GOLFMK8
GOLFMK7
GOLFMK6
GOLFMKV

GTD 6MT v DSG mpg

Finglonga

Drag Racing Champion
There's more to DSG than just lower mpgs. Higher initial price (+more tax), extra maintenance costs and heaven forbid a failure outside warranty period (these fancy things are sensitive and replacement is usually the only option).
Long live the stick.

The only extra maintenance is the oil change every 40,000 miles. They also seem more reliable now than they used to be. Not many failures at all unless the oil is not changed as per service schedule. Clutch wise the DSG can handle much more power as the manuals weakest link is the clutch.. Have you ever driven a DSG out of interest?
 

Avanti

Go Kart Champion
Location
UK
There's more to DSG than just lower mpgs. Higher initial price (+more tax), extra maintenance costs and heaven forbid a failure outside warranty period (these fancy things are sensitive and replacement is usually the only option).
Long live the stick.

Ignorance is bliss eh? :rolleyes:
 

s7wag

Ready to race!
Location
Bedfordshire, UK
DSG's are so good these days I'd opt for one every time now. I got my manual as a pre-registered with a lovely list of options at huge discount, but if a DSG was available I'd have taken it.

I think the next generation is suggesting a possible 10 speed DSG box too...
 

redlined0517

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
.
I am a die hard manual transmission guy and Ended up getting the DSG for my MK7. I have only bought manual trans cars, a Stealth, to a 3000GT VR-4, Corvette C6, to an Evo X, and then a MK6 GTI all were modded. I had to do a clutch in the VR-4 and the MK6 due to slipping from power. It's not cheap and its a pain in the ass.

The only way to make the DSG has more maint cost argument is if you are keeping your car stock. Most on here are going to at least get a flash, and will then require a clutch to use that power and torque if 6MT. If you don't have the skill and tools to do this yourself you are looking at about $2k. That is quite a few DSG flushes (which can be done by a monkey in the driveway for $300 tops).

I was sold due to how good the tranny is, the power handling capability, and that we have a FWD car (which I planned on making big power with). 400 ft/lbs at the front wheels and rowing through gears on a twisty road or track is a lot. I love stick and always will. Both are great but DSG made more sense to me this time. The platform kicks ass, drive what you got and love it!
 

lucyfek

Ready to race!
Location
IL USA
Car(s)
GTI & GSW
The only extra maintenance is the oil change every 40,000 miles. They also seem more reliable now than they used to be. Not many failures at all unless the oil is not changed as per service schedule. Clutch wise the DSG can handle much more power as the manuals weakest link is the clutch.. Have you ever driven a DSG out of interest?
Nope with regard to driving DSG. I'm too cheap and like when thing do as I liked them at given moment and not as they were designed to do. If AT was my only choice I may as well get a hybrid and call it the day. "Ignorance is bliss" - yep.
 

mikef4uk

Ready to race!
Location
United Kingdom
VW/Audi need to address their DSG box and maybe move to a ''normal'' auto box,

When they started using the DSG twin clutch gearbox it was way ahead of its time and rivals, but since then ''normal'' auto boxes have developed immensly and the advantage of a DSG over an auto box especially in something like a diesel golf just isnt there.

Just about every other manufcturer quotes better mpg for their auto over the manual and most have 7 or 8 speeds in the auto

On a recent trip down to the south coast (250 miles) inc motorway (around 80mph)/normal roads, two days touring about etc etc our 2.0 GT manual returned 61 mpg and I really dont hang about either, VW quote very similar figures between the GT and GTD.

Like I posted earlier, I like the DSG box, in the current crop of Golf R/GTI/Audi TTS etc etc the engine and DSG are like hand in glove, they work together so very well, but I dont think the deisel engine suits it

I'm not a tight ar*e either, my R8 returns around 18-25 depending on what i'm doing and the R1M around 35 which when you think its only 200kg's is awful, but it also has 200hp :eek:

A Golf GTD or GT that returns between 50-60mpg and has enough performance to get past what seems to be most peoples current driving habits of going everywhere at 42mph just sits right with me, otherwisw I would go Golf R :)
 
Last edited:

Mk5Dom

Ready to race!
Location
UK
Car(s)
2.0 TDI CRBC
I drive a 2.0 GT TDI 150 with a DSG box on 33k.
The car returns 55-58mpg over a 25mile (each way) daily commute. I don't drive like a pensioner but I do keep the car in Eco mode during the week. It only gets filled with BP Ultimate (possible placebo) so you could weigh that in as another factor.

I know its not a GTD but I just thought I'd share my two pennies worth regarding your point about similar consumption figures between the GT and GTD.
 

richiekuk

Ready to race!
but I dont think the deisel engine suits it

I agree. The DSG box just doesn't let you use the torque of the diesel, its always downshifting (very frustrating!).
 

pedg

New member
Location
Yorkshire
Like I posted earlier, I like the DSG box, in the current crop of Golf R/GTI/Audi TTS etc etc the engine and DSG are like hand in glove, they work together so very well, but I dont think the deisel engine suits it

+2 For these comments on the DSG Box.

When I was contemplating which box to go for, I tested the GTi and the GTD, and felt that the DSG in the petrol version worked really well. Smooth, accurate and generally a good thing. If I'd have bought a GTi or an 'R' I would have specced the DSG box without a doubt.

However, in the GTD it's hard to explain what I didn't like about it, but it just never seemed to get it right. It would unecessarily hold on to gears for too long or shift short when you didnt expect it. When it shifted short it dropped the revs out the turbo range and thus introduced a tiny bit of lag when you didnt need it, making the car feel a bit flat. I felt with the Diesel, the 6MT works much better, allowing you to keep the revs going through corners when in the DSG you would need to lift.

The other consideration of course is the complexity of the DSG box and the expense of putting it right should it go wrong outside of the warranty (which, unfortunately, is not completely unknown with these boxes).

Im quite happy with the choice I made, however, if one of the modern ZF8 Boxes had been available for the GTD, I may very well have gone with this.
 

mondo

Ready to race!
Location
Germany & France
I had a company supplied MKV GTD with a manual box and loved it.
My GTD came with DSG and I love this too, ideal for urban and autobahn/highway driving.
I don't care too much for the "few MPG" thing, if I did I would have bought a smaller engine (1.6TDI or 1.4TSi)
Mine is mainly in "D Mode" and the only 'issue' is that sometimes it's bang down to 5th when driving at high speed (100MPH/60KM/H+) when overtaking, a lift of the foot has it bumping to 6th, but I do wonder if that downshift was really necessary?
Other than that, the DSG boxes are flawless, I've met quite a few owners with modded MK7's running DSG, the clutches are not as fragile as earlier generations and seem to be rock solid reliable nowadays
 

Sootchucker

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Cheshire, UK
Car(s)
MK7.5 GTI (2018)
In my personal view, if anything, I think the DSG box suits diesels more than petrol. With a petrol and a manual box, it typically red lines around 6.5-7k revs, where as a diesel is all our of puff around 4.5k. Thus when trying for a quick get away, I used to find on my manual MK5 Golf GT-TDI, that booting it away from the lights meant that almost instantly I was near the rev limiter and snatching for second. It was light a rifle quick bolt action,.. first....click....second etc.

I now find with my last 3 DSG equipped VW diesel motors, that I can boot it away in any gear and the box just takes care of the gear changes far quicker than i could have. Coupled with the relaxed driving that ACC and DSG give you (bring able to bring the car to a complete stop in traffic) is wonderful (as it would be in a DSG equipped petrol motor as well). Also, it's very rare I find my box down shifting when I don't want it to (unless I am trying to accelerate with too much right foot), it's usually just fine, but maybe either the later boxes have better software, or mine has just learned my driving style better. Obviously in sport mode it will down shift (but then that's what it was designed to do), but in Eco and normal, mine is perfectly fine.

I agree there's a learning curve involved, especially if like me back in 2010 when I purchased my first DSG car (a Scirocco), I'd come to it from nearly 30 years of driving manuals, it took some getting used to. Wouldn't go back to a manual box now though, unless it was a proper sports car (but then most of them nowadays have auto boxes anyway).

Obviously DSG isn't for everyone and YMMV, and for a purist, a manual box is the only way to go for the ultimate "involvement", but if that's the case, you probably wouldn't be driving a diesel motor in the first place ?
 

unido

New member
Location
UK
I went for the manual as I just prefer manual in a smaller car. Automatic to me suits large motors or proper performance motors. I think manual just lends itself well to the GTD, just enough power to have some engaging fun but you can also achieve some awesome MPG if that is your bag too.

Our main car is automatic but I would just always go for manual in a hatchback unless I was in a performance hatch like an R or S3 and I may have a test drive to see.

Also it depends what your using your car for, if you live in a city and are hitting a lot of start stop traffic then obviously automatic is big gains there.
 

Zidane

New member
Location
Cumbria
My observations for what's its worth

1) I don't get anywhere near the mpg's quoted on here. 54 is absolute best I've had and I'm not living in Sports mode by any means. Around town short trips in winter were 34mpg
2) I wish I'd held out for a DSG. Ended up with manual and although the car is fine I think the GTD would go with a DSG very well.
3) I used the ACC for the first proper time a few weeks ago and I can imagine having that and DSG together would be not far off a self driving car!
 
Top