GTI DSG - rarely in the "right" gear?

[Mk7-GTD]

A few years ago, I was a confirmed automatic hater... I've driven plenty of cars with DSG and they didn't sway me... but my g/f has a BMW 320d M-Sport with the 8 Speed Sport Auto and it is magnificent... you can trick it if you try but 95% of the time it is fine... and for the odd time it's not use the paddles...

My 5.0 XKR has an older school 6 speed auto... that's pretty good too but I guess many of its flaws are masked by 500+bhp and 400+ lb/ft or torque... 

To be fair I have driven a few autos that were fine, VW Touareg was fine and suited the car it was in. I have never driven a DSG that was okay on a day to day basis.

The one auto that I have driven that would make me move to auto full time is BMW 8 speed box, VAG could learn from it.

[maczi]

I think VW should just learn to program their existing 6speed unit better before moving on to anything more complicated.

[dubber36]

Maybe it's a petrol thing, but I've been perfectly happy with my DSG Passat. On occasion in D, it might seem a little slow to change down to accelerate (I don't mean full throttle kick down), but it's still probably quicker than changing in a manual. By that I mean from the time your brain says 'go' the first the car knows about it is when the throttle is pressed, whereas in a manual, your brain says 'go' you have to select the gear before pressing the throttle. Essentially the same process, just in a different order.

Having read this thread, I thought I'd give manual mode and the paddles a go this morning, but the first T junction I came out of, when I needed to change to second, the steering wheel was completely the wrong way round, so by the time I could reach the + paddle, I was doing about 4,000rpm. I carried on for a bit longer, but soon go fed up and put it back into D. The only times I've really use S, is when towing, but that's not really a GTI sort of thing to do.

[kalimon]

Maybe it's a petrol thing, but I've been perfectly happy with my DSG Passat. On occasion in D, it might seem a little slow to change down to accelerate (I don't mean full throttle kick down), but it's still probably quicker than changing in a manual. By that I mean from the time your brain says 'go' the first the car knows about it is when the throttle is pressed, whereas in a manual, your brain says 'go' you have to select the gear before pressing the throttle. Essentially the same process, just in a different order.

Having read this thread, I thought I'd give manual mode and the paddles a go this morning, but the first T junction I came out of, when I needed to change to second, the steering wheel was completely the wrong way round, so by the time I could reach the + paddle, I was doing about 4,000rpm. I carried on for a bit longer, but soon go fed up and put it back into D. The only times I've really use S, is when towing, but that's not really a GTI sort of thing to do.
[/quote ]
I think it's easier to just bump the gear lever up or down when you are in that situation

[Exonian]

Maybe it's a petrol thing, but I've been perfectly happy with my DSG Passat. On occasion in D, it might seem a little slow to change down to accelerate (I don't mean full throttle kick down), but it's still probably quicker than changing in a manual. By that I mean from the time your brain says 'go' the first the car knows about it is when the throttle is pressed, whereas in a manual, your brain says 'go' you have to select the gear before pressing the throttle. Essentially the same process, just in a different order.

Having read this thread, I thought I'd give manual mode and the paddles a go this morning, but the first T junction I came out of, when I needed to change to second, the steering wheel was completely the wrong way round, so by the time I could reach the + paddle, I was doing about 4,000rpm. I carried on for a bit longer, but soon go fed up and put it back into D. The only times I've really use S, is when towing, but that's not really a GTI sort of thing to do.

With a manual the physical gear change takes a bit longer but your eyes send the message to your brain in advance and you anticipate the change well in advance of the DSG ECU which knows nothing about the manoeuvre until you start pushing down on the pedal, at which point it has to decide whether the preselected gear is the right one to use or whether it needs to line up another.

We all get caught out occasionally and find ourselves in the wrong gear but I'd rather rely on my own scatty brain than something buried in the bowels of the car somewhere.

As I said earlier and I'm not the only one to say it in this thread - horses for courses and gradually the tech will become better and better but by which time ...

I refer your honour to post number 10 above in which Ms Booth, the witness for the defence, clearly states she also wished there was an in between mode which isn't set up for the aforementioned lab conditions as defined by the EU grey suited gravy train.

The council rests its case and is now off to spend the next umpteen hours doing more pointless beurocracy.

I present to the prosecution - Exhibit 1 - DSG paddles

If it's any consolation I've just finished my shift of umpteen hours of pointless bureaucracy.

Yes, but at least you can spell it correctly at the end of your stint whereas I messed it up before I even arrived at my cell office!

BTW, I'm not accepting paddles as an excuse from all you DSG adopters as that wasn't the issue raised in post 1. It's the inability of the DSG brain that's at question here.
If you can (and have to) flip a paddle you may as well flip a lovely golf ball gear knob.
The gear knob itself is reason enough to spec a manual GTI or D.
 

R's may be a different kettle of fish as the power band is different, the power delivery is different and the gear change isn't quite as slick.
Though I still prefer manual.

In a couple years when I get my Aygo I might consider a slush box...
 

Human brain + DSG + paddles = driving perfection.

Forget the Aygo.  Such is your reluctance to embrace the dual box, I suspect your first and final dalliance with DSG will be as you are laying in your coffin, which, by then, will be able to drive itself to the cemetery (choice of D or S of course), manoeuvre into your pre-paid plot and park itself perfectly in your final resting place.   From one cell office to another.   I shall send a wreath spelling out Bureaucracy.  RIP Mr Ex.   

Unfortunately by that stage I'll be unable to write a review of the DSG and google self drive software so you'll at least all be spared that trauma!


In fact I took my manual for a spin on the way home from work which ended up a 40 mile drive (as happens).
This thread, amongst other things, was on my mind and I was thinking I may try and borrow a DSG car for a few days and see how I get on.

[Booth11]

Having read this thread, I thought I'd give manual mode and the paddles a go this morning, but the first T junction I came out of, when I needed to change to second, the steering wheel was completely the wrong way round, so by the time I could reach the + paddle, I was doing about 4,000rpm. I carried on for a bit longer, but soon go fed up and put it back into D. The only times I've really use S, is when towing, but that's not really a GTI sort of thing to do.

When I first started driving DSG with paddles I regularly 'lost' them at virtually every roundabout, lol.  But in time you get used to changing gear with the wheel upside down/wrong way round and become expert at it.  The paddles would be perfect if they were mounted on the steering column but it is not to be. 

[Booth11]

Unfortunately by that stage I'll be unable to write a review of the DSG and google self drive software so you'll at least all be spared that trauma!

In fact I took my manual for a spin on the way home from work which ended up a 40 mile drive (as happens).
This thread, amongst other things, was on my mind and I was thinking I may try and borrow a DSG car for a few days and see how I get on.

Well I'm certainly not wishing you into an early grave Mr Ex.  Far from it, forum land would be a much duller place without you. 

But I think you should spend a prolonged stint in a DSG.  I'm not convinced you will be won over as I think you are a dyed-in-the-wool manual driver, but stranger things have happened! 

[Exonian]

I'm not dyed in the wool by any means. I love tech and I don't wear rose tinted specs about anything.
My other car that tends to get general use is a manual and all the work vehicles are manuals so I've always maintained doing about 5k a year in a DSG and lots of miles in manual cars I'd never get the best out of a DSG as I'd always be readjusting.
I might see if I can get a GTD DSG or something similar on a 24/48 hour loan from a local dealership.
Is quite happily have a mapped/boxed GTD over the R 99% of the time. Sad but true.

[Booth11]

I'm not dyed in the wool by any means. I love tech and I don't wear rose tinted specs about anything.
My other car that tends to get general use is a manual and all the work vehicles are manuals so I've always maintained doing about 5k a year in a DSG and lots of miles in manual cars I'd never get the best out of a DSG as I'd always be readjusting.
I might see if I can get a GTD DSG or something similar on a 24/48 hour loan from a local dealership.
Is quite happily have a mapped/boxed GTD over the R 99% of the time. Sad but true.

Fair enough.  I wasn't implying that you are averse to change in any way. 

I don't think 24 or even 48 hours is long enough to really get to grips with DSG, not unless most of those hours are spent driving it.  Guess it depends how many miles (on varying roads/conditions etc), you can get under your belt but I reckon you need at least a full week to become fully au fait with it.  Of course that's not a possibility loaning from a dealer (unless they are very cooperative).

It doesn't surprise me that you might prefer a GTD to the R. Sounds to me like you respect the R and its capabilities but there's not a huge affinity there. It's never a given is it that you are going to fully gel with a car. Maybe another change on the cards Mr Ex?

Before I got my R, I did wonder if I would find it less fun and engaging than the GTI's I've had, but that's proved not to be the case and I would say that the R and I suit each other very well.  It feels 'right'.  I was fully prepared to spend 3 years in the R and then maybe back into a GTI but I can't see that happening now.  Mind you my other half is not at all enamoured by the R.  He doesn't like the look of it compared to my old GTi and (though he's only driven half a dozen times) he's not that keen on the drive, much preferring the GTI.  Good job it's not his car, and anyway he's in love with the BEAST (Amarok, not me!).  I would not put a bet on you turning  up here in a few months (weeks) time having chopped your R in for a GTD.

[Mark V GTD]

I think VW should just learn to program their existing 6speed unit better before moving on to anything more complicated.

I agree - it does really need to be renamed so that the current Drive (D) is called Ecco, Sport can remain as sport but a ratio between the two is introduced as the normal D.

Not helped by that fact the VW are one of the few manufacturers who give you an indication of what gear you are in with an autobox.