hi guise (and gals)
not been on for a while, but nice to see the ole "DSG is better than manuel sukkoz!!!!1111" arguments are still as healthy as ever.
reading through the posts, it mostly seems to be one extreme of opinion to another, but i like both and can see the benefits of having DSG over manual. some of you may remember i have a manual and i'm quite happy with it. Actually to some extent I don't really know what I'm missing because i only tried DSG a couple years ago on a test drive, but i was nonetheless impressed. however i personally just don't see £1300 as an amount of money worth spending on this extra.
Whilst i still have a left leg that works i would prefer just driving the way i've known for 10 years, 3 pedals and a stick in the middle i have to poke about every so often - and the GTI manuals are really nice to use, the clutch pedal isn't super heavy as opposed to performance-esque cars of years gone by, moving the stick it slots nicely into place and doesn't require training in the gym twice a week to operate. yes i suppose pressing a couple of paddles behind the wheel is easier. and you get off the line quicker and you can beat boi racers more easily in a DSG. and it's more fuel efficient - blah blah blah. But i just don't see the DSG will add to my own driving experience. for me the GTI is already a great car in manual format, and i'm happy with it. I still think DSG is an impressive innovation though, and it's nice we're given the choice in options - obviously for some drivers DSG enhances the GTI experience greatly, and it's nice that drivers can enjoy this.
and as for the question whether DSG is really a 'manual with 2 clutches' - well, if you were taking a practical driving test in a DSG, would you qualify with a manual license?? Any driving examiners in the house? i don't know anybody who has taken a test in a DSG before, however i would guess that although the underlying technical mechanics could be argued to be 'manual', the way you operate DSG is still automatic in style, and the DVLA would award an automatic license to reflect as such. and correct me if i'm wrong but nobody will be doing Russ Swift style J-turns in a DSG; that's only possible with the fine control you get from a manually operated clutch plate.