DSG on hills and parking

**MrGadget** · 11-02-2009, 08:35 AM

Hi, as a potential GTI DSG owner I have been reading alot about the DSG and one thing that got me a bit nervous was how the DSG behaves when stationary on a hill (eg traffic lights) and when reverse parking.

I have read that the car will rollback when the brake is released and its hard to take off smoothly because 'you quickly put you foot on the accelerator' to avoid this roll back. Is this really a concern? I should note that my wife (automatic transmission driver) will be driving the car 90% of the time.

Reverse parking (especially on a hill) seems to be a challenege also from what I have heard. Is this because to avoid roll back you need to press the accelerator and you may press it too hard to go up the incline and risk hitting the car infront? it seems that reverse sensors are almost a requirement so you know how much rollback occurs and you can quickly brake to avoid rolling into the car behind.

Having said all this, i also read that if you trust the DSG it will actually only rollback a inch or so.

What happens when stopped on a flat road and release the brake, does it move forward slowly like a normal auto or does it just sit there waiting for the driver to press on the accelerator.

Thanks guys, just trying to understand the pros and cons of the DSG. I'm going to test drive one this weekend.

**GTI32** · 11-02-2009, 08:59 AM

I have an MY09 which has hill assist. So if you are considering buying new, this should not be a problem for you.

Cheers

**VW Convert** · 11-02-2009, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by MrGadget

Hi, as a potential GTI DSG owner I have been reading alot about the DSG and one thing that got me a bit nervous was how the DSG behaves when stationary on a hill (eg traffic lights) and when reverse parking.

I have read that the car will rollback when the brake is released and its hard to take off smoothly because 'you quickly put you foot on the accelerator' to avoid this roll back. Is this really a concern? I should note that my wife (automatic transmission driver) will be driving the car 90% of the time.

Reverse parking (especially on a hill) seems to be a challenege also from what I have heard. Is this because to avoid roll back you need to press the accelerator and you may press it too hard to go up the incline and risk hitting the car infront? it seems that reverse sensors are almost a requirement so you know how much rollback occurs and you can quickly brake to avoid rolling into the car behind.

Having said all this, i also read that if you trust the DSG it will actually only rollback a inch or so.

What happens when stopped on a flat road and release the brake, does it move forward slowly like a normal auto or does it just sit there waiting for the driver to press on the accelerator.

Thanks guys, just trying to understand the pros and cons of the DSG. I'm going to test drive one this weekend.

As GTI32 has said, the current model has a hill hold facility not fitted to earlier models. There is a knack to driving earlier models and yes it is disconcerting that when you take your foot off the accelerator on a hill it does roll an inch or so before the clutch takes up and it is difficult to build up trust in the DSG to do this. I've adjusted to the characterisitics of the DSG and can do hill starts with no problems, but I sometimes use the handbrake if I'm on a very steep hill just as a precaution.

The DSG will creep forward like a conventional auto on the flat, parking is actually quite easy as you do not need throttle at all.

All said, I'm a great fan of the DSG.

Cheers

George

**MrGadget** · 11-02-2009, 11:18 AM

Thanks, that eases my concerns. I'll just have to make sure that VW are selling MY09 models on the runout and not MY08 models. Is the GTI (and R32) the only golf models with an AUX input? This seems a little strange to me not have this simple (but useful) feature in lower models too.

I am considering the GT Golfs if I can't get a good price on the GTI but the extra grunt and features of the GTI seem to be worth more than the price between the GT and GTI.

Even fuel consumption on the GTI (on paper) is better than my MY05 121Kw Subaru Liberty, although it does require 98 ron.

**CatonaPC©** · 11-02-2009, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by GTI32

I have an MY09 which has hill assist. So if you are considering buying new, this should not be a problem for you.

Cheers

+1 on that. The DSG works fine.

**Paul_OH** · 11-02-2009, 12:52 PM

Even with the non hill hold models hill takeoffs can be done smoothly with no rollback. If you 'ease' off the brake the DSG will slowly take up the pressure and hold position or crawl forward. If you lift off the brake quickly the software takes a short time to find the friction point to hold probably 100mm or so? It's discnocerting the first time but you get used to it pretty quickly.
Otherwise the handbrake works well and allows the DSG to take up pressure and away you go!

As mentioned already MY09 models have this issue sussed so you shouldn't have an issue

Paul

**GTom** · 11-02-2009, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by MrGadget

Thanks, that eases my concerns. I'll just have to make sure that VW are selling MY09 models on the runout and not MY08 models. Is the GTI (and R32) the only golf models with an AUX input? This seems a little strange to me not have this simple (but useful) feature in lower models too.

I am considering the GT Golfs if I can't get a good price on the GTI but the extra grunt and features of the GTI seem to be worth more than the price between the GT and GTI.

Even fuel consumption on the GTI (on paper) is better than my MY05 121Kw Subaru Liberty, although it does require 98 ron.

Have alook around saw some at drive away prices of 39990 for the GTI DSG (2k extra than the GT TSI DSG and i think close to the same price as the GT TDI DSG????)

Both are good cars.... theres a thread in here somewhere about who wants what from the GT and GTI