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If you were buying again DSG or MT

norsairius

Go Kart Newbie
Location
United States Midwest
Car(s)
2019 GTI SE DSG
Manual for me. I traded in my manual 2010 GTI a long while back and had a few cars after it. I missed that manual GTI the entire time. Went shopping last summer and found a nice leftover 2019 (hurray longer warranty!) but it was a DSG. It was slim pickings for a manual when I was shopping so I went with the DSG since it's a great transmission.

However, after having the car about a year, I've come to realize it was the combination of the engagement of a manual transmission and a GTI that I missed, not just the GTI. I've been fine with automatics in other cars I've had, but a manual GTI is a specific/special combo to me.

That said, the DSG is still great and it's fun to use the paddles every now and then, but I do wish I had the manual.
 

GTIfan99

Autocross Champion
Location
FL
When I bought, I expected to stay stock, so no way I was buying a DSG.

Now that I've modded, I'd rather have a DSG.
 

bentin

Autocross Champion
Location
Austin, TX
Car(s)
23 Golf R - 3 Pedals
Only reason I'm here is that BMW stopped offering wagons and manuals. I don't want a sedan or an automatic. Both GTI's have been manuals and the Mk8 R will be too if they don't dumb it down too much.
 

vj123

Autocross Newbie
Location
The Detroit
Car(s)
19 & 16 GTI - sold
GTI was the first automatic i ever owned. I would take the same route if given a choice again.
 

perryis5150

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Champaign,Il
Car(s)
2017 VW GTI S
For ease of driving DSG. I love my manual but for adding power the DSG has to be the way to go. My wife can't drive my car so I guess that's a plus. I believe my next daily will be an auto of some sort and the fun car will be a manual. My 75 Chevy is a 3 spd with a granny low so I'll always have that to drive. Long way of saying I would go back and buy the DSG for this specific car.
 

Raguvian

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area, CA
Car(s)
2019 GSW 4MO 6MT
To everyone saying the DSG is great or that it does a better job than you could do with a manual - maybe I don't know how to drive one properly? When I drove my brother's DSG, I felt like it was either in the wrong gear, was too slow to downshift, and was a little clunky in stop and go traffic. When I was driving it hard in manual mode with the paddles it was great, but left to do its own thing I felt like I was smoother and better with my manual.

Also, the manual with ~$2k worth of mods (clutch, flywheel, shifter and the free CDV and spring mods) feels legitimately pretty great. Stock I thought the clutch and shifter were both vague, but now my car has a very firm pedal with plenty of feedback and a notchy shifter. It's not Honda good but it's damn good for an "economy" car.
 

vj123

Autocross Newbie
Location
The Detroit
Car(s)
19 & 16 GTI - sold
To everyone saying the DSG is great or that it does a better job than you could do with a manual - maybe I don't know how to drive one properly? When I drove my brother's DSG, I felt like it was either in the wrong gear, was too slow to downshift, and was a little clunky in stop and go traffic. When I was driving it hard in manual mode with the paddles it was great, but left to do its own thing I felt like I was smoother and better with my manual.

TCU tune from factory might be factored towards fuel economy and is terrible.

I used to drive my DSG in manual mode 95% of the time and it great. Yes is clunky but i feel that adds the drama.
 

It's Sam

Go Kart Champion
Location
New York (The cool part)
Car(s)
X3 M40i
To everyone saying the DSG is great or that it does a better job than you could do with a manual - maybe I don't know how to drive one properly? When I drove my brother's DSG, I felt like it was either in the wrong gear, was too slow to downshift, and was a little clunky in stop and go traffic. When I was driving it hard in manual mode with the paddles it was great, but left to do its own thing I felt like I was smoother and better with my manual.

Also, the manual with ~$2k worth of mods (clutch, flywheel, shifter and the free CDV and spring mods) feels legitimately pretty great. Stock I thought the clutch and shifter were both vague, but now my car has a very firm pedal with plenty of feedback and a notchy shifter. It's not Honda good but it's damn good for an "economy" car.

DSG does learn how you drive and makes some adjustments over time. It doesn't take getting used to it, it gets used to you. With a 400 dollar tune it works out any remaining funky kinks.

DSG btw. Had two but would have a 3rd. If the stock clutch on the MK8.5 R is improved I would heavily consider
 

dtfd

Autocross Champion
Location
Massachusetts
Car(s)
MK7.5 GTI
I have a 6mt GTI. i know the dsg is great and faster but id still get another manual even if I upgraded to a R.

Refer to above. Change nothing.

It all comes down to a personal preference. Rowing my own gears is a large part of the driving experience that I enjoy. My GTI is a street car, I'm okay with trading in shaving seconds off lap times and needing to spend more money if tuning (better clutch is a near requirement, DSG tune is optional) for the joy of using my left foot.
 

jay745

What Would Glenn Danzig Do
Location
Slightly Outside Chicago
Car(s)
Mk6 racecar, Tacoma
Nothing beats the feeling of nailing a perfect heal toe downshift into an apex and powering out of a corner. I don't care if dsg is a tenth of a second faster, the smile on my face is 10x bigger than doing the same in a dsg.
 
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