Do I want DSG?

[r32dsg]

I'm amazed at the number of people who's reason for choosing a DSG is "because my wife/girlfriend can't drive manual". What is it with women and not being able to drive manual. My wife tried that angle with me and I just put here in a manual car and said " here you go..learn". She is now thankful that she can drive a manual.

In the same boat too. I guess i should be more harsh but the last thing i want is her being in a accident cause she couldn't drive manual properly.

[Maverick]

I'm amazed at the number of people who's reason for choosing a DSG is "because my wife/girlfriend can't drive manual". What is it with women and not being able to drive manual. My wife tried that angle with me and I just put here in a manual car and said " here you go..learn". She is now thankful that she can drive a manual.

It's just an excuse so they don't have to justify choosing a DSG gearbox to the Manual fanbois.

[triode12]

I have a good excuse for going DSG...Pirelli's only come with DSGs.

But truthfully...I am one of those who had to buy a car with auto transmission bec my other half won't drive anything else. The wife actually drives the car more than I do and wears the pants in the house [cough]....

Tested a GTI with DSG a month ago and was sold on it immediately. Much nicer to drive than a normal auto transmission IMO - no lag.

[Sharkie]

1/3rd of a second quicker to 100 over a manual isn't a tiny performance advantage and neither is is the 2/3rds of a second that you gain from using launch control!

Sorry but DSG is actually no quicker than a manual. VW times its performance from the moment the car starts moving and not when the lights turn green. They suffered huge embarrassment when they took the MK5 GTI to the drag strip in a press stunt and the manuals beat the DSGs every single run......

Sure DSG shifts quicker but it has that annoying lag when you move off. Every press test in the world has reported on that ....... ... and almost every test I have ever read has stated their preference for a manual.


And you cannot use launch control at every traffic light you stop at, so that too is a useless argument.

MK6 GTI now also has identical 0-100km/h figures for the manual and DSG.

I accept that in a commuting role the DSG makes a lot of sense and if that is where you will be using it most of the time, go for it. If however you like a spirited drive with driver envolvement go the manual.

And to top it off, Fifth Gear in the UK, in season 16 episode 2 (ie 2 weeks ago) pitted the Cayman S PDK (Porsche's DSG) and Cayman S manual against each other on their track and the manual was half a second quicker ......

EDIT ... and I know of a prominent tuner that cancelled his Pirelli order when he learned it only came in DSG ......

[bwen]

I'm amazed at the number of people who's reason for choosing a DSG is "because my wife/girlfriend can't drive manual". What is it with women and not being able to drive manual. My wife tried that angle with me and I just put here in a manual car and said " here you go..learn". She is now thankful that she can drive a manual.

Easy to say I guess but harder to execute, especially if you and your wife both have full time jobs and 2 kids to look after, learning how to drive is probably the last time our spare time would go towards. Sometimes the most convient option is to pick the automatic route because not all of us are racers you know

In saying that, this has been my first automatic car out of my last 7 but I don't think it will be my last if the DSG technology keeps evolving in the future

[Mr Messy]

But truthfully...I am one of those who had to buy a car with auto transmission bec my other half won't drive anything else. The wife actually drives the car more than I do and wears the pants in the house [cough]....

My old man (49yo) was in the same boat. He took mum to test drive a Liberty spec B but she wouldn't touch it as it was manual. So he thought "MKV GTI, brilliant", and took her to VW.

She immediately said no to the GTI, because it didn't have a boot and therefore couldn't haul shopping.

So they got a Jetta (wife wants boot) DSG (wife wants auto) 2.0T (dad needs turbo) as a compromise.

My wife likes driving manual, and only ever has had manual cars (Mini, Corolla, my Mk4) and I'm afraid to stick her in an auto in case she gets lazy, lol.

[Rileyowner]

I'm amazed at the number of people who's reason for choosing a DSG is "because my wife/girlfriend can't drive manual". What is it with women and not being able to drive manual. My wife tried that angle with me and I just put here in a manual car and said " here you go..learn". She is now thankful that she can drive a manual.

It's nothing to do with women. I suspect most of these guys don't have a wife, a girlfriend or a manual licence

[Maverick]

Sorry but DSG is actually no quicker than a manual. VW times its performance from the moment the car starts moving and not when the lights turn green. They suffered huge embarrassment when they took the MK5 GTI to the drag strip in a press stunt and the manuals beat the DSGs every single run......

There have been plenty of reviews where the DSG has beaten the manual.

And the DSG can take off without lag, you have to understand how the gearbox operates under different conditions.

Sure DSG shifts quicker but it has that annoying lag when you move off. Every press test in the world has reported on that ....... ... and almost every test I have ever read has stated their preference for a manual.

Almost every test I've seen has raved about the DSG Very few people have anything bad to say about it.

And you cannot use launch control at every traffic light you stop at, so that too is a useless argument.

And you can't dump the clutch at every traffic light either but the point is that with launch control the 0-100 time drops by around 2/3rds of a second. There's a reason why it's been banned in F1 and it's the advantage it gives the drivers.

MK6 GTI now also has identical 0-100km/h figures for the manual and DSG.

VW have always been conservative with their 0-100 times and I'm sure that the same applies here, their other models are still advertised with a difference between the two and the DSG can shift many many many times faster than a manual driver can allowing you to stay on boost and change gears in corners.

I accept that in a commuting role the DSG makes a lot of sense and if that is where you will be using it most of the time, go for it. If however you like a spirited drive with driver envolvement go the manual.

I'll agree with the first point and disagree with the second

And to top it off, Fifth Gear in the UK, in season 16 episode 2 (ie 2 weeks ago) pitted the Cayman S PDK (Porsche's DSG) and Cayman S manual against each other on their track and the manual was half a second quicker ......

Other reviews show the opposite, fifth gear is absolute rubbish and the quality of the segments and reviewers on that show is absolutely rock bottom. If you had said top gear or any other show I'd be more inclined to take it on board but I saw the "review" and it was pointless.

The manual has some good points but in my opinion many "bad" points, I drive in traffic each day and the changing of gears constantly would annoy me, the DSG is faster and is fantastic technology but it requires you to work with it to get the most out of it under all conditions and once you get to know the box operates and what it can do you wouldn't go back to manual. You can change gears mid corner and not upset the car and change back a second later, all of this gives you gains and it's only a matter of time before DSG is the only gearbox you can buy with cars.

[brisgtimkv]

The manual has some good points but in my opinion many "bad" points, I drive in traffic each day and the changing of gears constantly would annoy me, the DSG is faster and is fantastic technology but it requires you to work with it to get the most out of it under all conditions and once you get to know the box operates and what it can do you wouldn't go back to manual. You can change gears mid corner and not upset the car and change back a second later, all of this gives you gains and it's only a matter of time before DSG is the only gearbox you can buy with cars.

Exactly. DSG is not a replacement for the driver's brain. You learned how to drive a manual afterall, as opposed to just hopping into the car and waggling the gear stick around. Where people get into trouble is when they think 'it's auto I don't need to learn how it works or how to use it best'. I drove manual my whole life and I'm never going back from dual clutch boxes. The gti wouldn't be the same without exhaust *blat*s and being thrown around when downshifting while braking hard for corners.

[blutopless2]

maybe the opinion of the dsg also is related to the car in which it is used.?
seems those with the gti are more in favour of it. is this due to the paddle shift also?
i know they are not the same car... but i prefer to drive our manual polo gti to our chipped TSI jetta with the dsg.
so mavericks comment on "you wouldn't go back to manual" certainly doesn't apply to me. I would LOVE a 6 speed manual in the jetta TSI

[maca]

I'm amazed at the number of people who's reason for choosing a DSG is "because my wife/girlfriend can't drive manual". What is it with women and not being able to drive manual. My wife tried that angle with me and I just put here in a manual car and said " here you go..learn". She is now thankful that she can drive a manual.

Haha if one day my other half can't drive a manual.. They'll be learning! But I bought a DSG not only for the crap Brisbane traffic but also so my friends could drive it when I needed them to (all have Auto licenses, even the guys*).

DSG = Automatic. Even though in the technicalities it's not, you can't deny it's practically an auto car with all the characteristics. Forget about the whole 'fast shifting' and ask yourself if you really want an auto. I would've gotten the auto box even if it wasn't a DSG (FSI model was an option for a while).


*Not being stereotypical, just informative.

[Mr Messy]

...But I bought a DSG... so my friends could drive it when I needed them to (all have Auto licenses, even the guys).

That sucks, seriously.
I reckon an auto licence is . Unless you're a stroke victim or otherwise impaired it shouldn't be an option. And anyone with an 'Auto' licence shouldn't dare call themselves a car enthusiast.

[VW Convert]

Haha if one day my other half can't drive a manual.. They'll be learning!

Thats what you think! LOL I can hear all the married men on this forum laughing at that comment!

DSG = Automatic. Even though in the technicalities it's not, you can't deny it's practically an auto car with all the characteristics. Forget about the whole 'fast shifting' and ask yourself if you really want an auto. I would've gotten the auto box even if it wasn't a DSG (FSI model was an option for a while).

Yes, it is an auto even though it has very different characteristics to a conventional auto and I love it.

I laugh at the claims about whether a DSG car is quicker than a manual or not, the reality is we don't race over the standing 1/4 day to day so what does it matter whether one is claimed to be 2/10th of a second quicker!

Each to their own, if you like a manual buy one, if you like an auto, buy a DSG, it's the best auto going.

Cheers

George

[gareth_oau]

Haha if one day my other half can't drive a manual.. They'll be learning!

Wrong Maca, its time for a new other half!! LOL

[triode12]

Thats what you think! LOL I can hear all the married men on this forum laughing at that comment!



Yes, it is an auto even though it has very different characteristics to a conventional auto and I love it.

I laugh at the claims about whether a DSG car is quicker than a manual or not, the reality is we don't race over the standing 1/4 day to day so what does it matter whether one is claimed to be 2/10th of a second quicker!

Each to their own, if you like a manual buy one, if you like an auto, buy a DSG, it's the best auto going.

Cheers

George

That is if you can get a manual tranny in a MkV.
Apparently all the GTi (147kw) left in stock are DSG and that has been the case for weeks now.