I previously posted here regarding me purchasing a new car early next year. However, while I've been looking around the various car sites I stumbled upon this rather nice local TT. Apart from it not really having 4 seats or being particularly good on the mpg front, it does look rather nice.

The question is, does anyone have experience of a DSG box?

Are they thirstier, slower etc with a DSG?

I had a Passat estate tdi with dsg.
Fantastic gearbox,smooth and quick changing with optional semi auto via gearstick.
Made such a big car enjoyable to drive. I believe they do fail and do have very big bills so gearbox maintenance is key.

They do fail. My company car VW Golf, maintained by the main dealer lunched its box at 3year old/80k. Some £6k of bills (box and control unit). Won't be going VW again, it had alreadyy snapped a drive shaft at 65k.

Thanks guys. I think I'll avoid a DSG if I go down the VAG route.

I had the DSG in my Golf R32 which is the same engine I assume. It really suited it as it had plenty of power/torque and just cruised along. Check it's had the Haldex/DSG oil done on schedule. It's each 40K or time based or at least was on the Golf. I really loved the DSG and it made the car for me.

There are horror stories, but many are utterly reliable. More often than not it was the Mechatronic box that failed which can be repaired for £300.

As ever, it's buy on condition with these. The box should be perfectly smooth. If not walk away.

Riding my DSG really hard every day hasn't failed in 160,000 km yet. And still feels like the day i bought it.

It's a a3 3.2 quattro

Indeed don't believe all the horror stories they are around but aren't there always horror stories about cars. I personally think it's more the owner not taking good care of the car.

For instance we know that the belts needs to changed on our cars and we know why this is.

But if somebody ask on for instance on fiatforum about the coupe "is the coupe a good car and how about the belts". Most will shout they s*ck. And on a none fiat forum even worse things are called.

So moral of the story buy a TT with DSG. It's fun especially with the flippy pedals.

Not aways

Whats the budget?

Buy this, look after it and get your money back in a few years...

Linky

I have two Skoda tdi' both with DSG boxes an no problems as yet, my estate has nearly 120k on the clock so will need its 3rd gearbox oil change shortly. My VRS hatch has the paddle change also and is great fun when you want to play!
Service history is important but they are great boxes and deliver fast smooth changes.

My dad's 2011 golf had dsg and whilst it was a fantastic auto, it used to have a slight lag between throttle and the power actually being delivered. I used to spun the wheels coming away from junctions. Im sure he said that this was intentional on VW's behalf and it was explained in honest John's column in the Telegraph's motoring mag but I can't remember now why it was?!

Treat yourself and get the box separately covered under a warranty? I hear the dsg is fine if serviced correctly.I'm looking for a Audi S4 cabriolet with a warranty to cover any big bills.ie the death rattle.

Like I said, I've got one, and won't do it again. No matter if I (my company) were unlucky, it has picked up significant bills it shouldn't have. If I'd paid £20k+ for a motor, I would not expect to pick up £6k in bills within 3 years.

I am so tempted to go for a 3.2 TT but the TT forums have really put me off.

Firstly the 3.2 timing chain. It seems they can stretch and the advice generally seems to be that you should plug in a VAG com and read the sensor parameters BEFORE you buy one. If they indicate the chain has stretched it must be changed, which is rather expensive. Having said that we own a Fiat Coupé so should be quite used to that. Apparently the chain change requires the gearbox to come off too. Then again a failure would be a lot more expensive than replacing. It concerns me a bit that there are so many 3.2's for sale.... How many owners have noted that their chains are close to being worn out and are looking to get shot?

Then there is the DSG. The TT's have a "WET" clutch set up and these do seem to be, if you believe forum chatter, more problematic than the later 7 speed "DRY" clutch type.

But the 3.2 can be found with a manual gearbox, which should half the risk, but I've yet to see one with low miles

Over the weekend I've been doing quite a lot of 'researching' and like BB have noticed a lot of talk about stretched Timing chains on the 3.2

I think with that and the worry over maintenance costs I'll be dropping the DSG version of the TT from my thoughts. Still interested in the 225bhp TT though.

Strange, it does get mentioned on the R32 forums, but I wouldn't say it's seen as a given. I understand the cost to replace is about £500.

I had the 3.2 tt in the manual. Fantastic car. Great noise. But the road tax on the manual for some reason was £500!! DSG with same engine was 250! How does that work? Any way got rid in the end road tax and mpg didn't suit my life style so swapped it for a countryman cooper sd.

That is the case for the later 06-14 model but it's not so simple for the older 99-06 model. All 3.2's registered prior to March 2006 are £290 but both versions when registered after March 2006 hit the £490 bracket!

I've seen a 3.2 DSG for sale which looks really tidy but it has not sold and has now been re-listed three times. The mileage is a little high but the price keeps dropping so it is becoming tempting

There is a really nice 180hp one owner TT Quattro that looks immaculate too. I just know I would always question why I didn't get a 225 if I bought it though.... There are also two Quattro SPORT editions for sale which are not too far away. If I bought one of those though that would push me to sell the Coupé..

Basic TT Buying Info

And a bit more..

Thanks Bob, very useful.

From the brief descriptions, these 2 look pretty good.....

89K TT

94K TT

I would take the DSG "lady owner" TT

THIS ONE looks nice but RED seats

And THIS ONE is quite local but this time it's the outside colour...

Or, do I push the budget and go for a TT-2?

Wouldn't leave much for upgrades at the TT shop though

Hmmm. I would have said that the original TT was such a fresh, iconic design to go for the MkI, but the TT-2 is a much more modern and refined car. It's also a fair bit quicker as standard, so you wouldn't need to spend as much on performance or reliability...

Yikes!!!!

I think I could just about live with the red interior, but the orange one

The TT-2s look like all the other new Audis. From the front it could be an A2, A3, A4 etc.

MK1 for me.

Here you go Bob, this one sounds pretty good.

If it was March 2016, I'd be test driving it.....

For me the newer car looks far nicer from the front but it is uglier from the back!

Inside the TT-2 looks much more modern but in being so it looses much of the quirky charm that made the Mk1 so unusual. indeed when you sit inside the TT-2 you could almost be in an A3, something that you could never say in the earlier car.

I have now looked at loads of different cars at the dealers and traders. Trouble is I've got a wide budget so have been looking at the top end and also bargain basement. I usually enjoy keeping the prices down and buying "a work hack." But I'm thinking what the heck, I've got several years until I retire so why not spend a bit more and get something a bit different. I did live with a Alfa 166 for several years and despite how impractical it was I loved it with all it's toys. But there is no real need for four doors anymore and the car will mainly be for commuting so I think I've now parked the "Big Car" thoughts.

I've not had a hot hatch since the Scirocco GTX so something like a Punto sporting or the Abarth looks tempting. But hot hatches can be tiresome when you just want to cruise. So although I still don't really know what I want, I do keep getting drawn to the GT style cars and the TT especially. I favour the 3.2 version because it has instant power and is generally less demanding to drive, especially with the Auto. I worry that the 225 or 240 TT's would be like driving the Coupé every day whereas the 3.2 would be more like the 166 which, as I already said, I loved.

But I could also go totally sensible and get a much more modern and much lower mileage Fiesta (Zetec S) or Focus TDCi

I might just have to pop up and see that one...

Go for it - looks decent.

I really like This Colour.

I first saw this one for sale two weeks ago, before it was re-listed. My colleagues kept telling me to go for it but I haven't even been to see it