Tell me about Jetta TDI DSG

Speed Devil

Well-known member
Joined
May 15, 2011
Location
Colts Neck
TDI
None yet, trying to get one in the family though
I was just talking to my sister and she's due for a new car in august, she doesn't like the golfs (working on changing her mind on that) and she doesn't want a major payment, so I figure the MkV would be perfect for her

Just want a general idea of how they are, she doesn't know stick hence the dsg part, she's currently got an 2012 escape 4banger, and shes tired of having to fill it up all the time. Main reason I figure TDI is the range and when she's not looking, I can get a mod or two and then get her hooked with the bug.

So yeah, general pros and cons, mileage and range and whatnot.

Thanks
 

disco biscuit

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Location
Texas
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI DSG
I don't have any TDI experience other than my current 10 Jetta...dsg. I didn't notice the final drive ratio between manual and dsg or even auto and dsg. It seems too high geared in my opinion. Don't get me wrong...I really like it...and would bet it could be the best and most durable tranny option...maybe. But point is, At 75-80mph it runs 26-2700 rpm...a little too high in my opinion for a diesel.

Like I said I really like it it just bothers me to be that high on rpm since our speed limit changed to 75. I still get 34-39 mpg sooo whatever.
 

disco biscuit

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Location
Texas
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI DSG
You should change the fluid every 40k which isn't easy. I let mine ride 55k. Lots of people here say don't touch it. After doing mine I would definitely change it if I were you. Fluid and filter was 158$ I think. If you pay someone to do it it gets pretty expensive, I did mine but its kindofa pain.

Its worth noting the mechatronic unit fails on some. But it seems a low ratio random occurrence. Hopefully someone with more mileage on these would chime in here somewhere.

I actually love the automated manual. VW/Porsche were the first to put it in production.
 

showdown 42

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Location
naples,FL
TDI
2016 TDI touareg
I have a 2009tdi jsw and like the DSG ,but I would definately service the DSG by the book. It is expensive to do,but if you don't,a rebuilt tranny is way higher. These engines can run all day at 80mph not issues. I get 40+ mpg going 75. Love the whole package.
 

jetlagmech

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2009
Location
Toledo, WA
TDI
2010 jetta
If she is looking for inexpensive to run, the TDI gets good MPG but it does cost more to maintain then most economy gas cars. For it to be economical you need to be a self wrencher. If your sister is the type of person that just wants to gas and go she might be better off with a hybrid. even with the better MPG of most hybrids I wonder if they are really more economical. the extra money for the hybrid engine will buy a lot of gas for a non hybrid car. what type of driving does she do. lots of short city errands running around is not what the TDI engines like.

but directly to your question, the DSG tranny on these cars seems to be very reliable. very few people have had problems but there is always a few on any car. my MPG average for 80,000 miles is 42, but I have the manual not DSG. the jetta range with the 14.5 gallon tank is 500-600 miles. I drove mine from Seattle to Sacramento without refueling, 700 miles. the Passat with 18.5 gallon tank is 600+ but reports say it shows empty with still a couple gallons reserve.

I see you have been a member here for a while. don't wait for your sister, when are you going to pull the trigger for yourself ?????????????????????????????????????
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
There is no way I could walk past a $16k Jetta S and consider buying a $25k Jetta TDI. Just doesn't make rational sense (to me). If I wanted a TDI, it would be bolted into a Golf, JSW, or Passat. If you're gonna pay a premium, may as well get the premium car. The [current] Jetta is a FANTASTIC $16k car. It is a rather bleh $25k car.

Just my opinion, and yes I know I am a minority here. I totally understand Volkswagen's decision to move the Jetta away from "a Golf with a trunk" to save money and make the car more profitable and a better value for the American consumer. And they succeeded with the Jetta S.
 

nord

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Location
Southern Tier NY
TDI
All turned back to VW. Now a 2017 Hundai Tuscon. Not a single squalk in 10k miles.
Oilhammer,

Your reasoning is spot on. There's a huge difference between a car that gets good economy and an economy car. The Jetta used to be the former and is now the latter. Certainly not a bad vehicle today, but not a really nice vehicle either... At least compared to older editions.

And that's why we went to the Passat TDI! Perhaps de-contented compared to the Passats of the past, though I really don't think so. In my opinion a sea change in VOA philosophy allowing for some different ideas to bubble to the surface.

In any case the TDI Premium we purchased is a very nice vehicle. Trim is at least in par with the MkV. (Actually much nicer.) Fuel economy is at least 10% better. Ride isn't really comparable. Jetta is more nimble and Passat more comfortable.

So... You want an economy VW? Jetta S is the ticket. Or do you perhaps want a VW that returns great economy but isn't an economy car? Better look at a Passat then and make sure that TDI appears on the badge.
 

k1xv

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Location
southern Vermont
TDI
09 TDI sedan, sold back 12/16. Present cars 2013 BMW X5 diesel, 2015 Corvette convertible
As for the TDI DSG, which is what this thread was supposed to be about, there is no torque converter. It is more like a very fast self shifting manual, with no clutch pedal. Combine this with all the low end torque of a diesel, its very easy to get rough shifting by using too much throttle at low speeds if your former car was a gasoline automatic with low torque off the line, and a torque converter. However, you learn the driving technique very quickly to avoid rough shifts.

I like my TDI DSG very much.
 
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Location
BC, Canada
TDI
2009 Jetta TDI
I am sorry to inform you, but if you have rough shifts with a DSG under acceleration, there is something wrong. It should be as smooth as a conventional auto transmission.
 
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texanTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2008
Location
Northwest
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI (BRM)
I thought I would chime in here, I have owned a 98 TDI 5 speed, a 2002 golf tdi 5 speed and now an 06 BRM TDI DSG. I will say some things about the DSG. First off, my biggest complaint is the response time to accelerate. It is a very small delay but, to me, is noticeable. If you are at a crazy intersection and you really need to scoot quickly and merge, you will be trying to convice your car to go. This is very different from a conventional automatic transmission with a torque converter. I know you who drive a dsg know what I am talking about. Not to trash on the dsg, I bought it knowing all this.
 

Maffken

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2013
Location
WNY
TDI
99.5 A4 Jetta ALH
There is no way I could walk past a $16k Jetta S and consider buying a $25k Jetta TDI. Just doesn't make rational sense (to me). If I wanted a TDI, it would be bolted into a Golf, JSW, or Passat. If you're gonna pay a premium, may as well get the premium car. The [current] Jetta is a FANTASTIC $16k car. It is a rather bleh $25k car.

Just my opinion, and yes I know I am a minority here. I totally understand Volkswagen's decision to move the Jetta away from "a Golf with a trunk" to save money and make the car more profitable and a better value for the American consumer. And they succeeded with the Jetta S.
He's not talking a new car, more like a MKV used jetta with a DSG and they don't look to be that bad of values to be honest.

I'd agree on the new ones, but the older MKV's jettas were pretty slick regardless.

I love them but I self wrench and to be honest; that won't mean anything to most people. For a nice cheap contract maintenance kind of vehicle I'd look at a nice cheap Ford/domestic gasser. Much more prone to taking abuse than the TDI's will be but at the same time not really much cheaper (your talking about 21,000 + to get the good econ 1.4/.6L engines on anything domestic; like the tdi's they don't come stripped down often.).

Used Prius would be good, if your willing to pay that battery pack fee down the road. I'm a hwy cruiser, around town I try not to drive. If you do frequent short trips then a hybrid or small gasser might make more sense.

If you really drive a lot though the fuel savings can really pay off, even with service costs. You've got to chart that off though, everyone's different.
 

curovo

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2009
Location
Sacramento, CA
TDI
2009 JSW DSG, mostly sitting and waiting for the Dieslgate settlement - 2015 GSW S Manual
Piece of crap. I've lost count of the near accidents from its 1-2 second delayed response to pedal input, like when I'm pulling into traffic or changing lanes or trying to get out of the way of an idiot semi driver and it just sits there... and sits there... while I yell Go, dammit, go!... and it finally goes. And in slow-and-go traffic my wife constantly complains about how I'm jerking her around, especially when the it does that weird low-speed thing where it seems to be trying to shift into first and second simultaneously.

Yeah, 99% of the time it's wonderful and you can't distinguish it from a conventional automatic except that the DSG is smoother. But I sure wouldn't own another one.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
curovo: Yeah, that 99% of the time lulls you into thinking it's more like a conventional auto. I've taught myself to be wary of pulling out into traffic, and anticipate the move by remembering the 1-second DSG delay, getting off the brake earlier, and rolling into the throttle. It requires constant diligence, but really, not that different than the thought process with a manual...and there's the rub...it's NOT an automatic that you can completely ignore.
I've never had anything close to an accident, and I'm a reasonably aggressive driver.
Not all DSGs shift the same. From the lengthy discussions on this forum, I've come to the conclusion that there are huge differences in clutch engagement speed, all probably "within spec".
YMMV
 

aja8888

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Location
Texas..RETIRED 12/31/17
TDI
Out of TDI's
My 2005.5 has a Malone 1.5 tune in it and this is my first DSG. With the added HP/Torque, the DSG seems pretty nice. The delay seems to be a non-issue for me and I'm not even sure it's there anymore. The thing that people don't get is the quick 1st gear shift to second which feels like a delay, especially if the original factory mapping is in the ECU.

I actually love the DSG with this car. I was hesitant at first, but now I am happy with it. The added tunes really wake these PD's up.
 

disco biscuit

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Location
Texas
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI DSG
I should mentioned the delay and shift selection points. I love my dsg when I reset values and its learning. It seems to pick the right gears. If my old lady drives it. It goes right in economic mode. The best description I've heard is Volkswagens programming at least in my '10 Jetta., wasn't any different for the TDI vs gasser. It kinda feels that way. Turbo lag should down shift to 1st at a2mph roll or secondon that curve it holds 3rd. Because if you throttle hard enough for downshift in a curve by the time it hits that gear Its balls out son.

I've had the same scenario at an intersection you forgot to mention it throws our head back in the seat after that brief pause. That's if your lucky the tires don't break loose and it feels like your holding on to a floor buffer and then the traction control kicks a lil.

I think I just justified a tune. I heard it remedies all of these problems. I wish someone with a dsg tune would start a thread about if the tune prolong the dual-mass flywheel life. The intersection scenario describes the worst situation for a DMF
 
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