Manual driver to Automatic DSG

[ChrisLandin]

Hi everyone.

Ive been looking around now for ages trying to decide on my next car. Ive finally decided on a VW Golf GTD. Perfect colour and really low miles with full service history!

The only snag!! Its automatic. Never in my life have I driven one, always been a manual type of guy. One of my pals has an auto Audi A3 and he swears by it.

So I thought I would ask on here for peoples experiences and opinions on the switch. Is it easy to convert? I just feel like I will always be reaching out to depress the clutch!

Any info greatly received

 

[Diddums]

Don't worry, it only takes one incident of retrieving your teeth from the steering wheel for the penny to drop.

 

[FerretBoy]

Yeah left foot braking is shocking enough to avoid repeating. I've no idea how it's that different from operating a clutch, but seems it is.

 

[Uther]

I went from manual to a DSG and doubt I would ever get a manual again. Just be aware of the annoying pause they sometimes have pulling away.

 

[Rroff]

Had absolutely no problems changing over myself and there is no way I'd go back for everyday driving now. Occasionally the old muscle memory kicks in if doing a bit of spirited driving on a windy road and I find myself reaching for the shifter like a manual gear stick LOL.

I just keep my left foot on the rest and personally never managed to hit the brake pedal going for the clutch.

Just be aware if you aren't already that most automatics creep when you aren't on the brakes.

EDIT: I'm not a big fan of DSG personally though - it is OK but at times feels like it is doing its own thing/thinks it knows better - the TC automatics I drive in comparison are 99% of the time in step with my driving style - probably more of a personal thing than anything.

 

[Rroff]

Just be aware of the annoying pause they sometimes have pulling away.

I believe this is only on some engines? couple of people have said it and/or the turbo delay on the 3L Touareg you can pull away with it in manual range to avoid it and then put it back into normal drive once moving and it will still shift automatically past a certain point anyway.

Thread about it here (first hit on Google) https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/dsg-delay-before-pulling-away.8447/ it isn't something I've experienced broadly with DSG and not really at all with other types of automatic aside from CVT having a slight rubber band connection to power.

I've never experienced it with Golfs or Tiguans but have encountered it on a Touareg.

 

[Nasher]

Weirdly I never had an issue going from one to the other. Just keep your left foot on the footrest, or learn to left foot brake

The thing that gets me is cars with the indicators on the right (as it should be really for RHD). Putting the wipers on to turn gets old.

 

[[TW]Fox]

but have encountered it on a Touareg.

I thought these had conventional automatic gearboxes?

 

[Kenai]

You might go for the clutch once or twice but realistically that'll probably be about it. Then you'll wonder why you bothered persisting with faffing about with manual cars for a daily commuter car for so long

There are subtle differences to the way a DSG drives compared to a traditional automatic - there are certain things that'll make it feel a bit awkward, dropping two gears on the paddles for example can make it feel hesitant because the gears aren't on different clutches for the ultra quick gear change.

Overall though, loved my DSG, wouldn't hesitate to get another.

 

[Rroff]

I thought these had conventional automatic gearboxes?

You might be right, without checking I assumed DSG actually but the 3L V6 may be a TC.

EDIT: From Googling says 8 Speed Aisin, but the listing for the vehicle says DSG and felt like a DSG so I assumed DSG.

 

[pc-guy]

Drove a few different auto gear systems.

DSG - hesitant and not very economical ie shifts a little too late and got the annoying pause or lag when pulling away unless you really step on it a bit. If you got cruise control, it is quite fun watch the car automatically gear up to the speed as fast as it can be.

CVT - on some Mitsubishi Nissan hire cars; they are smooth. Really good power delivery you don’t feel the annoying over rev when cruising. Only issue with CVT is that they are prone to breakdown

Ford Poweshift - had it on a focus for years and it was really really good. Very gusty on pulling away no pause or hesitation. Power delivery is smooth. Also very economical. Manual shifting couldn’t match the economy of the auto shifting.

For me the power shift was the best out of the 3 overall

 

[Kenai]

Depending on which year GTD you're looking at, it will have been scheduled for a gearbox service at 40k (the older 6sp) or 80k (newer 7sp) - make sure it has been done before you buy, don't buy one that missed the service.

 

[sigma]

Be prepared to not want to go back to manual again.

 

[Rroff]

For me the power shift was the best out of the 3 overall

Best one for me personally is the torque converter Jatco/Nissan RE7R01 as used in my Navara and the 370Z, most of the time just in step with my driving and really smooth and quick to respond.

 

[BoomBoom]

Loved the DSG in the Cupra 290 we had for a while. It had numerous options to tweak all types of settings, but even just left alone in 'boring' mode it was an amazing drive.

We also had a Brabus Smart 453 with a twinamic dual-clutch auto box. That was a riot.

Have driven lots of autos / slushboxes over the years; you get used to them real fast. Lazy cruising can be great, too, even with the most basic of boxes, but the newer autos offer plenty to keep enthusiastic drivers happy.

 

[jigger]

I find the VAG DSG a bit twitchy TBH.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Be prepared to not want to go back to manual again.

This was the issue for me.

I’m no petrol head but I was certainly a ‘manual is best’ kind of guy. I spent 3 weeks and a few k miles with an automatic and it basically ruined manual gearboxes forever more.

Going back to a manual ‘normal’ car afterwards felt like a complete retrograde step for normal daily driving.

 

[Grim5]

I went from manual to a DSG and doubt I would ever get a manual again. Just be aware of the annoying pause they sometimes have pulling away.

That pause is so annoying; I know how fast my GTI can pull away, but I have to still wait for a big gap because once when I tried to quickly merge into traffic the gearbox decided to have its pause causing the car to take 1 second longer before going

The pause seems to be worse in sport mode than drive

 

[Rroff]

I've found it amusing at work as we do have some petrol heads who were up in arms when they heard our work vans were all moving over to automatic and there was quite a bit of consternation in general, after having the automatics for awhile now many of the drivers have or are considering changing their daily over to automatic.

 

[XeNoN89]

I went from manual to auto about 10 years ago now. I'll probably never go back. Modern autos are great