DSG Review - GT, 2.0TDI - update 2 nd drive

[Hobojim]

Hello all, I have spotted a lot of posts asking for a review of the DSG box. I test drove a GT trim 2.0TDI with the DSG box.

Setting off in the GT was very smooth and all very pleasant I rolled gently out of the forecourt down the little road to the main road and touched the brakes gently.... and put the dealer through the windscreen. The brakes are sharp! like stupidly sharp. Easily the worst part of the car, it will take a bit of getting used to i think.

Straight into Glasgow rush hour traffic. Stop and go for a bit. This is where the dsg was best IMHO, also in combo with the auto handbrake. Just push the accelerator when you want to go, brake when you want to stop, foot off the brake when you have stopped. Idiot proof city driving. Really was truly excellent, completely takes the stress out of traffic.

Onto the ring road, 50 mph heavy traffic. Smooth, selects a nice low gear, cruises well. Squeeze the accelerator as traffic speeds up, very rapidly gets to 70 with one smooth gear change. No need to change down before accelerating. Really is very smooth!

Got onto the M8, 40mph stamped on the accelerator to WOT. Revs climb, but the box takes a while to decide its best gear but when it did it went like a stabbed rat, and that is where i didn't like it. In full auto mode you are going to confuse the poor thing. It was a lot better than other auto boxes I have driven (Nissan Laurel being the worst. Faster to decide than the BMW 1 series box i would say.)

Put it into manual mode, but it was changing gear before me a lot of the time. A flash of the software could be an option like the mk5/6 to force it to hold gears until you decide.

So in summary very good if auto boxes are your thing, but its a manual in this type of car for me. Would definitely consider the DSG in a polo or whatever if i was hacking about town a lot! Very impressed with its city driving.

[Bill_the_Bear]

Hello all, I have spotted a lot of posts asking for a review of the DSG box.

That was me!  Thanks for obliging so fast, I'll have a read.

anyone else who wants to chip in with a review would be welcome, I'm sure opinions vary between us!

[Bill_the_Bear]

Mind if I ask some questions, couple of things I didn't quite understand:

Revs climb, but the box takes a while to decide its best gear but when it did it went like a stabbed rat, and that is where i didn't like it. In full auto mode you are going to confuse the poor thing.

What was wrong here?  When you wanted full acceleration it was slow to... down change?  Or slow to up change after the initial down change?  Was this in D mode?  How did it compare to putting it in S, was the response more to your liking?  Not totally sure what you mean by stabbed rat either you mean fast?  That is good isn't it?

Put it into manual mode, but it was changing gear before me a lot of the time. A flash of the software could be an option like the mk5/6 to force it to hold gears until you decide.

Little confused here as well.  It was in manual but was still making auto changes?  I thought it would only auto change in manual if it detected you were about to stall or red line?  Presumably you were not about to stall or red line so why did it change for you?  Sounds like it was still in D?  I'm confused as to were you in D, but were overriding it by pressing a paddle (which I think gives you 30 seconds of manual mode, but then it takes over again) or was it permanently in manual mode but for some reason kept dropping back to D (which I don't get)?

Thanks for the write up though, great info!

[dubber36]

It takes a while to learn how to drive a DSG box well. If you stamp on the throttle so that it kicks down once it's had time to think before reving it's nuts off, it's never going to be smooth.

A slight squeeze of the throttle will instigate a gear change to two as required ready to accelerate away without fuss. Equally a slight lift will induce and upshift if you want one. Of course there are the paddles as well which will over ride the Auto mode for a short time without having to move the lever over from D.

I like DSG for the effortlessness of a full auto, as well as the manual mode with paddles for when you are pressing on. We have just been driving round the Isle of Man and my DSG Passat was just brilliant.

Just try to keep away from full throttle and the kick down switch.

[Mr Savage]

I've also driven the Mk7 GTD DSG and there is a slight delay when putting your foot down on the accelerator to it taking off but I saw this as a good thing really as it only had the delay in D mode for me (where it thinks you want to drive normally). S mode sharpens up the throttle response and the delay is minimal and once it gets going, it flies!

Ill write a review also when I get back from work. But in short, you can solve your problem by moving the gear across to the side which gives you full manual control until you drop it back in to S or D this will allow you to drive the car like a manual if you so desire. Best of both worlds.

[neilgcal]

I've also driven the Mk7 GTD DSG and there is a slight delay when putting your foot down on the accelerator to it taking off but I saw this as a good thing really as it only had the delay in D mode for me (where it thinks you want to drive normally). S mode sharpens up the throttle response and the delay is minimal and once it gets going, it flies!

Ill write a review also when I get back from work. But in short, you can solve your problem by moving the gear across to the side which gives you full manual control until you drop it back in to S or D this will allow you to drive the car like a manual if you so desire. Best of both worlds.

There's a MKVII GTD in the country? I didn't realise they had arrived in the dealers yet! Please tell all? And any pics??

[Bill_the_Bear]

There's a MKVII GTD in the country? I didn't realise they had arrived in the dealers yet! Please tell all? And any pics??

You want this tread:
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=254428.0

Now back to DSG I'm super keen for info!

[Hawaii-Five-O]

I've been driving the 7 speed DSG unit in my Scirocco for the last 4 years. I love it! Don't think I'd go back to manual now especially with the heavy traffic I face most mornings. This is where the DSG comes into its own. It's a joy to use in heavy, stop-start traffic. Takes a lot of the stress out of driving. So if we combine DSG with the new ADC the car will practically drive itself. Can't wait for that experience.

As Dubber36 said you have to learn how to drive with it. Took me nearly a year to perfect it after a lifetime of manuals. Well worth it though

I use 'D' (Drive) most if the time. However I do override it useing paddles for going down a steep hill and want to employ engine breaking. I only use 'S' (Sport) mode when I want to give it some beans on the limit (best for petrol engine). Ragging the red line in a diesel is not recommended.

Obviously you don't have quite the control of a manual, and the purists dont like DSG. But, that's a small price to pay for the joy it delivers (+ 60% less stress in shocking traffic).

[Valenni]

I read that if driving hard, the auto drives as if it were a petrol model ie taking it into high revs instead of the optimum torque / turbo range.

[Hobojim]

Revs climb, but the box takes a while to decide its best gear but when it did it went like a stabbed rat, and that is where i didn't like it. In full auto mode you are going to confuse the poor thing.

When you wanted the full beans it was slow to down change. Not really slow, just not quick. In S mode it was the same. Throttle was sharper though.

Put it into manual mode, but it was changing gear before me a lot of the time. A flash of the software could be an option like the mk5/6 to force it to hold gears until you decide.

Yeh I have no idea tbh, I put it in manual mode and every now and again it would change gear at the extremes of revs - low or high - when I didn't want it to. This was a diesel mind you and i'm used to a petrol so that might be why. Again as dubber said its a tool you have to get used to. I was only really driving the GT to decide if I wanted ACC or not, wasn't overly paying attention to the DSG box. But was very suprised with how nice it was for traffic. but when it came to having fun I wanted the manual for sure. I'm sure the DSG box makes a faster lap time. But for me I'm not after that.