May buy a cupra - opinions on automatic gearboxes

[Joel_Lucketti]

Hi all

I use to have a cupra 2004 Leon.

I bought an ibiza fr in 2018 but Im thinking of maybe going back to a cupra.

Ive been looking at 2019s but most of the cupras now seem to be automatics.

Are there any big issues with automatics?

Do they use a load more fuel? I won't be doing that many miles in it.

Is there big issues with having an automatic?

Any advice regarding above would be great.

Thank you

Joel

 

[RADIOTWO]

Hi all

I use to have a cupra 2004 Leon.

I bought an ibiza fr in 2018 but Im thinking of maybe going back to a cupra.

Ive been looking at 2019s but most of the cupras now seem to be automatics.

Are there any big issues with automatics?

Do they use a load more fuel? I won't be doing that many miles in it.

Is there big issues with having an automatic?

Any advice regarding above would be great.

Thank you

Joel

Take a test drive, but if you get one you won't go back to Manuel, there is no suggestion that you less MPG in fact I think you get more and they are quicker off the mark, I am on my second car with DSG

 

[SRGTD]

I’m on my first car with DSG after driving manuals for 43 years. I changed because the car I bought (a VW Polo GTI+) was only available with a DSG transmission.

In terms of economy, I don’t find my DSG 2.0 Polo GTI+ any worse than the 1.8 manual previous generation Polo GTI I had previously. My long term average mpg is 41-42; pretty good for a 2.0 litre 197bhp car IMHO, and that’s pretty much what I was getting in my 1.8 manual GTI.

I find the DSG is good and does what I want it to about 95% of the time. It’s really good if you do lots of stop and go driving in built up areas at peak traffic times (no clutch work ). I do miss being able to change gear when I want to rather than have the DSG make the gear change decisions for me, although I do always have the option of using manual mode. My only real (minor) gripe of DSG is that in normal mode it’s very economy minded and it tends to change up gears a bit too soon and in sport mode it hangs onto gears for too long - it could do with an intermediate setting between normal and sport. I believe many of the reputable tuning companies can reprogram the DSG software to address this issue (I just deal with it by using manual mode).

I’ve not had any reliability issues with the DSG in almost 20 months of ownership. Will my next car be DSG? If I don’t go for an EV, then yes it probably would be a DSG rather than a manual.

 

[TheSwede]

Different opinions….

I have a Leon Cupra R 310 2018 with manual gearbox. My son have Leon Cupra ST 300 2019 with DSG 7 (DQ381).

I prefer “old school” manual since it feels more sporty. Regarding the reliability of DSG 7 DQ381 I have full confidence on the DSG box. Works great. This is a matter of taste, not right or wrong.

I also use a VW Golf Alltrack which have DSG 6 DQ250. Great car, good DSG box. This car is not so sporty.....

/Peter

 

[Damo H]

In all seriousness though, all MY2019 cars (so from Sept/Oct 2018) will be DSG. Manuals were discontinued due to emission restrictions etc making it harder for the manuals to pass.

Yes the manual is more involving for that 1% of the time, but for daily driving and everything else, the DSG is the better car IMO, just so long as its a FWD one. My 4Drive was uninvolving without the mods (understeer anyone?). But that's not your question.

The DSG is also relatively bulletproof, especially if the car is left stock. Where as the manual clutch is like chocolate, and even with upgraded clutches, there are lots of posts on groups about clutch issues, whether it be the weight of the pedal, or back and forth of them failing, but were they bedded in properly etc.

Don't get me wrong, that's not to say there are no good experiences with the manual, but it gets expensive even in warranty.

As for the DSG, got to admit, if they do break (outside of warranty) I'd expect them to be more expensive to fix than the manual, but I'm only aware of one DSG failing personally, and they'd had their car tuned to 500hp and had a bad DSG map.

But ignore all of that....

Drive one, see what you think, you'll likely not get a chance to drive one in anger, but if you like it in normal driving, you'll love it when pushing on. And for that 1% of the time, swap to the gear selector knob instead of the paddles, thats what I used to do in the white 280. It gives you 50% of what you want for that 1% of the time

And now I sound like Ron Burgundy.

 

[Glosphil]

My 2012 Octavia vRS had DSG (6-speed wet clutch) & my current 2018 Leon FR (150) also has DSG (7-speed dry clutch).

I won't be going back to a manual gearbox.

Also I wouldn't have DSG without the steering wheel paddles. Being able to change down before an overtake whilst keeping both hands on the wheel is an advantage I always appreciate.

 

[BigJase88]

Manuals will be a thing for classic cars in my lifetime anyways.

All be zooming about in auto electric cars soon enough

 

[Glosphil]

Manuals will be a thing for classic cars in my lifetime anyways.

All be zooming about in auto electric cars soon enough

Only because far more manuals were manuctured with manual gearboxes.

2021 was the first year that more new cars sold in the UK had auto as opposed to manual gearboxes.

 

[Damo H]

Only because far more manuals were manuctured with manual gearboxes.

2021 was the first year that more new cars sold in the UK had auto as opposed to manual gearboxes.

Far more manuals were made with manual gearboxes? How odd

Haha Think you meant cars Glad I'm not the only one who thinks faster than he types.

Apparently that makes us both Geniuses, or is it Genei???

 

[Glosphil]

Only because far more classic cars were manufactured with manual rather than auto gearboxes.

2021 was the first year that more new cars sold in the UK had auto as opposed to manual gearboxes.

Corrected after previous lack of proof reading.

 

[BigJase88]

My dream is to have an S2000 in the garage

Naturally aspirated with high revving lift cam engine

Bring that out in 30 years and all the yoofs be crying about the damage done to the planet

 

[Butty]

My dream is to have an S2000 in the garage

Naturally aspirated with high revving lift cam engine

Bring that out in 30 years and all the yoofs be crying about the damage done to the planet

It'll be OK as you'll have to push it around the streets.

 

[Lmbarrett83]

In terms of the Cupra I had a mk3 280 for 3 years and I've since had the mk3 290 for almost 3 and a half years.

Both fun cars, but as a daily the 7 speed DSG offers the better package for me.

Reliabilty - Can't speak for reliability as they were both from brand new and under average mileage for their ages. I believe from reports that if you were looking to modify the power from that of the standard car the DSG would be better choice.

Economy - I didn't notice much of a difference with my driving style. The DSG takes some getting used to. A single test drive wasn't long enough for me to make the original switch.

The DSG has the Economy feature which effectively enables coasting when you lift off the gas. This effectively gets cancelled when you apply either gas or breaks.

The Manual equivalent is shift point recommendations in the digital display. But we know the Cupra wasn't built for Economy.

Fun factor - manuals are fun, but I've found with the standard car that the DSG has enhances the driving experience with the upshift cracks and overrun sounds. (A little biased as the manual 280 didn't have a sports exhaust)

When you get to know how the DSG works with regards to changing up and down across the sport and standard gearbox modes, you can compensate/override with the paddles, which works well. The car will switch back to auto when it detects no further input.

This allows the ability to use engine breaking down hill. Flicking the lever to sport can also achieve this on hills too and works well.

I also found that coming upto Junctions/roundabouts (in comfort) just pulling the lever down into sport disables the stop/start and allows for you to make a predictable break for it.

Personally I get the best of both worlds with the DSG, but I find the DSG far less stressful in traffic so that's a massive bonus.