Anyone running a high mileage DSG Cali?

[reserves]

We're looking at selling out 2018 Cali and buying an 2010 Cali and buy a separate car instead.

The 2010 Cali we're looking at has high miles (120k), but had a new engine from VW at 55k (180bhp known engine issue)

I wonder how these DSG gearboxes hold up, be super helpful if anyone has knowledge around this.

• Are these approximately the same DSG technology as the newer models
• Are the generally reliable
• What the replacement costs look like should the worse happen

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Beeechke1]

I have a DSG box on a 2010 SE that's now covered 86k miles. I have not had it from new but the dealer did check the online history and there is no work recorded on the DSG

 

[reserves]

I have a DSG box on a 2010 SE that's now covered 86k miles. I have not had it from new but the dealer did check the online history and there is no work recorded on the DSG

Many thanks. How do you find the DSG box out of interest?

 

[ThomasHJ]

kind of depends on what you consider high miles. Ours is a 2011 DSG with 150.000 kilometers which corresponds to 90.000 miles I think. And as far as I know it's working just fine.

 

[Beeechke1]

Many thanks. How do you find the DSG box out of interest?

I love it, having had manual cars all my life surprised how good it is. As has been said many times on here it can feel a bit unresponsive on more demanding roads but switching it to sports mode rectifies that. The manual mode comes in useful for getting on and off wet grass when you don't want a gear shift and wheel spin.

 

[WelshGas]

We're looking at selling out 2018 Cali and buying an 2010 Cali and buy a separate car instead.

The 2010 Cali we're looking at has high miles (120k), but had a new engine from VW at 55k (180bhp known engine issue)

I wonder how these DSG gearboxes hold up, be super helpful if anyone has knowledge around this.

• Are these approximately the same DSG technology as the newer models
• Are the generally reliable
• What the replacement costs look like should the worse happen

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Just passed 104,000 miles in 7 years. Oil change, filters and MOT 2 days ago. Clean Pass, BUT the DSG had had an oil change every 2 years since new.

 

[reserves]

Thanks all, we love the DSG on our 2018 so if it’s anywhere near as good as that we’ll be happy.

 

[B J G]

I love it, having had manual cars all my life surprised how good it is. As has been said many times on here it can feel a bit unresponsive on more demanding roads but switching it to sports mode rectifies that. The manual mode comes in useful for getting on and off wet grass when you don't want a gear shift and wheel spin.

DSG can be retuned to suit your requirements.
TVS do various levels.

 

[Beeechke1]

DSG can be retuned to suit your requirements.
TVS do various levels.

Yes read good things on here from owners who have gone down this route.

 

[B J G]

Yes read good things on here from owners who have gone down this route.

Transforms cross country bendy roads, unlike Sport mode it is always in a speed related gear, mine has the revs over 1500rpm as a minimum. 7th gear only over 60mph unless on level cruising but never below 55mph.

 

[andrew bazeley]

My 2008 auto model has not - apparently - got DSG, and I'm never quite sure when they came in, and what advantages they have. My non-DSG gearbox has never had any problems and works perfectly well, despite its age.

 

[reserves]

My 2008 auto model has not - apparently - got DSG, and I'm never quite sure when they came in, and what advantages they have. My non-DSG gearbox has never had any problems and works perfectly well, despite its age.

Thanks, I’m pretty sure they changed to DSG in 2010 along with the facelift.

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks, I’m pretty sure they changed to DSG in 2010 along with the facelift.

2009

Direct-shift gearbox - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Wildcamper]

We're looking at selling out 2018 Cali and buying an 2010 Cali and buy a separate car instead.

The 2010 Cali we're looking at has high miles (120k), but had a new engine from VW at 55k (180bhp known engine issue)

I wonder how these DSG gearboxes hold up, be super helpful if anyone has knowledge around this.

• Are these approximately the same DSG technology as the newer models
• Are the generally reliable
• What the replacement costs look like should the worse happen

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

You may well have a very good personal reason for going from a 2018 to a 2010 vehicle but it is not something I would do. Emissions legislation is only going to get more onerous so for me going from a Euro 6 engine to a Euro 5 would be a backwards step.

 

[reserves]

You may well have a very good personal reason for going from a 2018 to a 2010 vehicle but it is not something I would do. Emissions legislation is only going to get more onerous so for me going from a Euro 6 engine to a Euro 5 would be a backwards step.

Appreciated. We’re strictly going to only use the 2010 Cali for camping where as the moment we use the 2018 for everything and using the balance to buy an electric car.

But point taken, i don’t have much knowledge about what the legislation will entail. It’s a shame to be punished for it really, as driving the Cali say 4,000 miles a year compared to (10),000 and doing the balance in an electric car is surely the type of thing they are trying to encourage.

Our Cali camping rarely, if ever takes us into towns or cities, but not sure where else
they will start banning / charging.

I do wonder if camper vans would get some type of exemption from the legislation like classic cars do or whatever, maybe even if for limited miles.

We can’t justify the keeping the 18 Cali for the way we’re using it, so maybe time to sell and forget having a Cali for a bit.

Food for thought.

 

[scooter]

I bought an old Hyundai i20 and use that to potter around in going to work shopping etc £30 a year road tax less than £200 to insure and does over 50 mpg an old California could become very expensive

 

[reserves]

I bought an old Hyundai i20 and use that to potter around in going to work shopping etc £30 a year road tax less than £200 to insure and does over 50 mpg an old California could become very expensive

Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean by “an old California could become very expensive” or how that’s relevant to your car?

I own the 2018 California outright so whilst it’s perhaps cheaper to keep, having that much equity in a vehicle has its own costs.

 

[scooter]

Thought you were going to buy an old 2010 California with big milage which could lead to expensive problems what I meant was Keep the vehicle you know and just buy a cheap runaround

 

[reserves]

Thought you were going to buy an old 2010 California with big milage which could lead to expensive problems what I meant was Keep the vehicle you know and just buy a cheap runaround

Thanks, but that doesn’t solve our issue really.

Only 10% of our Cali usage is camping, because our car is so old and generally rubbish we end up using the Cali instead. For Motorways, short & long trips, everything.

So the aim is to flip this so we buy an electric car and use that for everything except camping.

We had Tesla Model 3 for a month and the Cali never moved once the whole month.

I’ve had Cali’s since 2014 but driving a car was a nicer experience.

Im not down on Cali’s, I love them dearly! However for visits to the in laws (200 miles & 60 miles) travelling with a kitchen, massive van and everything that entails just feels unnecessary to us.

 

[scooter]

Thanks, but that doesn’t solve our issue really.

Only 10% of our Cali usage is camping, because our car is so old and generally rubbish we end up using the Cali instead. For Motorways, short & long trips, everything.

So the aim is to flip this so we buy an electric car and use that for everything except camping.

We had Tesla Model 3 for a month and the Cali never moved once the whole month.

I’ve had Cali’s since 2014 but driving a car was a nicer experience.

Im not down on Cali’s, I love them dearly! However for visits to the in laws (200 miles & 60 miles) travelling with a kitchen, massive van and everything that entails just feels unnecessary to us.

 

[scooter]

Yes I know what you mean we only had the California and I had a scooter for work but now have the car and we use that more than the van especially popping around town it's so much easier, an electric vehicle would be ideal as a second vehicle

 

[Bobbybus]

Transforms cross country bendy roads, unlike Sport mode it is always in a speed related gear, mine has the revs over 1500rpm as a minimum. 7th gear only over 60mph unless on level cruising but never below 55mph.

Did the TVS programme improve the mpg?

 

[Niborn]

We use a seat electric mii as our shopping car, its fabulous.. An old Nemo citroen gets the longer runs and dirty jobs and Cali is only for holidays... Love the dsg gearbox