I gave my workmate my TT for a few days and used his car for a few long trips mainly for some 50mpg action It was a 2008 A3 2.0TDI 140 DSG S Line First time I have driven a car with DSG and was actually really looking forward to it, but it was utterly useless. Two modes, and D being the automatic mode which I thought would be a welcome change from a manual, but around town/dual carriageways it was horrible. It would constantly upshift into such a high gear that when you spotted a gap or wanted say half throttle acceleration it was constantly caught napping and you wouldn't get any decent response until you planted your foot right down then it would drop three cogs and you would be off like a scalded cat Everytime I have driven a traditional auto it has always made me think "probably get an auto for my next car" this one definately didn't. So I thought I would try Sport mode which uses the paddles. Absolute waste of time, the rev range in a 6 speed diesel is far too short (the main reason Ive gone back to petrol) which means your running out of revs whilst trying to accelerate out of corners and with the paddles attatched to steering wheel they are no where to be seen to change up Maybe it's fine if you want to drive 10/10ths sometimes and like a granny the rest of the time. But I like to make decent progress where ever possible and this didn't want to play ball. I'm not condeming DSG, as I am sure in a really quick car with 7k rpm to use it would be great fun, but if the auto mode was the same as this A3 then I wouldn't want it. Going to a TT meet soon and going to have a go in a DSG 3.2 V6, if that can't make me like DSG then nothing will
Check out the Autocar Polo GTI DSG test video: http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/Volkswagen-Polo-1.4-TSI-180-GTI/249786/ Either the DSG is causing him problems, or he can't drive, as he is braking into, and around, bends! I am upset that DSG is only available as an auto. When Audi developed the two clutch box, for the rally Quattros, I am sure it was to give a super quick manual sequential shift. I recon. that a manual two clutch sequential box could be the ultimate system.
I really wouldn't purchase an 18k car off the advice of someone who can't make a 29.99 pair of jeans purchase succesfully. Watch the start again and check his trouser that's crazy money for a polo, but the interior does look a million dollars!
It does this also... You can use the stick to shift sequentially instead of the steering wheel mounted paddles. The only thing being they`ve done it back-to-front; forward is up-shift, back is down-shift...
all new auto boxes change into the highest gear possible to save on emissions these days, they should learn and adapt as you drive to some extent though, if you drive it hard it will hang on to the gears a bit longer.
If new fords have a self learn then top vags should! Imo i drove a audi a3 3.2 dsg and it was fantastic. Quick shifts, no jerky changes, and the way it changes down was awsome. Blips the throttle and your down... Mint to drive went well to
The DSG Mk6 GTI I drove was brilliant, but that was when hustling along. Most reports say the auto-mode round town is slow to react, and can be jerky or make you take off a bit urgently. TBH, any DSG car I own will probably never see auto-mode in town for that reason, but for motorway hauls it`d be fine.
My mate's transporter dsg drives really well, especially in auto mode. Holds the gears when accelerating up dual carriageways but changes quickly and smoothly when not gunning it
I love DSG. I think its something else. Should have driven it in manual mode and used the paddles/stick. The changes are so rapid.
...and I detest it. I really wanted to like it, organised a test car for a day...took it back after an hour, I was so frustrated with it. In Auto it was OK... Manual was not manual...it wanted to change from 4th to 3rd mid-corner, when I wanted to ride the torque... When driopping gears under braking it did so at it's own speed, not mine. When I select a gear to overtake, in Manual, I expect the car to stick to it. SMG does, E-Gear does...DSG decides what I really want is a lower gear so it grabs one. Also, could VW not have tried to add at least some 'feel' to the 'paddles'? It's the crappiest micro-switch ever and about as rewarding as playing a PSP. I was so dissapointed with it on the Mk6 GTI. My father has a Mk5 170TDI DSG and it's superb...but it was awful on the GTI. I spent the 1400 on something that might actually improve the drive, rather than frustrate the hell out of me for the next few years.
Eh.... in manual it will not change gear unless either max. RPM is achieved or the lower threshold is reached! I personally love it... ok its not perfect, but then again what is!
Yes it will...if you press the pedal 'too far' and it decides you want it to kickdown. I think I should be able to decide if I pressed the peadl 'too far'...and if I wanted 3rd, not 4th, I'd have selected it using the nasty little micro-switches. The software is different on a Mk6 don't forget.
I did, and the two things that let it down there were too short rev range bring a 6 speed diesel and paddles attatched to the wheel so you can't find them when you need them. Like I said, will be interesting to see what I think when I drive a performance petrol with 7k rpm available... but even then if the auto is crap round town that to me defeats the purpose
Having tried both, I felt DSG suits the diesel better, as the torque of the diesel had the gearbox swapping about less. Each to their own though...it's highly impressive and compared to a slushmatic, a revelation. Just not for me.
If you`re coming out of a corner with a load of lock on can`t get to the paddle just use the gear selector instead until you can. Probably going to only be for one upshift, so no real hardship.
Ahh yes... i see what you mean now! That kickdown can be a PITA unless you know its there! Also... i think that REVO disable that function (not sure about other maps)
Did a testdrive with a Golf 5 R32 -DSG and was not impressed, drive it normal , then its feels good , drive it more agressiv... Brake late, turn in , go on the trottle ......waiting for 5 seconds or so until it has shifted down , NO thanks , ITS PURE FRUSTRATION ! Then in a GOLF 5 GTI 6 sp Manual, much more fun in every way
It's frustrating to think you should have to spend 30k on a new car, then throw your warranty out the window in order to have the gearbox understand that manual means manual...and not manual unless the computer say no. REVO or Autograph (I think it was) that offer remaps to 'sort' the problem...but you shouldn't have to. Without doing it though, you have to drive round it...and that was equally frustrating.
