Manual or DSG?? Pros and cons

S3 Johnny

S3 Johnny

The grass isn't always greener
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Hi all,

I've just started saving for a A3 3.2 V6 (facelift) and just want to know what people thoughts are on the gearbox, manual or DSG?

I'm looking for pros and cons for both, I know I need to try for my self but I just want to hear other peoples experiences.

Thanks for your time
Johnny
 
I am not sure about the pros and cons, I have driven manuals for over 20 years, I now drive a DSG s-tronic, I will not be going back to a manual :weight_lift2:
 
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Its just so easy to drive, no effort, no thinking required, you need power all you have to do is put your foot to the floor the DSG does the rest and far as I know no one can manually change gear quicker than DSG lol
 
DSG always and forever.

I'd only buy a manual car if it was a second car alongside my daily driver which would have to be DSG.
 
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Been driving 60 years, mostly manuals except for a Saab and 1100 Austin autos. I've had my dsg for 3 years now, and would never, ever go back to a manual.
 
Just a little of my own experience, which going by the previous comments, I'm in the minority.

I had a dsg equipped a6 recently as a courtesy car while mine was being serviced. I personally wouldn't willingly have one.

It was fantastic at the driving auto and the sport mode was quick, faster than I could change in a manual, but it was just missing the engagement and felt like a playstation game. Very point an shoot.

In a manual you can feel the mechanics of a car, really push it to the edge, not forced changes.
I found it annoying getting on my drive because there is a slight upward incline to get onto the drive then a downward slope. So in my car I just balance on the clutch to get up the incline then release and roll down.
In the auto, it stops on the incline at bite and doesn't move any further, so I apply the throttle and nothing happens for a second and I'm nervously waiting for the power, then the auto box would suddenly release it clutch and I'd be flown onto the drive having to brake hard. It was the same of reverse getting off the drive.

Then there was pulling out on roundabouts. If I needed to pull away reasonably fast it was either all or nothing. If I pushed the pedal half way I'd have to wait too long for the power to kick in and I wouldn't get away quick enough. Or I would put my foot down and absolutely fly off the line. No in between.

Then I've heard about reliability and issues if servicing hasn't been kept up with (not an issue on a brand new car but risky on second hand) and torque related limits.

I'm not trying to slag dsg off in any way because I think it's an engineering masterpiece but it's not for me.
I guess I'm a control freak!
 
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You should try one that has been remapped lol......pros and cons thats what the OP asked for and yes I think we have all expirenced "all or nothing power" lol when I first drove a DSG it took a fair while to get used to it, good comments kanecullen89
 
It took me 3 months of daily driving to 'adapt' to DSG. In my opinion you need to forget D or S modes and just drive it in M and use the paddles. That way you stay in control of what gear the car is in. D is useful for traffic jams but that's the only time I use it. Having a DSG car for a 'loaner' or having a short test drive is not sufficient to get to grips with it.
 
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DSG all day long. Benefits - Quicker and smoother shifts, foot down and the powers there, more economical? Clutch packs intended to last a alifetime, can handle remaps easily.

Cons - Servicing costs, supposed reliability issues.
 
kanecullen89 said:
Just a little of my own experience, which going by the previous comments, I'm in the minority.

I had a dsg equipped a6 recently as a courtesy car while mine was being serviced. I personally wouldn't willingly have one.

It was fantastic at the driving auto and the sport mode was quick, faster than I could change in a manual, but it was just missing the engagement and felt like a playstation game. Very point an shoot.

In a manual you can feel the mechanics of a car, really push it to the edge, not forced changes.
I found it annoying getting on my drive because there is a slight upward incline to get onto the drive then a downward slope. So in my car I just balance on the clutch to get up the incline then release and roll down.
In the auto, it stops on the incline at bite and doesn't move any further, so I apply the throttle and nothing happens for a second and I'm nervously waiting for the power, then the auto box would suddenly release it clutch and I'd be flown onto the drive having to brake hard. It was the same of reverse getting off the drive.

Then there was pulling out on roundabouts. If I needed to pull away reasonably fast it was either all or nothing. If I pushed the pedal half way I'd have to wait too long for the power to kick in and I wouldn't get away quick enough. Or I would put my foot down and absolutely fly off the line. No in between.

Then I've heard about reliability and issues if servicing hasn't been kept up with (not an issue on a brand new car but risky on second hand) and torque related limits.

I'm not trying to slag dsg off in any way because I think it's an engineering masterpiece but it's not for me.
I guess I'm a control freak!
Click to expand...

Not sure but I presume that A6 doesnt get DSG fitted only Tiptronic, S-tonic gets s/rs form only.
 
Can't really comment, driven manuals all my life and have always had a distrust of automatics/semi-automatics/DSG as I've always liked to feel engaged with the motor, but you guys have raised some interesting points and all pretty much rave about them, I might just consider for my next car!
 
In the auto, it stops on the incline at bite and doesn't move any further, so I apply the throttle and nothing happens for a second and I'm nervously waiting for the power, then the auto box would suddenly release it clutch and I'd be flown onto the drive having to brake hard. It was the same of reverse getting off the drive.
Click to expand...

Try using the handbrake - that's what it's there for. No lag at all!
 
I've always been a firm believer that i'd never give up my manual gearbox but a 40 minute test drive in the 8V DSG S3 changed my mind and I held out until I found a DSG 8P S3.

The only complaints i've had is the one or two times its tried to kill me pulling out of turns, twice due to over-zealous ESP cutting all power at 5mph with a bit of steering on (nothing to do with the DSG) and once before i'd gotten used to the way the DSG drives on pulling out of turns/slow moving traffic (probably coupled with turbo lag too given i've not owned a high pressure turbo car before).

I have had to drive a few manuals in the 5 months i've owned the DSG and it's been a laborious exercise in misery every time, granted all of them were cheap econobox manuals with absolutely no pedal feel at all.

If you really get bored of not doing anything you can put it in M mode and play flick the gearstick or paddles to give yourself the illusion that you are still having some useful input, but really you aren't, it'l still automatically up change on red line and down change before you stall :)
 
Jeremy Clarkson on Auto gearboxes.
In a town they are essential and on the motorway it makes no difference.

Seriously though, why make driving a chore?
 
Hi all..As with as with most replies above I would never go back to a manual..I have had a few Audi,s and have always fancied a dsg but none have been available at the right cost and right time untill the A3 black edition I have just bought. It is brilliant , effort free driving:icon_thumright: DSG all the way....
 
I was manual all my life and was adamant I wouldn't get my S3 with DSG. After test driving 8 manuals and 1 DSG I was sold. Its effortless, has paddles to do your own shifting and its faster than the manual. Saying that, every time I go to Audi for servicing I get a manual and have my fun for a day but I live in a hilly, traffic-filled area and manuals feel like hard work unless you are ragging it.

My advice, test drive both but beware as DSG does take some getting used to.
 
I drove manuals for 25 years until my first DSG S3 this year. Has taken 6 months to really sus it out and no way would I go back. Use drive for motorway or sitting in traffic, use Sport for quick getaways and overtaking. I mainly use the manual mode most other times specially when giving it some on back roads and also for quick gear selection when overtaking. Sport or manual in town to keep the gears low as drive puts you in sixth at 30 mph.

When you master it you have a lot of control, Oh and you get launch control which is a laugh.
 
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I test drove both but the manual was far better for me personally but deffo horses for courses

Try both as i was all for DSG but just didn't click for me!!!!

.
 
Yeah, but I still bet it does tyres no good; imagine doing emergency stops just for 'fun'.
 
True I guess, but most people dont by these types of cars to drive like a granny all the time, these cars are built to have fun with thats why audi put launch control in them lol
 
kanecullen89 said:
Just a little of my own experience, which going by the previous comments, I'm in the minority.

I had a dsg equipped a6 recently as a courtesy car while mine was being serviced. I personally wouldn't willingly have one.

It was fantastic at the driving auto and the sport mode was quick, faster than I could change in a manual, but it was just missing the engagement and felt like a playstation game. Very point an shoot.

In a manual you can feel the mechanics of a car, really push it to the edge, not forced changes.
I found it annoying getting on my drive because there is a slight upward incline to get onto the drive then a downward slope. So in my car I just balance on the clutch to get up the incline then release and roll down.
In the auto, it stops on the incline at bite and doesn't move any further, so I apply the throttle and nothing happens for a second and I'm nervously waiting for the power, then the auto box would suddenly release it clutch and I'd be flown onto the drive having to brake hard. It was the same of reverse getting off the drive.

Then there was pulling out on roundabouts. If I needed to pull away reasonably fast it was either all or nothing. If I pushed the pedal half way I'd have to wait too long for the power to kick in and I wouldn't get away quick enough. Or I would put my foot down and absolutely fly off the line. No in between.

Then I've heard about reliability and issues if servicing hasn't been kept up with (not an issue on a brand new car but risky on second hand) and torque related limits.

I'm not trying to slag dsg off in any way because I think it's an engineering masterpiece but it's not for me.
I guess I'm a control freak!
Click to expand...

Clearly a new driveway is required lol :p

as many have posted though, it did take me about a week or so to get use to the DSG and it's power delivery but I love it.
 
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