Earlier this year, I broke twenty-three years of habit and bought a car, known as Herman.
Why did I choose this car? Well the main driver, if you’ll pardon the pun, was the gearbox. Audi call it “S-tronic“, but it’s essentially a dual-clutch semi-automatic gearbox generally known as DSG with variants used in the Bugatti Veyron and Nissan GT-R.
Many cars have this transmission (eg Golf), but other factors (wife, style, etc) brought us to the S-Line A3 2.0 TFSI.
Anyways, said transmission gives you all the usual benefits of an auto, but also better fuel economy and better performance, but you do lose a certain element of control.
So today, when I popped out to get a mop and bucket (as you do), I went on a 86 mile round trip finding roads that might make a full auto a bit boring, and to see how Herman and I cope when keeping it in manual.
These were my concerns:
- Being effectively sequential, it will be difficult to shift down from 4th to 1st quickly enough when approaching a hairpin.Well, it turns out, in manual mode, you can shift quickly down through multiple gears if you get the timing right on the steering wheel paddles. Think about single click vs double click on your mouse.
- When slowing for a junction/corner, the gearbox will decide to shift down, just at the point you need power.This happens a lot when in full auto sport mode, but doesn’t in manual, so that’s good. Although it does if it’s about to stall, also good.
- With preselected next gear change in a few milliseconds, you can’t change gear slowly.True, but I don’t think it’s that bad, you can change up and power off at the same time, which is effectively the same thing.
- Without manual control of the clutch, you can’t get optimal control in a fast start.True, but I doubt I could do a better job that Herman anyway, and the Launch Control feature is an absolute hoot.
- Changing gear with steering wheel paddles might make you think you playing a game.Yea, but games are fun, right?
So my nagging fears over whether this is the right gearbox for me have been allayed. Hurrah!
Update: in answer to the question posted in the title: Yes, I think you are in control, if you want to be. In fact, because of preselection, you probably have more control as you don’t have to wonder when the gear will actually engage as you would with a manual.
2 Comments
This is all very well, but do you see driving as a skill or a utility? If you wish to create music, you can buy a bontempi organ which, with a few button presses, can provide chords and backing to any tune you see fit to play, yet if you purchase a steinway piano, you get none of this, but a _much_ better end result (if you have the skill). The smart guy uses a hammer to bash in the nails rather than his hand, but where do you draw the line between letting the machine do it and taking control yourself?
Fair comment, although even with a modern manual you’ve got synchromesh, rev-limiters, power-assisted steering and brakes.
I don’t think I’ll ever go down the path of the torque converter though - that’s an instrument of pure evil.
Interesting question on where to draw the line.
I can go full auto, esp, traction control, but choose not to when I want involvement.
I can use cruise control, but choose not to, although it can be amusing to use it in slow city traffic
I can turn my lights and wipers on manually when it’s dark/rains, but … ah, actually, I never do that manually..
I suppose it’s nice to have choice.
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