GTI in 3 Door & DSG Combination

[The Whir1wind]

Like others have mentioned my GTIs have always been ordered as a 3 door purely for aesthetic reasons.  Fell in love with DSG on my old MkV GTI to the point where I would struggle to buy another car without it.  Looking forward to comparing the MkVII DSG with the MkV.  I hear there are some subtle differences.  One review said it changed to 6th around 55/60mph.  My MkV changed to 6th around 30mph!  Am thinking the DSG might also be a more natural bedfellow with the new electronic hill start and parking.  Time will tell!

[peterdoherty]

Like others have mentioned my GTIs have always been ordered as a 3 door purely for aesthetic reasons.  Fell in love with DSG on my old MkV GTI to the point where I would struggle to buy another car without it.  Looking forward to comparing the MkVII DSG with the MkV.  I hear there are some subtle differences.  One review said it changed to 6th around 55/60mph.  My MkV changed to 6th around 30mph!  Am thinking the DSG might also be a more natural bedfellow with the new electronic hill start and parking.  Time will tell!

DSG on my MKVI GT doesnt hit 6th gear until about 60mph when in D. When in S you hit 60 in 3rd.

[Bill_the_Bear]

It looks better than the five door. I don't think there can be any dispute over this. Yes, the GTI carries the 5 door well but the 3 door still looks better.

Mmm, not sure about that.  Usually I'd agree that the 3 door is better looking, but in this case both are similarly good looking in my opinion.  I know one or two on here actually prefer the looks for the 5 door.

This is a really good thing about the GTI that I think is highly underestimated.  Other cars, say the Astra, have to be in 3 door, 5 just looks crap.  Can you even get a VXR in 5 door?  You can't, right?

The old body Seat Leon Cupra looked pretty awesome in 5 door, but that is the only other hot hatch I can think of available and looking good with 5 doors.  Its about 10 years old now, so not exactly competing with the GTI any more.

[Gryzor]

Mmm, not sure about that.  Usually I'd agree that the 3 door is better looking, but in this case both are similarly good looking in my opinion.  I know one or two on here actually prefer the looks for the 5 door.

Likewise, I think the 3 door looks great, but the GTI really does pull-off 5 doors really well, to the point where it almost makes no odds to me, and comes down purely to practicality.

[Movi]

Like others have mentioned my GTIs have always been ordered as a 3 door purely for aesthetic reasons.  Fell in love with DSG on my old MkV GTI to the point where I would struggle to buy another car without it.  Looking forward to comparing the MkVII DSG with the MkV.  I hear there are some subtle differences.  One review said it changed to 6th around 55/60mph.  My MkV changed to 6th around 30mph!  Am thinking the DSG might also be a more natural bedfellow with the new electronic hill start and parking.  Time will tell!

Have to agree about the DSG box had it on my last 2 Golfs and will never go back to Manual. And thats coming from someone that was a diehard manual fan. always said I would never go for an auto. that was until I had a Golf GT dsg hire car for 2 weeks, changed my mind completely.

You also get full use of the adaptive cruise features when you have the dsg fitted.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhEKCOnt3SE   

[Flintymutt]

Like others have mentioned my GTIs have always been ordered as a 3 door purely for aesthetic reasons.  Fell in love with DSG on my old MkV GTI to the point where I would struggle to buy another car without it.  Looking forward to comparing the MkVII DSG with the MkV.  I hear there are some subtle differences.  One review said it changed to 6th around 55/60mph.  My MkV changed to 6th around 30mph!  Am thinking the DSG might also be a more natural bedfellow with the new electronic hill start and parking.  Time will tell!

Have to agree about the DSG box had it on my last 2 Golfs and will never go back to Manual. And thats coming from someone that was a diehard manual fan. always said I would never go for an auto. that was until I had a Golf GT dsg hire car for 2 weeks, changed my mind completely.

You also get full use of the adaptive cruise features when you have the dsg fitted.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhEKCOnt3SE   

I on the other hand can't stand the DSG box. It's great when ragging the nuts out of the car on a track or on a B road blast but I just can't stand it for every day use. I had it in my R32 and it was in 6th gear by 30mph. Had to chop it in after 18 onths as it drove me barmy.

[DougL]

I on the other hand can't stand the DSG box. It's great when ragging the nuts out of the car on a track or on a B road blast but I just can't stand it for every day use. I had it in my R32 and it was in 6th gear by 30mph. Had to chop it in after 18 onths as it drove me barmy.

I agree with you. The DSG on the GTI is more expensive and less economical. I have the seven speed on my TDI and it drives me nuts in 7th gear at 30mph! The engine is barely at tickover and it labours... That's just daft. In sport mode it hang on to the revs for too long. I'd also be worried about the five and ten year warranties VW is issuing in other markets. The smoothness of its changes is indeed amazing for an automated manual.

[Bill_the_Bear]

This guy explains how the DSG works with the GTI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5tJRCQyYdA

He doesn't have these problems you describe with being in 6th at 30mph.  Perhaps I'm not understanding as I haven't owned a DSG car (yet).

Also I'm pretty sure that in most engine-gearbox combinations the DSG comes out as either about the same or more efficient than a manual.  Obviously it is more expensive, there is more complex engineering involved.

[DougL]

Bear, for starters that guy is a plonker driving that car at those speeds in a congested area.

Believe me, unless you are flooring it, that DSG gearbox will be in top gear at 30mph unless you are a) in sport mode, b) pressing the throttle well past the halfway point, or c) in manual or semi-auto mode. (Semi-auto lets you shift down when in auto mode, but changes back to auto, when it doesn't sense any inputs form the paddles.)

[Bill_the_Bear]

Bear, for starters that guy is a plonker driving that car at those speeds in a congested area.

No argument there, but nothing to do with the DSG though

Believe me, unless you are flooring it, that DSG gearbox will be in top gear at 30mph unless you are a) in sport mode, b) pressing the throttle well past the halfway point, or c) in manual or semi-auto mode. (Semi-auto lets you shift down when in auto mode, but changes back to auto, when it doesn't sense any inputs form the paddles.)

But this is what I don't understand (again, I haven't owned one).  You've given 3 or 4 ways to have it in a lower gear when you want that to happen.  Surely that is working just as intended.  It sounds to me like you want it to be in D but to behave like it is in S or manual.  In the video when he accelerates it is at 60 in 3rd so you can have that just by pushing the accelerator.  If you're not pushing it hard then it up shifts at the optimal time.  Is there something I'm missing here?  I don't mean to disagree, I just don't understand.

If you want a lower gear there are a number of ways to give you that.  One of those is even manual mode.  By definition doesn't that make the DSG no worse than a manual? (except that if you only ever use it in manual you needn't have paid for the DSG).

Sorry if I'm being thick here.  If its just preference for the manual box I can get that of course.