2011 Polo GTi TSI DSG

[mattnorgrove 0]

Anyone had any experience with these? In particular, the 7 speed DSG semi auto box? Its going to be worth my while signing up for a car with my company car scheme, in order to save money that would be lost paying 40% income tax (robbing barstards).

 

The scheme promotes green engines, so this being a 1.4 (with a supercharger AND turbocharger) is fairly green, but looks good fun.

 

Just don't know if I could live with flappy paddles (although they're meant to be very good on the VW's) and the lack of a clutch!

 

Thoughts??

[dukest 0]

i "think" RW1 has this gearbox/engine combination on his scirocco and rates it pretty highly

[RW1 0]

Yes I have a 1.4TSi 160PS & 7 speed DSG in a Scirocco. Same engine with Supercharger & Turbo. Also drove the same engine/7spd DSG combo in a Golf Mk6 GT. Both cars drive exactly the same.

 

Brilliant driving. Loads of bottom end torque. 7 speed either works with the engine between 1500rpm & 2500rpm under light driving or floor it and it goes all the way to 6,500rpm. In Sport mode it's even better.

 

Engine is very quiet, unless you mod it with filters/tuning etc.

 

1st gear is very high ratio so in normal driving it kicks to 2nd very quickly (get the car rolling) then it works the rest of the 6 gears. In town/urban upto 40mph it uses 2nd to 6th. The 7th gear is like an overdrive gear with my engine turning over at 2,400 rpm at 70mph.

 

The gear change is much slicker than the oil based clutch system in the 6 speed DSG because the 7 speed dry clutch operates quicker. On most gear changes, you don't know its changed gear other than the dash indicator!

 

Bottom line, having another 7 speed the next time round.

 

Paddles are good but only use them to override the gearbox where I want to be in a gear with the engine revving. Or when going down hill to have the engine braking on but due to tilt sensor and the brake ABS controller unit, it will change down to a lower gear if your foot is on the brake. Normal way of driving a manual box.

 

The 7 speed DSG changes as I would expect to do with a manual box and reacts perfectly to your right foot onthe accelerator. Left foot. It's never twitched since I started driving it. And have no trouble getting into the other two manual box cars.

 

Can't see the Polo being much different other than extra power and lighter body weight and therefore quicker than the Sciorcco.

 

If there is one negative with the 160PS engine is it doesn't warm up quickly and the cabin heating can sap the heat out of the heat exchanger faster than the engine cooling can put it in if the air temp is below 5'C. As a consquence, in winter, it takes a long time to warm up if driving slowly, ie. 30 minutes. And so, you are cold in the car, no defrosting of the windscreen.

 

If your trips are above 50mph this will be lessened quite amount, not to be noticeable. But my urban trips being the majority of less than 10 miles and mainly at 25mph, its a different story.

 

Should be a letter (by yours truely) in VW Driver magazine about it all, in the March issue due out 16th February. Basically, the 160PS version of the 1.4TSi is overcooled. The 185PS may fair better.

 

That said, the engine/gearbox is a great package and will be having another one if its still available in preference to a 6 speed DSG.

 

Yes it is good fun!

 

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[mattnorgrove 0]

Brilliant info, thanks for that!

 

The Polo has the 180PS engine, so hopefully won't suffer from the prolonged warm up period.

 

Goin to test drive one in an hour, so will let you know.

 

Thanks again!!

[Joe M 0]

Nice car, ridiculous price.

[mattnorgrove 0]

Yeah i wouldnt buy one with my own cash for sure, I'll have a brand new one every 2 years, and it'll cost me about as much as the C does now, when all the tax/NI savings are offset.

[RW1 0]

So what did you think of the engine/gearbox ?

 

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[mattnorgrove 0]

I really liked it, plenty low down like you said, and pulls well to the limiter. I reckon I could get used to the missing clutch, as the gearchange is awesome! The only downside i found was the lack of an addictive engine soundtrack, I guess the VR has spoilt us all in that respect.

 

Is there some kind of launch control? The guy wasn't sure, and there seems to be conflicting info on the net...

 

Only got about 40 mins, so didn't really get that much of a feel for it, but liked it a lot. I am however booking one out for a 24hr demo, weekend after next.

 

I now have the agonising decision as to whether to part company with the VR... :(

[RW1 0]

No launch control on the 7 speed DSG unless its been modified on the Polo version. Which I doubt.

 

Yes it is a quiet engine if you are looking for something like VR6 sound track. That is what hit me on the test drive as well in a Golf Mk6 GT (as the Scirocco 1.4 was rare in May 2009). It just does what you want to do with no fuss.

 

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[mattnorgrove 0]

Thats what struck me, the ease with which it operates, just effortless. I am sorely tempted, just need to shift the VR first!

[RW1 0]

Is there a separate dealer's sales brochure in the showroom brochure rack? Or is it covered in the general Polo sales brochure.

 

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[mattnorgrove 0]

It's covered by 4 pages in the main Polo brochure...

[Supercharged 2]

What about a Fabia VRs - almost the same package for £12.8k - VAT free for orders until April

[mattnorgrove 0]

What about a Fabia VRs - almost the same package for £12.8k - VAT free for orders until April

 

I think the previous model Fabia I would've gone for, the new model is fugly though IMO, shame really!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

We were thinking of our upgrading our MK7 Polo GTI to the MK8 but VW can kiss it if they think we're paying £18K. It's a Polo FFS!

 

Might just wait instead for the idiots who buy new to take the depreciation hit and pick one up for £14K next year :)

[WigsVR6 0]

I had a blast in a Seat Cupra. Same engine and gearbox. I was a passenger but I can tell you it put a huge grin on my face. I was amazed at the power delivery from low down the revs through to the top end. 120 in 6th with another gear to go. At 70 in 7th engine was running at 1500. The gearbox behaved well in auto and in flappy paddle mode. Really impressive and I must admit to thinking the VR is in need of some fekkling now to keep up

[mattnorgrove 0]

We were thinking of our upgrading our MK7 Polo GTI to the MK8 but VW can kiss it if they think we're paying £18K. It's a Polo FFS!

 

Might just wait instead for the idiots who buy new to take the depreciation hit and pick one up for £14K next year :)

 

Yeah it's a hell of a price! That's without any options too (although the GTI has most things as standard). Add a Winter Pack, Convenience Pack, Sensor Pack, MFA Steering Wheel, upgraded Climate Control, etc etc and you're well above £20k.

[Supercharged 2]

Kev - are you not tempted by the Fabia then?? I honestly think this is one of the best deals the VW group have ever done... when you could get a MK4 Golf for less than £10k it was just a basic 1.4 model - this thing is £3k more and is fully loaded, the gearbox alone is a £2k option on most cars. Bargain!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Nah, saw one on the road the other day and thought it was an ugly green Goblin of a thing tbh mate. And as shallow as this is going to sound, Skoda interiors are noticably way lower rent than even VW's. Audi's interiors are in a different solar system! All the same cars underneath, granted, but sorry mate, you're in a Skoda and boy do they let you know it.

 

I hate this 'pack' thing as well. Winter pack, sensor pack. WTF is a pack?? It's just stuff that ISN'T fitted at the time of build. You're just paying more money for them to put it back on again, LOL! Sorry, I feel a bit Meldrewy today!