New Passat Estate -Should I wait?

[les]

Before you give your advice you should at least do a minimal amount of research.

The is no 'slippage' within a DSG box - there is no torque converter.

A DSG is not an autobox in the usual sense, it's an auto preselector box with a pair of electrically actuated wet clutches.

Roy

Well thanks for enlightening me........a DSG still works similar to a conventional Auto but without a t/converter, the clutches still run in fluid and its that fluid that gets overheated causing wear on the clutches which will make it slip faster than a conventional clutch especially with lazy electrical gear changes, so any clutch that runs in fluid is an auto in that sense. Yes there's no t/converter slippage. Electrically operated gear changes are notorius for problems on BMW DSG boxes etc., the Alfa selespeed is troublesome as well and these are not popular in the Trade. As I said the cost of repair is huge and the system is not so reliable as a dry clutch which is why a dry clutch better for towing and cheaper to repair.

[Roy]

Whatever they say about a DSG gearbox its STILL an automatic gearbox and will be VERRY expensive to fix when it breaks. Wet or dry, the clutches will still slip but the computer will try to minimise that. What i say is that is a manual gearbox is better to tow and cheaper to fix than any equivalent automatic gearbox. Remember how reliable Mercedes and Vw/audi engines used to be in the 80 ? Why , because they did not have electrical sensors and stuff to break...Me, i will still buy a manual 6 sped gearbox any time, just for the extra speed... Your money are your money and you spend them as you wish ! Good luck.

Sorry to be picky - but the DSG is quicker (0-60) through all the gears and returns better economy than the manual


Roy

[adamss24]

That's what they allways say but if you look closelly on their broshures its quicker than the 5 speed manual and there is no way in real world it will be as economical than the 6speed g'box given the extra weight. I agree with you that is quicker overall from a stand-still 9 times out of ten(thats down to human error !) but remember we dont buy a diesel to race of the lights or do we ? The DSG gearbox is a brilliant gearbox but is not as reliable as a manual gearbox at the moment. Maybe in 10 years time it will be good enough to make me change my mind but untill then the 6 speed 2.5 TDI with the TORSEN IV quattro is the way to go.

[DocL]

Before you give your advice you should at least do a minimal amount of research.

The is no 'slippage' within a DSG box - there is no torque converter.

A DSG is not an autobox in the usual sense, it's an auto preselector box with a pair of electrically actuated wet clutches.

Roy

Roy is quite correct, see http://auto.howstuffworks.com/dual-c...nsmission1.htm for the operation of the Twin Clutch DSG box.

It is precisely because it does not have an energy sapping, heat producing torque converter that I considered it ideal for use in a towcar.

I've test driven a Volvo with its Geartronic box and found it absolutely dreadful; that was without a caravan on the back!!

As Roy says, there is NO slippage in an 'engaged' wet plate clutch, therefore no heat production, as in a torque converter. The second clutch will be 'disengaged' (N.B. not slipping) and not providing any power throughput, so again heat production in the second clutch will be minimized.

I have also heard that the DSG box returns better mpg than the standard manual box.

Seemingly both Citroen and Ford are working on their own versions of this dual clutch gearbox.

I would be very interested to hear of any problems with this VW version, but haven't noted any yet. Most problems seem to be on the engine management side of things.

Thanks for all your input folks. BTW I contacted Broadspeed for an 'internet' price quote for such an new car and the standard spec. came out at ~£18,000; with self levelling, cruis c. and some other stuff ~£19,000. Does anyone know a better bet??

Cheers, DocL