I used the sports mode the other day on a late-evening drive on quiet country roads, and it really was very nice indeed. I didn't notice any hesitation about the lower gear changes which happens sometimes in D. The petrol consumption looked OK at the time on the MFD, but I did have to fill up earlier than usual.
I didn't use the paddles at all though. What's the difference between S and D if you're using the paddles anyway? I'd have thought, if you were controlling where the gear changes happen, there wouldn't really be any difference.
I sometimes find it disconcerting when the car decides to change gear when I'm not expecting it, but I seldom bother to use the paddles. Part of it is familiarity, or lack of it. Decades of using a clutch and gear-stick make the paddles non-intuitive. I should probably take the trouble to drive in manual mode exclusively for a while, just to accustom myself to the different (and far easier) way of changing gear.
I love the DSG for overtaking. Deciding to go Right Now and just doing it, without having to think about which gear to change down to or when to change back up, and being able to keep both hands on the wheel the whole time, and my concentration on the road and the other vehicles, it's brilliant.
I occasionally miss the control the clutch pedal gives at very low speeds, and especially during all the ice - I got in a bit of trouble a couple of times, and not being able to select second gear manually is just insane. But mostly, it's great.
And then again, I bashed one foot a month ago, and it's still quite sore. Unfortunately it's the right one, but I do have the option of resting it and driving with the left for a bit, which is really helpful. If I'd had to have the foot in plaster, the DSG might have made all the difference between being mobile and being stuck in the house.
Rolfe.
