Had a very short drivette in one of these this evening, a courtesy car with only 1600 miles on it given promptly to a friend by his own insurance after his wife's Golf 1.6 auto had been trashed by a passing lady driver while parked.
Didn't have a chance to really sample the engine of course, but it does seem a naturally rapid motor. Leaving the lever in D, and pussyfooting in the traffic, it seemed to stay in the bottom two gears even when one gave it a little prod and lifted off. Autos usually change up then, but this one didn't. However a harder prod on the pedal made it, to my amazement, change up a gear and bolt forward instantly like a jackrabbit. Wouldn't have minded getting it on the road for a few hours. It really wanted to go quickly.
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How far did you drive it? The DSG box tends to hold on to the lower gears for the first km. or two presumably until things are up to temperature, up after that changes-up are really rapid - you can be in fourth after pulling away from lights across a junction in D. You'll also normally be in a higher gear than you would have been if you were driving manually; hence the good fuel economy.
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Would it have been a DSG box? Didn't even twig that. There were no flappy paddles, although the D position for the lever was a sort of oval with + to the front and - to the rear. But I drove the thing just a mile or so and didn't try any manual override stuff. Actually the takeup in the gears did feel very positive for a conventional auto.
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Girl in work bought a manual one of these (new) she test drove the DSG and didn't like it. (she knows her car onions !). The other issue, especially on a second hand one are the horrendous cost of DSG failure, I think that the GTD is a six speeder, if its anything like Mrs P's GTi it'll still dot he business.
Edited by Pugugly on 20/07/2008 at 16:42
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You can't get them to really do the business in North Kensington on a Saturday evening, but this spanking-new silver example with full black leather told me in no uncertain terms that in the right place it would be more than willing to try. On that bare acquaintance I quite liked it, and I'm not really a Golf fan or an auto fan, although I find DSG intriguing in principle.
Edited by Lud on 20/07/2008 at 16:47
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The manual is certainly a 6-speeder - I've got one - and I'm fairly sure the DSG is too. Incidentally the estate 2.0 TDI like mine is good value as you can have it as an SE.
The 2.0 TDI hatch has to have GT specification which is mainly cosmetic and means that the 5-door hatch is £1,000 more than the estate. A bit of stupid marketing from VW, unless I'm missing anything.
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There are two GT TDIs owned by people in my office and they both love them
I thought you could get a 2.0TDI 140 as SE but the 170 version had to be GT spec?
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You should be able to, logically, but it's not in What Car's list.
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VW charge extra for the paddles - tight wads I wouldn't have DSG without them!
The DSG in the golf has 6 speeds, the latest versions as fitted to the 1.4 petrol and soon to come in the A4, A6 will have 7 speeds - although I do wonder when you will use 7th in the larger engines with a UK 70 mph limit. 6th in the 6 speed isn't used until about 50mph. 3,000 revs in 6th could see you facing a ban.
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Its probably to bring the CO2 levels down in government testing.
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