by "TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
Published 05/10/2017 at 14:49
by "TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
Published 05/10/2017 at 14:49
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STARS: 3
So I’ve always had manual cars until the Passat, it was my first auto and I didn’t like it much. It was annoying and I didn’t have much control. In the Golf Wagon I got the DSG dual clutch and that is a close second to manual, it is an absolutely fantastic transmission. I feel it staying in gears and changing gears and I would want. Using the paddles is instant. Gear shifts are sharp. It all just feels natural as to the auto box felt super artificial. I actually look forward to driving it !
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
05/10/2017 at 14:53, STARS: 0
I enjoyed the DCT in my BMW 135is. It was one of the reasons I leased that car. The ZF 8-speed auto in other BMWs (and many other cars) is excellent, at least when I tried it in a couple BMWs. Several modern torque converter automatics are in the same general performance level as dual clutch transmissions.
I still went back to stick shift after that lease was up though.
"Tripper" (tripe46)
05/10/2017 at 14:54, STARS: 1
+1 for the DSG it’s fantastic! I didn’t miss a manual dd for the first year or so. I miss it now, but that’s not to take away anything from the DSG. I can go 0-60 in 4.4 and get 25mpg!
"TahoeSTi" (tahoesti)
05/10/2017 at 14:56, STARS: 0
NO Just get a manual....by purchasing a different car.
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
05/10/2017 at 14:58, STARS: 1
Avoid the DSG in the hyundai veloster. It is hot garbage. Even my non-enthusiast girlfriend knew it was a crappy transmission after a test drive.
To reuse a line I said 2 years ago - the shift speed is so slow, t]and the gear changes so sloppy, my Mk3 Jetta was both faste and better. And that transmission has all the shift feel of a thin dowel rod in cold oatmeal.
"Thomas Donohue" (tomonomics)
05/10/2017 at 14:59, STARS: 0
I’ve only ever driven the PDK in Caymans and 911s, but it’s good to know that if I ever go with a GTI, there’s a viable non-clutch alternative. I’ve never owned an auto in any of my ‘cars’ (ML320 and Touareg obviously not included).
"DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back" (karsonkinja)
05/10/2017 at 15:02, STARS: 0
The GTI DSG was so good it gave me pause. “I could definitely live with this”, I thought. And up until that point I thought I would never consider an automatic. Now I spread the Gospel of the DSG. The hype is real.
"WiscoProud" (wiscoproud)
05/10/2017 at 15:06, STARS: 1
I drove the Chevy SS auto and was quite surprised at how much I liked the manual shifting. I’ve been looking into the Lexus ISF lately, and saw that it locks the torque converter for 2-8 gears. Overall, I still prefer a manual in performance contexts, but the new autos are getting really good.
"LongbowMkII" (longbowmkii)
05/10/2017 at 15:07, STARS: 2
Plus the GTI manual feels like hot garbage.
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/10/2017 at 15:08, STARS: 0
I’ve never driven one from Hyundai and I didn’t even know they made one haha
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/10/2017 at 15:10, STARS: 0
Yeah I believe that many new autos can be excellent performance wise but there is a certain bit of manual character about it in its upshifts and downshifts and engine breaking
"Tripper" (tripe46)
05/10/2017 at 15:11, STARS: 0
Yea why is that? Honestly I’ve not driven a modern VW or Audi manual where I thought the shifter/clutch felt good, and an RS4 is included in that lot.
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/10/2017 at 15:12, STARS: 0
It is very good, I am shocked actually it retains alot of manual character with engine breaking and shifting but it still has the convenience of an auto (for my girlfriend) when she takes the car
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/10/2017 at 15:12, STARS: 0
I was always that way, but I had to have a diesel wagon and there was no manual to be had in the days after the dieselgate
"bobbe17" (rob-runte)
05/10/2017 at 15:18, STARS: 1
One of the biggest “that’s pretty cool” things that gets me excited is when coming to a stop, you can feel when it puts the clutch in and you lose the engine braking.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
05/10/2017 at 15:19, STARS: 0
I was honestly not prepared to like the ZF 8 as much as I did. I was firmly in the DCT camp. The ZF 8 in sport mode cracks off upshifts basically as fast as a DCT but smoother, and it blips to rev match on downshifts. There were certain situations where it was marginally not as quick to shift as the DCT but overall it was smoother and very similar overall in feel/speed.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
05/10/2017 at 15:21, STARS: 0
If I had to regularly sit in stop-n-go traffic then I’d be totally fine with any number of good DCTs or torque converter autos. But since I don’t, I’m back with my clutch pedal. Maybe I’ll get tired of it again in a few years.
"Tripper" (tripe46)
05/10/2017 at 15:26, STARS: 0
Yea, If you leave it in full manual mode, you’re only missing the pedal. My wife is the opposite, she doesn’t like the Audi. We had to go to a Subaru dealer almost an hour away to find her a new Forester with a manual a few months ago.
"promoted by the color red" (whenindoubtflatout)
05/10/2017 at 15:27, STARS: 0
Early revisions of Ford’s PowerShift DSG, or at least the ones I tried, are utter crap at low-speed maneuvers, which is a shame because the Focus is an otherwise nice car.
I get that it’s supposed to replicate a manual gearbox, but it’s also replicating the whole “I’ve just learned what the clutch and shifter do, but what gear should I be in for these low-speed parking lot maneuvers?” experience.
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/10/2017 at 15:28, STARS: 0
Yeah that has been super neat to me. I feel it doing what I would have done. That is very clever to me. I thought for sure, before driving one it would try to pop into neutral when “coasting” but I love that it keeps in gear that brings back so much predictability that I was loosing in the auto
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/10/2017 at 15:28, STARS: 0
Yeah I can see that being very good in those ways
"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
05/10/2017 at 15:33, STARS: 0
They actually make several and use them in their Ioniq hybrid.
"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
05/10/2017 at 15:35, STARS: 0
That’s odd. The only DCT I’ve ever driven was in a Focus (2 l diesel) and it was fine, in so far as it felt exactly like a rather slushy automatic. It crept at tickover so manoeuvring was no problem.
"Thomas Donohue" (tomonomics)
05/10/2017 at 15:42, STARS: 0
Interesting. I drove a 2015(?) Golf rental in Scotland a few years ago and loved the shifter (other than it being to my left). Maybe just because it was new.
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/10/2017 at 15:55, STARS: 0
Yeah she is not a fan of the manual. For her its too much to worry about
"TahoeSTi" (tahoesti)
05/10/2017 at 15:59, STARS: 0
My 2.0 TDI wagon still works and has a 6 speed.....why did you have to buy new? There are new 2015 TDi manual wagons for sale now too for like $17-$19k...the added maintenance costs of the DSG alone make it not worth it....and the clutches can’t really hold at stage 2 let alone turbo upgrade without detuning it to prevent them from wearing too fast.
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
05/10/2017 at 16:03, STARS: 0
Huh. I can kind of take-or-leave mine.
Sure, it’s kind of fun and shifts fast, but downshifting seems a bit harsh and skipping gears requires a double tap.
But full disclosure, I don’t have paddles, just the slap shifter. Maybe I just need to practice a bit more.
"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
05/10/2017 at 16:11, STARS: 0
If only it were possible for the car to eventually learn how to get better and grow over time. Then that transmission would be interesting. I know exactly what you are talking about though, those Focuses (Focii?) just feel like the trans is broken.
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/10/2017 at 16:47, STARS: 0
Well mine is one of the “New” 2015 wagons, I could not find a manual one near me. I had a manual Jetta TDI that I sold back. Finding a manual TDI is not that easy now. And the DSG maintenance is not that bad its like $300 every 40K miles. I think I will live through that. Yeah I would have preferred a 6 speed but it just wasn’t in the cards
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/10/2017 at 16:48, STARS: 0
Yeah the paddles are nicer. I think the slap shifter feels un natural
"TahoeSTi" (tahoesti)
05/10/2017 at 16:52, STARS: 0
I found a bunch of manual 2015 on auto trader all around the country the other day...I went to Arizona to get my Manual Outback XT....I spent 10 months looking for my Sportswagen with a 6 speed and pano sun roof...looked at cars in WA and OR when I lived in San Diego...had to compromise on the color it’s black but oh well....I guess it just didn’t mean as much to you....
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/10/2017 at 17:00, STARS: 0
The closest manual one is 78 miles from my house, not that that didn’t stop me when I bought my first one. But you have to remember I also was looking at what my trade in value was of my Passat, that was a major differentiation for me for where I bought it.
"TahoeSTi" (tahoesti)
05/10/2017 at 17:06, STARS: 0
If you are worried about resale value why buy new?...and the VW tdi trade in you can just take a check then go buy something else somewhere else.......78 miles is like a trip to Costco (35 miles each way) for me....I’d do 1500miles easily for the right car....I’m just sadden by the loss of another manual.
"Nick Has an Exocet" (nickallain)
05/10/2017 at 17:18, STARS: 0
I have a TC-SST in my Ralliart. Love it.
5-speed in the Miata is equally as good.
However, if I’m commuting, it’s the Ralliart all the way. On top of that, the PDK in the 911 is just so good, if I were buying Porsche, it would be a PDK.
I’ve driven a few cars with the ZF 8 Speed. It’s very good. It’s auto refinement with almost dual clutch speed. However, I would be very sad if a single autobox killed the dual clutch. 99% of automatics aren’t as good as that ZF8.
"LongbowMkII" (longbowmkii)
05/10/2017 at 17:49, STARS: 0
It was a brand new GTI I test drove. Just felt rubbery and sloppy compared to the Cruze and my Mazda5. The golf ball patterned shift knob is cute but it’s visually jarring in an otherwise nice interior.
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/10/2017 at 22:55, STARS: 1
I will be really upset if thats the case too. I think there is a lot to offer out of the dual clutch but I do understand they are expensive transmissions for companies to develop.
"Nick Has an Exocet" (nickallain)
05/11/2017 at 00:32, STARS: 0
And to maintain. Fluid for mine is $150/gal and needs to be drained (2 gallons) every 30k.
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
05/11/2017 at 09:32, STARS: 0
Yeah I know they are expensive to maintain but its really not that bad in the grand scheme of things