Versus $250 for a flush every 25-30K miles for a regular automatic? Not really.
Who on earth thinks autos need fluid change that often, much less “flush”?
Lots of manufacturers. Which is the same place the 40,000 DSG service recommendation comes from.
Well, the shop is unable to recreate the problem. Not sure what I can tell them, as it only fails to start once every couple of months! And tho it always eventually starts, I don’t want the first time that it doesn’t to be when it is really inconvenient.
Just want to have it running reliably enough to trade it in. Heads up - don’t be in a rush to buy a used 2010 Matrix! 
From CarTalk, the first place that popped up and a fairly reliable source: “Service intervals for an automatic transmission vary from every 30,000 miles … to never. The typical service interval is 60,000 to 100,000 miles.”
100k is typical in my experience across multiple cars, makes and decades, and like oil changes, seems to be scheduled a bit more frequently than absolutely necessary for reasons that have little to do with actual mechanical issues. A car that demands auto fluid changes at 30k intervals and tops out at less than 190mph is nothing I’d consider buying.
my Ranger calls for 60k miles, and I don’t remember how much it cost but it wasn’t that much.
Since I have my damned repair folder right here - I had $150 transmission service on my Toyota at 70k.
Sure, and with my previous cars I’ve stretched oil changes to 10,000 miles instead of 3,000-5,000. You can presumably get away with the DSG service at much less frequent intervals than 40,000 miles, too.
I looked it up on a few of the GTI boards and it looks like the DSG service itself runs between $300-$400. The $800 number includes other stuff done at 40,000 miles (belts and stuff).
I have a 2013 (Autobahn, manual). It’s been great - only issue was a bad water pump design but it was covered under warranty and I got a loaner during the repair. I’ll consider another (or maybe an R) if/when I need a refresh.
The only VW I’d ever consider would be the MK7 Golf R and probably get an APR tune on it straight away.
Using a wet clutch also essentially negates most of the efficiency advantage of the DSG vis a conventional torque converter, if any indeed still exist compared to the newest best TC autos from Toyota and Mazda.
Why?
Not strictly VW related, but since I started the thread - garage thinks they identified a bad connection, which likely caused my electrical probs. Still planning on replacing the Matrix, but if I’m not at risk f being stranded, it is less urgent.
A dry clutch DSG is fundamentally no different than a manual transmission, and is more efficient theoretically than a torque converter auto in the same way - no torque converter and no fluid to circulate. Once you start introducing oil into the clutches, it starts to resemble a TC automatic more, with the corresponding energy losses.the parts are largely identical. Wet clutch DSGs used by VW also use the fluid in a mechatronics unit to control shifting, in the same way a conventional automatic uses its valve body, while a dry clutch shifts entirely via electric actuators. The actual gears and housing is still largely the same. Porsche’s manual transmission in the 911 is identical to the PDK transmission, just without the 2 clutches.
This is a big reason why they are used in a lot of very cheap cars, especially Chinese market cars and cars made in China, because they can be made very cheaply with largely the same assembly line that makes a manual transmission.
Gotcha. Thanks for taking the time to explain! Dinsdale, it’s Spring and the only thing better than new runners is a new car to take in all that lovely sunshine… GTI in springtime. 
Yeah - not to mention, we just ran our taxes, and instead of owing a couple $K, we’re getting a couple back. So I don’t even have any cashflow concerns.
The main problem is that I’m such a lazy sack, inertia is so strong, and dealing w/ car salesmen is so unpleasant. Well, it’s raining today. But I imagine some test drives in my immediate future.
Considering our household has 2 Passats, I would say yes.
I haven’t had any issues with reliability, between these two and my 2001 Audi that was sent to the farm a couple years ago I think we had a total of 1 “breakdown” which required immediate intervention. There are some upkeep costs of course but that doesn’t seem to be much different from other brands.
Almost certainly not as reliable as, say, a Honda, but reliability has never been our #1 quality so VW fills our niche.
I bought a Polo GTI as a settlement vehicle late last year. Great little car and tremendous fun to drive.
The sun is shining, it’s a beautiful spring day, so I decided to go for a test drive over lunch. Suffice it to say my heart is still beating fast and this smile keeps cracking my face! 
Started off w/ the GTI Sport auto. For some reason the seat didn’t go back as far as I had hoped, but it was OK. Took a nice twisty-ish route (tho no x-ways). The drive was nice - but didn’t blow my mind. Salesman was showing me the manual shifting feature, but it just seemed kinda pointless w/o a clutch, and knowing the computer could do it better than me.
I asked to try a manual, and he pulled around an SE. First off, the seat slid so far back that I don’t even think I could have engaged the clutch. With the seat and steering adjustments, my 6’3" frame could get way comfy. Let me say that it was slightly different than the 4-spds in my 62 Corvair or 71 Datsun. :eek: Damn thing shifted like butter, and the gears were HUGE - so forgiving when I shifted early or late. He directed me to some tight turns and told me to step on it - I was going around a tight-ish turn at 55 MPH in 3d gear - and didn’t even notice it! MAN, I could get in trouble with a car like that! Hard to imagine when I’d make my way all the way to 6th!
That was just too fun. Not gonna rush into anything, but I think I’ve got a damned strong comparison point! Still smiling! 
Yay! I’d still take a Focus ST out , just for comparisons sake of course…