DSG or Manual

[K-Span]

I’ll take any other manual over the GTI manual. Literally any other manual. VW fumbled it

I see you've never driven a Mini Cooper.

 

[Keehs360]

I see you've never driven a Mini Cooper.

Last one I drove was a 2007 or 2006. The super charged one. It’s transmission felt fine to me.

the new mini’s. No idea. Glad the GTI’s manual is better than something. It’s got that going for it I suppose

 

[Unreal1]

I’ll take any other manual over the GTI manual. Literally any other manual. VW fumbled it

Ok, but this thread is solely GTI DSG vs GTI Manual. I would choose the LSD in almost any other car, but that doesn't mean people shopping the GTI shouldn't get the performance pack LSD.

There are better transmissions out there, but the point I'm trying to make is that the manual isn't so far off the mark that the DSG becomes superior by default.

DSG is great when you're on an open backroad or track, but in normal driving I personally didn't find it to be particularly good or fun. Shifts become slow and clunky at low speed and the GTI is a car that needs that extra bit of mechanical engagement you get from a manual.

Full torque at 1500 rpm, decent clutch feel and weight with assist spring removed and smooth transmission. No, it's not the best out there, but it's still good enough to be my preference over the DSG.

Manual vs DSG has and always will be subjective though. Weigh the pros and cons of each and get the one that fits your preferences.

 

[Keehs360]

Ok, but this thread is solely GTI DSG vs GTI Manual. I would choose the LSD in almost any other car, but that doesn't mean people shopping the GTI shouldn't get the performance pack LSD.

There are better transmissions out there, but the point I'm trying to make is that the manual isn't so far off the mark that the DSG becomes superior by default.

DSG is great when you're on an open backroad or track, but in normal driving I personally didn't find it to be particularly good or fun. Shifts become slow and clunky at low speed and the GTI is a car that needs that extra bit of mechanical engagement you get from a manual.

Full torque at 1500 rpm, decent clutch feel and weight with assist spring removed and smooth transmission. No, it's not the best out there, but it's still good enough to be my preference over the DSG.

Manual vs DSG has and always will be subjective though. Weigh the pros and cons of each and get the one that fits your preferences.

Ok

 

[Unreal1]

Civic Si can't hold much power over stock either, clutch is too light and vague and it rev hangs far worse than the GTI. The shifter in it is obviously superior, but overall, give me the GTI manual over it.

People are making it out to be far worse than it actually is.

 

[Keehs360]

Civic Si can't hold much power over stock either, clutch is too light and vague and it rev hangs far worse than the GTI. The shifter in it is obviously superior, but overall, give me the GTI manual over it.

People are making it out to be far worse than it actually is.

Civic si has rev hang. Sure. But it’s transmission feels a hell of a lot better. The gate is super notchy too. And the throws aren’t as long as the Gti’s.

 

[j255c]

Haven’t driven the dsg, but I like my manual. The 7.5 is a perfect blend of all new tech while retaining the dying manual transmission. I did the dieselgeek, heavy shift knob and clutch stop. It still sucks lol

 

[Raguvian]

I just bought an Integra GS-R today and was reminded of this thread. Holy shit that's what a good FWD transmission feels like. Zero rev hang, tight shifts, actual feedback from pedals.

Getting back in the Golf felt so weird.

 

[K-Span]

Last one I drove was a 2007 or 2006. The super charged one. It’s transmission felt fine to me.

the new mini’s. No idea. Glad the GTI’s manual is better than something. It’s got that going for it I suppose

I had a 2008 Mini way back when, and I recently drove my friend's from around the same time. The clutch is soooooo deeeeeep, and the shifter throw is soooooo faaaarrrrr.

 

[Keehs360]

I just bought an Integra GS-R today and was reminded of this thread. Holy shit that's what a good FWD transmission feels like. Zero rev hang, tight shifts, actual feedback from pedals.

Getting back in the Golf felt so weird.

Wow man. What an awesome find. Drove an 8th gen si the other day. Got the same vibes, great tranny on that k20

 

[K-Span]

Wow man. What an awesome find. Drove an 8th gen si the other day. Got the same vibes, great tranny on that k20

I miss my 8th Gen Si. It's part of why I was trying so hard to get a Type R. I just know that Honda transmissions are phenomenal. But I'll be damned if I'll pay 10k over an already high MSRP. I'm totally fine with my new GTI's more pedestrian transmission. It's my daily. I'm not a racer. I just like a little oomph from time to time, and I like to stay engaged while driving.

 

[Keehs360]

I miss my 8th Gen Si. It's part of why I was trying so hard to get a Type R. I just know that Honda transmissions are phenomenal. But I'll be damned if I'll pay 10k over an already high MSRP. I'm totally fine with my new GTI's more pedestrian transmission. It's my daily. I'm not a racer. I just like a little oomph from time to time, and I like to stay engaged while driving.

My brother in law paid 10k over. I couldn't believe it

 

[Mandatoryclutchpedal]

After the adjustment period and clutch breaking the manual in my car is turning at great. Rev hang is still there but I don't even think about anymore.
Not once did I consider the automatic.
The argument that the DSG is faster than the manual seems pointless. It doesn't matter if the the DSG is faster because the road is filled with more cars than just GTIs. The soccer mom in her Tesla doesn't car how much faster the DSG is against the manual .The countless other cars that are faster than a DSG are still going to pass you.

As for traffic, rather have a manual in traffic. Gives me something to do and usually the car is in one gear anyway creeping along.

How much does DSG service cost?

DSG is just another automatic to me. It's fine for what it is and the route to go if your goal is void the warranty and chase big power. In the stats game I'm sure it out stats the manual on paper.
However you are still getting passed by other cars.

For the track day bros, they obviously have other considerations and have spreadsheets and charts they need to keep up with because reasons.

At the end of the day DSG vs manual is a silly argument. Two different audiences on something that is going away. Both manual and DSG are eventually going to fade away into obscurity so they both technically suck.
In the meantime, both are great if you think they are.

 

[Strange Mud]

I don't know why the manual gets so much flak, it's a good setup. Yeah the clutch is light and vague, but that's true for the majority of modern cars. Thankfully, you can pop-out the helper spring to make the clutch a bit heavier and allow for more feedback to come through the pedal. That tweak alone puts the GTI's clutch feel at least on-par with most of its competitors, if not better.

The only thing bad, and this has nothing to do with the transmission itself, is the programming for the gas pedal. Initial throttle input is trash, so starting from a stop doesn't feel as natural as it should.

Other than that, I can't say anything else is truly bad about it. I've had both and prefer the manual.

What don't you like about the gas pedal programming? I don't feel any of the early sensitivity that mfrs will sometimes put in to trick people into "wow, this is fast"
Mud

 

[Raguvian]

After the adjustment period and clutch breaking the manual in my car is turning at great. Rev hang is still there but I don't even think about anymore.
Not once did I consider the automatic.
The argument that the DSG is faster than the manual seems pointless. It doesn't matter if the the DSG is faster because the road is filled with more cars than just GTIs. The soccer mom in her Tesla doesn't car how much faster the DSG is against the manual .The countless other cars that are faster than a DSG are still going to pass you.

As for traffic, rather have a manual in traffic. Gives me something to do and usually the car is in one gear anyway creeping along.

How much does DSG service cost?

DSG is just another automatic to me. It's fine for what it is and the route to go if your goal is void the warranty and chase big power. In the stats game I'm sure it out stats the manual on paper.
However you are still getting passed by other cars.

For the track day bros, they obviously have other considerations and have spreadsheets and charts they need to keep up with because reasons.

At the end of the day DSG vs manual is a silly argument. Two different audiences on something that is going away. Both manual and DSG are eventually going to fade away into obscurity so they both technically suck.
In the meantime, both are great if you think they are.

The cost argument never made sense to me. Sure, a manual clutch + shifter is $2k, but the DSG costs $1k more off the bat, plus a TCU tune and more expensive DSG fluid/service will end up making it all a wash anyways.