14' Passat, DSG or 6-speed? Pros Vs Cons

[BKmetz]

I know I have this well earned reputation for being a die-hard B4 fanboy. I love my B4. I know every nut & bolt on that car like I know every freckle on my wife. You get my drift and that's as far as I'm going with that.

However after driving wifey's 14' Passat SE 2.5 and ignoring the engine (meh, it does what its suppose to do) I am very impressed with the car. To make matters worse and after driving the wife's 14' around for several months, I REALLY have the new car bug. My local dealer has a 14' Passat SE TDI with a 6-speed on the lot. I made the mistake of driving it. I want it. I'm in this internal tug of war with my tightwad side...

As I'm getting older I don't have to have a 6-speed. A Passat SE TDI with the DSG will do just fine. I know there are probably 10 DSG Passats here for every 6-speed. That's just the way VW builds them. So what are the Pros and Cons of the DSG Vs a 6-speed? I realize it's 95% personal choice, but sometimes that last 5% makes or breaks that long term satisfaction with a new car.

Thank you for your input.

 

[SoTxBill]

On my 4th dsg and loving it... Mpg is great, I am told its actually faster than a manual...but now days I don't have to prove it anymore. Auto hill brake is a nice feature. High torque means it never has to down shift.

Cons... 40k service


And...

Its really hard to shift when I'm drinking my coffee, eating a doughnut, shaving, and talking on the cell.

 

[passatv6af]

I personally would get the 6MT, which is what I have but that's because I love driving manual and that's the only reason I got it. You will get better gas mileage. Only thing I don't like is that it only comes with the SE. So it will not have NAV, sunroof, or fog lights. They can always be bought, though.

With DSG you will get almost similar gas mileage. However, it has DSG so you will need more service which costs more $$$.

 

[nord]

You'll see by my bio that we have both. Thus, I have a bit of personal experience.

SE MT... In most cases I prefer the SE to the SEL. A bit less wind noise due probably to the absence of the sunroof. Generally a simpler car. A very nice simpler car! I prefer the manual transmission over the DSG and fuel economy is a bit better. Sound system isn't quite the Fender but it's very good. Same with seats. Very good, but not SEL Premium seats.

The SEL Premium... We just did a 400 mile trip through the mountains of central PA yesterday. 51 mpg one way and 43 mpg on return due to wind and weather. The car is so VERY comfortable! Certainly more bells and whistles than the SE but not a nicer car. Just a different car.

Bottom line for my wife and I is that the SEL is an absolute joy to take on a trip. It's quiet and comfortable. Handling is very good and the TDI with a DSG has credible performance. We both appreciate the understated elegance of the car... Class without flash if you will. But that's only our opinion.

The SE? All of the handling manners of the SEL of course. Simpler all around. Seats are slightly less comfortable but still very good. Economy is a bit better than the SEL and I happen to have a soft spot for a manual transmission. My SE is somewhat plain compared to the SEL but has grown on me as far as looks. Fact is the car seems to attract positive comments from a lot of folks.

It boils down to preference I think. The DSG is very good. Maybe a bit different from other more conventional automatics but easy to get used to. For better or worse when you purchase a DSG you also purchase a sunroof. At which point it may be worth your time to consider the SEL Premium as it really does have some nice features over the SE.

The SE MT means that you'll elect to live a bit simpler life, but still in an elegant car with nice features. I'd not hesitate to head out across the country in either car. The minor difference in comfort is so small as not to be an issue. The difference in amenities is a personal choice. Not an issue for me but one which could become important to a driver not familiar with a MT.

Then price. I took delivery of my SE for $23900 a couple of months ago. The SEL Premium was nowhere near that price. About a $5000 difference as memory serves. If you asked if the SEL was worth the difference I'd answer in the positive. Sort of anyway. The extras are very nice but they're by no means necessary. For myself I'd gladly live without the "extras" in favor of the MT. My wife probably wouldn't agree.

 

[IXLR8]

Is most of your driving highway or city? If highway.. get the 6MT, if city.. seriously consider the DSG. I have the 6MT, 95% of my driving is highway/open road and I average 48mpg in the winter, 57mpg in the summer. I am coming up on my 4th 1000+ mile/tank run. I don't know of many DSG's who have gotten that sort of range.

 

[psd1]

The 5% you are looking for is simple to find, it's the better MPG's with the 6MT. If you want more, remember the savings on your initial purchase price and no DSG service. This should be an easy choice for an admitted "tightwad".

As an aside, I haven't pulled down 57 MPG, but have a couple 54 MPG tanks under my belt and one 1000 mile tank. My average is 50 MPG and I typically go about 800 miles on each tank.

 

[Rico567]

We'd always been manual transmission folk until we bought this Passat new last July. But first, the SEL Premium, which is the only trim level we found interesting, only comes with the DSG. Second, the driver's side footwell hasn't got quite the room that our SAABs have had (still driving the '04 9-5 wagon), largely due to a bigger dead pedal, I think. Third, despite my determination when we bought the Passat to grit my teeth and put up with the transmission, I'm getting to the point where I actually like the DSG.

 

[BKmetz]

Good input everyone.

My work commute is around 145 miles/day. This is all state highway and back roads through a bunch a little Mayberry type towns. An easy commute but a long boring one. 6-speed wins this round.

SE vs SEL, I do not want a sunroof or Nav. I want to keep things simple. I have owned a Garmin for years and have a smart phone so having Nav is redundant. I never use the sunroof in my 96. It's too bright on my eyes and when a sunroof fails it's a major PITA and a very expensive fix.

Wifey's car is a SE and it's all the car we need. Compared to my 96 it feels absolutely opulent. 95% of the cars on the dealer locator are DSG SEs with sunroof & Nav or SELs. No problem if I chose to have a sunroof or Nav. There are like 5 SE 6-speeds in all of IL or so. Either I take what I can get now or wait for the next factory order to be shipped out. It's not a big deal if I have to wait a month or so. SE wins this round.

What is annoying with such limited availability is getting a color I want. Wifey's car is Reflex silver, I don't want twins. I do not want black, grey, or that red which looks brown most of the time. So my choices are blue, white, or tungsten. Now we move on to interior colors. I hate the cornsilk color because it shows dirt so easily and it's a pain to keep clean. I would prefer grey but that's a very rare interior color to find. Looks like I'll take black.

I noticed the clutch in the Passat is very light and grabs when the pedal is almost all the way out. Is this how they are? I assume VW uses G70 in the Passat 6-speed transmissions?

The convenience of the DSG Vs the cost of service of a DSG, 6-speed wins for my style of driving.

So, 6-speed Vs DSG. I've had a stick shift car my whole life. I love shifting. As I'm getting older shifting is a pain sometimes when I'm in a major city, but other that I still enjoy having a manual transmission. For trips into the big cities I can always use wifey's car.

Later this week I'll have time to go back top the dealership and haggle a bit and see what they will do for me. This will be my second car in 6 months from them.

I'll post some updates as I go through this process.

Thank you.

 

[greengeeker]

It is probably too new of a vehicle for this to be coming up....how about the dmf? On the older cars you had the ability to swap in a smf on the manual, not the case for the dsg.

 

[compu_85]

If you don't want a sunroof that rules out a DSG... every automatic TDI has a sunroof, and no stick does.

-J

 

[dzcad90]

Brian,

My advice would be if you want the 6 speed stick, I'd hop on it right now. Though TDIs are pretty common these days, completely the opposite of when the B4 was new, the sticks seem to be a rarer bunch.

We're getting somewhat close to the end of the model year here and who knows if a new slug of sticks will be coming off of the production line. With that being said, I would imagine you don't want the new TDI that's coming out in the next model year as at least we know what the potential issues with the CKRA are.

My vote would be for the DSG. Give your tired arm a break. I've gotten 51MPG with the DSG - it's plenty good.

- DZ

 

[compu_85]

The 40k service on the DSG is also super easy to do yourself.

-J

 

[dzcad90]

The 40k service on the DSG is also super easy to do yourself.

-J

True.. I've got the tools and BK has a nice warm garage. I see a good partnership here.

 

[kulak]

Get the stick. I wish I had but couldn't find one in FL. Didn't want to 'order' (wait for VW to accidentally build one).

 

[VeeDubTDI]

I wanted a 6-speed but Jason and I ended up getting the DSG because the traffic around here is absolutely infuriating and my left leg really doesn't need that much of a work out. After having it for 55,000 miles, I think the DSG was a great choice. If we had to do it again, I think I would go with another DSG. It's not that I'm lazy or that I don't know how to drive... the DSG really is an amazing transmission, especially with the DSG tune.

I guess you need to decide what is higher on your priority list... sunroof (yes/no) or transmission type. If the sunroof trumps the transmission, then you have your answer, as all manuals are no sunroof and all DSGs have the sunroof.

The other thing to think about (brought up by our lurker friend Randy), is how long you keep your vehicles. You've had your B4 for almost 20 years and you might want to consider which transmission will better suit you 10 or 20 years down the road.

 

[omegis]

Just a heads up:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=414610


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[VeeDubTDI]

We aren't in Europe, so that doesn't do us much good with regard to this discussion.

 

[BKmetz]

Brian,

We're getting somewhat close to the end of the model year here and who knows if a new slug of sticks will be coming off of the production line. With that being said, I would imagine you don't want the new TDI that's coming out in the next model year as at least we know what the potential issues with the CKRA are.

- DZ

Just a heads up:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=414610

Those two posts sum quite nicely why I'm thinking hard about a new car now. It looks to me the new EA288 engine is a technical nightmare and I'm not fond of the few spy photos of the 15' body style changes. I know what I'm buying car and engine wise if I buy now.

Talking to the sales guy, the dealer locator says there will be 6-speeds built into summer, but they will be widely dispersed and not easily available. If I want to get one with the exact exterior/interior color combo I have to be ready to poach one now from some other dealer's order and get it diverted locally. Not always possible.

I'll make my decision this week.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

I would call Chris Farnham.

 

[D-Cell_Mekanick]

Im very happy with the DSG myself. There are times I want a manual but the DSG does such a good job. Plus I like to drink my coffee in the morning while driving. The last few tanks have been excellent to say the least with a best of 52.2MPG. Good luck with your decision!

 

[pparks1]

I drove a 2002 VW Passat GLX 5 speed for 12 years. Went with the DSG in my 2013 Passat TDI SE with Sun/Nav and have been perfectly happy with it. If I had to do it again, I would do it exactly the same way.

A tiny bit of extra mileage isn't a big deal for me, as my DSG TDI gets so much better mileage then my V6 Passat I got rid of.

My wife is perfectly happy driving my new Passat, so she can take it when she has long trips and saves mileage on her lease and gets better mileage....big win there. Plus, I can take her car when I need more room or need to tow something and she is perfectly happy with the switch.

I have 2 kids and it's important for me to have hands free to hand stuff back to them, plus when I am in a hurry and having to eat in the car to make an appointment, it's much easier since I'm not shifting.

 

[jck66]

I too love(d) my B4 and had it for a long long time before giving it up for a NMS. I opted for DSG for family political reasons but can't say that I completely hate it. If I hadn't been instructed to get an automatic I would have definitely chosen 6M without sunroof and hopefully be enjoying 7-8% better mpg's than I currently enjoy. For me, gracefully launching from a stop is taking some training, however I definitely appreciate the DSG when stuck in traffic!

 

[VeeDubTDI]

There is definitely a learning curve, but it isn't too steep.

 

[BKmetz]

I bought the 6-speed. Price difference was too great to opt for a DSG. All the Passat SE TDI DSGs were Sunroof & Nav, and a lot more money.

I will pick up my new ride Friday Afternoon.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Congratulations! Enjoy.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Congrats. I just found this thread and given your drive and desire not to have a roof (I don't like them either) I'd have gone for the manual. I do a ton of suburban driving now and sometimes I wonder if a DSG would be more relaxing, but VW manuals are so easy to drive it's hard to make a case for shorter gearing and lower FE that you get with the DSG.

What color?

 

[BKmetz]

White with black leatherette interior, because you know, 90% of VWs seem to come with black interiors these days. At least it hides the wear and tear well. Anything but cornsilk..

This stripper SE is a freaking opulent luxo-cruiser compared to my B4 so I'm very happy.

The clutch pedal is very light, much lighter than the B4. After a week I won't notice the difference anymore. If I have to go into the city I can use wifey's car.

Oh, does VW use G70 in these 6-speeds?

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

No. This. You won't have to worry about it for a while.

I know what you mean about B4 versus new. I've been driving my Golf a lot lately.

 

[rotarykid]

It is a shame going to Canada to get a manual Trans SEL isn't really a option if like me you would like all the toys with a manual.........

I had a PD DSG and never got used to it....Extra service costs over the life of the car are also a real minus for me at least.. In your hands you would likely only see a 5-7 % DSG mpg penalty. But for me as long as I keep a car that 5-7% of extra fuel used does add up to a little bit of coin.....

In the best world I would take a trip to Canada get the car I wanted with the manual trans then not worry about it, but all of us here know what price of doing that would be with warranty issues and possibly registration problems......Stupid bean counters!!!

 

[rotarykid]

I bought the 6-speed. Price difference was too great to opt for a DSG. All the Passat SE TDI DSGs were Sunroof & Nav, and a lot more money.

I will pick up my new ride Friday Afternoon.

Great purchase! good luck with your new toy...