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Is DCC worth for ultimate road comfort?

mulder85

New member
Location
Greece
Hello,


This question is mostly directed to those who are interested in ultimate road comfort(especially bump noise and vibration), as this is my ultimate goal in the new car that I want to order. Anyone else who tries to maximize handling, your comments are welcome, but it is obvious that we are looking for a completely opposite thing.


Also disclaimer, in my country, the price of a GTI and R is almost unforgiving, so I am going for the 1.5 150 hp version of the Golf.



I want to maximize road comfort as roads here are really, really bad outside the motorway/highway. I was wondering if adding the DCC with 17" wheels and having it almost always in Comfort mode, would make the car glide over bumps, the way a more premium sedan would do. Or is that a dream/illusion?Are the gains worth it, or I am I better off starting to look for a more premium/bigger car like a Passat/A4 to achieve that result?


The DCC option is only available once you upgrade to the so called "R-Line" version over here in Greece (not to be confused with the R, of course). Therefore, the choice of DCC also affect which version I am going for, and as a result, becomes an important factor.



Any info from people who have used DCC in cars are greatly appreciated. Obviously, people with DCC in GTI and R cars, would usually have harsher ride than the "plain" Golf versions with DCC (18+ wheels and stiffer suspension), so please keep that in mind when commenting .


Thanks in advance
 

mulder85

New member
Location
Greece
I have dcc..in my 15 gti pp se. I always keep it in sport mode...honestly can't stand the mushy feel in any other modes.


Thanks for the feedback. However I assume that you are a fan of stiff, sport rides, so you despise road comfort, right? With the amount of potholes and bumps in my country, I am looking to maximize road comfort, so in this case the sport mode is completely out of the equation.
 

oddspyke

Autocross Champion
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2016 GTI, 2018 ZL1
Something to keep in mind is that there are always limitations to what the suspension can accomplish with a short wheelbase car like the Golf or Polo. I don't have a ton of experience with the DCC on these cars but sticking with 17" wheels (or 16" if they fit) and larger sidewalls will help a lot. But if it's a real concern, a long wheel base car will usually ride smoother because the bumps don't change the angle of the car as much (hooray for trigonometry!). I did test drive a DCC GTI and it was noticeably smoother in comfort, but I didn't take it on any nasty roads and the golf is already tuned more for comfort.
 

Sandman GTI

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Tennessee USA
Are you over 25 years of age?
Yes DCC is a must. As you are asking the question, then you want or need it.
I use all modes.
On good high speed interstates, comfort makes for a nice ride.
On a curvey road sport mode tightens things up and makes the drive more fun.
On unknown roads I drive in normal as it handles pot holes better while still providing a nice ride. Comfort is soft and does not handle pot holes as well. Sport is too hard with pot holes. But keep in mind, this is an MK7 Golf, GTI or R. Comfort will not make it a Cadillac.
Without DCC, not sure I would want a GTI for a daily driver.
I have 65,000 miles on mine and still good.
One item to keep in mind is replacements will cost more. $300 to $450 each corner I think.
Likely only fronts would need changing as they take more impact.
If cost OK for you, get it as an option. In resale costomers will prefer.

If roads are as bad as you say, 17" will help but a truck or SUV might be better suited.
Any MK7 or MK7.5 is not an off road vehicle.
 

mulder85

New member
Location
Greece
Something to keep in mind is that there are always limitations to what the suspension can accomplish with a short wheelbase car like the Golf or Polo. I don't have a ton of experience with the DCC on these cars but sticking with 17" wheels (or 16" if they fit) and larger sidewalls will help a lot. But if it's a real concern, a long wheel base car will usually ride smoother because the bumps don't change the angle of the car as much (hooray for trigonometry!). I did test drive a DCC GTI and it was noticeably smoother in comfort, but I didn't take it on any nasty roads and the golf is already tuned more for comfort.


Thanks! I agree about wheelbase. I think it is a bit absurd to expect from a a hatchback to glide over bumps like a bigger car would do. It could probably help a little, but still not sure if it is worth the upgrade and maintenance costs. On that note, a few days a go I test-drove a VW Arteon to see the difference. The problem is, although it had DCC, it also had 20". I swear, the ride , in terms of bumpiness, was worse than the Golf. Which probably proves that even if you get a bigger car, wheel size and sidewall length matter a lot. I simply assume that wheel size makes it even worse in smaller cars.
 

mulder85

New member
Location
Greece
Are you over 25 years of age?
Yes DCC is a must. As you are asking the question, then you want or need it.
I use all modes.
On good high speed interstates, comfort makes for a nice ride.
On a curvey road sport mode tightens things up and makes the drive more fun.
On unknown roads I drive in normal as it handles pot holes better while still providing a nice ride. Comfort is soft and does not handle pot holes as well. Sport is too hard with pot holes. But keep in mind, this is an MK7 Golf, GTI or R. Comfort will not make it a Cadillac.
Without DCC, not sure I would want a GTI for a daily driver.
I have 65,000 miles on mine and still good.
One item to keep in mind is replacements will cost more. $300 to $450 each corner I think.
Likely only fronts would need changing as they take more impact.
If cost OK for you, get it as an option. In resale costomers will prefer.

If roads are as bad as you say, 17" will help but a truck or SUV might be better suited.
Any MK7 or MK7.5 is not an off road vehicle.


Thanks a lot for the advice. It really helps hearing from an owner of DCC. I never thought that Comfort is not good for unknown roads with potholes. I stand corrected then. It also helps to know about the additional maintenance costs.



About the SUV thing, I thought that SUVs always have firmer ride because manufacturers stiffen them up, to compensate for the height/distance from the ground. But perhaps then, since there is more room for the suspension to work, it allows for a more comfy drive? I've never driven one, so I have no idea.
 

mulder85

New member
Location
Greece
SUV'S also have taller sidewalls on tires. This helps a lot.
Normally set with a softer ride as families drive these in USA.
Not intended as a sports car or off road vehicle.
Most never leave a paved road.
Thanks Sandman GTI. Good point. I should explore the SUVs too for my purpose then. But don't SUVs produce more road noise on the motorway ot high speeds in general, because of their high ground clearance , hence non-aerodynamic coefficient?

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Sandman GTI

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Tennessee USA
Thanks Sandman GTI. Good point. I should explore the SUVs too for my purpose then. But don't SUVs produce more road noise on the motorway ot high speeds in general, because of their high ground clearance , hence non-aerodynamic coefficient?

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No.
My Wife drives a 2016 Hyundai Tucson with AWD.
Very good and smooth on highway.
SUV'S are the new family sedan so much improved.
 

golfdave

Autocross Champion
Location
Scotland (U.K.)
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf GT Estate
the DCC option used to come with the GTD grey callipers, & 312mm front brake discs & the aluminium hub carriers (from the GTI/GTD/R) also...

so double check this is still the case......I think it is as the DCC is a 55mm damper & VW do not make the basic cast iron hub carrier in that size, so they fit a full on GTD front hub carrier & brakes..
 

mulder85

New member
Location
Greece
No.

My Wife drives a 2016 Hyundai Tucson with AWD.

Very good and smooth on highway.

SUV'S are the new family sedan so much improved.
Alright then. Since we are on a VW forum, do you think a VW Tiguan without DCC but with 205/60/R16 wheels would be good/comfy/silent enough?

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mulder85

New member
Location
Greece
the DCC option used to come with the GTD grey callipers, & 312mm front brake discs & the aluminium hub carriers (from the GTI/GTD/R) also...

so double check this is still the case......I think it is as the DCC is a 55mm damper & VW do not make the basic cast iron hub carrier in that size, so they fit a full on GTD front hub carrier & brakes..
Thanks golfdave. However, how does that affect me? I mean, does it have any impact on my objective, which is noise reduction and gliding over bumps?

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NY01

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
California
Yes! It's the reason I went for the Autobahn version. Comfort mode is quite a bit more comfortable on my daily commute. When I want to feel fast and sporty, I'm a button away from Sport and it feeling like a proper sportster. My girlfriend appreciates the Comfort mode as well, when we drive on the highway. Much more comfortable.
 

dr_mat

Go Kart Champion
Location
Berkshire
I would say switching to 16" wheels with some reasonably soft tyres would make a bigger difference to the ride than modifying the damping rates via DCC tricks. If that's important to you, try a 16" wheeled car to compare.
 
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