Automatic controls
I think I must be feeling my age. I am considering either a VW Tiguan or a Range Rover Evoque as our next tow car and auto is essential. Currently I favour the Tiguan for the smallest of reasons: I don't fancy a car which has no lever to control the transmission;
I don't like the look of the fiddly dial which Land Rover fit. I guess it is my age. I learnt to drive in a 1932 Rolls Royce which had a right hand gear lever about three feet high operated through a gate change and yes it even had syncromesh on third and
fourth. From first, to second and third it was double declutch all the way. However, my father eventually taught me to time the revs just right so I could change without the clutch. I wonder if I am the only one who likes levers.
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I think I must be feeling my age. I am considering either a VW Tiguan or a Range Rover Evoque as our next tow car and auto is essential. Currently I favour the Tiguan for the smallest of reasons: I don't fancy a car which has no lever to control the transmission; I don't like the look of the fiddly dial which Land Rover fit. I guess it is my age. I learnt to drive in a 1932 Rolls Royce which had a right hand gear lever about three feet high operated through a gate change and yes it even had syncromesh on third and fourth. From first, to second and third it was double declutch all the way. However, my father eventually taught me to time the revs just right so I could change without the clutch. I wonder if I am the only one who likes levers.
Have you driven a Land Rover, the dial control is very easy to use and soon decomes second nature. At the end of the day even the lever as you call it has no direct mechanical connection on a modern vehicle, it just sends a message to the electronics that control the gearbox.Have you considered the Discovery Sport.
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No I have not driven either yet as I am only at the thinking stage. I had ruled out the Disco Sport as we don"t want anything as large as that. I think the Evoque is shorter which is more convenient for us. In fact it is almost 6" shorter than the Tiguan.
interesting g that you say the knob becomes 2nd nature.0 -
Currently I favour the Tiguan for the smallest of reasons:
Big reasons actually when it comes to an 'Auto', it can be the DSG which is every bit electronic as the Landrovers.
DSG - electronically controlled dual-clutch multiple-shaft manual gearbox, or
LR's - the 'knobby' but proper torque converter auto
I have a FL2 and not liking the Discovery Sport, I would jump at the Tig if it had a proper auto.
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Yeah, knew what you meant.Finding my next car is so bad that my 3 year warranty ran out last month, and because I can't find a suitable replacement I took out a 12 month extended warranty.
I'm still looking and read with interest any SUV write ups
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The DSG box has had some criticism on Nonest John so you should have a look at that before making up your mind.
In my book the VW is a bit more reliable but the Range Rover is more capable and more comfortable. At the end of the day both are capable towcars and a lot is just what appeals to you and your budget.
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I posted in a thread (The Yeti one) in answer to your question a little while back about the DSG box in the Tiguan we owend. I never towed with the car but I suggest you try before you buy
It also is not that well suited (in my opinion) to the Tiguan stop/start system VW fit.
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If towing is anything but a small percentage of the vehicles duties then I would have one with a proper torque converter auto, ideally one of ZF's latest, over either wet or dry dual friction clutch gearboxes. Good as they might be the towing places much larger amounts of slipping onto the clutches than their primary design as solo vehicles. So does it with the torque converter too, but not as friction, just higher velocites of oil flow.
Not that my choice would be an Evoke, because to my eyes somebody sat on it whilst the mould was setting. For a tow duty with our kit we need a "box" not an "envelope".
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Yes it does look cramped which is another reason for liking the Tiguan. Also the extras on the Evoque bump up the price. VW market the Tiguan for towing so I am, perhaps unwisely, assuming they are confident about the strength of the transmission. Our
van would mean that we would be around 66% of kerb weight and massively down on the towing limit of 2,400 kg. My daughter and son in law have one of the early Tiguans with DSG six speed and I have driven it a fair bit and enjoyed it but they don't tow. VW
surely have their reasons for adopting the DSG across their range.0 -
.... I wonder if I am the only one who likes levers.
Probably
. Though the drive seletion on my Merc is done with a lever, it's an electronic affair and I certainly wouldn't dismiss a Jag etc
with a dial. USA were producing push button autos in the 50s ... ie no lever to directly engage drive. And it would have to be a 'proper' torque convertor auto towcar for me too. I know it's not the same, but based on my daily driver of an automated manual
Smart, and a loaned DSG Passat a few years ago, I'd not want to tow with either.0 -
.... I wonder if I am the only one who likes levers.
Probably
. Though the drive seletion on my Merc is done with a lever, it's an electronic affair and I certainly wouldn't dismiss a Jag etc
with a dial. USA were producing push button autos in the 50s ... ie no lever to directly engage drive. And it would have to be a 'proper' torque convertor auto towcar for me too. I know it's not the same, but based on my daily driver of an automated manual
Smart, and a loaned DSG Passat a few years ago, I'd not want to tow with either.Write your comments here...I don't think you are the only one who likes levers. I like them even if they are connected to electronics. I don't like the look of the Land Rover and Merc dial.
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The "C" Class Mercs have a column gear select not a dial + paddles for manual, all very easy at the fingertips and the gear selector indicator is in the instrument cluster rather than having to look down as in the VW. I`ve a torque converter auto now, we
had a VW DSG Box before. Practical difference between the two - the DSG always sounded like a manual gear box with a slipping clutch and can be slower off the mark, given the choice I would go for a torque converter.0 -
I tow with a Tiguan DSG and have done about 32K miles trouble free miles, 20k of them towing, in the past 3 years. There are no levers to play with as the clever electronics change the power to the front/rear wheels as necessary. I have never lost grip
or spun the wheels so assume the clever kit is doing what it should do! I am not going to discuss the merits or otherwise of DSG v full auto as this has been discussed to death elsewhere; all I can say is that I am very satisfied with the Tig as a tug and
as a day to day car. You can 'play rally driving' with the gear selector lever if you want to but I use this only when going up/down steep hills and I mean the Alps or similar. The only negatives with the Tig are hard(ish) suspension and smallish boot but
these have been corrected on the 2016 model. (PS. After the 'adjustment' fix following the VW scandal noticed no difference in either performance or economy on a 2.5k tour or Europe this autumn.)0 -
Thank you very much comeyras, your comments are most helpful. Armchair experts enjoy criticising technology with which they are not necessarily familiar. I suspect the engineers at VW have reasons for choosing DSG. The new model Tiguan has just the right
amount of boot space for us without the car being too long. Now all I have to do is make the sums work for us.0 -
Hey, Q, don't be too hasty in dismissing people as 'armchair experts'. There is a vast amount of experience and knowledge held by posters here.
Edit: cross posted with Dfl2.
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..... I suspect the engineers at VW have reasons for choosing DSG. ....
Fuel economy .... simple as that, no slush box auto sapping power. And maybe a nano second gearchange for those that want to be Lewis H
Like Dave, I'm not a fan of automated manuals, not because I've read reviews of them from my armchair, but because I've driven a DSG & drive an automated manual every day. I tow though with a 'proper' torque convertor auto.
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..... I suspect the engineers at VW have reasons for choosing DSG. ....
Fuel economy .... simple as that, no slush box auto sapping power. And maybe a nano second gearchange for those that want to be Lewis H
Like Dave, I'm not a fan of automated manuals, not because I've read reviews of them from my armchair, but because I've driven a DSG & drive an automated manual every day. I tow though with a 'proper' torque convertor auto.
Write your comments here...I suspect it is all down to personal opinion. My Qashqai has a torque converter tranmission which is superb and I love it. I have driven many miles in my daughter's nine year old Tiguan with the six speed DSG and enjoy driving
it just as much. yes, the feel is different but that does not bother me and the gear changes are smooth.0
