What do you know about DSG's?

"Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!" (patrickgruden)
06/10/2015 at 08:59 • Filed to: None

I just bought a new car a few months back, so I’m not in the market (yet). But does any Oppo have or have any significant seat time in a car with a DSG? Is it really a suitable replacement for a manual transmission vehicle? And can you leave it solely in automatic mode for those that have no desire to row their own? I’m asking because in the future I think that's how my next car will be, as I want a manual but my wife does not, and we tend to swap cars often.

DISCUSSION (13)

505Turbeaux > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
06/10/2015 at 09:01

DSG is great - just stay up on the service to a T and they are fantastic boxes

64Mali > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
06/10/2015 at 09:02

Stay away from the ones in Fords. I have one and in traffic sometimes it feels like a kid learning to drive stick.

Leon711 > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
06/10/2015 at 09:05

I’m looking at DSG GTI at the weekend, I test drove on a couple of weeks ago and it made me reconsider my stance on them. I’d be happy with a manual or a DSG.

You can just leave them be and drive like an auto.

FromCanadaWithLove > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
06/10/2015 at 09:05

I used to own a Jetta with the DSG. Truth be told, I had a lot of issues with mine, which is partly why I don’t own the car anymore. Maybe I had bad luck, but my transmission was failing (caught it before it failed), and had it replaced under warranty. If I didn’t have a warranty, it would have run me $8,400 after labour to get it replaced.

As an auto, it works fine. It’s smooth on the upshift, and it usually finds the gear you want to be in. There are a few downsides, though. A transmission fluid flush is usually around $400, more than double a regular automatic fluid change.

With VW, you have one of those semi-shifters where you can choose the gear yourself, but it’s oriented backwards (forwards to go up a gear), and it’ll automatically shift if you get near redline.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
06/10/2015 at 09:05

too complicated.

spanfucker retire bitch > 64Mali
06/10/2015 at 09:29

From the research that I’ve done online, any dry-clutch DCT seems to be absolute shit. Those DCTs that Dodge offers in the Dart are also dry-clutch and they’re universally hated as well. Only FCA and Ford still seem to be doing any sort of work at all with dry-clutch DCTs.

KyleA > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
06/10/2015 at 09:32

The newer ones are much better. The older ones chewed through Dual Mass Flywheel’s and clutch packs like crazy. I had an early build 07 GTI with a DSG and went through 4 DMF’s and 3 sets of clutch packs in 175K mile. The DMF’s were never covered under warranty as VWoA considers it to be a “wear & tear part”. The warranty on the clutch packs was extended by VWoA to 120K miles so 2 were covered. I lived in NYC when I had the GTI and commuted all over the tri-state area so I was constantly in stop and go traffic. The DSG tranny HATES stop & go traffic. The mechatronic unit that controls the 2 clutch packs doesn’t know what the hell to with itself so the clutches are just constantly engaging & disengaging. The best advice for commuters with a DSG is pop into 2nd or 3rd gear and leave it alone while you crawl along as this will prevent the mechatronic unit from trying to shift constantly. I moved to South Florida last August, sold the GTI to CarMax due to another failing DMF and picked up a 2011 Golf TDI with a DSG. The driving conditions down here are much more amenable to a DSG and I haven’t any issues so far(knocks wood).

crowmolly > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
06/10/2015 at 10:07

1.) Yes, I’ve owned one for a few years now.

2.) Not really, but to me it’s been a great trans.

3.) Yes, you can. I have regular auto and “sport mode” on mine.

4.) The engine braking going downhill can take some getting used to.

Agrajag > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
06/10/2015 at 10:20

I’m happy with the one in my GTI. The only thing you might not like is how even in manual mode it will shift automatically if you ignore it.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Agrajag
06/10/2015 at 10:32

Well, the VW DSG is probably what I would be eventually after. Looking at maybe a GTI in a couple of years.

Agrajag > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
06/10/2015 at 10:37

Mine is a 2009 with about 78k on it. I am dreading the 80k service, but it has been reliable so far. The transmission, not the car.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Agrajag
06/10/2015 at 10:42

Well, it is a VW, so that’s to be somewhat expected. lol

Maybe I’ll just buy a used one with a CarMax warranty and hope it blows up on their dime.

Speaking of, I was looking there earlier today and saw an RX8. I’m amazed they’d even have one. I’d buy the RX8 from them and just wait till the engine grenades itself, get it replaced then sell the car.

boxrocket > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
06/10/2015 at 12:37

I have too much familiarity with VAG’s DSG’s (Porsche, Audi, VW), and while they’ve gotten better, they’re mostly unpleasant. I don’t need millisecond-precise shifts, I don’t need an extra 0.0087% better fuel economy, and as often as I need to park them (lots of wiggling into and out of tight spaces at work) they’re a hindrance and feel disengaged from the needs of the driver without near-abusive treatment.

On the road they’re fine.

Thinking more about it, I actually mostly like Ford’s DSG in the Focus and Fiesta, though apparently they’ve had issues with the clutch packs in earlier models.