Re: Poll - DSG or Compromise (Manual)

[KernowLad]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Hi Sidepod
Having owned a 174 ps manual for three years and now the owner of a 180DSG, it's DSG for me.
Toured Germany, averaged excellent mpg, only marginal difference in real terms between manual and DSG.
If you want to be more in control (why would you ?, it's a camper not a sports car) then you can use it in manual mode with super slick gear changes.
Just about every manufaturer has a version of this type of "auto" , Honda is even putting it on some motorbikes including sports tourers.
Definitely the way to go.

Hubert

Don't hurry be happy

More control...let me see...

Getting onto levelling ramps, moving around awkward campsites, avoiding getting stuck in muddy ones, for those with tow bars you need fine control, getting out of tight parking spaces, especially on hills. All low speed, fine control stuff, definitely not doing an impression of a 458 doing a lap of the "Ring!

I also think the T5.1 manual is a great 'box in six speed guise. Slick, nice throw, the clutch is weighted just right. I actually enjoy changing gear in it. But then I'm probably not quite normal.

Just to show I'm not some luddite, our other car is a six speed (ZF) full auto with flappy paddles and suits the engine just right.

 

[Californiaman]

Re: DSG or compromise?

..as opposed to your current sports-camper?

 

[KernowLad]

Re: DSG or compromise?

..as opposed to your current sports-camper?

Nope - unnamed other car has torque from almost no revs and in fact has too much for the manual box (it would apparently break it) and the box just does it's work and rarely wrong foots it - one less thing to worry about at interesting speeds.

It would be horrible on the van though which is revvy but has a narrower power band. And once again I'm talking about low speed control, not driving like a loon around a track

*NB - may cause offence to some California owners.

 

[Californiaman]

Re: DSG or compromise?

I was referring to Lee's comment about age and its relationship to auto campers.

But thanks for telling us about your BM. Again.

:headwall

 

[BerndRos]

Re: DSG or compromise?

It's down to personal choice, nothing more and nothing less.

But can't agree with the negatives KernowLad mentions. I have a 180DSG and drove it for 45000 miles round Europe in all or nearly all terrains, it was just great and after a software upgrade when I broke down in the Czech Republic, the hesitant take off from stop was resolved......

As I say, personal choice.

 

[choplee]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Your right BerndRos it's all done to personal choice indeed and if someone thinks it's worth the extra cash and that lovely long wait then it's worth it ...I couldn't warrant that long wait at this moment in time ,so took a berghaus which I'm very happy with , but if a nice spec DSG was sitting there then I would have considered it ...

 

[KernowLad]

Re: DSG or compromise?

I was referring to Lee's comment about age and its relationship to auto campers.

But thanks for telling us about your BM. Again.

:headwall

:?: :?:

 

[KernowLad]

Re: DSG or compromise?

It's down to personal choice, nothing more and nothing less.

But can't agree with the negatives KernowLad mentions. I have a 180DSG and drove it for 45000 miles round Europe in all or nearly all terrains, it was just great and after a software upgrade when I broke down in the Czech Republic, the hesitant take off from stop was resolved......

As I say, personal choice.

But some of those negatives are facts...

Interesting about the upgrade. I had a VW car (I won't say any more in case Californiaman gets upset again... ) that was meant to be nippy but at certain revs (2-2.5k rpm) I'd get overtaken by snails, so bad was it's engine hesitation issue. Found out that is needed an ECU upgrade after which is was transformed but only after I really hassled my dealer for it. But I had to search hard for this info and was one of the first in the UK to get it done. Shouldn't it be a recall thing?

How did you find out about the 'box upgrade BTW?

 

[BerndRos]

Re: DSG or compromise?

When I broke down in Czech......VW plugged it in and communicated as best they could that an upgrade was available.....think mine must have been a very early facelift model though as ordered in Oct 09 and on the road 1st March 10.........have to say before the upgrade it was terrifying taking off from roundabouts and t...junctions.....really really bad.........

 

[KernowLad]

Re: DSG or compromise?

When I broke down in Czech......VW plugged it in and communicated as best they could that an upgrade was available.....think mine must have been a very early facelift model though as ordered in Oct 09 and on the road 1st March 10.........have to say before the upgrade it was terrifying taking off from roundabouts and t...junctions.....really really bad.........

Bit gutting when you spend a lot on something that gets rave reviews and it appears to be "broken!"

Similar here - the engine hesitation was downright dangerous. No idea why it happened.

Still amazes me they can plug a car/van into and laptop and transform it! Think mine came on a CD ROM which made it feel even more strange.

 

[BerndRos]

Re: DSG or compromise?

First diesel I have ever driven.....on some of those long climbs in Europe was fun sometimes to give a car a good seeing to.....as they ran out of puff....off I went......

 

[KernowLad]

Re: DSG or compromise?

First diesel I have ever driven.....on some of those long climbs in Europe was fun sometimes to give a car a good seeing to.....as they ran out of puff....off I went......

I hated diesels when I first got one (admittedly a much more modest and only single turbo diesel than a 180 Cali!) but like them a lot now. I do think they benefit hugely from a bi-turbo set up - smooths and widens the power band a lot. Some single turbo diesels have a comically narrow power band!

If they could just make them sound a bit nicer....!

 

[John]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Love our 174 DSG classic 2007 Cali.

Single turbo 5 pots and loads of chat. Gives us 35mpg and even does over 40mpg on a long run if you cruise and are not in a rush.

The DSG was not a active choice because we are not the first owners of our Cali.

However, having owned a DSG I would now not want the manual as it is a joy to drive, very relaxing.

John

 

[BerndRos]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Hi John, thought the DSG came in with the facelift...?....does yours have it OR the Automatic...?

 

[Stu]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Not directly involved in the DSG debate but I think the 180 can be frugal if driven with a light right foot. Wake up that 2nd Turbo and brace yourself for a pain in the wallet but roll along a 60-65 and you can see good returns.

 

[John]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Hi John, thought the DSG came in with the facelift...?....does yours have it OR the Automatic...?

You are correct its a 6 speed TIP auto and not DSG.

I always assumed it was a DSG as VW introduced their DSG gearboxes in 2003 and it has the Sport mode for manually changing gear.

John

 

[Freeley]

Re: DSG or compromise?

I was referring to Lee's comment about age and its relationship to auto campers.

But thanks for telling us about your BM. Again.

:headwall

:rofl :rofl :rofl

Sorry Kernow but had to laugh you do manage to crowbar your BM into a lot of topics.
No offence meant.

 

[John]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Chaps,

First outing here so hi to all.

Having just returned from our annual Provence trip in the old faithfull T4 Westy (no air con!) we decided it may be time to upgrade.
With this in mind we spent a morning at the VW Cali shop, proding, poking and generally agoninsing over specs.

Sadly the only demo available was a 140. I really wanted to try the 180 DSG.

Could anyone give me a good reason NOT to go DSG?

Many thanks,

S.

sidepod bet you wish you had not asked

 

[KernowLad]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Chaps,

First outing here so hi to all.

Having just returned from our annual Provence trip in the old faithfull T4 Westy (no air con!) we decided it may be time to upgrade.
With this in mind we spent a morning at the VW Cali shop, proding, poking and generally agoninsing over specs.

Sadly the only demo available was a 140. I really wanted to try the 180 DSG.

Could anyone give me a good reason NOT to go DSG?

Many thanks,

S.

sidepod bet you wish you had not asked

Indeed, maybe just get a Bongo

 

[KernowLad]

Re: DSG or compromise?

I was referring to Lee's comment about age and its relationship to auto campers.

But thanks for telling us about your BM. Again.

:headwall

:rofl :rofl :rofl

Sorry Kernow but had to laugh you do manage to crowbar your BM into a lot of topics.
No offence meant.

A little harsh and I only use it as a comparison when totally relevant but duly noted anyway.

 

[AndyandLiz]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Does Kernowlad have a BMW then?

 

[Freeley]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Does Kernowlad have a BMW then?

Do we have a ban button for stirrers? :grin:

 

[choplee]

Re: DSG or compromise?

You got to love abit of "bongo" ....... :barmy

 

[sidepod]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Ok,all good so far. Plenty of info.

I'm tending towards the DSG camp.

Anyone out there with a high millage DSG? Our current T4 Westy is 20 yrs old with 340,000 kilos on the clock, still sweet as the preverbial nut. We're expecting to have the new Cali for a similar time so the DSG needs to be bullet proof. Obviously there aren't any of that vintage but some high millage info would be usefull.

S.

 

[Hubert]

Re: DSG or compromise?

Does Kernowlad have a BMW then?

I never knew that

I can only say that, since owning I have not had any problems using my DSG Cali. I can reverse up my drive which is quite steep with no problem, as for levelling blocks, I've owned mine for 4 years and they're still in the wrapper in fact I've stopped taking them.
I was concerned about the reported hesitation when setting off from junctions but again no problems being a 180 it can easily pull away in D2. Don't know if this problem relates to 140s.
As for economy it's all down to the drivers right foot.

DSG or manual it's the vehicle that matters.

Hubert