DSG

Golf 7 – where everything fits

Posted 30/09/2014 by Terje Bjørnstad

You can't go without the Golf when considering a compact family car. We have tried a car that many Norwegian car buyers have chosen - and will choose. Some may not choose to pay the deposit for the lovely DSG automatic transmission. But they should. Because it makes everything work.

Look and feel

You settle in. Everything is where it should be. Everything, from door handles to seat settings, - to radio settings. You will find a correct - almost optimal - sitting position., The interior is beautiful. Everything you put on feels solid and complete. I have to feel what kind of seat cover I'm sitting on. Fabric, but perfectly fine. The steering wheel lies well in the hand. The DSG gear lever begs to be put into drive. Here you just have to enjoy yourself. I want to give a 6, but realize that it must be saved for real luxury cars.

Driving pleasure

I had to check that I had not been given the 2-litre. This is a Golf 7 1.6 TDI but feels stronger. It is said that the DSG shifts better than even the most experienced driver. I like the way the gear finds the next gear. That sounds amazingly good. A few times there are misunderstandings between driver and technology, for example when you have just changed your driving style but suddenly change your mind. Anyway, the drivetrain is absolutely fantastic! This car has the best and safest driving characteristics in its class, everywhere - on the motorway, as well as on winding mountain roads. And exceptionally easy to drive. It almost runs by itself.

Course 7

Comfort

First drive, 2 hours on motorway speeds around 130 km/h go by effortlessly. Low noise level. We sit well. We are just as satisfied after putting in a few trips over winding mountain roads on rough and uneven asphalt.

Place

Externally, the Golf 7 is slightly shorter than competitors such as the Opel Astra and Citroen C4. It is not noticeable on the interior, neither in the passenger compartment nor in the luggage compartment.

Safety

Passive safety is one of Golf's 7 best selling points. I would like to highlight the car's good active driving characteristics. Few compact family cars feel so predictable and safe.

Economy

Two hours at a speed of around 130 km/h gave a consumption of 0,45. Not bad. But can be matched by several competitors. But few can compare to the Golf's resale value. Our test car had Start & Stop, but it does not harmonize well with the DSG. I turn off this function in cars with DSG because it can start inadvertently several times at a red light, just by changing the pressure on the brake pedal. That is, without releasing the brake.

If you choose this engine, you should also choose DSG.

positive1

Fantastic drivetrain with DSG
Low consumption of fuel
Pleasant noise level
Safe and comfortable driving characteristics

DSG

Today's Start & Stop doesn't work well with automatic transmissions

golf 7-1

golf-5

See

Cool driving lights and a blue stripe in the grill are the e-Golf's hallmark.

Automatic or manual transmission? More and more people choose automatic transmission, but which solution is best? — More and more people choose automatic transmission, but which solution is best?

Volkswagen.no

A very good drive

Posted 09/12/2013 by Terje Bjørnstad

Can an SUV built in Barcelona, based on Volkswagen's 4-wheel drive (Haldex 5) and the A6's drivetrain, be suitable in winter Norway? It's a thumbs up, especially in winter.

Look and feel

The Q3 has a look you can either love or hate. Either way, it looks expensive – more expensive than its identical twin, the Volkswagen Tiguan. You don't sit down in this car, but straight in. With Audi's sports seats in leather/alcantara, aluminum inserts in the interior, Bose system, extended interior lighting and navigation, the impression falls towards premium and luxury. This SUV has a couple of feminine features in the interior, namely a steering wheel that seems rather small, and a tiny, oval interior mirror. It is probably adapted to the small visibility you have out of the rear window.

On the operating side, there are a couple of minuses to draw. The buttons for the defroster and rear window heater are placed far too far down. After all, these are buttons that are used a lot in Norway. I could also imagine that the control wheel for the infotainment system and navigation was located between the seats instead of up on the dashboard.

audi q3 177-2 — I think the Q3's interior is rather feminine.

Driving pleasure

The drivetrain is ideal for this car: Common rail TDI with 177 horses and Audi's S-tronic 7-speed gearbox. There is also an engine installation that can also be found in the new A6. An excellent package!

When you drive the Q3, you are reminded that you are sitting high. The car rolls quite easily, without it feeling unsafe. You just have to hold on tight. But even if you sit in sports seats, it doesn't feel sporty. It is actually more fun to drive the car actively in the city than on a winding country road. As mentioned, you sit high in the Q3. Higher than in the competitor BMW X1. The height, however, makes the car easy to maneuver in tight spaces, and together with the automatic transmission, it is very easy to drive. In winter conditions and on bad roads, the car feels perfect. Perfect.

One small thing that drags it down is the Start & Stop system. This works perfectly on cars with a manual transmission where you activate the engine by pressing the clutch. In this car, the engine is activated by releasing the brake. The problem is that the sensor starts when the pressure on the brake pedal is released, long before the car rolls. This means that you inadvertently start the car many times at traffic lights. The function can - and must - be switched off with a separate button.

Comfort

On the tested car, the emphasis is on comfort - not sportiness. It is possible to choose a very comfortable sitting position in the front. The car's undercarriage takes away large and small bumps, even when we roll on 18 inch rims. There is little noise in the cabin. Seating comfort is also good in the back seat.

Place

The Q3 is based on the body shape of the A3 sportsback. It is not a large car, but it is not noticeable in the cabin. There is good legroom everywhere, even when I sit with my 1,88 behind me and the driver's seat at the lowest height. Where there may be a lack of space is in the boot, because the rear window slopes so that it is difficult to transport a normal suitcase standing up. The trunk makes the Q3 best suited for small families who do not need to transport a pram.

Although it steals space, I like the sloping rear window. It brings back memories of early Avants.

Safety

You feel very safe when you drive this car. With fat SUV tires the brakes work well. With 4-wheel drive, you are guaranteed stability and progress on bad roads. On the whole, the active safety is very good. For the record, I mention that the Q3 does not use Audi's permanent Quatro system, even though it has a Quatro badge in the grill. The 4-wheel drive is based on Haldex 5, which is the latest version of a system that engages the rear wheels when needed, - or, we can say, just before the wheels are about to let go of the roof. This is also the same solution that Volkswagen and Skoda use, and it works brilliantly.

You sit high above smaller cars. In addition, of course, Audi has built in all modern safety features. The Q3 can be ordered with adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and blind spot warning. This was not installed in the test car.

Economy

If you are going to buy a Q3, you have to shell out a lot of money. Forget the entry-level model without 4-wheel drive. If you want to save the supplement for 4-wheel drive, you should consider the Volkswagen Tiguan instead. In addition, you must expect to leave NOK 50-100 for necessary extra equipment. You must expect a relatively high loss in value in the first few years.

One positive thing to mention about Audi/Volkswagen's 2.0 TDIs is that engine power does not affect diesel consumption. The 177 horses are reasonably priced, so to speak.

positive1

Fantastic drivetrain
Very easy to drive and clear
High active safety

Start & Stop does not work well with automatic transmission

PHOTOS

Spatial conditions as in its group brothers. Cars without four-wheel drive get approx. 20 liters more luggage space. But I would never order a Q3/Tiguan or Ateca without four-wheel drive.

See

Glossy lacquer repels water and road salt.

Audi.no

The little Golf

Posted 08/12/2013 by Terje Bjørnstad

2010 Volkswagen Polo Comfortline 1.4 86 HP DSG

Today's Polo is size-wise between Golf's edition no. 2 and 3. Although the cars are assembled in Spain, they give the same impression of quality as the Golf. After testing various Polos over long distances, it is surprisingly large differences between to drive Polos with the small 3-cylinder engines and those with 4-cylinder engines.

Look and feel

In this class, there are few cars that beat the Polo in terms of look-and-feel. The sensible Golf-like appearance gives the kind of signals and radiance such a car should have. The sound when you close the door and the solid levers for adjusting the seat in length and height give a feeling of quality. Doors with interior door trim and the placement of handles by the armrest add a touch of luxury. The steering wheel can be adjusted in all directions. The models in the Trendline Plus equipment variant have a leather steering wheel and radio controls on the steering wheel. The instrument panel and switches are clearly positioned and require no getting used to.

On one point, I feel that the new Polo has a minus compared to the previous model (2002-2009): Previously, the bonnet rose with a gas spring like on the larger Volkswagen cars. In today's models, the bonnet is held open with a brace. Not very important, but detracts a bit when inspecting the car for the first time.

Driving pleasure

Cars with 4-cylinder engines are equipped with rear disc brakes. They also have wider tire dimensions and tighter suspension than cars with small engines. The small Polos have 3-cylinder engines and rear drum brakes. They have a softer undercarriage that makes it dove and roll more on the road. There are such big differences that it cannot only be attributed to the tires that have been on the cars.

The difference is best felt when you fill up the car with passengers and luggage. Imagine a huge bump in the road just before a sharp bend. The large Polo feels much safer than the small Polo over such a stretch of road. It is undoubtedly far more fun to drive the big Polo. Safe, predictable, but not particularly comfortable.

The 7-speed DSG transmission works great. It is both easy to drive and fun to drive. Compared to a conventional automatic transmission, no power is stolen from the engine - and acceleration is therefore very fast. Full throttle from standstill to 100 km/h is experienced without drama. No jerking and snapping, - and with a nice sound image.

Of the small engines, the petrol engine seemed surprisingly nimble. Maybe because the expectations weren't that high? Both small engines occasionally feel a little underpowered at highway speeds.

Rating for driving pleasure applies to "large" Polo with DSG gearbox.

Comfort

Although Polos with small engines have a chassis with softer suspension, it does not increase comfort for either driver or passengers. It is the "large" Polos that are most comfortable. Our pictured test model had center armrests, height-adjustable front seats and an adjustable steering wheel. It is possible to find a comfortable driving position. Cars with DSG transmissions score higher on the comfort scale than their brothers with manual transmissions.

The sound image in the "big" Polo is more pleasant than in Polos with 3-cylinder engines. 3-cylinder engines may not produce much louder sound than 4-cylinder engines, but the sound is enervating on long journeys. This applies to both petrol and diesel. As soon as you start up, the engine sounds almost charming, and brings to mind outboard motors and motorcycles. After two hours on the road, however, I am sick of the sound!

Overall, it is not for comfort that the Polo scores the highest. The rating applies to the "large" Polo with DSG gearbox.

Place

Today's Polo is size-wise between the Golf MkII and MkIII. It is possible to cover a longer trip with 4 large guys in the car. Since the Polo is delivered without a spare wheel, the luggage compartment is divided into two sections so that the lower compartment can also be used for luggage. The intermediate plate can be completely removed and left at home. Despite this, the trunk does not hold much luggage. It is about the middle of the tree in this class.

Safety

It's Volkswagen and it's German, so not only high security, but also felt Safety. All relevant safety equipment is in place. There is a replaceable airbag on the passenger side, and Isofix for child seats.

Economy

In terms of price, a "large" Polo falls into the Golf's price list. But the trade-in value of a Polo is at least as good as a similarly priced Golf. Operating costs otherwise have little to complain about. All Polo models have favorable fuel consumption. By far the best here is the test car with the small TDI engine with a consumption that few cars can match. The pictured model with 1.4 liter 86 HP engine and DSG had the highest consumption. With city driving without thinking about saving fuel, the consumption can easily reach three quarters of a liter per mile. Today's models with a 1.2 liter 90 HP engine have lower consumption.

Polos are very economical cars, but still don't get top marks. Over the car's total life cycle, normal maintenance costs can sometimes be quite high. Møller, for example, charges NOK 10 to change the timing belt. There is a main service every 000 km or so every year.

positive1

Fun and easy to drive with DSG
Feels like a quality car

Unnerving engine sound in the 3-cylinder engines

Automatic or manual transmission?

Posted 03/08/2013 by Terje Bjørnstad

If you considered buying a new car with an automatic transmission ten years ago, you would have been told that you could never expect to get anything back from the automatic transmission surcharge when trading in. This has changed a lot. Demand for automatic transmission cars has increased - not least on the second-hand market.

There are the following 3 main types of automatic transmission. All automatically shift for you, but still behave quite differently:

Conventional automatic transmission (hydraulics with torque converter)
Continuously variable transmissions (CVT)
Robotic gear change

Conventional automatic transmission shifts when the engine revs rise. The transmission between engine and gear takes place via hydraulic oil and not directly connected as in a manual gearbox. The result is increased comfort because fewer movements propagate from gears and axles into the passenger compartment. The disadvantage is that the solution steals power from the engine on its way out to the wheels. This means that you have to count on higher fuel consumption compared to other solutions. CO2 emissions also increase - and with it the one-off tax and your purchase price. Conventional automatic transmission is an expensive solution in Norway.

Continuously variable transmissions (CVT) transmits the power between the engine and drive shafts via a metal belt that adjusts the ratio steplessly. This means that you don't get any jerks when changing gears and that the engine can be kept in its most optimal rev range at all times. There is almost no energy loss with this gear solution. It can be a little unusual to drive a car with a completely stepless gear change. Although the technology is admittedly different, the CVT solution works in principle in the same way as gearless scooters and chainsaws! Most CVT gearboxes have the option to shift manually. Pre-set, fixed ratios along the belt path are then selected.

Robotic gear change is the solution that has seen the most growth in recent years. The solution is based on the fact that there is a robot that clutches and changes gears for you based on electronic analysis of the engine, the car's inclination and the driver's use of the pedals etc. When the gear is engaged, the transmission between the engine and drive shafts works just like on a manual gearbox. The disadvantage of this solution is that the robot changes too slowly, but there have been major improvements here, e.g. with a so-called double clutch solution that can prepare the next gear change before you need it. The advantage is that the electronics can calculate optimal gear changes and thus reduce both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to manual transmission.

Hill start, snow and queuing

Conventional automatic transmission holds the car so that it does not roll backwards at all when starting on a hill. An inexperienced driver need not fear that the car will roll backwards. Other automatic transmission solutions are combined with a "hillholder" function to ensure problem-free hill starts. The cars I've driven with robotic gear changes keep the car on the ground for about 3 seconds. This is enough time to move your right leg from the brake pedal to the gas pedal. "Hill holder" is supplied as standard/additional equipment on many cars today, so that this handy function is also available on manual cars.

You should be aware that some of the most primitive robotic gearshift solutions lack the ability to lock the gearbox to a single gear, which can cause problems when driving in extremely difficult conditions with ice and snow.

You are going up a steep hill full of snow. You drive with a primitive robotic gearbox. You accelerate so that the car shifts up into first, second... oops! … third! At the steepest point, the cash register must downshift to second gear. The time this takes means you lose speed and grip in the snow.

In traffic jams with frequent start-stops, automatic transmissions have major advantages over manual cars. Instead of "filing" the clutch, you hold the car with the brake. On manual cars, a lot of driving in traffic jams causes a lot of wear on the clutch. Please note that robotic transmission solutions use the clutch almost as much as if you had driven with a manual transmission. It is admittedly easier and more comfortable to drive in a queue, but the wear on the clutch is therefore almost the same. I say "almost" because such solutions often have many gears (7-8) and it also often includes one or two gears that are lower than the first gear on a manual gearbox. This allows the car to drive at extremely low speeds without wearing out the clutch.

My choice

My choice falls on a robotic gear change from one of the major car manufacturers. It offers the most advantages and provides the best driving pleasure. Some car manufacturers supply both robotic gear changes and CVT solutions (e.g. Audi and Toyota). Then I would choose a drive unit with a robotic solution rather than a CVT. I am convinced that it will hold its best in the future. Incidentally, there are only two reasons for me to choose a conventional automatic transmission solution. Either because I have chosen an extremely powerful motor at the absolute top of the price scale, or because I am looking for something very cheap, - at the very bottom of the price scale.

Here are some of the solutions today:

Make	System	Type
Audi	S tronic or Multitronic	Robotized (S tronic), CVT (Multitronic)
BMW	-	Conventional
Chevrolet (Korea)	-	Conventional
Citroën	EMG	Robotized
Ford (DE)	PowerShift or conventional	Robotized (Powershift)
Mazda	-	Conventional
Mitsubishi	INVECS-III	CVT
Nissan	xtronic	CVT
Opel	-	Conventional
Peugeot	EMG	Robotized
Renault	EDC	Robotized
Seat	DSG	Robotized
Skoda	DSG	Robotized
Toyota	MMT or Multidrive	Robotized (MMT), CVT (Multidrive)
Volkswagen	DSG	Robotized
Volvo	Geartronic or conventional	Robotized (Geartronic)

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