DSG or manual on R ?

[Booth11]

Also, the issue with the start stop has been sorted too. As you come to a stop as long as don't try to push the brake pedal through the floor it just engages the Hill Hold and doesn't stop the engine ready for you to pull off into the distance.

Good to know this    Think I read it somewhere before too.  I'll add it to a little list of tips I'm compiling in prep for my R.

[dubber36]

My engine rarely stops as it has become instinctive to be really light on the brake pedal and coming off it straight away. The thing that I don't like about the newer cars is the way the brake lights stay illuminated with Auto Hold, even tho' your foot is not on the pedal. It doesn't show consideration to the driver behind, especially at night.

I also soon learned that when slowing to descend a steep hill, when braking, the box will change down into a suitable gear, you can then come off the brakes and it will hold that gear to give you engine braking until you press the throttle again.

[Booth11]

My engine rarely stops as it has become instinctive to be really light on the brake pedal and coming off it straight away. The thing that I don't like about the newer cars is the way the brake lights stay illuminated with Auto Hold, even tho' your foot is not on the pedal. It doesn't show consideration to the driver behind, especially at night.

I also soon learned that when slowing to descend a steep hill, when braking, the box will change down into a suitable gear, you can then come off the brakes and it will hold that gear to give you engine braking until you press the throttle again.

Tbh I'm not really fussed if people have to look at my brake lights, never bothers me if I'm behind someone with their's on for any length of time. 

Agree with your second point though.  I live on a hill and when driving down it towards the city, after the initial touch on the brakes, the engine braking does the rest, rarely have to touch the brakes again, until you hit the inevitable line of static traffic further down the road.

[monkeyhanger]

Definitely personal choice. It's easy to get wowed by the DSG box on a short test drive as it is technically very good at what it does, but you might come to loathe it if you cannot forgive it when it doesn't do what you were expecting maybe twice per trip - especially if you've always had a manual and never really done DSG before.

Take a really long test drive if possible, get the hooning around from a standstill and messing around with the paddles out of your system and then try to have an hour driving it as you would every day and see if you still like it.

For me on a test drive, the paddles were a novelty I was done with in 5 minutes. I wouldn't religiously use them, you get lazy after a while because you know the car will change for you if you don't. You can't get away with that on a manual, and so you can't get lazy, nor do you begrudge having to change. The nature of the box is that it seems to be chasing mpg by changing up very early with a very light throttle, or pushing on hard and hanging onto every gear in every other situation, with not much middle ground (the other thing I don't like about it in use).

My dad loves DSG and would always spec it, I wouldn't have it if it were free.

On an R, the official 0.2s 0-62mph advantage (if you use launch control) isn't a compelling reason for me to get it on an R, but it is for many.

There's no right or wrong choice, just be sure you don't end up with the one that is wrong for you because you didn't get more than 5 mins on a test drive and all you remember was being bowled over by its in gear pace.

[p3asa]

I'm with you Dubber on the brake lights. Nothing worse sitting behind someone especially at dusk with their brake lights dazzling you for a couple of minutes. A bit courtesy wouldn't go a miss.
I don't know why VW insist the brake lights have to stay on when the car comes to a stop. I've taken to flicking my handbrake on so it doesn't happen.

As for having to tickle the brake pedal when coming to a rest so the engine doesn't stop, would it not be simpler just to hit the switch for the Stop-Start? Or am I missing something?

I'm a bit like the OP, I'm seriously thinking of DSG next time around and probably an R as I've got a tremendous itch more than likely caused by this forum      It would be terrible if you bought one and then felt you couldn't live with it so as others have said, make sure you get an extended test drive. I've been asking for auto courtesy cars (DSG/S-Tronic) when my wife's Audi A1 has been in recently for some warranty work and that has certainly been helping me. Last car I had was the 4 wheel drive A3 auto and it was great.

I just think in the next x amount years, all cars will be auto's. Why do all that leg / arm work especially in our over crowded roads? Driving into town in the motorway rush hour is a nightmare. In cars with acc you don't even need to use the pedals on the motorway, just steer. Its just one step closer to a fully automated car.  We need to embrace it 

[Booth11]

probably an R as I've got a tremendous itch more than likely caused by this forum      

I just think in the next x amount years, all cars will be auto's. Why do all that leg / arm work especially in our over crowded roads? Driving into town in the motorway rush hour is a nightmare. In cars with acc you don't even need to use the pedals on the motorway, just steer. Its just one step closer to a fully automated car.  We need to embrace it 

Ah, the legendary R itch, it's a terrible thing with only one known outcome    Embrace it! 

Love DSG but not sure I'm ready for complete automation just yet   

[JB GTI]

My engine rarely stops as it has become instinctive to be really light on the brake pedal and coming off it straight away. The thing that I don't like about the newer cars is the way the brake lights stay illuminated with Auto Hold, even tho' your foot is not on the pedal. It doesn't show consideration to the driver behind, especially at night.

I also soon learned that when slowing to descend a steep hill, when braking, the box will change down into a suitable gear, you can then come off the brakes and it will hold that gear to give you engine braking until you press the throttle again.

Tbh I'm not really fussed if people have to look at my brake lights, never bothers me if I'm behind someone with their's on for any length of time. 

Agree with your second point though.  I live on a hill and when driving down it towards the city, after the initial touch on the brakes, the engine braking does the rest, rarely have to touch the brakes again, until you hit the inevitable line of static traffic further down the road.

If there is someone behind I just pull up on the handbrake switch and the brake lights turn off.

[remlapeel]

The only thing about the rear lights that must be weird with a DSG is the automatic roll forward when the break is off. I was in traffic on a hill the other day and had to gently break whilst going uphill, the car behind must have been very confused.....how is that far moving forward whilst breaking?

[dubber36]

If there is someone behind I just pull up on the handbrake switch and the brake lights turn off.

Doesn't that defeat the object of Auto Hold tho'? My B7 Passat doesn't do that, so why have VW changed it?

If I'm at the back of a queue, I'll keep my foot on the brake to keep the brake lights on until a car comes up behind me, then take my foot off the pedal. Luckily living around here, I'm rarely in a queue of traffic.

The only thing about the rear lights that must be weird with a DSG is the automatic roll forward when the break is off. I was in traffic on a hill the other day and had to gently break whilst going uphill, the car behind must have been very confused.....how is that far moving forward whilst breaking?

Autos have always done that. They will creep when in gear and you modulate the speed with the brake pedal, just like you would with the clutch in a manual car at crawling speeds. If the Auto Hold hasn't already grabbed the brakes, the car will move slowly if there isn't enough brake pedal pressure to keep it stationary.

[herbie911]

My current daily driver is a manual Golf R. I work long hours so peak hour traffic is not an issue. In terms of driving enjoyment, I always prefer manual especially the manual box on the R is quite sweet to use. The gear knob also look very nice! The stop-start and hill hold function in a manual is quite easy to get use to. I think if you go for three dr, a manual prob suit the character better.
In summary, if this car is your daily driver
Lots of traffic=dsg
Decent road and not traffic camera=manual