[apiegare]

I took the AWD Taos out for a drive Friday to do some minor chores and I realized something about the car. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the DSG tranny in these cars. It does not need reprogramming or updating. Now mine was built in July of 21 so maybe by then they got all the kinks out. I realized if you tend to mash down on the accelerator from a complete stop all you are doing is confusing the Mechatronic Unit (yes that's what it's called) in the transmission and it now has to hurry and switch to second gear (there are seven of them) which causes that sudden lurch effect that everyone is complaining about. It's not turbo lag, these engines have a Variable Geometry Turbo (google it) installed on them which has little or no turbo lag associated with it. The only thing that needs reprogramming is the way you drive. Easy does it. These are not race cars. They are designed with fuel efficiency in mind. Modern cars now have to compete with a growing E-car market, so now all car manufacturers are trying to show how efficient their gas powered cars can be. (it also helps with the way gas prices are going lately) You have to drive it like a grandmother going to church on Sunday. Trust me it drives a lot smoother if you do. If you want to drive it like a maniac from hell use the sport mode or better yet the Tiptronic gate, that's what it's for! Thanks and enjoy your VW Taos. Peace and Happiness to all. BTW John Muir would have loved this car.

 

[Colin]

I love the dsg - my previous car was a manual & I like the shifting similarities vs a standard auto.

 

[karen.forgash]

I took the AWD Taos out for a drive Friday to do some minor chores and I realized something about the car. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the DSG tranny in these cars. It does not need reprogramming or updating. Now mine was built in July of 21 so maybe by then they got all the kinks out. I realized if you tend to mash down on the accelerator from a complete stop all you are doing is confusing the Mechatronic Unit (yes that's what it's called) in the transmission and it now has to hurry and switch to second gear (there are seven of them) which causes that sudden lurch effect that everyone is complaining about. It's not turbo lag, these engines have a Variable Geometry Turbo (google it) installed on them which has little or no turbo lag associated with it. The only thing that needs reprogramming is the way you drive. Easy does it. These are not race cars. They are designed with fuel efficiency in mind. Modern cars now have to compete with a growing E-car market, so now all car manufacturers are trying to show how efficient their gas powered cars can be. (it also helps with way gas prices are going lately) You have to drive it like a grandmother going to church on Sunday. Trust me it drives a lot smoother if you do. If you want to drive it like a maniac from hell use the sport mode or better yet the Tiptronic gate, that's what it's for! Thanks and enjoy your VW Taos. Peace and Happiness to all. BTW John Muir would have loved this car.

Mine was built in December of 21. I love my car. Yes I had to learn how to use the gas pedal with it, but it was a small adjustment. I use mine in eco mode for daily use to get the mose gas mileage out of this S 4motion. I think it’s a great car!

 

[derekdal]

thats hilarious and sounds somewhat similar to one of my much earlier posts that people need to learn how to drive different transmissions. the resounding response from people was "it should be perfect and all the same for all cars" which is absurd of an expectation. you wouldn't expect an automatic and manual to drive the same from a user perspective.

DSG actually is a race transmission but people get confused about what it is supposed to be doing. The confusion with DSG is during 'off the line' and trying to get it to move smoothly without lurching forward. you got most of the DSG premise correct but missed some key parts.

also types of transmissions in general terms might help some:
automatic = fluid driven, not direct mechanical connection from engine to wheels
DSG = direct mechanical connection from engine to wheels via clutch pressure (computer controlled)
manual = direct mechanical connection from engine to wheels via clutch pressure (human controlled)

sitting at -stop-. the DSG is effectively disengaged because it is a manual transmission with a clutch run by a computer. this is very different than an automatic transmission where the fluid is still circulating in the torque converter and applying forward force.

when you start going....

• press on gas pedal which increases RPM and turbo spin up, providing power
• at the same time the clutch is moving to engage 1st gear.

the timing of power applied to clutch needs to be when the clutch is engaged. power too early will wear out the clutch because it hasn't engaged.

The computer learns your driving habits, it changes the clutch timing based on your driving style and it needs to learn that over time. Keep mashing it and it will get smoother but it will always be like launching a manual car from a stop because there is no fluid to dampen the power to wheels like in most cars. Maybe we've forgotten when happens when you drive a manual transmission and don't get the clutch timing correct off the line or between gears. (I still have a manual sports car). it lurches!

 

[apiegare]

thats hilarious and sounds somewhat similar to one of my much earlier posts that people need to learn how to drive different transmissions. the resounding response from people was "it should be perfect and all the same for all cars" which is absurd of an expectation. you wouldn't expect an automatic and manual to drive the same from a user perspective.

DSG actually is a race transmission but people get confused about what it is supposed to be doing. The confusion with DSG is during 'off the line' and trying to get it to move smoothly without lurching forward. you got most of the DSG premise correct but missed some key parts.

also types of transmissions in general terms might help some:
automatic = fluid driven, not direct mechanical connection from engine to wheels
DSG = direct mechanical connection from engine to wheels via clutch pressure (computer controlled)
manual = direct mechanical connection from engine to wheels via clutch pressure (human controlled)

sitting at -stop-. the DSG is effectively disengaged because it is a manual transmission with a clutch run by a computer. this is very different than an automatic transmission where the fluid is still circulating in the torque converter and applying forward force.

when you start going....

• press on gas pedal which increases RPM and turbo spin up, providing power
• at the same time the clutch is moving to engage 1st gear.

the timing of power applied to clutch needs to be when the clutch is engaged. power too early will wear out the clutch because it hasn't engaged.

The computer learns your driving habits, it changes the clutch timing based on your driving style and it needs to learn that over time. Keep mashing it and it will get smoother but it will always be like launching a manual car from a stop because there is no fluid to dampen the power to wheels like in most cars. Maybe we've forgotten when happens when you drive a manual transmission and don't get the clutch timing correct off the line or between gears. (I still have a manual sports car). it lurches!

I have driven many manual and automatic VWs (Type 3 fastback with auto worst transmission ever!) in my many years on this planet and you are absolutely correct. The DSG may be the best one they have come up with yet! I am guessing some of these folks have never driven an old Beetle with a four speed manual, ever! I can't remember how many I have owned.

 

[k.aoi]

I have owned more DCT equipped vehicles than regular automatics. 2013 and 2018 Ford Focus (yeah the powershit), and a 21 Forte GT with the 7 speed. I know how to drive DCTs, and the issue with the Taos isn't that. The issue with the DSG in the Taos is that in normal operation it doesn't know what gear to be in, it hunts between gears. I didn't experience that with the DSG I had in a T-Cross rental with the 1.0TSI. That's why I went with the 8 speed, even though I do prefer the feeling of DCTs, I can't stand transmissions that can't decide on a gear.

 

[Jordon31]

I took the AWD Taos out for a drive Friday to do some minor chores and I realized something about the car. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the DSG tranny in these cars. It does not need reprogramming or updating. Now mine was built in July of 21 so maybe by then they got all the kinks out. I realized if you tend to mash down on the accelerator from a complete stop all you are doing is confusing the Mechatronic Unit (yes that's what it's called) in the transmission and it now has to hurry and switch to second gear (there are seven of them) which causes that sudden lurch effect that everyone is complaining about. It's not turbo lag, these engines have a Variable Geometry Turbo (google it) installed on them which has little or no turbo lag associated with it. The only thing that needs reprogramming is the way you drive. Easy does it. These are not race cars. They are designed with fuel efficiency in mind. Modern cars now have to compete with a growing E-car market, so now all car manufacturers are trying to show how efficient their gas powered cars can be. (it also helps with the way gas prices are going lately) You have to drive it like a grandmother going to church on Sunday. Trust me it drives a lot smoother if you do. If you want to drive it like a maniac from hell use the sport mode or better yet the Tiptronic gate, that's what it's for! Thanks and enjoy your VW Taos. Peace and Happiness to all. BTW John Muir would have loved this car.

This post is amazing! For the first month I had to remind myself that I’m not driving my SHO anymore. Once I got use to my TAOS it’s been smooth sailing.

 

[CRVW]

I have driven many manual and automatic VWs (Type 3 fastback with auto worst transmission ever!) in my many years on this planet and you are absolutely correct. The DSG may be the best one they have come up with yet! I am guessing some of these folks have never driven an old Beetle with a four speed manual, ever! I can't remember how many I have owned.

First car, '71 beetle 1200. Fun times, especially that time one of the shift forks broke and I was stuck in second!
The Taos DSG is definitely set up for comfort. The takeoff is a little slow, maybe because all other clutch engagements are slow too. That would explain the "hunting" feeling some people experience as well.
The GTI DSG (it's a 2015 6-speed) is completely different. Lightning fast changes when accelerating, pretty quick to downshift (especially in sport mode), and takes off from a standstill fast without any sudden lunging. Yes, you can get some harsh changes now and then if you confuse it, but it is obviously set up for performance.
I've never tried the launch mode in either the GTI or the Taos. Might be an interesting experiment.

 

[derekdal]

Hmm mine doesn't hunt at all and didn't on prior 6spd dsg either, even in steep mountain driving.

 

[CRVW]

Yeah I don't have any issues with mine either. Just seems to be set up more conservatively which is perfectly fine as it's not a sports car!

 

[CLIC]

Agree. These engines offer their torque at very low RPM's. People are used to floor the gas, it won't work like that. My 2019 Jetta has the 1.4 and if you go gentle but firm on the gas from start it will start to push very hard, it is fast to launch from 0. If you just floor it it will just rev but will not want to go fast. They are tuned for economy and one has to adapt to their setup. If you want a fast car then go for a GTI or Golf R if you need 4motion (be prepared to pay the gas penalty). This weekend we had a lot of snow and slush here and the Taos really shines. It is precise and fast.

 

[Pzookey]

I took the AWD Taos out for a drive Friday to do some minor chores and I realized something about the car. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the DSG tranny in these cars. It does not need reprogramming or updating. Now mine was built in July of 21 so maybe by then they got all the kinks out. I realized if you tend to mash down on the accelerator from a complete stop all you are doing is confusing the Mechatronic Unit (yes that's what it's called) in the transmission and it now has to hurry and switch to second gear (there are seven of them) which causes that sudden lurch effect that everyone is complaining about. It's not turbo lag, these engines have a Variable Geometry Turbo (google it) installed on them which has little or no turbo lag associated with it. The only thing that needs reprogramming is the way you drive. Easy does it. These are not race cars. They are designed with fuel efficiency in mind. Modern cars now have to compete with a growing E-car market, so now all car manufacturers are trying to show how efficient their gas powered cars can be. (it also helps with the way gas prices are going lately) You have to drive it like a grandmother going to church on Sunday. Trust me it drives a lot smoother if you do. If you want to drive it like a maniac from hell use the sport mode or better yet the Tiptronic gate, that's what it's for! Thanks and enjoy your VW Taos. Peace and Happiness to all. BTW John Muir would have loved this car.

The sudden take off is not just with the DSG. If you are not used to the Taos the Automatic does it too. There is no harsh shifting but the engine design with the variable cam timing (yes it goes from a modified Miller cycle to a standard Otto cycle) that happens when you push the go pedal down too far. My wife daily drives our Taos so when I get behind the wheel I have to remember this is not the heavy underpowered Dodge Journey I am driving. That needs a heavy foot to get it up to speed with the 2.4l and 4 speed slushbox. You push the pedal down like that in the Taos and the cam timing shifts right as the turbo hits and Zooom if the front tires don't slip.....

 

[S_B]

That's how I feel with Nissan and CVTs. I don't believe people understand them, their design, their purpose nor care about care and maintenance.

 

[k.aoi]

The only thing I wish about the 8 speed is that it kept the TC locked above low speeds, it will unlock around half throttle rather than using engine torque. That and I wish I could get the custom drive modes from the AWD model so I can keep sport mode throttle response with normal mode shift points.

 

[apiegare]

Here are 2 Self Study Programs from VW explaining how the DSG in the AWD Taos works. The first one #454 is about the 0BT transmission in the T5 vans that is the predecessor of the 0GC tranny in the Taos. They are internally similar. This one is translated from the Russian so the wording is rough in spots. The second one #556 shows the improvements made in the 0GC Transmission, please enjoy.

 

[Katetaos]

My husband drives a DSG sportwagen and I find no issues with lurching or anything when I have driven it. It is also 4 motion too. And never in Eco Mode! Only time it "lurches" is when he puts launch control on! His car is not stock anymore and is heavily modified but I have no issues with his DSG transmission...it's so fun to drive! Can't wait to get my Taos in a couple of weeks!

 

[Rob22Taos]

Although I also noticed the weird / jerky take off when I first got my Taos (SE 4Motion IQ Drive) I got use to it very quickly and have no complaints anymore. As also said they're not race cars so you have to drive it like its not. I had a Mitsi Outlander Sport with a CVT and I hated it but got use to it, had a Hyundai Tucson with the Double Clutch Auto and OMG did I hate it, couldn't get rid of it fast enough. This Taos with the DSG Transmission has been awesome compared to that, plus I have a Factory NHRA Race Car as my other car so no need to drive the Taos like I do the 1320, hehehehe