it in an Astom, a Porsche, even a Ferrari but if I want the nostalgia, the feeling of being young again, thinking 1980s, Golf Gti,
Peugeot 205 Gti 1.9....doesn't it HAVE TO be the manual....isn't the new technology taking away part of the experience....I like the leather but feel that must have the cloth as part of the experience  -  white isn't my favourite car colour but for the Golf Gti....I don't drive in heavy traffic  -  I know that's always part of the thought process...
I NEED someone to tell me what to do  -  help!!

James, I'm 40, 3 kids etc so demographically similar. I have a manual GTI6 and came from a DSG Scirocco (bought before the misses got pregnant)!

Why did I get a manual? Probably cost. The Scirocco I bought for a silly price last November so I wasn't actually forking out for the DSG and thought i'd have it to see what all the hype was about.  It is an amazing box but there were things I didn't like as well (you leave it in auto a lot, bit jerky sometimes, unless you're using the paddles it can sometimes change into a gear you didn't want etc). 

If it was a free option i'd probably spec it but as it was a costly option on the GTI I didn't bother and have not missed it one bean. In fact I find the manual more engaging, more involving and really not much more hassle even in traffic (the clutch is very light).

Hope this helps.

[Gazdebaz]

This is not a direct dig at you James but TBH this debate over DSG versus Manual is getting a bit on my t*ts. This has been covered so many times.
 
As an experiment I Googled Manual v DSG, and this showed up huge amount of forums from around the world, with the same backwards and forwards arguments...Manual has more driver involvement, etc, etc,  etc, blah, blah, blah.
DSG is great piece of kit, faster gear changes etc, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah.

As has been said many times it is down to personal choice and circumstances. I think it boils down to one thing. If I spec DSG when ordering my car am I going to regret it 2 or 3 years down the line?
 
In the UK the majority of people drive a manual car, with only 18% being automatic. So the majority of people when specing their cars have never really driven an automatic/DSG car over a sustained period of time. So when test driving a car, although you may like the DSG you still have this niggling thought in the back of your mind of should I or shouldn’t I? (Taking into account the extra money as well of course.)

Having driven a lot of automatics over the years (All my fathers cars were autos) and regular use of all sorts of hire cars. I did not have any doubts on picking the DSG box, as for me it is the best of both worlds and suits our personal circumstances.If you like a manual, fine stick with it.

I think we should start a new topic.  "I like the DSG and if I have the bottle to order it, will I worry for the next few years if I have done the right thing? Does anyone have the Samaritans phone number?"

I have made the decision and will not regret it.

Rant over.

Anyway my other car is a manual.


THE END.

[p3eps]

For me its always been manual.  I haven't been driving as long as some on here - but I'm coming up for 32 - so have almost 15 years of experience behind the wheel!  All my cars so far have been manual - apart from periodically driving auto hire cars when I worked at Avis as a student.

I bought an GTI ED30 a couple of years ago - and didn't even consider DSG as an option.  Why would I?  Manual has always been good - so why try anything else.  To be honest - I'd never even heard of DSG when I bought it... so I just assumed it was 'another auto box'!
When I'd ordered my ED30, I became a member on here and read all about DSG.  I read alot of positive comments about DSG and looked a bit further into it.  The technology involved seems amazing, and the majority of people who has it were all very happy with it.

So... 7 months ago I'm minding my own business on the motorway, and some tw@t runs into the back of me, spins me into the central reservation and writes my car off.
After getting the insurance sorted out I opt to wait for a Scirocco R - and more recently a Golf R.
Whilst at the dealer in May originally talking about the Roc, I told him I'd be interested in having a go at DSG.  He handed me the keys to their brand new Golf GTI demonstrator which was DSG and let me take it out.  I hammered the life out of it (as you do on a test drive) and was amazed at how smooth and how responsive it was.  Most of the time I drove it I was in manual mode and it seemed great fun.
Food for thought...
I placed a deposit and left!
A couple of weeks ago I took a trip up to VW to see about test driving a DSG in everyday life - rather than thrashing the pants off it!  I got a GTD (the only demonstrator they had with DSG) and had it out for about 3 hours - in auto mode.  I drove through the town, out in the country and on the motorway - just to see how the auto box handled in day to day running.  I spend most of my journey to work and back in traffic, so it was nice to see how it was.

This time, I'm going for the DSG.  I enjoy the dropping gears in a manual, and love playing the traffic by dropping gears and letting the clutch out slowly - and trying not to use my brakes... but the DSG will suit my driving on my journeys too and from work every day better.  OK, I will probably miss having a clutch - but I can still push the gearstick into the semi auto mode and have a spirited drive as a manual from time to time when I want.  

I'd never considered a DSG car until I read some stuff on here.  If you're in any doubt - book a LONG test drive and see if you can try it out properly.  I'm converted  

[p3eps]

I think it boils down to one thing. If I spec DSG when ordering my car am I going to regret it 2 or 3 years down the line?

You've summed it up in one line!!
Thats exactly the way I feel just now.  I want to order DSG because the technology is great, it suits my circumstances, and all my test drives in it have been great - but do I want to live with it!  Will it be a novelty for a few months, and then I think 'damn, I wish I had a clutch'!?
I'm going down the DSG route, and if I didn't I'll spend the next 3 years thinking 'damn, I wish I'd taken DSG'!!