TSi 1.4s122bhp DSG

[Bassajay]

Contemplating a Golf SE 1.4 TSi DSG and would like to hear any owners opinions regarding this please.

[CharlesCourtney]

Contemplating a Golf SE 1.4 TSi DSG and would like to hear any owners opinions regarding this please.

I have a Golf Plus SE 1.4 (122) TSi DSG and love it, one of the best and enjoyable engine and gearbox combinations I have driven (possible beaten by a BMW 328 I drove some years ago but I did not have to pay for the fuel on that.)

I went for it without a test drive as I could not find anyone with one and waited 8 months for it worrying I may have made a mistake, but once it arrived, it was a real struggle to run it in.

[Bassajay]

I have a Golf Plus SE 1.4 (122) TSi DSG and love it, one of the best and enjoyable engine and gearbox combinations I have driven (possible beaten by a BMW 328 I drove some years ago but I did not have to pay for the fuel on that.)

I went for it without a test drive as I could not find anyone with one and waited 8 months for it worrying I may have made a mistake, but once it arrived, it was a real struggle to run it in.

Thanks for the reply, I was beginning to think there were no enthusiastic owners of it on this forum!
Since my original posting I have test driven the Mk 6 Golf SE 1.4 (122ps) TSI DSG and found it quite amazing. You never would have believed that 'only' a 1.4 lurked beneath the bonnet, it felt more like a normally aspirated 1.8 or even 2.0 ltr. As the figures suggest, it had diesel like torque, was extremely smooth and refined with no suggestion of any turbo lag. Its low emmisions and great fuel consumption figures adding to its all round strengths - and that 7 speed DSG is a real gem. My only dilemma now is whether to go for the Golf or the roomier, better value and equipped new Skoda Octavia which is now available with this set up ? Good choice either way.

[WeegieBob]

My only dilemma now is whether to go for the Golf or the roomier, better value and equipped new Skoda Octavia which is now available with this set up ? Good choice either way.

Now that's a real between a rock and a hard place!

Only one man's opinion here, however I found the DSG option far too expensive, even though I would have much preferred it, opting for the standard 6-speed manual instead. So, if there's a less expensive DSG type box option on the Skoda then that might swing it for me if I was in your position.

WeegieBob.

[Bassajay]

Now that's a real between a rock and a hard place!

Only one man's opinion here, however I found the DSG option far too expensive, even though I would have much preferred it, opting for the standard 6-speed manual instead. So, if there's a less expensive DSG type box option on the Skoda then that might swing it for me if I was in your position.

WeegieBob.

The Skoda petrol DSGs are all 7 speed, the oil burners having the older 'wet' 6 speeder. Had a look at the new facelifted Octavia and thought it a very nice car indeed. Trouble is the Octavia 1.4 TSi 122ps DSG is so new, don't think there are any available to try at the moment, the manual version having only just made an appearance.
For the record, the 1.8 TSi 160ps Octavia utilises a turbocharger only as with the 1.4TSi. The 1.4 TSi 160ps Golf of course utilises both turbocharger and supercharger. One cause of concern with both of those more powerful engines is that the 7 speed DSG has a 160 ps limit !

Golf or Octavia? - tricky one that.

[slo007]

I was also contemplating the Golf vs the Octavia. I sat inside an Octavia and it felt huge compared to the Golf. I also wasn't impressed with the fit of the cloth on the doors. It felt very poor (it was thin and moved easily). Finally, I noticed every Octavia on the road in Aberdeen was a taxi, and I didn't want to be confused for driving one...

I think the Golf will be more fun to drive (and easy to park). The dealer didn't have a Petrol for me to demo, so I test drove the Diesel and it felt great - strong, smooth, and extremely quiet. If it weren't for the higher fuel costs, I'd have bought one.

[Bassajay]

I was also contemplating the Golf vs the Octavia. I sat inside an Octavia and it felt huge compared to the Golf. I also wasn't impressed with the fit of the cloth on the doors. It felt very poor (it was thin and moved easily). Finally, I noticed every Octavia on the road in Aberdeen was a taxi, and I didn't want to be confused for driving one...

I think the Golf will be more fun to drive (and easy to park). The dealer didn't have a Petrol for me to demo, so I test drove the Diesel and it felt great - strong, smooth, and extremely quiet. If it weren't for the higher fuel costs, I'd have bought one.

Was it the latest facelifted Octavia? In my opinion that is a step up from the previous model and felt at least equal to the Golf's quality. I found, as with the Golf, the trim level makes quite a difference. The S level Golf feeling fairly low rent when compared to the SE or GT. Same with the Octavia, the S & SE again feel fairly low rent when compared to the Elegance or L & K models.
The Octavia does indeed look & feel a fair bit larger than the Golf although they share the same floorpan. You do see several Octavias used as taxis and also by the police but I am not convinced that is such a bad thing. From a taxi point of view, the even larger Superb would better suit in that role and with the older model they are sometimes very difficult to tell apart, especially in a passing glance.
The Golf is more expensive than the Octy but has a better residual value whereas the Octavia is cheaper in the first place but better equipped.
Not an easy choice, both good buys within their own rights.

[Rhigour]

I have found the DSG box needs a bit of running in . From new mine was a bit of an animal at low speeds. With 7 speeds, in "D" 1st does nothing more than move it a few mm before it hops into 2nd and then up through the entire set to hit 7th at about 38mph. The engine seems to like doing everything at about 1200 rpm . (Well it is that flexible that it can)When in a traffic crawl it can sometimes hunt between 1st and 2nd and I tend to slip the box into "S" mode just to negate this. However over the last two months since I have had it everything has got a lot smoother and I think we are going to get on well together. (1.4,122ps engine)

[Bassajay]

I have found the DSG box needs a bit of running in . From new mine was a bit of an animal at low speeds. With 7 speeds, in "D" 1st does nothing more than move it a few mm before it hops into 2nd and then up through the entire set to hit 7th at about 38mph. The engine seems to like doing everything at about 1200 rpm . (Well it is that flexible that it can)When in a traffic crawl it can sometimes hunt between 1st and 2nd and I tend to slip the box into "S" mode just to negate this. However over the last two months since I have had it everything has got a lot smoother and I think we are going to get on well together. (1.4,122ps engine)

That's strange, when I test drove the 7 speed DSG version, one of the points I especially looked out for was gearbox indecisions between 1st & 2nd and I must say I found none. The car I tried was new with only delivery miles on the clock. Most other semi autos I have tried, albeit ones with single electronic clutches, definitely had this unpleasant trait. It was one of the reasons I was so impressed with the DSG especially in its 7 speed form.

[Rhigour]

Perhaps it`s just a peculiarity of my one. You need a very light foot on the pedal, it did it to me today, a tad heavy on the right foot and it is off like a rat up a drainpipe ( or the bloke in fronts chuff.)
One peculiarity of this box, or mine at least is that it will accelerate from a stop uphill on idle if you will let it. It has this anti roll back feature and if you stop on a hill junction, take your foot off the brake and without touching the accelerator wait it will move foreword uphill and even change up. Weird if you dont expect it.