dsg or manual ??
- Thread starter paul600rr
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I would agree with some of what Pauly said. Yes the reverse is a little slow to catch up, but mine only lags if I have my foot on the brake and try to hold the revs up to get a flying start off the line etc, but i've managed to work around this now and used to it. I do have mine booked in for a re-map, including the DSG, but that's not because anything is wrong with the box, it's just because I feel the gear change points need to be moved around slightly to get the most out of the 204 power, which they can do within the software apparently.
I also have a MK7 Golf diesel, and that's also DSG, but that is a little more responsive on the throttle, the downfall is it's only the 6 speed DSG, where as the T6 is 7 speed.
It's a no brainer for me personally. Easier to drive, more relaxing than my manual, smoother, faster, and most importantly, you can eat a bag of crisps and steer with your knees if you want to. (Not that i'd advise it of course)
I guess you'd be better if you could drive both, if you haven't already, and if you pass Leicester, and you're insured, I'd let you try mine (204 DSG) just to give you an idea how the DSG performs in the real world, with the same power as you're looking at.
I also have a MK7 Golf diesel, and that's also DSG, but that is a little more responsive on the throttle, the downfall is it's only the 6 speed DSG, where as the T6 is 7 speed.
It's a no brainer for me personally. Easier to drive, more relaxing than my manual, smoother, faster, and most importantly, you can eat a bag of crisps and steer with your knees if you want to. (Not that i'd advise it of course)
I guess you'd be better if you could drive both, if you haven't already, and if you pass Leicester, and you're insured, I'd let you try mine (204 DSG) just to give you an idea how the DSG performs in the real world, with the same power as you're looking at.
Reverse maybe a tiny bit if you are in a hurry. Pull off, No not mine. Foot to the floor and it goes just as well as a manual, but faster through the gears. Remember it is a commercial vehicle, and not a Golf GTI. I don't know if they map them to be a little more gentle on the engine and box because they are commercials, and capable of carrying big loads.
I cannot stand DSG; for most of the reasons Pauly mentions.
Had a DSG Caravelle Exec for two weeks and the thing drove me up the wall; it was also dreadful on fuel.
Manual every time in the VW. And in our Subaru (the auto box is awful) but to show I’m not a Luddite, the BM had to be auto; faster and more efficient and it makes naughty pops and crackles as it shifts up the gears with a soundtrack not miles off a race car.
I like full manual, full auto. Yet to drive a single semi auto (which DSG is) that I like and I’ve tried several.
But they clearly suit many and a lot swear by them. I just swear at them.
Had a DSG Caravelle Exec for two weeks and the thing drove me up the wall; it was also dreadful on fuel.
Manual every time in the VW. And in our Subaru (the auto box is awful) but to show I’m not a Luddite, the BM had to be auto; faster and more efficient and it makes naughty pops and crackles as it shifts up the gears with a soundtrack not miles off a race car.
I like full manual, full auto. Yet to drive a single semi auto (which DSG is) that I like and I’ve tried several.
But they clearly suit many and a lot swear by them. I just swear at them.
SirVelo75
Member
New to the forum and to T6s so hello! I also took the plunge on DSG but that was driven more by my wife wanting an auto. I held on to find a 4Motion, DSG, 204, SWB and it’s a nice drive! Definitely feel the hesitancy when pulling away but I found it’s a quirk that I’ve quickly accommodated for subconsciously at junctions. There are times when the gearbox holds on to the low gears downhill in particular. A minor irritation (for me at least) is the way in which there’s a slight delay in the ignition key lock release when you engage ‘Park’. There’s a noticeable block to removing the key until the brain has done its thing. I can forgive all of the above for otherwise smooth and rapid changes which make for an easy driving experience especially in a place like Sheffield which is hilly and requires constant work through the gears! So far, fuel economy, even on a run is a country mile off what VW claim but with only 5k on the clock, I suspect this might get a little better with use as my previous diesels have. Time will tell!
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Ziggy
Member
I’ve driven van’s all my working life so over 30 years spent behind the wheel of a van of some kind or another all manual gearbox’s.
I have taken delivery of my T32 204 DSG last week & I can honestly say this is by far the best van I have ever driven.
The Auto is a pleasure to drive & would be my one & only choice on any other van in the future.
I have taken delivery of my T32 204 DSG last week & I can honestly say this is by far the best van I have ever driven.
The Auto is a pleasure to drive & would be my one & only choice on any other van in the future.
I have had two weeks driving a manual - it was awful especially in traffic, up and down the box - it made the van hard work to drive.
The DSG as far as I am concerned is better in pretty much every way than the manual even including MPG.
Reversing up steep inclines is its only downfall, not something you can do very quickly at all yet not had any issues.
Accelerating away id say any hesitancy on DSG (mine has none) is made up for by the fact it changes gears so quickly.
The drive itself, well in my mind I just want an easy life so never having to change gear or use clutch foot just makes it such a chilled out experience. I didnt buy the van to smash it through the gears, its a van, its slow and I expected that.
Id have a DSG with H4’s over a manual with LED’s - thats how strongly I feel about that gearbox.
Peace out
The DSG as far as I am concerned is better in pretty much every way than the manual even including MPG.
Reversing up steep inclines is its only downfall, not something you can do very quickly at all yet not had any issues.
Accelerating away id say any hesitancy on DSG (mine has none) is made up for by the fact it changes gears so quickly.
The drive itself, well in my mind I just want an easy life so never having to change gear or use clutch foot just makes it such a chilled out experience. I didnt buy the van to smash it through the gears, its a van, its slow and I expected that.
Id have a DSG with H4’s over a manual with LED’s - thats how strongly I feel about that gearbox.
Peace out
I love DSG especially since my new engine all the lag issues have gone now pulls like a train, just as it should be so nice to drive on long journeys I would never go back to manual....
Although I've driven many work motors with auto boxes, this is first DSG that I've actually owned. Up until now, I've never considered myself old enough to be an auto owner.
But glad I plumped for a DSG. Mine also behaves like your own van @Pauly. Pulls as soon as you release the foot brake. There's a slight hesitation at gear changes if accelerating gently and it requires a little more pedal for reversing but nothing to write home about really. Very rarely, it holds 2nd gear too long for some reason, but once in a blue moon.
I like it's coasting function, and how it will knock down a gear if it feels the van accelerating down hill, assuming you've applied then released the brake. Infact it almost seems to second guess what I want it to do. I have a slight concern that the CF is placing extra wear on the mechatronic selector unit. Fingers crossed it's robust enough to last the distance.
I'd be interested to find out just what the real difference is in MPG between a DSG and a manual. There must be some energy loss powering the selector unit and it uses wet clutches. These will absorb some power with fluid drag, whereas a manual dry clutch wont. But the DSG is a really a self changing manual. It shouldn't have anything like the losses associated with a conventional torque converter auto box.
As long as it stays reliable and my ageing process doesnt go into reverse, I'm a convert.
But glad I plumped for a DSG. Mine also behaves like your own van @Pauly. Pulls as soon as you release the foot brake. There's a slight hesitation at gear changes if accelerating gently and it requires a little more pedal for reversing but nothing to write home about really. Very rarely, it holds 2nd gear too long for some reason, but once in a blue moon.
I like it's coasting function, and how it will knock down a gear if it feels the van accelerating down hill, assuming you've applied then released the brake. Infact it almost seems to second guess what I want it to do. I have a slight concern that the CF is placing extra wear on the mechatronic selector unit. Fingers crossed it's robust enough to last the distance.
I'd be interested to find out just what the real difference is in MPG between a DSG and a manual. There must be some energy loss powering the selector unit and it uses wet clutches. These will absorb some power with fluid drag, whereas a manual dry clutch wont. But the DSG is a really a self changing manual. It shouldn't have anything like the losses associated with a conventional torque converter auto box.
As long as it stays reliable and my ageing process doesnt go into reverse, I'm a convert.
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Just as an aside - BMW has ditched semi auto (similar to DSG) for full auto for the astonishingly good new M5.
Aston Martin uses full auto.
AMG uses almost all full auto.
And so on.
I can't quite work out why VW makes a 'box that is the same if not slower (figures vary), worse on fuel and emissions, etc when everyone using a ZF auto is getting better performance, lower emissions and better mpg. Even other VW cars manage much better WITH DSG.
The DSG Caravelle 140 I drove for two painful weeks was SO bad on fuel - worse than our diesel guzzling, super heavy 180 Cali 4motion. And the selector writing is in the wrong side. And it slips into neutral too easily. And the low speed/pulling away hesitation is the work of the devil (my 6 year old 335d auto did similar as it got older- it needed an oil change which fixed it).
I'd happily consider a full auto Cali but as long as they insist on Dodgy Shifting of Gears, I'm out.
I can also bump start my Cali which I had to do once - oops but phew.
Aston Martin uses full auto.
AMG uses almost all full auto.
And so on.
I can't quite work out why VW makes a 'box that is the same if not slower (figures vary), worse on fuel and emissions, etc when everyone using a ZF auto is getting better performance, lower emissions and better mpg. Even other VW cars manage much better WITH DSG.
The DSG Caravelle 140 I drove for two painful weeks was SO bad on fuel - worse than our diesel guzzling, super heavy 180 Cali 4motion. And the selector writing is in the wrong side. And it slips into neutral too easily. And the low speed/pulling away hesitation is the work of the devil (my 6 year old 335d auto did similar as it got older- it needed an oil change which fixed it).
I'd happily consider a full auto Cali but as long as they insist on Dodgy Shifting of Gears, I'm out.
I can also bump start my Cali which I had to do once - oops but phew.
Never experienced the lag when I had a DSG, but I did have to rev the nuts off it to get it to reverse up any kind of incline. For me though the most annoying aspect of the DSG box was when coasting downhill in 2nd or 3rd gear when you reapply the gas it would rev to about 4000 rpm before it would change up. Since turning 35 all my cars have been auto, and have never experienced anything like this. Unless they used a different type of box I'd never go back to auto in a T van - I did not get on with it at all.
DSG for me. Put it D and press the pedal. So much easier for city/town driving.
I’m going for DSG. Have the 6 speed in my Octavia and love it. Yes their is a delay when I put my foot down but you soon learn to accommodate that. Yep reversing takes some getting used too as it doesn’t creep like you would expect but having one hand free is great for eating drinking and giving the kids a quick clip round the ear 
I know this sounds like I'm from the driving nerd world of advanced driving (which I am, 21 years) but if DSG is used so you can do stuff you shouldn't be doing when driving, it's not really the right reason to have it.
We've got an auto BM; because it's faster and more efficient, not so I can pick my nose, do the crossword on my phone or make a one handed meal.
If anything we need things to make us concentrate more rather than less.
We've got an auto BM; because it's faster and more efficient, not so I can pick my nose, do the crossword on my phone or make a one handed meal.
If anything we need things to make us concentrate more rather than less.
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