Manual versus Auto

[scarletian]

I have always been a driver of manual cars but given the rave reviews of the DSG or similar over the years I thought I would give it a chance and test drive one....

As someone who likes to drive, rather than simply A to B transport, I still can't see the appeal of an auto. If you're journeys are town driving then fine I can see the benefit.

But for open road driving an auto just doesn’t do what I want it to do when I want it! The one big benefit of manuals is that you can anticipate the corner/situation ahead and put the car in the gear it needs to be at the precise moment it should be. Using the clutch and feeding the power in the right way or using the engine braking at the right time are all benefits of a manual.

The DSG clearly can’t anticipate that kind of thing so it frustrates more than it calms, no matter how quick the changes eventually are. I know you will say just override the auto but if you manually need to do that, why not save £££s and get a manual instead and have more fun and control as a result.

Also, autos needs a more powerful engine than a manual one. When the auto isn’t quite in the gear it ideally should be I want it to be, it is then slower to pick up when you have already lost those split seconds in the extra time it took to realise to change gear.

I could get used to an auto and adapt my driving but I don’t want to. I want to be in control not the car. I really do fear the future of automated cars.

Interested to hear from converts to explain what it is about autos that they like that simply can't be done by a good driver with a good manual....

 

[perkman1969]

Hi Mate. Like you I was an out and out manual guy, wouldn't have touched an auto with a barge pole for all the reasons you mention. But having driven a DSG 280 for a year nearly now, I'm a convert. I love it for the times when I just want to get from A to B and if the traffic is heavy, I can just cruise along without the constant left leg pumping. When I fancy some fun, I play with the modes and/or the flappy paddles - it's taken some getting used to the quirks of the DSG box but it's as much fun now as my old manuals were and I have that versatility that a pure manual can't give. Call it getting old or just plain lazy, but I do like the option of wafting as well as blasting now
Having said that, the DSG box in my wife's Audi isn't nearly as much fun to drive as my box is and I wouldn't order it again in that car - seems a bit laggy when you set off from a standstill but that may also be because it has 60bhp less than my car and is heavier....

 

[Meatballs82]

I'd always been a hater of Auto Gearboxes too, until I tried it!

Picked up a new Leon SC 4 weeks ago, I use it for business as well as personal mileage.

Daily commute to the office is a 50 mile round trip and business use is driving in and around Leicester city every day, renowned for one way systems and millions of traffic lights!

If I wasn't doing so much city driving I would have opted for a manual, but I have to say I'm loving DSG so far, much more than I expected!

It makes so much sense around town, Work phone is constantly ringing with customer queries, using sat nav to get around etc

I leave it in normal mode for town driving, and on my commute I leave it in sport mode and use the paddles to change, still not as pleasing as a good manual box but not a bad compromise I suppose.

 

[Obee72]

Never been a hater of Auto's just preferred the manual however I switched to the DSG with the FR back in January and I can honestly say I've never looked back and will continue with auto's on future cars. My reason was due to the large amount of stop/start traffic that is now on our roads and having the auto just make driving quite enjoyable again. I've got the modes+paddles if I want to feel like getting involved again, which I have on a few occasions but mainly just sit back and enjoy the car doing all the work. Match it up with ACC and it almost drives itself !!! My record is Milton Keynes to Elland Road (M1-M621) without touching either pedals !!! I'm loving it !!!

 

[Matt280]

Always have been and always will be a fan of manual gearboxes. Love the sense of interaction with a car and if i was buying a toy (ie a car i don't have to drive in traffic every day) it would be a manual every day of the week.

But, as a daily driver you want to have fun in i cannot fault the DSG in my cupra. Lazy and effortless in auto mode on the way to and from work, an absolutely riot in manual mode when i want to play. I swear i drive my car harder being able to keep two hands on the wheel too. Check why virtually all racing cars have this now? This is amplified as cars get more powerful too - i'm lucky enough to get free use of a manual Aston V8 Vantage and tried the same with the sportshift gearbox. Whilst it is fantastic on wider smoother roads, you simply can't hustle the manual car down a bumpy twisty road as well as the sportshift.

Please remember, i do love manual cars though.

 

[SkyNet]

Once you go DSG there is no turning back. Manual is great but DSG is just awesome.


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[zondaff]

once you go dsg there is no turning back. Manual is great but dsg is just awesome.


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,+1

 

[Fred99]

I currently drive the manual, but the next one will be DSG with paddles.

If God had intended you to drive a car with a clutch he would have given you three feet!

 

[slamka33]

To pay extra 2000 EUR just for auto - I am sorry, I am choosing extras for that money (or higher power of motor!)!!!

If there will be no such extra charge for DSG (or max 300EUR), I would go in DSG even I never drive it before...

 

[MannyMike]

I was pro manual until I drove the BMW 520D automatic for a month, was a lovely drive. I'm thinking my next car will most likely be an auto with flappy paddles at least.

 

[Ocularis]

I have to have a DSG so my wife has the option to drive my car, im too a convert. They are great boxes and once you know how they like to work you can get it changing up and down super fast.

 

[dw911]

Agree with what everyone else has said, I always had manuals, apart from a big BMW and a Shogun which were Automatic, never really liked the autos except in heavy traffic.

Had a few dsg cars now, wouldn't buy another car now without dsg or similar, unless it was just a special weekend toy or trackday car

If you fear for the future of manual gearboxes, your right too, they will eventually go the way of the starting handle and probably sooner than we think, if you look at the sales of dsg vs manual in the last year or so

 

[SkyNet]

To pay extra 2000 EUR just for auto - I am sorry, I am choosing extras for that money (or higher power of motor!)!!!

If there will be no such extra charge for DSG (or max 300EUR), I would go in DSG even I never drive it before...

Worth every penny my friend...


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[Drewsus]

My Leon FR is Manual however as every day passes I wish I had got the DSG more and more...

 

[milnei]

Just a little thing to consider is that if you want the Adaptive Cruise Control, then the DSG is the only way to go as it will bring the car to a stop (so long as it's a brief stop), crawl along in traffic, and pull away again without you having to press any pedals or change any gears.

I know we all like to be involved from time to time, but personally, I'd far rather the car do all the laborious stuff when I'm plodding along in traffic. The DSG then allows you to be involved when the road opens up by using the paddles.

Just my 2 penneth......

 

[garybuttle]

According to the official figures the auto looses you 2 to 5 mpg and 5mph off the top end and driver skill no longer needed,we all know formula one cars etc are now auto and has become boring,you never see a car overtaken now because the driver misses a gear because it is just one computer versus another about as much skill
as an xbox

 

[Ocularis]

According to the official figures the auto looses you 2 to 5 mpg and 5mph off the top end and driver skill no longer needed,we all know formula one cars etc are now auto and has become boring,you never see a car overtaken now because the driver misses a gear because it is just one computer versus another about as much skill
as an xbox

Depends on the model - mine for instance is the same top speed, mpg and 0.1 sec faster to 60 than the manual.

 

[phil750]

i have to agree with the op, manual all the way

i can see the appeal of the DSG for everyday use, but seems a bit too much extra money for what i can
only see as convenience. If money wasnt an issue, i would probably get the DSG

Maybe i will change as i get old and get the old sore knee! but for the min im perfectly happy with the money in my pocket and driving a manual!

 

[Solo]

DSG all the way.

It's the best of both worlds with the option of leaving it in auto or shifting yourself. You don't need a clutch and a gear stick to feel engaged or have it in the 'right' gear!

I never want another manual. It's funny really, the Americans think driving 'stick' somehow makes them a better driver whilst the UK are loving the new generation of autos.

 

[perkman1969]

Always have been and always will be a fan of manual gearboxes. Love the sense of interaction with a car and if i was buying a toy (ie a car i don't have to drive in traffic every day) it would be a manual every day of the week.

But, as a daily driver you want to have fun in i cannot fault the DSG in my cupra. Lazy and effortless in auto mode on the way to and from work, an absolutely riot in manual mode when i want to play. I swear i drive my car harder being able to keep two hands on the wheel too. Check why virtually all racing cars have this now? This is amplified as cars get more powerful too - i'm lucky enough to get free use of a manual Aston V8 Vantage and tried the same with the sportshift gearbox. Whilst it is fantastic on wider smoother roads, you simply can't hustle the manual car down a bumpy twisty road as well as the sportshift.

Please remember, i do love manual cars though.

Interesting you should say that Matt - I was speaking to a fellow 280 driver at the weekend who may have tested his car's capabilities to the max, if you know what I mean (he has also done a lot of motorsport in his time so is a handy driver) He said how much he finds having the DSG box improves his ability to drive the car because he can keep both hands on the wheel when really going for it.