Joey's Totally Predictable DD V2.0

[SlimKlim]

Yeah that's right, another thread to document oil and air filter changes. Deal with it.



So the MKV was 4 days away from requiring emissions and the t-stat was stuck open and there was a slow but consistent coolant leak lurking in there somewhere, so it was going to need to be fixed to get it to test. On top of not really being happy with the configuration of that car, and the fact that it would also need a trans service and then tires at some point this year, I decided the most logical solution to deal with an old finicky VW product was to purchase a brand new VW product.

I know most of you have already fallen asleep, but this little white doorstop has been blowing my skirt up since I first caressed her supple, yet taught, bottom. It's super comfortable, has a kick ass stereo, back up camera, heated seats, keyless entry, etc. It offers a wall of torque on request in any gear at any speed, and the best part, fixing it when it breaks is officially someone else's problem for the next five years.

VW also seems to have finally solved their reliability issues. Instead of making better cars, now you just get a support team with your purchase. :lol:

I started the free trial of "Car Net", which allows me to press a little "i" button to talk to someone for whatever reason, I if I get lonely I guess. The "wrench" button also sends my location to the nearest dealership if the car breaks down. And then the SOS button is for emergencies. It will also automatically connect if the airbags are deployed and ask me if I'm ok, and if I say no or don't respond they send emergency services. If I do get hurt in an accident, they'll also call Lauren and tell her which hospital I'm going to.

It also lets you do some goofy shit from your smart phone like check the gas level/service interval and unlock the doors/flash the lights, as well as set speed and distance limits for when someone else is driving the car. I'm considering paying the $18/mo after the free trial runs out solely for the automatic emergency services feature. I really like the idea of having a little guardian angel on the other end of the line.

I asked to take delivery of it in precisely the condition they received it from the other dealership. The salesmen definitely seemed a little skeeved about giving a customer a car covered in dust, plastic and stock # stickers but I couldn't have been more pleased. I took it home and unwrapped it Saturday, gave it a bath and put a coat of Poorboy's sealant on it, then took it to the Sunday C&C meet and cruised around town all day yesterday.

The configuration is SE (middle of the 3 trim levels) plus DSG (because fuck you, that's why) and Lighting Package, because a 2015 car without HIDs is just stupit. Can't believe they aren't standard. I opted to skip the Performance Pack and DCC, because ultimately it's just a DD car that will live most of it's life running around town and ferrying me to work, the extra $3k just wasn't worth it for how I'm going to use it.

I haven't uploaded any decent photos, but you can check out the little product page for this specific configuration here, if you care: http://www.vw.com/models/golf-gti/trims/...s/gp07p07/

[Jake]

Got to drive it around the block while shuffling cars in Joey's garage/driveway. Experienced first and second gears at approximately one-third throttle. Very nice upgrade from the Mk5 (the interior in particular is a huge improvement) and I'm excited to hopefully get some seat time once it's been broken-in a bit.

There's some sort of Drive Mode selector that changes up the steering, exhaust, and "front lights" - intake/exhaust noise gets pretty growly in Sport. Sounds good.

[davej]

shhhh don't tell Ken you bought another one that wasn't his.


looking forward to oil change pics!

[Senor_Taylor]

Nice! Can't wait to hear all about the trips to the dealership and what magazines you read while they change your oil!

[Senor_Taylor]

shhhh don't tell Ken you bought another one that wasn't his.


looking forward to oil change pics!

At first I thought that's what happened.

[SlimKlim]

Poor Ken, I've been trying to find someone interested in his car, it's a great buy for what it is.

I've managed to figure out exactly what all the "drive mode" settings do.

Steering: Normal vs. Sport dramatically reduces the amount of power steering assistance, so there's more effort required to turn it and makes it feel more sporty. To me, sport feels great and is what I would consider "normal". Normal mode makes the wheel feel like it's not connected to anything. The ratio doesn't change or anything, so it's probably going to stay in sport indefinitely.

Engine: Normal vs. Sport quickens the throttle response and also turns on the "Soundaktor." Yes, this car suffers from fakeenginesounditis. I don't love that it's completely fabricated, up to 2010 they used an actual "noise pipe" to route some intake noise into the cabin. I feel like they could've added a simple flapper to the pipe to let the driver control it, but the little speaker box is probably cheaper and more reliable. *Shrug* If you can manage to keep your purist-panties out of a bunch, the fake engine sounds do sound pretty cool, especially dipping into the throttle around 2500rpms. The people it keeps up at night find the module and disconnect it.

Front Lighting: We thought this was supposed to turn the tach red or some stupid shit like that on the way home from the dealership Saturday, but it actually does serve a purpose, it lets you choose how quickly the automatic swiveling headlights respond. I can't imagine why I'd want them to respond slower, so that's something that will probably stay in sport all the time too.

Trans: The transmission has it's own sport mode, and if Sport or Individual are selected on the screen with the shifter in "D", the trans will default into Sport. Like the MKV, they seem to have had a ski party immediately before defining the requirements of "Sport" mode, and as such it turns the car into a crazy eyed meth head the second you click into it. I'm trying to stay under 4k for the next 400 miles so I haven't really played with it yet, but I hope they made it a little smarter than just "the lowest gear possible no matter what". Regardless, I'm going to see if having it default into sport can be changed via VAG COM, because it's annoying.

It would be nice to have a Sport mode that changed gears around 2500-3k when under light throttle, just so the motor was more responsive if you did dip into the pedal, instead of wringing itself out to 5500rpms at 2% throttle and just sitting there indefinitely, or changing up at 1800rpms in D. Oh well, that's why it has flappy paddles.

[BLINGMW]

I know most of you have already fallen asleep...

:lol:
Maybe I should make a thread about our Passat for extra zzzzz

[D_Eclipse9916]

It would be nice to have a Sport mode that changed gears around 2500-3k when under light throttle, just so the motor was more responsive if you did dip into the pedal, instead of wringing itself out to 5500rpms at 2% throttle and just sitting there indefinitely, or changing up at 1800rpms in D. Oh well, that's why it has flappy paddles.

Only "automanual" gearbox I have ever driven that does it well is PDK. Call me crazy but if I was building a brand new Cayman for racing, I would have a PDK no hands barred as well as for daily driving.

DSG is more comfortable driving around then an SMG but is just as confused when met with a driver like us. SMG only doesnt suck when at 100% "break the track record" mode. It does do that extremely well...for a couple laps and then overheats the relay in the engine bay located NEXT to the headers. :dunno:

Daily driving SMG? FULL track mode it wants 4500rpm shifts, even at 2% throttle, back it down to 1 or 2 mode and it takes 5 seconds to shift, making you worried you'll get rear ended coming away from a light. I constantly have it in 4 and just use the paddle shifters to smooth it out :lol:

[Senor_Taylor]

Honestly, the first few pages of "New DD" threads are pretty interesting. Any kind of actual project thread is predictable because we all know what to expect, but it's interesting hearing about all the weird new features cars have nowadays I would have never even thought about.

[Jake]

I constantly have it in 4 and just use the paddle shifters to smooth it out :lol:

LOL'd at "smooth" and "BMW SMG" being used in the same sentence.

[D_Eclipse9916]

I constantly have it in 4 and just use the paddle shifters to smooth it out :lol:

LOL'd at "smooth" and "BMW SMG" being used in the same sentence.

I still laugh at people who say it's too "harsh to use" when my 62 year old mom drives it everyday and loves the car :dunno:

[Ken]

shhhh don't tell Ken you bought another one that wasn't his.


looking forward to oil change pics!

At first I thought that's what happened.

Fucker.

I actually had a hand in peer pressuring him to go to the dealer. But still. Fucker.

[Jake]

I mean, it's not the worst thing ever... but it's not good, either.

I'd DD a dual-clutch auto, no way would I willingly DD a SMG.

If it came down to a SMG vs. slushbox in the same car... SMG just for the control.

Anyway, thankfully technology has progressed and dual-clutch transmissions are The Hotness if you don't want to row your own. The GTI (and Joey will back me here) is one car where I truly don't know which transmission I'd pick. Honda Civic? Stick. Pickup truck? Automatic. New GTI, or Cayman, or whatever else with a good dual-clutch OR a good manual? Hrmmph.

[SlimKlim]

It would be nice to have a Sport mode that changed gears around 2500-3k when under light throttle, just so the motor was more responsive if you did dip into the pedal, instead of wringing itself out to 5500rpms at 2% throttle and just sitting there indefinitely, or changing up at 1800rpms in D. Oh well, that's why it has flappy paddles.

Only "automanual" gearbox I have ever driven that does it well is PDK. Call me crazy but if I was building a brand new Cayman for racing, I would have a PDK no hands barred as well as for daily driving.

DSG is more comfortable driving around then an SMG but is just as confused when met with a driver like us. SMG only doesnt suck when at 100% "break the track record" mode. It does do that extremely well...for a couple laps and then overheats the relay in the engine bay located NEXT to the headers. :dunno:

Daily driving SMG? FULL track mode it wants 4500rpm shifts, even at 2% throttle, back it down to 1 or 2 mode and it takes 5 seconds to shift, making you worried you'll get rear ended coming away from a light. I constantly have it in 4 and just use the paddle shifters to smooth it out :lol:

I just think it'd be nice if there was a range of settings for the DSG that would change how aggressive the sport mode is, sort of like the adjustment on the old SMGs or the newer BMW DCTs. Although I'm not sure if they adjust the sport mode shift maps or just how firmly it changes gear.

The biggest advantage of DSG or SMG is even when the fully automated "sport" mode is dumber than a box of rocks, the manual mode is fantastic. You can commute in manual mode if you want and it'll change gears instantly and smoothly every time, even if you're at 0% throttle. When you're thrashing on it, same deal, just accompanied with a little cough/fart/bark from the exhaust from the puff of unburned fuel that ends up in there.

I haven't had the chance to drive a PDK but I've seen a few around town with aftermarket exhaust getting caned. A WOT upshift with an exhaust sounds like a .22LR rifle crack, its amazing.

[Kaan]

where is the Honda?

[SlimKlim]

What's a Honda?

[ScottyB]

got nothing but support for ya. probably the greatest sporty DD car there is right now, all things considered and assuming you want a hatch.

i think the reliability of these has come a long, long way. looking forward to the tweaks/mods and adventures in it.

[SlimKlim]

No mods planned, at least for the next 59,814 miles.

I have started snuffling around to see what sort of tweaks can be done via VAG-COM. Looks like you can make the sunroof and windows roll up in the automatic wipers come on, kinda cool. You can unlock a screen that'll show you the battery's state of charge, and also make the gauges sweep on startup, which everyone knows adds 20hp.

It's a little murky but you might be able to make the mirrors auto-fold when it's turned off, and you can dick around with how aggressive the "XDS" (aka fake front diff) is, which would be cool, but I don't think it unlocks a menu in the vehicle settles like most tweaks, you actually have to pick the setting you want via the PC while plugged in. Probably not something i'd mess with, i wouldn't want it to start eating up brakes or go back to FWD plow mode.

Haven't found much else that seems worth doing yet. One of my favorite features of it out of the box is the screen between the gauges will read oil temperature. It takes a LONG time to warm up and then hovers between 215-225. I realize how just how hard I was on that poor little MKV engine, because I was definitely running 18lbs out of that thing on pretty cold oil. hock: Sorry future owner...

I would love to also unlock boost and oil pressure to display there, but I doubt it's possible. The only possible modification I see in this thing's future is figuring out some way to tastefully display an old android phone so I can get all the delicious data via the torque app. I don't really want to just slap a windshield mount on my new baby.

[.RJ]

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[SlimKlim]

Yesyes I know. Funny how the only warranty anyone cares about is their own. Yes there are "APR Dealers", but in my experience when I've asked them directly, "If I tune my car, then it cooks a turbo, will you replace it under warranty?" They always get shifty and break eye contact. Although I was just looking at a thread where I guy got 36+ mpg after the APR tune, ugh.

Honestly after my experience with tuning the MKV, I'm not sure you'd really improve the car that much in the real world by adding all of that power. Sure it'd roll hard as hell doing 4th gear pulls on the highway, but everywhere else it's going to just be waging battle against the electronic stuff trying to keep it in line. When I test drove the stickshift one I had the tires skittering into 3rd gear without turning any of the stability stuff off. I think to really make use of the tune, you'd want to start with the Performance Pack + summer tire option so it'd hold on a bit better and manage torque steer without the brakes.