READER'S BLOG: Schadenfreude comes with two clutches

WARNING: ACERBIC SOCIAL COMMENTARY

I have read fellow reader Harrison Boudakin's blog concerning his woes with his DSG-equipped Golf ... and it inspired me to put pen to paper (or tap away at a keyboard, more precisely).

Let me start by saying I admit fully that I am biased against Volkswagen – I don't hide that fact. I never saw the appeal of the Golf, and even if I won Tattslotto I would be reluctant to buy a Porsche or Audi or anything Volkswagen related, solely out of spite. But my focus is more the Volkswagen Golf DSG transmission than debating the merits of the rest of the car.

My previous vehicles have included a '94 VR Commodore (auto), an '89 grey import Galant VR4 (manual), a '99 Yamaha R6 (manual), a 2010 WRX (manual – worst of the lot), a 2010 Ducati 1098 (manual) and presently, a 2007 Civic (automatic).

My favorite car was the Galant VR4, notwithstanding it spent more time on the back of a tow truck and had more turbo lag than what I understand a '70's Porsche Turbo had. Yes, at one point my cap was turned backwards, but it is presently forwards. A close second is the Civic and third was my Dad's manual Ford Ranger (2012, previous shape model) that I stacked in the wet when the rear wheels decided they wanted to go ahead of the fronts.

When I read the terrible experience of Mr Boudakin, in some ways I couldn't contain my smile. Don't get me wrong – with the sheer amount of praise the Golf has received, objectively it makes perfect sense someone would purchase such a vehicle. A manual GTI I accept on its merits as a great car, but that notwithstanding I still wouldn't buy one. I feel for Mr Boudakin in the sense of the constant stress of having to deal with transmission issues.

That being said, and putting aside the many superior qualities of a DSG, what turned me against Golf DSGs was an encounter one of my barrister acquaintances had with his Golf – the constant slipping and rolling backwards while trying to park his car in a multi-storey city car park near his chambers.  He lamented to me how disappointed he was with it. I in turn made the highly intelligent decision of grinding up Nepean Highway to get to work in the manual WRX from Moorabbin every weekday. My left leg still hasn't forgiven me.

Seamless gear changes under full throttle don't really mean anything when you are grinding through traffic in a Golf. Then came the stories of DSGs failing, replacements being required after what in modern vehicles would be considered 'low mileage', and trust issues from Dieselgate. Then, Mr Boudakin's article made me think; despite apparent brilliance everywhere else, why do people keep buying Golfs with a DSG? Is it because Volkswagen can build DSGs better than other brands, or is it simply that Golfs outrepresent say, 911s with a PDK?

I am now re-(torque)-converted to automatics or CVTs (the wife has a CVT Mitsubishi Outlander), my manual days now confined to motorbikes when I feel motivated to ride.

Torque converters, while not as mechanically efficient as DSGs are tried and tested. Manuals have advantages a DSG will never have – I dont believe one can push/roll start any DSG (nor a 1098 Mini in first gear, but that's a personal mis-adventure for discussion elsewhere).

The faster gear changes are wasted in a DSG Golf more than say a 911 with PDK transmission. Are the fuel efficiency and seamless gear change positives outweighed by the negative experiences Mr Boudakin describes?

As a commuter vehicle, the Golf's transmission seems overly complex and expensive relative to the cost of the vehicle. My daughter today (she's 16 months old) took my iPhone for the first time and attempted to play with it rather than eat it. When she is driving, new manual cars and torque converters will probably be extinct (or at least critically endangered), computers will run everything (i.e. autonomous cars), and before long Skynet will turn the Terminators on us all.

Where is this going?

There is merit to mechanical simplicity – at least in the case of commuter vehicles (I appreciate in sports/race cars, it's a different kettle of fish). I hope it is not lost in the future. I work in a very 'neck-up' profession, but in my time off I love the feel of clicking through each gear on a motorbike. I love the feel when a successful heel and toe downshift is pulled off while cornering (I can blip my own throttle thank you Nissan).

The only association with "double clutch" will probably be with DSGs in general, not the manual gear shifts of old. The Civic I currently drive has a five-speed torque converter automatic and has never given me grief, currently at approximately 150,000kms (my wife bought it second hand with approximately 100,000kms on the odometer).

I'm only 30, yet I sound like my dad, and in one way, that makes me sad.

Guest reader: Stan Phillips