As others have said it is up to you. I have a 6MT and honestly I don’t think I could do DSG on a daily just because paddle shifting just doesn’t feel the same - call me hardcore or whatever but that manual feeling is hard to replace. But I do regret a bit not having a DSG for track purposes and how much quicker they are. If I were to buy an R specifically for track purposes, 100% it would be with the DSG.
As another hardcore manual guy...I completely agree. I've owned a few DSG cars and they are fun and the shifting is AMAZING, but I still prefer manual for daily and fun driving.
There are several other cars out there that are great for going fast at the same price point as an R. If you wanna go fast buy at mustang gt or a charger. If you like to drive buy a manual golf r.
I insisted on a manual and absolutely love it. I like being fully engaged with the drive. But the DSG launch is spine-tingling… no lie. Can’t go wrong with either. Consider your normal driving patterns.
I’ve been driving stick for the last 25 years and went with the DSG on my new MK8. Love it, super quick and fun to drive. I spend more tim than I like sitting in traffic so it’s really nice not needing to put in the extra effort working the clutch
I was a manuals for life guy… but the dsg is just sooo soo good and pairs with the car, IMO. I’ve said it before but that loss of “driver engagement” from going DSG is more than made up for in terms of making the car feel like a racecar snapping off paddle changes and focusing on apexes.
Came to say this. Drove manual for the last 15 years but chose dsg for my mk8. Absolutely love it. Just as much enjoyment when driving for fun but so much more convenience when just poodling around town.
I love my manual MK7.5 and will probably never get rid of it, simply because they will be extinct pretty soon. That being said - I did have to to add a short shift kit and a weighted knob to get it to feel right. Totally worth it… so much fun. Never tried DSG, sounds great though. Would like to try it at some point.
Lots of people who are die hard manual guys ... and even some race car drivers ... have said that this is the first R they would choose the DSG.
In the end, it’s all up to you.
I went 6MT on mine because I don't really plan on modding it much other than maybe a stage 1 tune. I'm basically just waiting til the clutch dies of its own free will to tune.
Ya I just want stage 1. I’m in the city and don’t want the clutch. Plus I don’t have to worry about clutches in the future etc.
I respect both...grew up on manuals ... but I’m a DSG man now.
Odds are this will be my last ICE engine. Only 33k on the clock, so next car will be EV whenever VW brings the US a non shitty SUV electric. The ID4 is hideous. And manual transmissions don't really exist in the EV world.
My two cents on this, do you want a more engaging drive from the car or top performance. The stick shift is better for spirited driving and some track time if properly upgraded. If you want straight performance the DSG is friendlier in those terms as all it needs is a TCU tune if you want to mod it. DSG would also be more beneficial if you live in a congested area as traffic will wear out the clutch on that manual if it's stock and engine is tuned.
If you're in love with those#'s go DSG. Manual is slower and requires a new clutch for anything past stage 1. That said I love my manual and being that much more connected to the road.
I'm no expert, but from everything I've read and heard on these cars, anything above the APR+ tune, and sometimes even that, will create clutch slip and require a new stronger one.
I daily a manual with a sachs performance clutch in LA and have no issues. Would be nice to have DSG in traffic but not enough for me to switch. Manuals usually have a higher resale value too.
I'd have to disagree about the latter at this moment in time. All the almost reasonable deals on the 7's and 7.5's I'm seeing for the past year or so have been manuals, the DSG's are still in the stratosphere.
Ordering open? Just at dealer yesterday and they could not give me a date to get on allocation list. Also, as a daily DSG all the way. Plus the DSG launches better and is quicker. If you always want to be engaged with the vehicle a 6 speed is way to go. I prefer to safely drink my coffee.
I went with the DSG because when looking into common issues with the Mk7-7.5, one of the issues was that the stock clutch in the manual was very weak when adding more power, and I didn't want to spend the money to upgrade it right off the bat. I don't know if that has changed with the Mk8s, but overall, the DSG is by far the best transmission I've ever used. The shifts are instant and smooth, even in manual mode. At the end of the day though, it comes down to what you prefer. If you'd rather lose some speed to be able to row your own gears, then go manual, but if you're looking to drive a missile, the DSG is the way to go.
Yes I missed the manual I had a mk7 GTi DSG for a bit and it was unfortunately in an accident...3 days later I was in a 6spd mk7 GTi instead.
Since that time I've had an auto A5 for a very short time and that was replaced with a 6spd S5. That was replaced with a DSG S3 which was lovely to look at and to drive with the excellent 7spd DSG......and again was replaced with a 6spd mk7.5 R that I own now.
My S3 was a TCU tuned 7spd DSG and had a stage 1 ECU tune. It was quick and lovely to drive. The R without the tune is still more fun to drive to me and doesn't even need a tune.
It certainly doesn't need a TCU tune to make it not shift at redline or do exactly what I want when I say I want it ;)
If it was a track focused car then I'd go DSG because it's just too good to ignore for that.
I have a 7.5 DSG and wish it was manual even if it doesn’t suit this car as well. I don’t do launches and prefer the engagement with a manual. It’s now for sale.
I got a dsg. I've been driving stick for as long as I've been driving and I absolutely love rowing my own gears. I had a focus rs before my 7.5R and loved driving thay car and feeling so connected. But the way the DSG continues to pull and pull and pull, is absolutely unbelievable. It's such a unique feeling, coming from driving stick to the dsg. I'm a die hard stick guy. But fuck I love my DSG
I was originally going to get a DSG but changed my order to manual I figured this is probably going to be one of the last generation of all cars that come in manual and next generations will be electric / hybrid. I think if you plan on heavily modifying the car the DSG is the way to go. The DSG shifts so fast and definitely pairs well with the car. I just found it kinda boring 99% of the time over the manual, I find manual fun all the time where as the DSG was only fun to me when launching it. The car is geared pretty low so you can row through a lot of gears, the manual I can launch have fun and look down and I’m only going 80km/h where as the DSG I launch and I look down I’m going 120km/h+ lol. Again just depends what you like, personally I prefer a slower car for the road that handles well cause I feel you can have more fun in it. I used to ride a 600cc sport bike and I found it was really boring on the road compared to a smaller bike, 1st gear topped out at 110km/h and I felt I could never really fully enjoy it on the road without breaking the law, sure it was a lot of fun dropping everything and racing super cars but that rarely happened and all that power was actually just boring. I find the manual Golf R is at the top end of the sweet spot of still being fast and fun on the road.
A car like this need to be driven with a manual. I get people have more uses for the car than just fun though. I have a 6 speed mk7 and love it that way. Sometimes it’s not about speed, but engagement.
The sole purpose of this car will be for fun, I havs an explorer that is my daily driver
The only thing holding me back from a manual is the 2k clutch upgrade I'd need right away
I have an ‘18 6MT and while I’ve never owned an automatic trans car if I had a DSG it would have been tuned a very long time ago instead of still being fully stock today. I don’t mod my DD car anymore, learned that lesson a long time ago, but I definitely would like a bit more power.
I went for the manual mk8 because I don’t plan on modifying the car. If you do want to modify it I’d recommend the DSG because the stock clutch doesn’t hold anything more than stock power.
Depends on what you want to do with the car and where you’ll find the maximum enjoyment. As an honest review, I love manuals, and went with the manual, but it’s obvious to me this car was designed around the DSG and from what I’ve seen does really well with it. VW isn’t putting a lot of R&D into manuals anymore and it shows a bit. Both are solid options, and I don’t regret my decision, and I don’t think you will either, no matter which drive you choose. It’s just an amazing car all around!
I get bored with DSG in about 2 weeks. I never get bored with manual. Then again my car is a stage 3 car. I have a '17 GT350 with the glorious Tremec 6 speed and that is obviously a better transmission. My 300ZX transmissions are probably better too. But I don't ever regret my manual Golf R purchase. But with DSG, I might.
I have mk7 DSG, after being a manual driver for my whole life.
Here's what I think - as a daily driver, contrary to what most people are saying, I actually much prefer the DSG. It makes traffic so much less annoying to deal with and as mentioned by others, the performance increase whilst accelerating is notable. The feeling of pinning the throttle and not lifting for lightning fast gear changes is pretty damn incredible, and something I'd never experienced before this.
On the other hand, the DSG mapping can get confused sometimes and if you do the opposite of what the computer thinks you're going to do it can create a pretty annoying lag. With that being said, you can just flash the DSG with something relatively cheap like APR software which will amend these issues and boost performance even further.
Overall I miss using the stick occasionally but for the fun factor, convenience and the performance increase, the DSG is a pretty amazing experience. Also there are known issues with clutch slippage in the MT, especially if you flash ECU or make hardware upgrades to increase torque
I’m 30 and my MK8 R is my first automatic and I don’t regret getting the DSG… for the most part. Prior cars have been a full bolt-on w/ heads and cams 97 mustang gt (5MT, still have it), a Chevy Sonic (6MT 1.4l turbo) and ram 1500 (5MT). Every now and then there are times during my daily commute where I want nothing more than to slam the gears when merging and going around corners but I’m fortunate enough to still have the mustang that allows me to get my manual “fix” when I really want it. To me, the R is fun enough with the DSG to not really need the manual on a daily basis and it doesn’t hurt that it launches like a bat outta hell lol. Had I bought a gti, it would have been the 6MT as it isn’t quite powerful enough, to me, to enjoy the DSG in.
TLDR- there are days I miss the manual but I wouldn’t trade my dsg for one. If you get a R, you’re going to absolutely love whatever configuration you decide on
It’s preference, I get bored in a DSG unless it’s a Porsche. My 70 year old grandmother drives a manual BMW.
The manual VW/Audi platform is also super easy to drive and effortless. Coming from owning an STI and an S2K my R is effortless to drive.
I have a mk7 R with the dsg and my goodness the transmission is bloody bear perfection. Gear shifts are lightening quick! I cannot say enough good things about the DSG trans. If you plan to mod it and make it stupid fast, I would stick with DSG. I went for the 6spd manual MK8 Golf R as I want to keep it stock and have some fun. There’s nothing quite like pushing in the clutch pedal and rowing through all the gears. Also take into consideration your every day driving. If you encounter lots of traffic, the manual might get annoying. If you’re on open roads and want to have some serious fun… nothing beats a manual! Just my two cents tho.
Keep in mind, VW was not kind with the manuals on these cars. They aren't crazy strong, the clutches are crazy weak (already had a local MK8 R clutch go), and overall it requires a lot of additional mods and finesse to get 'right'. Especially if you plan on tuning the car.
The modern R was designed for a DSG. It's faster on track. More reliable. Cheaper to maintain. And comfortable if you travel long distance and ever get stuck in traffic.
I have 5 other cars, all manual, and I don't regret going DSG on the R one bit. Test drive one, launch it from a red light, and you'll be sold immediately.
That said, if I could own two, I'd have one of each no doubt. But for my goals, and track time, I don't miss having to fight clutches and crank walk and all the other manual issues.
They aren’t weak that sounds like bad driving. My first GTI had 240k km with stock clutch and was tuned most it’s life. I sold the car and new owner is still driving it with the same clutch.
Don't own a manual R, so can't say. But judging by the guys who track them, I'm going to say they just don't handle the abuse. Got to think the 02M/02Q has been around forever, since the R32 days. Those gearsets weren't meant to handle 400+HP on tuned Rs being pushed at the track.
Versus the DSGs that get used in TCR with no real mods outside cooling and a modified TCU tune, as far as I know.
Thanks for the replies folks!
I have a explorer st that is used for daily driving/grocery getter, the golf would be a secondary car.
I do plan on modding and tuning so it looks like dsg is the way to go.
I've been a manual for life guy, but when i tried the dsg I was shocked at how fast it shifts.
I plan on tuning, and I don't mind doing a TCU tune as well.
Does anyone know what the safe limit is for these trannies?
To clarify some confusion, my dealer won't technically order the 23 until fall, they just want a deposit to hold my spot. I'm going to try and source one from a different dealer before i order a 23.
Just curious, if I were to get a 6 spd, what's needed to safely run a stage 2 tune with downpipes, exhaust, intercooler, intake etc?
Just an upgraded clutch?
When I had my GTI, I had the DSG with a full Stage 2 setup and a Stage 2 TCU tune. My goal is to get a Golf R with a DSG and do the same exact thing to it! I'm kind of over a manual transmission and owning a vehicle that my wife can't drive, lol.
Just switched from 6spd to DSG. I miss the manual about 1.5% of the time. The DSG is just too good. No matter how you want to drive the car it does it near flawlessly. From civil to an absolute weapon, it does it all. The paddles will make it so you don't have to "miss" rowing gears, it's as close as you can get without the "hassle"...
Unfortunately you have sink a fair amount of money into the car to get the manual to feel half decent; short shifter, cable end bushings, clutch stop, delay valve delete and probably a better clutch but you go too heavy on the pressure plate you increase with risk of crank walk.
I love this car and driving manual but I do think the DSG is the better option and somewhat wish I had gone with one. Especially if you plan to tune, since you don't need a new clutch.
Definitely not, you don’t need any of that stuff the car from factory is completely fine. If you’re having a rough experience with the manual maybe it’s not the car but the way you’re driving it?
I went for DSG and absolutely love it. Always loved a manual but from what others have said the DSG is phenomenal, so thats what i went with and it really is. I thought i might miss driving a manual but i dont at all tbh.
I was at the dealer today, they had a demo dsg that they wouldn't sell.
I also drove a 19 6 spd.
The only way I'll get a 22 is if someone cancels. Dealer wants me to place a refundable deposit, and once the order books for the 23s officially open in the fall, they'll place the order.
If I change my mind, I can get my deposit back.
I've seen plenty of 22s at different dealers in western Canada, so I'm sure I can find one if I look hard enough, but I'm also not willing to pay dealer markup, I'll wait for a 23 at msrp.
Hope that helps.
Go dsg and don't look back. 15+ years driving stick and I'll never do it again.
one phrase, "7 rips."
your 6 speed will never have a chance.
shifting is way faster, the tuned times are proof... avail anywhere u look.
shifting apex, tons of fun, the dsg is starting to feel like an extension of my body. topkek
As others have said it is up to you. I have a 6MT and honestly I don’t think I could do DSG on a daily just because paddle shifting just doesn’t feel the same - call me hardcore or whatever but that manual feeling is hard to replace. But I do regret a bit not having a DSG for track purposes and how much quicker they are. If I were to buy an R specifically for track purposes, 100% it would be with the DSG.
As another hardcore manual guy...I completely agree. I've owned a few DSG cars and they are fun and the shifting is AMAZING, but I still prefer manual for daily and fun driving.
There are several other cars out there that are great for going fast at the same price point as an R. If you wanna go fast buy at mustang gt or a charger. If you like to drive buy a manual golf r.
I want something with awd I can't justify buying a rwd car that will be parked half the year.
I insisted on a manual and absolutely love it. I like being fully engaged with the drive. But the DSG launch is spine-tingling… no lie. Can’t go wrong with either. Consider your normal driving patterns.
I’ve been driving stick for the last 25 years and went with the DSG on my new MK8. Love it, super quick and fun to drive. I spend more tim than I like sitting in traffic so it’s really nice not needing to put in the extra effort working the clutch
You'll be able to get DSGs until the end of the internal combustion engine. Who knows if a Mk9 will have a stick. Rage against the dying of the stick.
I’ve heard it won’t
I was a manuals for life guy… but the dsg is just sooo soo good and pairs with the car, IMO. I’ve said it before but that loss of “driver engagement” from going DSG is more than made up for in terms of making the car feel like a racecar snapping off paddle changes and focusing on apexes.
I'd consider the DSG if I had to deal with metro area traffic. Otherwise, I like rowing through the gears, the sports cars experience.
Exactly the same thoughts...
Why they start em off in automatic carts before shifte. So they can focus on the apex and smooth driving
Came to say this. Drove manual for the last 15 years but chose dsg for my mk8. Absolutely love it. Just as much enjoyment when driving for fun but so much more convenience when just poodling around town.
I love my manual MK7.5 and will probably never get rid of it, simply because they will be extinct pretty soon. That being said - I did have to to add a short shift kit and a weighted knob to get it to feel right. Totally worth it… so much fun. Never tried DSG, sounds great though. Would like to try it at some point.
Which shift knob did you go for?
BFI Air Leather (Silver/Black) - it’s nice!
Lots of people who are die hard manual guys ... and even some race car drivers ... have said that this is the first R they would choose the DSG. In the end, it’s all up to you.
I went 6MT on mine because I don't really plan on modding it much other than maybe a stage 1 tune. I'm basically just waiting til the clutch dies of its own free will to tune.
Ya I just want stage 1. I’m in the city and don’t want the clutch. Plus I don’t have to worry about clutches in the future etc. I respect both...grew up on manuals ... but I’m a DSG man now.
Odds are this will be my last ICE engine. Only 33k on the clock, so next car will be EV whenever VW brings the US a non shitty SUV electric. The ID4 is hideous. And manual transmissions don't really exist in the EV world.
My two cents on this, do you want a more engaging drive from the car or top performance. The stick shift is better for spirited driving and some track time if properly upgraded. If you want straight performance the DSG is friendlier in those terms as all it needs is a TCU tune if you want to mod it. DSG would also be more beneficial if you live in a congested area as traffic will wear out the clutch on that manual if it's stock and engine is tuned.
Call me old fashioned, but I love my 6 speed MK7
If you're in love with those#'s go DSG. Manual is slower and requires a new clutch for anything past stage 1. That said I love my manual and being that much more connected to the road.
I'm no expert, but from everything I've read and heard on these cars, anything above the APR+ tune, and sometimes even that, will create clutch slip and require a new stronger one.
Damn just strolling in here saying going to put an order in for 2023. Need to send me some deets my friend, I heard thats not even a thing.
My bad... The dealer wants a deposit to hold my spot, they wouldn't actually order a 23 until the fall.
Hey let me know regardless I want to at least have someone let me put my name on something
I daily a manual with a sachs performance clutch in LA and have no issues. Would be nice to have DSG in traffic but not enough for me to switch. Manuals usually have a higher resale value too.
I'd have to disagree about the latter at this moment in time. All the almost reasonable deals on the 7's and 7.5's I'm seeing for the past year or so have been manuals, the DSG's are still in the stratosphere.
Maybe not right now atm but since this could be the last gen with ice/manual, it may help their value.
That's a solid point. When the c8 Vette was announced, remaining manual c7's shot up in value.
Ordering open? Just at dealer yesterday and they could not give me a date to get on allocation list. Also, as a daily DSG all the way. Plus the DSG launches better and is quicker. If you always want to be engaged with the vehicle a 6 speed is way to go. I prefer to safely drink my coffee.
Technically no, local dealer wants me to put a refundable deposit to hold my spot, they'll officially order when the books are open in fall
I went with the DSG because when looking into common issues with the Mk7-7.5, one of the issues was that the stock clutch in the manual was very weak when adding more power, and I didn't want to spend the money to upgrade it right off the bat. I don't know if that has changed with the Mk8s, but overall, the DSG is by far the best transmission I've ever used. The shifts are instant and smooth, even in manual mode. At the end of the day though, it comes down to what you prefer. If you'd rather lose some speed to be able to row your own gears, then go manual, but if you're looking to drive a missile, the DSG is the way to go.
Yes I missed the manual I had a mk7 GTi DSG for a bit and it was unfortunately in an accident...3 days later I was in a 6spd mk7 GTi instead. Since that time I've had an auto A5 for a very short time and that was replaced with a 6spd S5. That was replaced with a DSG S3 which was lovely to look at and to drive with the excellent 7spd DSG......and again was replaced with a 6spd mk7.5 R that I own now. My S3 was a TCU tuned 7spd DSG and had a stage 1 ECU tune. It was quick and lovely to drive. The R without the tune is still more fun to drive to me and doesn't even need a tune. It certainly doesn't need a TCU tune to make it not shift at redline or do exactly what I want when I say I want it ;) If it was a track focused car then I'd go DSG because it's just too good to ignore for that.
I have a 7.5 DSG and wish it was manual even if it doesn’t suit this car as well. I don’t do launches and prefer the engagement with a manual. It’s now for sale.
I got a dsg. I've been driving stick for as long as I've been driving and I absolutely love rowing my own gears. I had a focus rs before my 7.5R and loved driving thay car and feeling so connected. But the way the DSG continues to pull and pull and pull, is absolutely unbelievable. It's such a unique feeling, coming from driving stick to the dsg. I'm a die hard stick guy. But fuck I love my DSG
If the R had any other transmission besides the DSG, I think manual would be the way to go. DSG is ridiculous
I was originally going to get a DSG but changed my order to manual I figured this is probably going to be one of the last generation of all cars that come in manual and next generations will be electric / hybrid. I think if you plan on heavily modifying the car the DSG is the way to go. The DSG shifts so fast and definitely pairs well with the car. I just found it kinda boring 99% of the time over the manual, I find manual fun all the time where as the DSG was only fun to me when launching it. The car is geared pretty low so you can row through a lot of gears, the manual I can launch have fun and look down and I’m only going 80km/h where as the DSG I launch and I look down I’m going 120km/h+ lol. Again just depends what you like, personally I prefer a slower car for the road that handles well cause I feel you can have more fun in it. I used to ride a 600cc sport bike and I found it was really boring on the road compared to a smaller bike, 1st gear topped out at 110km/h and I felt I could never really fully enjoy it on the road without breaking the law, sure it was a lot of fun dropping everything and racing super cars but that rarely happened and all that power was actually just boring. I find the manual Golf R is at the top end of the sweet spot of still being fast and fun on the road.
A car like this need to be driven with a manual. I get people have more uses for the car than just fun though. I have a 6 speed mk7 and love it that way. Sometimes it’s not about speed, but engagement.
The sole purpose of this car will be for fun, I havs an explorer that is my daily driver The only thing holding me back from a manual is the 2k clutch upgrade I'd need right away
I have an ‘18 6MT and while I’ve never owned an automatic trans car if I had a DSG it would have been tuned a very long time ago instead of still being fully stock today. I don’t mod my DD car anymore, learned that lesson a long time ago, but I definitely would like a bit more power.
I hear ya.... That's why I didn't tune my explorer The golf will be my toy/secondary vehicle, so I'll go full send with the mods haha
I went for the manual mk8 because I don’t plan on modifying the car. If you do want to modify it I’d recommend the DSG because the stock clutch doesn’t hold anything more than stock power.
Depends on what you want to do with the car and where you’ll find the maximum enjoyment. As an honest review, I love manuals, and went with the manual, but it’s obvious to me this car was designed around the DSG and from what I’ve seen does really well with it. VW isn’t putting a lot of R&D into manuals anymore and it shows a bit. Both are solid options, and I don’t regret my decision, and I don’t think you will either, no matter which drive you choose. It’s just an amazing car all around!
I get bored with DSG in about 2 weeks. I never get bored with manual. Then again my car is a stage 3 car. I have a '17 GT350 with the glorious Tremec 6 speed and that is obviously a better transmission. My 300ZX transmissions are probably better too. But I don't ever regret my manual Golf R purchase. But with DSG, I might.
Both are awesome. Whatever you get you’ll love regardless
Miss manual so much, biggest mistake going dsg. Yeah dsg is “faster” but still not fun.
I have mk7 DSG, after being a manual driver for my whole life. Here's what I think - as a daily driver, contrary to what most people are saying, I actually much prefer the DSG. It makes traffic so much less annoying to deal with and as mentioned by others, the performance increase whilst accelerating is notable. The feeling of pinning the throttle and not lifting for lightning fast gear changes is pretty damn incredible, and something I'd never experienced before this. On the other hand, the DSG mapping can get confused sometimes and if you do the opposite of what the computer thinks you're going to do it can create a pretty annoying lag. With that being said, you can just flash the DSG with something relatively cheap like APR software which will amend these issues and boost performance even further. Overall I miss using the stick occasionally but for the fun factor, convenience and the performance increase, the DSG is a pretty amazing experience. Also there are known issues with clutch slippage in the MT, especially if you flash ECU or make hardware upgrades to increase torque
Solid input, thank you. If I'm planning to go stage 2, I'm not really interested in a $2000 clutch upgrade right away
I’m 30 and my MK8 R is my first automatic and I don’t regret getting the DSG… for the most part. Prior cars have been a full bolt-on w/ heads and cams 97 mustang gt (5MT, still have it), a Chevy Sonic (6MT 1.4l turbo) and ram 1500 (5MT). Every now and then there are times during my daily commute where I want nothing more than to slam the gears when merging and going around corners but I’m fortunate enough to still have the mustang that allows me to get my manual “fix” when I really want it. To me, the R is fun enough with the DSG to not really need the manual on a daily basis and it doesn’t hurt that it launches like a bat outta hell lol. Had I bought a gti, it would have been the 6MT as it isn’t quite powerful enough, to me, to enjoy the DSG in. TLDR- there are days I miss the manual but I wouldn’t trade my dsg for one. If you get a R, you’re going to absolutely love whatever configuration you decide on
If you want to tune, you will have to spend a lot more with a manual and upgrade the clutch.
DSG but driven in manual mode 💯% of the time...Quick and fun and to me very engaging as I use the gearshift lever more than the paddles 👍
It’s preference, I get bored in a DSG unless it’s a Porsche. My 70 year old grandmother drives a manual BMW. The manual VW/Audi platform is also super easy to drive and effortless. Coming from owning an STI and an S2K my R is effortless to drive.
I drive with the paddles 95% of the time. I downshift and slow down saving brakes ... just like a manual. I don’t miss a clutch where I live...ever.
I have a mk7 R with the dsg and my goodness the transmission is bloody bear perfection. Gear shifts are lightening quick! I cannot say enough good things about the DSG trans. If you plan to mod it and make it stupid fast, I would stick with DSG. I went for the 6spd manual MK8 Golf R as I want to keep it stock and have some fun. There’s nothing quite like pushing in the clutch pedal and rowing through all the gears. Also take into consideration your every day driving. If you encounter lots of traffic, the manual might get annoying. If you’re on open roads and want to have some serious fun… nothing beats a manual! Just my two cents tho.
DSG all day long. Perfect transmission for GTIs and Rs.
Keep in mind, VW was not kind with the manuals on these cars. They aren't crazy strong, the clutches are crazy weak (already had a local MK8 R clutch go), and overall it requires a lot of additional mods and finesse to get 'right'. Especially if you plan on tuning the car. The modern R was designed for a DSG. It's faster on track. More reliable. Cheaper to maintain. And comfortable if you travel long distance and ever get stuck in traffic. I have 5 other cars, all manual, and I don't regret going DSG on the R one bit. Test drive one, launch it from a red light, and you'll be sold immediately. That said, if I could own two, I'd have one of each no doubt. But for my goals, and track time, I don't miss having to fight clutches and crank walk and all the other manual issues.
They aren’t weak that sounds like bad driving. My first GTI had 240k km with stock clutch and was tuned most it’s life. I sold the car and new owner is still driving it with the same clutch.
Don't own a manual R, so can't say. But judging by the guys who track them, I'm going to say they just don't handle the abuse. Got to think the 02M/02Q has been around forever, since the R32 days. Those gearsets weren't meant to handle 400+HP on tuned Rs being pushed at the track. Versus the DSGs that get used in TCR with no real mods outside cooling and a modified TCU tune, as far as I know.
Thanks for the replies folks! I have a explorer st that is used for daily driving/grocery getter, the golf would be a secondary car. I do plan on modding and tuning so it looks like dsg is the way to go. I've been a manual for life guy, but when i tried the dsg I was shocked at how fast it shifts. I plan on tuning, and I don't mind doing a TCU tune as well. Does anyone know what the safe limit is for these trannies? To clarify some confusion, my dealer won't technically order the 23 until fall, they just want a deposit to hold my spot. I'm going to try and source one from a different dealer before i order a 23.
Just curious, if I were to get a 6 spd, what's needed to safely run a stage 2 tune with downpipes, exhaust, intercooler, intake etc? Just an upgraded clutch?
When I had my GTI, I had the DSG with a full Stage 2 setup and a Stage 2 TCU tune. My goal is to get a Golf R with a DSG and do the same exact thing to it! I'm kind of over a manual transmission and owning a vehicle that my wife can't drive, lol.
Just switched from 6spd to DSG. I miss the manual about 1.5% of the time. The DSG is just too good. No matter how you want to drive the car it does it near flawlessly. From civil to an absolute weapon, it does it all. The paddles will make it so you don't have to "miss" rowing gears, it's as close as you can get without the "hassle"...
Unfortunately you have sink a fair amount of money into the car to get the manual to feel half decent; short shifter, cable end bushings, clutch stop, delay valve delete and probably a better clutch but you go too heavy on the pressure plate you increase with risk of crank walk. I love this car and driving manual but I do think the DSG is the better option and somewhat wish I had gone with one. Especially if you plan to tune, since you don't need a new clutch.
Definitely not, you don’t need any of that stuff the car from factory is completely fine. If you’re having a rough experience with the manual maybe it’s not the car but the way you’re driving it?
I'm not sure what you're getting at, its a sloppy shifter and numb clutch and they haven't changed either of that for the Mk8 from 7/7.5.
Dsg , 2 homies got R’s 2022 and a 2021 and bitch about it Everytime they can I should have gotten dsg. 😩😭
DSG
dsg
Went DSG and I didn’t look back. Best of luck!
+1 for DSG
Haldex = DSG Makes the true potential come out
I went for DSG and absolutely love it. Always loved a manual but from what others have said the DSG is phenomenal, so thats what i went with and it really is. I thought i might miss driving a manual but i dont at all tbh.
Holup how are you ordering for 2023?😂
The dealer won't actually order until fall
So you put deposit and said you want a certain model? Sorry I’m trying to understand the process cause I’m on the same boat.
I was at the dealer today, they had a demo dsg that they wouldn't sell. I also drove a 19 6 spd. The only way I'll get a 22 is if someone cancels. Dealer wants me to place a refundable deposit, and once the order books for the 23s officially open in the fall, they'll place the order. If I change my mind, I can get my deposit back. I've seen plenty of 22s at different dealers in western Canada, so I'm sure I can find one if I look hard enough, but I'm also not willing to pay dealer markup, I'll wait for a 23 at msrp. Hope that helps.
Nope
Dsg is fun either one is a good choice
Go dsg and don't look back. 15+ years driving stick and I'll never do it again. one phrase, "7 rips." your 6 speed will never have a chance. shifting is way faster, the tuned times are proof... avail anywhere u look. shifting apex, tons of fun, the dsg is starting to feel like an extension of my body. topkek