Just bought my first Mercedes

[C350Carl]

Yeah I have an A6 auto and it for sure shifts up and down quick...like a CVT..but it just to me is whiny , the 7g in my SL is way better imo

You don't have S-Tronic then in the A6 i assume?

 

[John Laidlaw]

You don't have S-Tronic then in the A6 i assume?

Yes it is the S-tronic Carl

 

[Rotorhead500]

Even with COMAND you can't get messages

Nice motor

Ohhh yes you can!

 

[C350Carl]

Yes it is the S-tronic Carl

Ok. Just the first person I have heard say it's whiny. The DSG I had in my Octavia was smooth as butter in D & S and epic in M when having a spirited drive on a B road or Track.

The main thing for me with the Merc boxes is the delay in asking for a gear and it actually being given.

 

[EmilysDad]

Ok. Just the first person I have heard say it's whiny. The DSG I had in my Octavia was smooth as butter in D & S and epic in M when having a spirited drive on a B road or Track.

The main thing for me with the Merc boxes is the delay in asking for a gear and it actually being given.

you're comparing apples with pears though ..... they're both fruits, but completely different otherwise.

I know my Smarts are automated manuals & different from the DSG, but I'd never consider a VAG auto due to them (mostly) being automated manuals .... a 'proper' torque converter auto for me every time. How fast do you need your gearbox to change? As per some of the other posts I thought MB were supposed to be careful, sedate drivers

..... and we had a Passat DSG auto as a courtesy car for a week

 

[C350Carl]

I know they are completely different kettles of fish. It's nothing to do with not being a sedate careful driver. I just want the car to be in the gear I ask when I ask.

So the 8ms change for the DSG/S-Tronic boxes works perfectly for me. Especially on downshifts as it matches the revs for you so that it's a smooth shift.

I suppose it's like anything in life. Once you have had something better. You don't necessarily want to go backwards.

It just surprises me of how long it has taken Mercedes to catch up to VAG and BMW in regards gearboxes.

VAG still do a standard CVT auto too. You can still get them in some Audi's.

 

[EmilysDad]

I know they are completely different kettles of fish. It's nothing to do with not being a sedate careful driver. I just want the car to be in the gear I ask when I ask.

So the 0.08ms change for the DSG/S-Tronic boxes works perfectly for me.

I suppose it's like anything in life. Once you have had something better. You don't necessarily want to go backwards.

It just surprises me of how long it has taken Mercedes to catch up to VAG and BMW in regards gearboxes.

VAG still do a standard CVT auto too. You can still get them in some Audi's.

I just want to select AUTO ..... don't care what gear it's in And I think the torque converter is 'better' You ought to team up with Pete & buy a manual. so you can be in control.

Is a CVT a standard auto? ...... the one & only CVT I've driven was Ford's version of DAF's Variomatic .... a horrible drive (I know the Audi's CVT has electrickery stepped gears )

 

[John Laidlaw]

Ok. Just the first person I have heard say it's whiny. The DSG I had in my Octavia was smooth as butter in D & S and epic in M when having a spirited drive on a B road or Track.

The main thing for me with the Merc boxes is the delay in asking for a gear and it actually being given.

The problem is the constant gear change, albeit it is quick to select. In dynamic mode it improves a lot, but the other issue is that I only have the 2.0 ultra engine which sounds tank like outside but inside they've done things with acoustic glass which makes you think you're running a hair dryer.
Suppose a lot of the issue lies between the 2 cars I drive now being night and day different

 

[brick10]

You are so right about the VAG box. The 7 speed DSG in my wife's Audi is way smoother, more responsive and just generally nicer to drive than the box in my CLS350.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

There great until they go wrong, very expensive. I should know I have had two clutches put in my old one £2300 later.

 

[C350Carl]

There great until they go wrong, very expensive. I should know I have had two clutches put in my old one £2300 later.

Most modern gadgets are expensive to fix these days.

 

[C350Carl]

I just want to select AUTO ..... don't care what gear it's in And I think the torque converter is 'better' You ought to team up with Pete & buy a manual. so you can be in control.



Is a CVT a standard auto? ...... the one & only CVT I've driven was Ford's version of DAF's Variomatic .... a horrible drive (I know the Audi's CVT has electrickery stepped gears )

The CVT is a standard Auto that you like. So it's dumb in the sense that it waits for input or until it reaches a predefined RPM

The S-Tronic (DSG for VW, Skoda and Seat) is the rapid changing box as it has two clutches. It learns your driving and will preselect a gear in anticipation. Hence it can sometimes take 600ms on downshifting.

The same box (albeit different gearing and change points) is fitted to Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche's.

VAG used to have R-Tronic for the R8's but they binned it due to complaints from owners as it is/was a kind of in between CVT and S-Tronic. They now all have S-Tronic.

They did introduce a dry clutch version for the 180ps 1.4 TSi cars. But binned it again as they had a lot of troubles with coping with Torque outputs.

I prefer DSG to manual any day

Certainly not knocking anyone's preferences. It's what makes us human and individual.

 

[EmilysDad]

VAGs CVT is just that ...a continuously variable transmission it has electronics that give the impression of a gear change. it's not a torque converter auto

 

[Botus]

drove a Volvo dsg box for a good few months 8 years back (power shift is the ford/Volvo name) shockingly close to a std auto, the only time you can tell its not a slush box was on occasion as it picks up first there's the slightest indication of a physical change, letting those in the know understand its a real manual.

To be honest I doubt most people could detect it. 98% of the population would be extremely proud if they could manage that difficult change better and certainty couldn't do any of the others even half as good

a CVT is a totally different box to either a slush box or a DSG, CVT is much closer in principle to a bicycle with derailleur, two tapered cones and a nasty continuously slipping belt wandering around aimlessly hoping something good will happen. when you rip it up the road its like permanent clutch slip a disaster box in any way you have the misfortune to experience it

 

[EmilysDad]

.....

a CVT is a totally different box to either a slush box or a DSG, CVT is much closer in principle to a bicycle with derailleur, two tapered cones and a nasty continuously slipping belt wandering around aimlessly hoping something good will happen. when you rip it up the road its like permanent clutch slip a disaster box in any way you have the misfortune to experience it ....

.... Like a DAF Variomatic I've come across them loads at work .... a throw back to a time before inverters could vary the speed of an AC motor In most cases they've been ditched in favour of a direct motor/gearbox & an inverter .... cheaper & far less hassle.

 

[EmilysDad]

.... the only time you can tell its not a slush box was on occasion as it picks up first there's the slightest indication of a physical change, letting those in the know understand its a real manual.

To be honest I doubt most people could detect it. ....

It was that initial bite of the DSG I didn't like, especially when slow speed manoeuvring eg parking.

 

[Botus]

It was that initial bite of the DSG I didn't like, especially when slow speed manoeuvring eg parking.

never noticed on the Volvos I drove (all brand new) but there is a common theme on many early DSG cars... with lots of people doing the secret reset the clutch's marbles thing.

I bet if its been abused you start to have issues and then will be all the software improvements no one ever bothered to put on the car before half the wear took place.

software would do wonders on a good clutch, but no amount of software can fix a mechanically abused set up. Half will be kids playing silly buggers and half will be sensible owners who didn't get the updates before excessive wear kicked in and both all now wanting some wonder cure when what they need is a new clutch, the correct software mods and it all fettled using the factory reset procedure

 

[C350Carl]

Factory reset for DSG is pretty straightforward using VCDS. There is still a tutorial I did up on a few forums to guide people through the process.

It does help a lot of cases. But as you say once the hardware is fooked then no amount of resets will cure it.