Octavia vRS only available in DSG

2shea

Looks like the VRS diesel will now only be available in DSG from now on, so starting price of €37k+ big jump from when I got mine in 2016 at about €33k

bazz26

DSG is nothing to be afraid of. Manual gearboxes will become a rarity on cars in the not too distant future imo.

GustavoFring

Dsg makes a nicer car out of them anyway.

lawred2

Are the premias for auto gearboxes another Irish phenomena or are they replicated across other markets in the EU?

LollipopJimmy

You'd want your head checking if you ordered that car in manual. The DSG box is excellent

2shea

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

You'd want your head checking if you ordered that car in manual. The DSG box is excellent

I my current one is manual, next one will be DSG, no option now anyway. The DSG is excellent

Carsanal

2shea wrote: »

I my current one is manual, next one will be DSG, no option now anyway. The DSG is excellent

Just came in here thinking it was the kodiak thread.
Personally I love manual in a performance car and in something like a vRS diesel I'd be looking for manual.

I think it makes the sporty powerful experience even better!

2shea

Carsanal wrote: »

Just came in here thinking it was the kodiak thread.
Personally I love manual in a performance car and in something like a vRS diesel I'd be looking for manual.

I think it makes the sporty powerful experience even better!

Have you tried the DSG?

Carsanal

2shea wrote: »

Have you tried the DSG?

I drove a friends gti golf before with it.
Besides it being an astonishingly quick car and probably too fast for Irish roads, I still think a manual would add something more to the experience.

nim1bdeh38l2cw

Carsanal wrote: »

I still think a manual would add something more to the experience.

RSI in your left arm?

vectra

2shea wrote: »

Looks like the VRS diesel will now only be available in DSG from now on, so starting price of €37k+ big jump from when I got mine in 2016 at about €33k

Even a bigger jump up since I bought my first one in 2010.
As far as I remember it was around 29k .

Guy:Incognito

Carsanal wrote: »

, I still think a manual would add something more to the experience.

I suppose slowing it down a bit would count as adding to the experience.


I'd hazard a guess that upwards of 99% of drivers don't know the optimum time to change gears and 100% of them can't do it as quick as the car can itself.

2shea

vectra wrote: »

Even a bigger jump up since I bought my first one in 2010.
As far as I remember it was around 29k .

Seat FR with the same 184bhp TDI engine is around the 30k price point now. It's funny as they only do that engine in manual with no DSG option. But it is available on the 150bhp engine.

vectra

2shea wrote: »

Seat FR with the same 184bhp TDI engine is around the 30k price point now. It's funny as they only do that engine in manual with no DSG option. But it is available on the 150bhp engine.

Yeah,
I found that strange as well
150/dsg
184/manual.

SaintsYB

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

You'd want your head checking if you ordered that car in manual. The DSG box is excellent

You say that but nearly every Golf GTD on the road is a manual! I think I'd have to take a DSG myself though.

2shea

SaintsYB wrote: »

You say that but nearly every Golf GTD on the road is a manual! I think I'd have to take a DSG myself though.

The fact that DCT costs about 2k extra may be a factor in this also

SaintsYB

2shea wrote: »

The fact that DCT costs about 2k extra may be a factor in this also

Yeah, I imagine that's the main one. If the manual and DSG were the same price, I'd say about 75% of people would go for the DSG.

68 lost souls

Manual was cheaper tax is probably some of the reason people went for it on the diesel. Keeping my eye out for a nice dsg golf at the moment. It makes the adaptive cruise control function better

Casati

Carsanal wrote: »

Just came in here thinking it was the kodiak thread.
Personally I love manual in a performance car and in something like a vRS diesel I'd be looking for manual.

I think it makes the sporty powerful experience even better!

I agree, but WLTP has put an end to a lot of models. The 4x4 RS is no more too

2shea

Casati wrote: »

I agree, but WLTP has put an end to a lot of models. The 4x4 RS is no more too

So how is this WLTP effecting car models and sales? I don't understand it at all.

Casati

2shea wrote: »

So how is this WLTP effecting car models and sales? I don't understand it at all.

The biggest problem is that manufacturers cannot test cars fast enough, so are eliminating the number of models to test. Also they are eliminating cars that will perform badly under WLTP ie have a massive Co2 increase. They also will need to trim down options that impact Co2, so big wheel options, sunroofs will start to be dropped off option lists

Phase one is kicking in now but phase two will be more serious and will result in emissions up to 20% higher than current, resulting in higher vrt. If you want a new car in 2019/2020 plan to buy it in 2019

Cookie_Monster

Casati wrote: »

I agree, but WLTP has put an end to a lot of models. The 4x4 RS is no more too

This is a big factor and a pain in the ass. However despite it I was able to get a manual in my ordered rs245 and it's a my19. Still had to order in Aug rather than next Jan to ensure I got it though. Built this week but still at least 10 weeks to get here.
I'd never get a dsg box in this type of car, takes half the experience away. I also really dislike the feel of dsg, particularly on the amarok where it never stops changing gears

We had at least two customers who had a car they had ordered be deleted because of it, thankfully they were ok paying a bit more for a higher spec replacement rather that cancelling. Should be better for us now though as anything built in Europe but not sold before the deadline ewill flood international markets instead.

MidMan25

Have a manual petrol VRS. Would have seriously considered the DSG but the reviews were heavily against it in my particular model.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

This is a big factor and a pain in the ass. However despite it I was able to get a manual in my ordered rs245 and it's a my19. Still had to order in Aug rather than next Jan to ensure I got it though. Built this week but still at least 10 weeks to get here.
I'd never get a dsg box in this type of car, takes half the experience away. I also really dislike the feel of dsg, particularly on the amarok where it never stops changing gears

We had at least two customers who had a car they had ordered be deleted because of it, thankfully they were ok paying a bit more for a higher spec replacement rather that cancelling. Should be better for us now though as anything built in Europe but not sold before the deadline ewill flood international markets instead.

Welcome to the club

SaintsYB

I thought I'd seen the first Kodiaq RS today then realised after a while of looking at it that the owner just stuck on some RS badges onto the front and back.

punisher5112

SaintsYB wrote: »

I thought I'd seen the first Kodiaq RS today then realised after a while of looking at it that the owner just stuck on some RS badges onto the front and back.

I could never understand what goes through ones pea sized brain to do this.

Effects

Carsanal wrote: »

Personally I love manual in a performance car and in something like a vRS diesel I'd be looking for manual.
I think it makes the sporty powerful experience even better!

The DSG has a manual mode. Just use that all the time and when you feel lazy switch over to auto.

SaintsYB

punisher5112 wrote: »

I could never understand what goes through ones pea sized brain to do this.

That reminds me, I was out at the Mazda dealer in Wexford getting his CX5 serviced and we're looking around the yard. They had a 520d estate for sale (presumably just taken in) that had a M5 badge on the back. I just had to laugh.

colm_mcm

Somebody told me the A4 diesel was only available in auto for the time being too?

tossy

colm_mcm wrote: »

Somebody told me the A4 diesel was only available in auto for the time being too?

Another performance car ruined so.

ba_barabus

tossy wrote: »

Another performance car ruined so.

Shows what you know. The RS4 TDI120bhp is miles better with a DSG badge.

V8 Interceptor

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

I suppose slowing it down a bit would count as adding to the experience. I'd hazard a guess that upwards of 99% of drivers don't know the optimum time to change gears and 100% of them can't do it as quick as the car can itself.

But does that really have much to do with adding to the experience? He probably means the joy of driving a manual around windy roads etc as opposed to getting to 60 a half second quicker.

Zubeneschamali

Carsanal wrote: »

Personally I love manual in a performance car and in something like a vRS diesel I'd be looking for manual.

I think it makes the sporty powerful experience even better!

I drive a VRs diesel, and it is not a sporty powerful performance car.

It is a roomy, comfy family hatchback with reasonable (if noisy) straight line power.

cpoh1

The evolution of the octavia VRS has been very interesting in the last decade or so. Its gone from an alternative, cheap and decent performance machine with practicality to a mundane saloon that is indistinguishable from all the other exec saloons out there both from a performance and looks perspective. 
With the DSG becoming the only option its another step in that direction from Skoda. I have a DSG diesel VW and adore it - its super smooth, cruisey and makes the car more refined than an equivalent manual. Not what was originally envisaged for the Octavia VRS.
There is no doubt the DSG is a super system - ive driven a mates Golf R with DSG and its a lovely drive but would prefer a decent manual any day of the week.

Henry Ford III

A contact was at Autotranz recently and they said the DSG boxes are far from bulletproof.

Henry Ford III

By way of balance they won't even touch a Ford Powershift box. Nor would I btw.

Zubeneschamali

Henry Ford III wrote: »

A contact was at Autotranz recently and they said the DSG boxes are far from bulletproof.

I remember hearing stories of expensive issues back in the days of Golf Mk V, not so many recently.

I have a manual just because it costs less. 30+ years driving a manual means I don't even notice gears, don't think about shifting, it all happens subconsciously, so I don't see the point of an auto.

It's possible that like cruise control I would get used to it and then miss it if the next car didn't have it, but it's also possible that it would be like auto-wipers - a gadget that does something I already do without thinking, whose only possible function is to break down.

Effects

Henry Ford III wrote: »

A contact was at Autotranz recently and they said the DSG boxes are far from bulletproof.

Some of the earlier ones certainly had problems. I had a 2008 that gave me trouble, mainly due to it not being serviced correctly before I had it.

Autotranz made a pretty bad and expensive job of trying to correct the problem, only to fob it off with excuses, and in the end I had to get it sorted properly elsewhere.

Henry Ford III

Effects wrote: »

Some of the earlier ones certainly had problems. I had a 2008 that gave me trouble, mainly due to it not being serviced correctly before I had it.

Autotranz made a pretty bad and expensive job of trying to correct the problem, only to fob it off with excuses, and in the end I had to get it sorted properly elsewhere.

Just remembered it was the 7 speed ones specifically they mentioned.

My contact was up there getting a rebuild on a VAG CVT box (not a great unit at the best of times).

To be fair after the work was done there was a tiny fluid leak and they whipped the box out and fixed it pretty quickly.

Mc Love

Have heard the same about the 7 speed DSG myself

Zubeneschamali

Mc Love wrote: »

Have heard the same about the 7 speed DSG myself

Aren't they all 7 speed now?

g1983d

Been buying Skoda's for years, 1st one in 1996, but I'm afraid my current one is my last.

Even the standard Octavia is gone mad price wise and coupled with the depreciation they are no longer good value.

The style Octavia has increased in price by 3k from 2016 and with the finance rate being 2.9% your adding another 1500 to the cost. Depreciation of 11k makes upgrading the car by 3 years cost 15.5k which is nearly the price of the 1st Octavia I bought in 1998 :-(

Zubeneschamali

g1983d wrote: »

Even the standard Octavia is gone mad price wise and coupled with the depreciation they are no longer good value.

Spec up a Golf GTD to the same level as a VRs, and it'll be €10K dearer. Looks like value to me.

grogi

Carsanal wrote: »

Just came in here thinking it was the kodiak thread.
Personally I love manual in a performance car and in something like a vRS diesel I'd be looking for manual.

I think it makes the sporty powerful experience even better!

If it was a vRS petrol, I could play along and say that manual is fun. But not in the tractor...

Effects

Henry Ford III wrote: »

To be fair after the work was done there was a tiny fluid leak and they whipped the box out and fixed it pretty quickly.

Mine was left practically unable to drive. They blamed some other engine parts, which I spent a load on replacing. Ended up having to get someone else to change the mechatronics box, which was the problem all along, as I'd told them. Dealing with it nearly broke my heart, and my wallet.

colm_mcm

I wouldn’t be using a Golf GTD as a yardstick of value, but I can see why you made the comparison.

Henry Ford III

Effects wrote: »

Mine was left practically unable to drive. They blamed some other engine parts, which I spent a load on replacing. Ended up having to get someone else to change the mechatronics box, which was the problem all along, as I'd told them. Dealing with it nearly broke my heart, and my wallet.

Gearbox ECU was changed on that CVT box also. Not a cheap fix ontop of the rebuild cost. Seems to be ok now though.

Zubeneschamali

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Gearbox ECU was changed on that CVT box also. Not a cheap fix ontop of the rebuild cost. Seems to be ok now though.

Not sure why we're talking about a CVT issue, that is an entirely different animal, nothing in common with a DSG box.

Henry Ford III

Zubeneschamali wrote:

Not sure why we're talking about a CVT issue, that is an entirely different animal, nothing in common with a DSG box.

It's because that issue led to Autotranz in Ballymount who made comment on the DSG Boxes.

ION08

4 pages and nobody has mentioned the fact that manufacturers are now moving away from DSG's/Dual Clutch Autos?

Audi certainly seems to be favoring ZF Torque Converters over their previous S-tronic offerings.

8 speed ZF's are now being fitted to S and RS models and are said to be smoother with better drivability and actually Launch harder than DSG boxes.

Someone mentioned that Manual will become a rarity in the future ... id say that DSG will become even more of a rarity tbh!

zilog_jones

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

I have a manual just because it costs less. 30+ years driving a manual means I don't even notice gears, don't think about shifting, it all happens subconsciously, so I don't see the point of an auto.

I used to feel the same until I started regularly driving automatics, then I realised what a pointless carry-on it was. For normal day-to-day driving a manual box adds nothing to the experience, it's just a pain in the arse in heavy traffic, and makes cruise control less useful.

I wouldn't mind a manual for a nice classic or sports car for the weekends, but for a daily driver? Never going back.

Zubeneschamali

zilog_jones wrote: »

I wouldn't mind a manual for a nice classic or sports car for the weekends, but for a daily driver? Never going back.

I'm not saying a manual adds anything to the driving experience, just that I have an automatic of sorts already - my brain does it all for me without me thinking about it.