Wanting new car manual vs automatic help

[Peterhendo]

hey guys had my 08 a3 sport 1.6 manual for 7 years now and it’s time for a change am thinking of going for a 15plate a3 but with the automatic gearbox 1.4 tsi I haven’t test drove one yet but I would like ur opionion on the auto box any common problems with them are they slick to use etc thanks

 

[silestanix]

I'd post up in the correct section bud, you may not get as much information if any here as this is the older 8L generation section.

For what it's worth though personal experience, the DSG boxes are quite good. Just my 2p.

 

[msdmjb]

Audi's DSG is a marvellous piece of engineering.
You have to try both as its a choice only you can make, vast majority prefer the DSG but some including me prefer the manual.

 

[AlS3BE]

With all the dual mass flywheel and clutch issues the vag group has I would go for the autos.
The newer dsg boxes are a bit more reliable than the original ones. Just make sure the dsg service has been carried out if you are buying used.

 

[wab172uk]

hey guys had my 08 a3 sport 1.6 manual for 7 years now and it’s time for a change am thinking of going for a 15plate a3 but with the automatic gearbox 1.4 tsi I haven’t test drove one yet but I would like ur opionion on the auto box any common problems with them are they slick to use etc thanks

Just depends if you enjoy driving a car, or having the car drive you?

For me, I enjoy the act of driving a car with a manual gearbox. Whether it's spirited driving or just the mundane stuff. The manual keeps you connected to the car. Interaction that no automatic can compete with.

But I think a lot of people prefer DSG as doing the daily grind to work and back, the car can do most of the work.

For me DSG is a massively flawed gearbox. Every car I've tried it in, it's the same. In `D` it's slow and dim-witted, making it frustrating to use. In `S` it just clings on to gears for dear life, making it frustrating to use. It wouldn't be so bad id the paddles were bigger and not so far round the back of the steering wheel. Makes using them unappealing, therefore after a few tries of using them, they just get left.

And it really wouldn't be so bad either if the actual shifter was the correct way round. Should be pull down to go up a gear, and push forward to go down a gear. So again makes using it very unappealing.

Best thing to do it try one. But not just for an hour, as it'll be a novelty and give a false impression. Try to get a test drive for a day, or try a couple dealers so you get a couple cars for a day each. You'll either love it, or hate it. I'm in the minority of hating it.

 

[Ormesome]

For me DSG is a massively flawed gearbox. Every car I've tried it in, it's the same. In `D` it's slow and dim-witted, making it frustrating to use. In `S` it just clings on to gears for dear life, making it frustrating to use.

This is spot on for negative points. In "D" it is so lazy and when exiting junctions it can be quite alarmingly slow, to the point that i need to put it in "S" mode in advance now just to be sure ill make the gap. In "S" it is too "racy" and hangs on to the gears. It really needs an in-between mode. Perhaps a re-map can sort this. Having said these negative points, i love the S-Tronic and would have another. I had a DSG Scirocco before my A3 manual and was so gutted i chose to go back to manual. Probably nothing more than laziness but it does make life easier.

 

[oli356]

This is spot on for negative points. In "D" it is so lazy and when exiting junctions it can be quite alarmingly slow, to the point that i need to put it in "S" mode in advance now just to be sure ill make the gap. In "S" it is too "racy" and hangs on to the gears. It really needs an in-between mode. Perhaps a re-map can sort this. Having said these negative points, i love the S-Tronic and would have another. I had a DSG Scirocco before my A3 manual and was so gutted i chose to go back to manual. Probably nothing more than laziness but it does make life easier.

Remap can fix it for sure, my D I don't think has really changed since it got remapped by Unicorn, but S is far more useable, it doesn't hang on too gears forever. D mode can hang on to gears forever if you really plant your foot etc anyway, but S at stock would be impossible to use in town for example as you would be at stupidly high RPM whilst going 20 mph or something. After remap, much better, S can replace D now and its fine for town driving or hooning it


Overall though I think its a bit love and hate with the gearbox I still would have never opted for a manual though..

 

[msdmjb]

A footnote about getting the DSG box serviced, last time my manual S3 was in for a service there was a new DSG box being fitted to I think a 2013 A4 for which the owner had not had an oil change done..........>5k euro was on his invoice and I suspect that was subsidised a little bit.
If I had a normal UK commute I would have a DSG, as I don't I will always take a manual.......so much so my next car won't be an Audi.

 

[Matt Titanium]

What everyone else has said.
the DSG is a marvellous piece of engineering.
Great through the gears if you floor it but the whole car is annoyingly slow to react in D when you need it or it sometimes over reacts when you don't expect it. S mode annoying as it holds the gears too long, manual operation with paddles (if you have them) a novelty but ultimately not worth the hassle.
I had 6 weeks in an S3 DSG (ok) and month before that in a 2.0TDI 150 DSG SE - not a combination I would want to live with. But I'm from a time when autos were only driven by old codgers with dodgy knees that couldn't manage the clutch or nervous drivers that couldn't pass their driving test in a manual car.

If you sit in queuing traffic regularly and just tootle about -a DSG may suit you.

Try both - you may love the auto. I ordered a manual gearbox.

And if a 4 year old DSG ever goes wrong out of warranty...

 

[KieranJ22]

My 1.8 8v was my first automatic. Loved it and never gone back to manual.
I wish I got the 6 speed Quattro over my then 7 speed fwd.

 

[Stevelolly]

Best thing , as suggested, is try both . I'm on my first S Tronic and personally I love it . It's not perfect, it can have a habit of changing up just at the point you want it to change down for example , but it can't know everything. D does change gear a little early and S hangs on to gears that long you sound like a hooligan , it could do with a mode in between , maybe if it had been D , S and the current S being S+ . That aside you do have options , I personally love the paddles , tap the shifter back into S then left into manual then using the paddles is great fun . Similarly you can put it in manual and use the shifter in + - . Needs a bit of practice but again it's good fun and just like a manual you are in control of shifting with the bonus of it being lightening fast through the gears .
I guess it's a love or hate thing and if your thinking of tuning the DSG is a stronger box I believe

 

[davc]

I use manual mode most of the time unless stuck in stop/go traffic.

If I'm ragging it I use sport manual.

 

[S32B]

I was 100% a manual fan, so I bought my S3 in a manual! I loved it, but then when I changed to the A5 coupe I test drove a manual one and it didn't feel right?!?! The car just felt too big, relaxed and dare I say grown up to have all that messing about changing gears, so I went s-tronic. I love the s-tronic and wouldn't get another manual! Even if I bought another S3 I'd get it in s-tronic.

One thing to consider, when I sold the S3 a lot of the sports car specialists I contacted all said the same "We can sell a s-tronic quicker than we can a manual", so they weren't as interested in it!

 

[cuke2u]

With all the dual mass flywheel and clutch issues the vag group has I would go for the autos.
The newer dsg boxes are a bit more reliable than the original ones. Just make sure the dsg service has been carried out if you are buying used.

However the dsg gearboxes also have dmf's, the flywheel is nothing to do with the type of gearbox but more than likely the high compression ratio's of the engine.
The dsg fitted to my A4 is excellent, smooth changes, always in the right gear, can't fault it..

 

[AlS3BE]

However the dsg gearboxes also have dmf's, the flywheel is nothing to do with the type of gearbox but more than likely the high compression ratio's of the engine.
The dsg fitted to my A4 is excellent, smooth changes, always in the right gear, can't fault it..

I know that the dsg has a dmf but was mentioning failure rate on manual cars with dmf are a lot higher than the dsg ones. Computer control seems better than human controls.
It seems like vag designed the dmf/clutch combo with only one way to drive/use it. If you do it any other way it will fail. On the higher torque motors you might be lucky and get away with just new clutch at low mileage if you are unlucky you need new dmf as well. Dmf is £600+ on its own.
I’ve had both fail before with cars as low as 10k so not gonna touch another manual from the vag group.
Dsg is great though. Once you get use to it and figure out its quirks it’s brilliant. On my 3rd dsg car now and not looked back.

 

[JohnM100]

My 1.8 8v was my first automatic. Loved it and never gone back to manual.
I wish I got the 6 speed Quattro over my then 7 speed fwd.

^ This

I use manual mode most of the time unless stuck in stop/go traffic.
If I'm ragging it I use sport manual.

^ and this

 

[MikeParkin]

This has been brought up so many times on here!

I’d imagine there’s a few threads on this over the years.

 

[RS3KEY]

Last car Mercedes 7g auto (very laggy/slow reaponse) and now I’m on Audi’s s-tronic (dsg...AMAZING) don’t think ill ever go back to a manual for my car now for the simple fact I’m too lazy haha that said I do miss changing my gears myself sometimes even flappy paddles don’t give you the satisfaction!!

 

[scoss]

I know that the dsg has a dmf but was mentioning failure rate on manual cars with dmf are a lot higher than the dsg ones. Computer control seems better than human controls.
It seems like vag designed the dmf/clutch combo with only one way to drive/use it. If you do it any other way it will fail. On the higher torque motors you might be lucky and get away with just new clutch at low mileage if you are unlucky you need new dmf as well. Dmf is £600+ on its own.
I’ve had both fail before with cars as low as 10k so not gonna touch another manual from the vag group.
Dsg is great though. Once you get use to it and figure out its quirks it’s brilliant. On my 3rd dsg car now and not looked back.

My dual mass flywheel went in on my a3 TDI last summer. New FW and clutch 1k. mechanic said it was totally normal for VAG cars to have them replaced at this time. I had 70k on it. The level of torque used was the main issue apparently.

 

[AlS3BE]

My dual mass flywheel went in on my a3 TDI last summer. New FW and clutch 1k. mechanic said it was totally normal for VAG cars to have them replaced at this time. I had 70k on it. The level of torque used was the main issue apparently.

Dsg? Manual?

 

[scoss]

Dsg? Manual?

Manual.

 

[AlS3BE]

Manual.

70k for any clutch and flywheel isn’t that bad.
It’s the ones that I’ve seen go at less than 10k that’s worrying

 

[scoss]

70k for any clutch and flywheel isn’t that bad.
It’s the ones that I’ve seen go at less than 10k that’s worrying

I’d cry if mine went at 10k. I have a Revo stage 1 too so I’m sure that helps!

 

[AlS3BE]

I’d cry if mine went at 10k. I have a Revo stage 1 too so I’m sure that helps!

I can remember a mate of mine had an evo 7 and he decided to take it down the quarter mile when it only had a 2-3k on the clock. 4 launches later the clutch was toast and had to be towed home.

 

[MikeParkin]

I changed mine at 8k, Been spot on since.

 

[mfl]

As others have said, a question that has been asked before, but it also depends on what model are you considering ?. This is my first dsg after a manual GTI (mainly inner city stop start driving) and I got a DSG, because I'm an old codger whose left knee is dodgy.

On the S3 (MY15), d-mode aims to get into 6th by 60km/h and s-mode is great for track days and deserted country roads, but too manic elsewhere, I rarely use m-mode as there is little joy in it, because there is no satisfaction, without a clutch pedal to use. In fact the DSGs ability on track day to hold gears when required, change at constantly at the redline and down shift for corners under brakes is quite impressive.

I spent a couple days driving a 2018 A3 loan car and the DSG didn't dull the car's performance and was nothing like some poor autos I have driven and owned over the years. I do miss the satisfaction of driving a manual, but for me it would a very model specific question. If we are discussing manual or DSG in an R8, I know what I would prefer, a manual in a A3 ? maybe not

 

[cemerson]

I use S mode in town, it's great for making the car nippy around junctions etc even if it does rev highly. Much more responsive when you need it.