rmines Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 Hi guys, I'm thinking about getting a Mk5 GTI as my new company car. From what I've heard the DSG is an excellent gearbox, and worth going for. However I understand that the Golf doesn't come with paddle shifts, unless you're willing to pay *even more* for them. So, at the risk of sounding dense, what do you get if you don't go for these? Is it still a fun car to drive without them or is it better to go for manual? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 Best you try it for yourself really. And yes you need to find another £515 ( ) for the paddles on the steering wheel as well as the £1,325 that the DSG costs. Not worth it IMO. Test drove both and bought the manual option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitegti Posted February 3, 2005 Report Share Posted February 3, 2005 The £515 includes the radio & telephone prep and cruise control. It is very expensive but I can't see the point of having the DSG and not getting the paddles. On the A3 you get them as standard when you opt for the DSG. I've gone for the DSG with the paddles on the basis that if I didn't get a company car there's no way I could get a new Golf so I may as well enjoy it whil I can. Neil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markallain Posted February 3, 2005 Report Share Posted February 3, 2005 Evo Magazine review this month is interesting as they don't like the DSG GTI as much as I expected. Weird that you don't automatically get paddles. It's also seems a shame that UK cars don't yet get the steering wheel controls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted February 3, 2005 Report Share Posted February 3, 2005 [ QUOTE ] The £515 includes the radio & telephone prep and cruise control. It is very expensive but I can't see the point of having the DSG and not getting the paddles. Neil. [/ QUOTE ] Hi Neil I went to the dealer today to organise a test drive and they told me that the £515 includes cruise but NOT phone prep (which is extra and not BT) and that even if you order phone prep, at the moment the phone buttons on the wheel are currently unavailable in the UK. I'm test driving Mon PS Hi Gareth, don't tell the 1er mafia I'm here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Posted February 3, 2005 Report Share Posted February 3, 2005 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] The £515 includes the radio & telephone prep and cruise control. It is very expensive but I can't see the point of having the DSG and not getting the paddles. Neil. [/ QUOTE ] Hi Neil I went to the dealer today to organise a test drive and they told me that the £515 includes cruise but NOT phone prep (which is extra and not BT) and that even if you order phone prep, at the moment the phone buttons on the wheel are currently unavailable in the UK. I'm test driving Mon PS Hi Gareth, don't tell the 1er mafia I'm here [/ QUOTE ] your secret is safe with me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitegti Posted February 4, 2005 Report Share Posted February 4, 2005 Hi, Sorry about that. I meant that you got the telephone 'buttons' if you like. Bit careless of me to call it telephone prep. At least the audio controls let you do most things. From VW Accepting telephone call (only in conjunction with telephone preparation and cradle) Ending telephone call (only in conjunction with telephone preparation and cradle) Mute radio station Switch between audio sources (AM - FM - CD - CD autochanger) Radio station search, CD search or CD track search Volume control Paddle shift (DSG only) Cheers, Neil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted February 4, 2005 Report Share Posted February 4, 2005 Any idea what functionality you get with the phone prep? The salesman I spoke to was useless, initially telling me it was bluetooth, and also couldn't help me with queries about the aux video an audio input. He was also the one who told me that UK cars definitely would not have telephone buttons fitted. Fills you with confidence doesn't it, whatever happened to product knowledge? Has anybody actually got a DSG car with paddles? I have yet to see a picture of a wheel fitted with them and the posts about longer waiting times for these cars are making me wonder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitegti Posted February 4, 2005 Report Share Posted February 4, 2005 Hi, I think you get everything upto the cradle but they are a bit behind on models, which I guess most manufacturers are. I'd assume you can only pick-up and put-down calls but the call should come over the stereo. Neil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitegti Posted February 4, 2005 Report Share Posted February 4, 2005 I read the EVO DSG review earlier. Overall it was very positive, the only thing they didn't like was how smooth the DSG was when pressing hard "It wasn't as ferocious as the Ferrari". The review said that driving in sport mode made it feel like you were running a qualifying lap and most of the time 'D' was enough no matter how easy or hard you wanted to drive. They seemed particularly happy with the speed of the shifts, the throttle blips and the accompanying noises. By comparison, Top Gear said DSG was brilliant but just not suited to the track due to the automatic red line upshifts. They also moaned about the small size of the paddles -I assume they are the same size as the one's on the Audi's which having tried an A3 DSG didn't give me a problem. Finally they didn't like the fact that the paddles turn along with the wheel, but if you drive according to modern thinking (never leave 9-3 unless you have to) then the paddles will be right under your fingertips. Cheers, Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted February 4, 2005 Report Share Posted February 4, 2005 Found out a bit more from someone else in VW who seemed to know a bit more. The phone prep does include being able to scroll down the numbers on the nav screen and see the caller ID as well as make and answer calls. Downside is the cradle can only go on the dash where it looks hideous (they cant put it in the logical place, under the armrest, as some pillock has put the cd changer there) and it will currently only work with the Nokia 6310 - a phone now discontinued by the manufacturer for some time! £235 I won't be spending, shame, I wanted to restrict the add-on aftermarket stuff on the dash to my Roadpilot this time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmines Posted February 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 I'd like Bluetooth, but I'm not bothered about a cradle or phone controls - I'm happy to leave it in my pocket and use auto answer. Do I get this if I go for the Phone Prep but not the steering wheel option, or do I need to get a separate BT car kit, which would be a bit rubbish... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melchior Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 Pretty sure that the phone prep in the Golf does not support bluetooth. Think that the phone prep includes a bracket on the dash to which you add the specific cradle for your phone model. Steering wheel controls add remot control to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmines Posted February 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 So no BT at all? That sucks a bit :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted February 8, 2005 Report Share Posted February 8, 2005 Yes that's definite, it is not Bluetooth but connected cradle only and even then with a very limited range of phones that noone will have anymore. I'm moving my Nokia BT kit over, but would have preferred to be able to use the Nav screen with it. Get with the program VW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melchior Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Any idea what functionality you get with the phone prep? The salesman I spoke to was useless, initially telling me it was bluetooth, and also couldn't help me with queries about the aux video an audio input. He was also the one who told me that UK cars definitely would not have telephone buttons fitted. Fills you with confidence doesn't it, whatever happened to product knowledge? Has anybody actually got a DSG car with paddles? I have yet to see a picture of a wheel fitted with them and the posts about longer waiting times for these cars are making me wonder. [/ QUOTE ] Picture of the DSG Paddles here: http://www.germancarfans.com/photos.cfm/...lkswagen/1.html Also, follow the 'Golf Gti in Pictures' link from here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml?xml=/motoring/2004/11/05/emfvw06.xml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted February 9, 2005 Report Share Posted February 9, 2005 Cheers Melchior, I actually have that photo already but didn't notice that it had paddles on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemod Posted February 20, 2005 Report Share Posted February 20, 2005 This is a picture I got from the dealer on the paddles that will be on the UK cars, not as nice as the Audi ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 Thanks, that shows them better. Don't mind those actually, I think they look ok, but it's how they work that matters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfc1912 Posted February 22, 2005 Report Share Posted February 22, 2005 Latest review in Volkswagen Driver points towards paddles not being part of steering wheel like on Audi. http://www.peterhope.dsl.pipex.com/gti/gtidsgtest.pdf That could either really annoy me or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted February 22, 2005 Report Share Posted February 22, 2005 Hmm, the paddles not turning with the wheel makes them all but useless, but I'll still have them for the odd occasion I want to use the box manually. Annoying that one of the major car mags made a specific point of saying that they definitely WOULD turn with the wheel, I wish they'd get their facts straight before opening their mouths. Why couldn't they have just said they didn't know? Thanks for posting, interesting review, even more impatient now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robp Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 Are you referring to Top Gear magazine, who tested the DSG and made the point about missing shifts when cornering due to the toggles turning with the wheel? I can't believe they would have got this wrong, and if you look at the picture on the previous page the toggles seem to be too far from the centre to not move with the wheel. Can someone settle this once and for all?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitegti Posted February 26, 2005 Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 Hi, If yo atch Jason Plato in the 5th gear video you see closeups of him using the paddles and they do turn with the wheel in the same way that Audi ones do. Neil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aswall Posted February 26, 2005 Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 Not seen that, have you got a link for it at all? Looking again at the pics posted up by Mikemod earlier in this thread it certainly looks as if they would have to turn with the wheel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitegti Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 Hi, Here's a link. http://gear.viper007bond.com/downloads.php?display=63&highlight=golf%20gti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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