Gear shift paddles for Jetta

[kayfabe]

Hi everyone, my first post here. Looks like a great forum.

I have had my MY08 Jetta 2.0TSI for just over a year now (purchased new). Loving it. The only thing i was pissed with was the fact I could not get paddle shift as an option fitted by the dealer.

Anyway, with the release of the new Jetta the specs sheet says that gear shift paddles are a dealer fitted option now. I contacted the dealer I purchased from and asked about it. They say I can get it done but need to fit a whole new steering wheel to the car.

I am extremely tempted, but was just a bit wary of any problems that may eventuate by fitting a 09 wheel to a 08 car. Has anyone else thought about doing this or can advise if if this would not be a good thing to do?

cheers

[gerhard]

Don't waster your money.

Paddles are good but not good enough to bother with retro-fitting.

[anthony_VWJET]

Don't waster your money.

Paddles are good but not good enough to bother with retro-fitting.

I agree.

I own an 06 TFSI Jetta, and i dont see the real point of having the paddle shift. Just take one hand off the wheel and use the stick... does the same thing, plus you look more like a real man driving a manual car... (but we all VWW'ers know the truth)

By the way, just out of curiosity, how much were you quoted for the conversion?

[kayfabe]

By the way, just out of curiosity, how much were you quoted for the conversion?

The wheel costs $1.1k, plus a couple hrs labour - approx $1.4k

I will shop around with quotes this weekend at the Melb dealers.

[Russ59]

$1400 to supply and fit a steering wheel I can think of better things to spend that sort of money on for the car

Russ

[Dubdabest]

I've also been wanting them paddles for years!!

Kinda ackward to drive with left hand at the stick when you want to flick the turning indicator on a fast corner

[gerhard]

I've also been wanting them paddles for years!!

Kinda ackward to drive with left hand at the stick when you want to flick the turning indicator on a fast corner

I challenge you to flick the turn indicator on a fast corner (there are fast corners where you need to signal???? ) and flick the downshift paddle at the same time......

When pressing on a bit, preparing properly for a corner means you don't need to change gear in the middle of it or hit the turn indicator.

Why is it an issue anyway, a manual driver can never change gear and hit the turn signal at the same time.

It's near impossible to work out where your paddle is when cornering as well, you have to find it before you can press it, whereas the gearstick is in a known position.

All things considered, I like having the paddles, but at the risk of repeating myself I wouldn't spend $1400 on a retrofit. To me they just aren't worth that much money.

[anthony_VWJET]

I challenge you to flick the turn indicator on a fast corner (there are fast corners where you need to signal???? ) and flick the downshift paddle at the same time......

When pressing on a bit, preparing properly for a corner means you don't need to change gear in the middle of it or hit the turn indicator.

Why is it an issue anyway, a manual driver can never change gear and hit the turn signal at the same time.

It's near impossible to work out where your paddle is when cornering as well, you have to find it before you can press it, whereas the gearstick is in a known position.

All things considered, I like having the paddles, but at the risk of repeating myself I wouldn't spend $1400 on a retrofit. To me they just aren't worth that much money.

You have to signal to avoid the extra fine for not indicating when turning when you get pulled over for speeding.... dah!

[Russ59]

I challenge you to flick the turn indicator on a fast corner (there are fast corners where you need to signal???? ) and flick the downshift paddle at the same time......

When pressing on a bit, preparing properly for a corner means you don't need to change gear in the middle of it or hit the turn indicator.

Why is it an issue anyway, a manual driver can never change gear and hit the turn signal at the same time.

It's near impossible to work out where your paddle is when cornering as well, you have to find it before you can press it, whereas the gearstick is in a known position.

All things considered, I like having the paddles, but at the risk of repeating myself I wouldn't spend $1400 on a retrofit. To me they just aren't worth that much money.

That's why I love manuals, it's easy to engage the correct gear when it's needed and there's no fuss in doing so. I drove the DSG version of the GT on the first and only test drive and although I was very impressed overall, I still vowed I would never buy any type of automatic / semi auto / clutchless manual (whatever you want to call it) transmission again.

I am so happy I chose the manual

Russ

[WhiteRabbit]

I've got the Paddles in The GTI, and I hardly use them, every time I try, I either end up on the wrong gear, or can't reach them in time in a corner. They are nice to use on a straight line, but then again you don't need both hands on the steering wheel in a straight line.

I find the stick shift much easier and better to use, but S mode is the absolute best, and I can't find a sane enough reason to use anything else when you want to go quick.

The other thing is, when using the manual mode I find that is slow shift down, and more than likely that's cause the next up gear is made ready by the DSG. With S mode it has no such problem.

[whplash]

$1400 is a bit steep - but I think it's a bit of a gimick, you will find the novelty of it all will probably wear off and like many of us, the value of the paddle shift is not used very often.

I do tend to down change using the paddles when travelling downhill for engine braking, and definately fun for a blat through the hills.

[Dubdabest]

I don't mean changing gears and indicating at the same time... if I was resting my left hand on the stick and let say approaching an intersection with a ramp up/cornering entry to a freeway where we need to drop a gear, signal and accelerate, etc. would be nice if we can keep both hands on wheel with those switches nearby within reach but yeh agreed I wouldn't pay $1000+ for such a thing!

[CL455]

$1k for the wheel lol .....

check ebay in germany usually get some from there... or u can try find one here... i picked up my steering wheel with the controls and paddles for 500 out of a wrecked GTI .... few hundred to fit it ... and just vag-com to get the coding right to enable the paddles...

would probably cost about 1k all up if you didn't shop around.... but def could get it all done for under 1k

[kayfabe]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Gave me something to think about...

But I am still toying with the idea. I've been wanting them pretty badly. I'll see what the dealers all say when I shop around on the weekend.

cheers