Melancholic
- Messages
- 4
- Vehicle
- T5 SE 174
Hello there,
If anyone could help me with my DSG doubt I'd be very grateful. And my apologies for the length of this post.
As per my introduction post I'm a bit unsure about buying a van with DSG and 4 motion. I'm set on the 4 motion, so:- why do I have doubts about DSG? Three main worries.
(1) The long and term reliability and cost of repairs / replacement.
(2) The driving style.
(3) Suitability for my specific requirements.
First one is, I think fairly straightforward. I don't want a massive out of warranty bill, nor do I want an "in warranty" contentious and major repair that I could / should have seen coming a mile off. Is DSG really a clever idea but a bit more bother than it's worth for your average person?
Second. Well, there's obviously a lot of comment about lag on take off, being unable to nip into traffic gaps etc. etc. Well, obviously I'd expect every vehicle to have it's idiosyncrasies and to have to take account of them. Fair enough. But is it really a matter of having to learn a particular style of driving? I’ve read a lot about this, although not much in the context of a Cali.
I can certainly see that technology like that might be useful on a track, where you can go and study the route beforehand. However, I'm quite taken with the idea that the human eye and brain is a pretty good combination for assessing unfamiliar road conditions in a hurry. Losing the capacity to control the vehicle with a clutch pedal using that assessment seems, possibly, like a backwards step. Good for predictable conditions, less so for constant improvisation. So not better or worse, but appropriate for a different situation. Perhaps.
I can see me in some unfamiliar town, getting supplies in, in my van, trying to get through crowded streets, pedestrians spilling onto the roads, steep hills, tight turns, edging into busy car parks. Good with a clutch pedal - but what about with DSG? Is it possible to achieve that fine control? Or on tiny roads, trying to reverse into a few inches of extra space so that an oncoming lorry can pass, a ditch waiting for a poor driving choice. Again, with mirrors and a clutch pedal - all good. DSG? Not so sure, as things stand. I'd really appreciate comments about this stuff.
Third. Well, 4Motion etc. Sounds great. Firstly for dragging myself out of steep, wet campsites, through wintery lanes and the like. (I do appreciate the need for the correct tyres but lets assume that's dealt with, please). So really, basic camping on fairly basic campsites. But, having got a four wheel drive, it would be nice to get a bit more adventurous. OK, it's not a Defender but it would be good to get into that sort of thing, so far as is reasonable. It seems like the 4 Motion is pretty capable in that direction but does the DSG compromise that capability, would you say. I can see that it might be helpful if you were pulling a big load from Brighton to Inverness but on rough tracks, and wild ground with loads of sudden dips and twists…it couldn’t really predict those, surely, and therefore could it really deal with them as effectively as a manual gearbox?
I would really appreciate your comments. I have read a LOT, including the thread about developing one’s driving style for DSG but I’d love to hear the opinions of people here and if anyone is into off-roading with a 4motion DSG – please please let me know how you find it.
I think even if I got a test drive it’s vanishingly unlikely that I’d be able to test that aspect!
Also, I’d be especially interested to hear what sort from anyone who has done a lot of miles with a DSG box and what happened.
Thanks ever so much for reading this far and for any comments.
If anyone could help me with my DSG doubt I'd be very grateful. And my apologies for the length of this post.
As per my introduction post I'm a bit unsure about buying a van with DSG and 4 motion. I'm set on the 4 motion, so:- why do I have doubts about DSG? Three main worries.
(1) The long and term reliability and cost of repairs / replacement.
(2) The driving style.
(3) Suitability for my specific requirements.
First one is, I think fairly straightforward. I don't want a massive out of warranty bill, nor do I want an "in warranty" contentious and major repair that I could / should have seen coming a mile off. Is DSG really a clever idea but a bit more bother than it's worth for your average person?
Second. Well, there's obviously a lot of comment about lag on take off, being unable to nip into traffic gaps etc. etc. Well, obviously I'd expect every vehicle to have it's idiosyncrasies and to have to take account of them. Fair enough. But is it really a matter of having to learn a particular style of driving? I’ve read a lot about this, although not much in the context of a Cali.
I can certainly see that technology like that might be useful on a track, where you can go and study the route beforehand. However, I'm quite taken with the idea that the human eye and brain is a pretty good combination for assessing unfamiliar road conditions in a hurry. Losing the capacity to control the vehicle with a clutch pedal using that assessment seems, possibly, like a backwards step. Good for predictable conditions, less so for constant improvisation. So not better or worse, but appropriate for a different situation. Perhaps.
I can see me in some unfamiliar town, getting supplies in, in my van, trying to get through crowded streets, pedestrians spilling onto the roads, steep hills, tight turns, edging into busy car parks. Good with a clutch pedal - but what about with DSG? Is it possible to achieve that fine control? Or on tiny roads, trying to reverse into a few inches of extra space so that an oncoming lorry can pass, a ditch waiting for a poor driving choice. Again, with mirrors and a clutch pedal - all good. DSG? Not so sure, as things stand. I'd really appreciate comments about this stuff.
Third. Well, 4Motion etc. Sounds great. Firstly for dragging myself out of steep, wet campsites, through wintery lanes and the like. (I do appreciate the need for the correct tyres but lets assume that's dealt with, please). So really, basic camping on fairly basic campsites. But, having got a four wheel drive, it would be nice to get a bit more adventurous. OK, it's not a Defender but it would be good to get into that sort of thing, so far as is reasonable. It seems like the 4 Motion is pretty capable in that direction but does the DSG compromise that capability, would you say. I can see that it might be helpful if you were pulling a big load from Brighton to Inverness but on rough tracks, and wild ground with loads of sudden dips and twists…it couldn’t really predict those, surely, and therefore could it really deal with them as effectively as a manual gearbox?
I would really appreciate your comments. I have read a LOT, including the thread about developing one’s driving style for DSG but I’d love to hear the opinions of people here and if anyone is into off-roading with a 4motion DSG – please please let me know how you find it.
I think even if I got a test drive it’s vanishingly unlikely that I’d be able to test that aspect!
Also, I’d be especially interested to hear what sort from anyone who has done a lot of miles with a DSG box and what happened.
Thanks ever so much for reading this far and for any comments.
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