Dan99

As stated previously, the failure to engage is simply a misunderstanding of the difference between a dual clutch and an automatic transmission. In a manual transmission you can't simply step on the gas and dump the clutch and expect to launch smoothly, yet, just stepping on the gas from a dead stop with a DSG does exactly that. Instead, bring the engine rpms up just enough to engage the clutch then accelerate. This is the same gas peddle technique you would use in a car with a manual transmission and clutch. The only difference is that you don't have to also control the clutch with your left foot, the transmission does that for you.

This is not a matter of progress, it is a matter of priorities.

The ZF is obviously a more complex automatic than two speed Powerglide transmission in my Dad's old GM cars, but it still relies on a torque converter and shares some of the same benefits and limitations. The advantages of the ZF appear to be 1) it handles more torque than the DSG, 2) most drivers today have only driven torque converter automatics so it behaves more like they expect a transmission to behave, 3) meeting regulatory standards by allowing the car to move with lower engine rpms while masking lugging of the engine (a stated feature of the ZF), 4) more gears allow for engines that have less horsepower and a more narrow torque band and still provide adequate performance.

I don't miss a clutch, but I miss the directness and the control I had in a manual transmission. The ZF reminds me too much of the Powerglide. Obviously the ZF is more sophisticated, but did you every wonder why the ZF always defaults to Drive instead of Sport, since Sport actually puts the car in the correct gear? This helps meet regulatory requirements by lowering emissions, but it is also hard on the engine bearings. So, you get less emissions at the cost of poor throttle response and increased long term wear on the engine. Progress or priorities?

Ultimately, there is an element of personal preference in all of this. It is obvious that most of the automotive world thinks the ZF is a great transmission, and it may be compared to other automatics, but the ZF still retains some of the slush box characteristics of the old Powerglide that I find unattractive. Personally, I prefer the DSG, and even moreso with the APR TCU tune. (I have no connection to APR.) I realize I am in the minority, but much of the dissatisfaction with the DSG appears to stem from the perception that it is an automatic transmission and most people attempt to drive it as such.

m444

The ZF 8HP is completely different from the Powerglide. The Powerglide has only two speeds and it does NOT have a lockup clutch in the torque converter. It is always mushy & lossy. The Powerglide feels more like driving a vehicle with a CVT transmission. One can feel the ZF 8HP shift quickly through the gears under light throttle & it feels way more solid. I drive 95% of the time in Sport mode, but wait till the engine warms up to use Sport mode, since the transmission like to shift near redline RPM easily in Sport mode.

Dan99

I am aware that the ZF is not a 1960's Powerglide, but it still uses a torque converter and it still feels slushy at low speeds. This is because the lock-up clutch does not engage until higher rpms. The reason for this late engagement is the torsional damper does not work when the lock-up clutch is engaged, so the engine lugging would be evident. This means you have a more conventional torque converter transmission until the rpms come up, and that impacts the immediacy of the throttle response when the engine rpms are low. It is not the only cause, but it is a factor.

I am sure the ZF transmission is a great automatic transmission, as far as automatics go, but it is not without trade-offs. It is designed to solve a wide range of problems and it appears to do that well. Heck, even the Powerglide is alive and well on the drag strip, where it thrives. So different transmissions solve different problems. I have owned a ZF for the last 26000 miles, and drive it in sport mode exclusively (to avoid lugging at just about any speed south of 70), but I still prefer a DSG. Unfortunately, the DSG does not appear to be an option so I will keep my ZF.

Dan99

There is a long running discussion on the audizine.com forum regarding the APR tune. Here is a post on that thread that discusses some of the internal details of the ZF vs DSG:

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...1#post14026644

m444

That is my post you linked.

Dan99

Then you were aware of the tradeoffs in performance, especially when it comes to tuning.