Post has been prompted by my sons wife having recently bought a 3 year old 1.5 Karoq (auto) They too report a slight hesitation on starting from cold & in motion, for example when excellerating away having negociated a roundabout.

As l said, the debate around reliability of the dsg gearbox will divide opinion however, they do seem to be one of the smoothest around.

With regards to the different types of automatic transmissions, I've experienced the four main types over the last four cars we had. T/C on a Hyundai i30 1.6 turbo diesel, CVT on a Honda Jazz 1.3, ACT (single clutch automated manual) on a Suzuki Ignis 1.2 and DCT (which, despite having a different acronym, is what a DSG is, a dual clutch automated manual) on a Hyundai Bayon 1.0 turbo.

Best overall (IMO) in terms of smoothness, how well it worked in general, and how well it worked with the engine was the CVT in the Jazz. 2nd best was the i30's T/C, then the DCT and last (by a ways!) the ACT in the Ignis.

Re the DCT, I found it fine most of the time and fairly smooth (though not as smooth as the CVT or T/C). But putting it into gear when cold resulted in a bit of a lurch (possibly because the idle speed when cold was quite high) which isn't ideal if in a tight parking spot. It also suffered from occasional judder when cold pulling away. And, when driving "normally" it was fine, but if pressing on, not so much. It was as if the transmission had been programmed for a high revving n/a petrol (like the Jazz) rather than an engine with a big slug of torque low down in the rev range and little to be gained above 3.5k rpm.

Re reliability, yes a DSG/DCT can be reliable, but they just don't tolerate abuse well. Fine if buying new, but down to the luck of the draw if buying a used example at 7+ years old and with 70k+ miles. Personal choice and all, but I wouldn't.

Getting back to the 1.4/1.5 engine..............Autotrader has engine power & torque the same. MPG is also noticibly less with the later 1.5 even in the ACT varient.

I wouldn't read too much into that. Even looking at real MPG figures (like what you'll find on this website) can be misleading. Because it doesn't say how the car is driven, type of journey, and how many owners have submitted their figures. What you'd need to find is someone who's owned both 1.4 and 1.5, because they will have been driving in the same way with both cars. But personally I wouldn't expect much difference in economy between the two.

Edited by badbusdriver on 28/06/2025 at 15:40

Getting back to the 1.4/1.5 engine..............Autotrader has engine power & torque the same. MPG is also noticibly less with the later 1.5 even in the ACT varient.

In 2018 WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure ) was introduced that rather changed stated economy figures. Most 1.4tsi engines are pre 2018 and 1.5tsi versions are 2018+.