Things you don't like about your MK7

[FSI 220]

Pt3: not having this feature makes starting the car more dangerous? How so?

is that the foot on brake thing? Is your car a manual?

Did you read about the Reporter that took the manual Porsche home for a review? Teenage son gets in to "check out the stereo", wants to hear the engine, didnt realise the car was in gear (who drives stick in the states right?) turns key whilst blipping on accel puts it through the garage and writes off the car (or somesuch)....

Wouldnt happen in your case, yes but one muppet in the US and its a lawsuit (although we are not far behind)... is yours with DSG? it probbably has common programming in it... lowest common denominator and all that...

[pologti18t]

Wouldnt happen in your case, yes but one muppet in the US and its a lawsuit (although we are not far behind)... is yours with DSG? it probably has common programming in it... lowest common denominator and all that...

Foot on brake to start car is widespread in the car world. It was started by the unintended acceleration case against AUDI in the mid 1980s. Of course it was proven to be operator error.

I do wonder by some of the other people's posts if they actually test drove the car before buying. Any driveline issues (delay, lag etc) would have been plainly obvious during a test drive.

7. The speedometer awkwardly changes. e.g. From 40-60km/h there's 5 notches, then from 60-100km/h there's 5 notches. When I drove it for the first time, I was accelerating at 100km/h thinking that it was the 80km/h reading.

This is common in euro cars and I think has been standard in Golfs since the MK5. Why count "notches"? Just look at the number

[elephino]

MK7 90 TSI Comfortline. It's quite a fun drive and I enjoy driving it but there's far too many impractical or poorly thought of designs for me to ever recommend it to anyone.

1. Wastegate rattle when accelerating around the 2500 rpm mark. Hell. Annoying. This one is a cardinal sin, the rest are quirks and are just a matter of getting used to but a brand new car should not have bloody rattles coming from it.

2. The way you have to turn and twist your wrist to get the ignition key to start. All other cars I've driven and owned the turn is a 90 degrees turn. On the VW, it's almost 180 degrees.

3. You have to be stepping on the brake to start the engine. I start and leave the engine running for a few minutes on cold mornings and it's inconvenient having to get into the car just to start it.

In manuals you need to have your foot on the clutch. Just added safety.

4. Cruise control is not intuitively designed and you really need to be looking down on it to engage it. Cruise control on the Mercedes for example, is a lever that you flick up once to engage and press brake to disengage. Flicking up in small movements increases speed and a full flick increases by 10km/h and vice versa by flicking down. On the VW, I have to be looking at the controls to locate the +/- sign and the RES to increase speed incrementally and be careful that the setting is not on speed limiter and not cruise control.

5. The lights/parker lights/daytime running lights are ALWAYS on and even turning to OFF doesn't switch it off completely.

I would have thought you could turn off the DRLs (as a separate process to turning normal headlights on/off). Should be in the manual how to do it, was this way in the Mk6.

6. If you accidentally leave the right/left indicator on when you stop the engine, the tail brake light and front light don't turn off on that one side. Lovely. Looking forward to coming back to a dead battery.

Did you have the headlights switched to on? Previously it's been that you have lights switched to parking or on (not auto) and indicate then turn the engine off.

7. The speedometer awkwardly changes. e.g. From 40-60km/h there's 5 notches, then from 60-100km/h there's 5 notches. When I drove it for the first time, I was accelerating at 100km/h thinking that it was the 80km/h reading.

Pretty much all European manufacturers do that these days. You should get used to it pretty quickly

[Nauend]

This will most likely be the DSG. You'll develop a love/hate relationship with it. Hate it because it makes you feel like you dont know how to drive anymore,/love it because once you learn its nuisances you will be quicker than anything else around you.

Yep, that's what it feels like. I knew the hesitation was there but bought the car anyway because of all the plus's with the car, especially that once it's past that hesitation it's a bit of a demon. Have to watch my driving as larger cars get seriously annoyed when the mild mannered sunset red golf is not as mild mannered at they thought!

[VUU]

With the manual you have the advantage of giving it a few more revs as the clutch is released on any reasonably brisk start and you're immediately in that torque band. The "softness" is only noticeable when really pussy-footing it.

This is what I have noticed as well. If you are a little more assertive in accelerating, I do not notice the hesitation.

[Ryan_R]

General replies not directed to anyone in particular:


Re. Foot on Brake to start. My Mk6 DSG doesn't have this requirement. I'm guessing this has something to do with the electronic parking brake switch (easier to accidentally release it?)

Re. DSG takeoff. Just remember a computer is controlling a clutch for you without being able to see the road/traffic conditions ahead. If normal acceleration was perfectly responsive you'd probably complain about jerkiness in stop/start traffic instead. Just takes a lil getting used to, just imagine you are driving a manual and it'll become second nature soon enough. (You have driven a manual before, right?)

Re. Turbo lag. Use sport mode or select gears manually when you anticipate wanting immediate acceleration response (i.e. overtaking someone).

Re. DRL's - a study a few years ago found that you are 30% less likely to not be seen and therefore be in an accident with DRLs. Sorry I don't have a link, just something I remember reading. If you still really hate it then there will probably be a VCDS setting for it, will just take a while for someone to find and document it since it's a new car. And as already mentioned if you leave the indicator on, that lights on that side glow so that someone doesn't crash into you in low visibility weather. Possibly something that can be disabled in VCDS but just as easy to change habits or live with. At the end of the day it's a European feature.

Hope this helps

[diesel_DSG]

Im hesitant to contribute for a 3rd time to this thread, because I really do love my Mk7.. but...

Went to fill up today, f*&#ing fuel filler flap is jammed closed. Locked then unlocked the car, still jammed shut. Managed to pry it open by pushing gently on the diagonally opposite edge. Checked the mechanism, nothing untoward visible there.

This really is the straw that broke the camels back for me, booked into Barlow World Mt Waverley tomorrow for an examination.

Not happy Jan!

[exzibit]

In manuals you need to have your foot on the clutch. Just added safety.


I would have thought you could turn off the DRLs (as a separate process to turning normal headlights on/off). Should be in the manual how to do it, was this way in the Mk6.

Did you have the headlights switched to on? Previously it's been that you have lights switched to parking or on (not auto) and indicate then turn the engine off.

Pretty much all European manufacturers do that these days. You should get used to it pretty quickly

Nope, it's an automatic transmission.

Will have to check the manual, but unless it's some sort of up down, up down, left right left right, AB, select then start code, the lighting knob seems like it would be straight forward. :p

Nope, headlights were on AUTO then I tried OFF, and opening and closing the lock mechanism before turning on the engine and realising the indicator was on.

I've owned 3 Mercedes in the past 5 years and none of them have that odd speedometer gapping. Yes, I got used to it after the first drive, but it still seems odd.

[AdamD]

Nope, headlights were on AUTO then I tried OFF, and opening and closing the lock mechanism before turning on the engine and realising the indicator was on.

This is the same with the Mk6, and many other cars (not just VW). The headlight switch itself can be in any position (including auto), but if you have the indicator stalk in the left or right position when the car is off, the corresponding front and rear parking bulbs will be on. This is a very common European feature. I don't believe it can be disabled. The easy fix if you don't like it is to simply not park with the indicator switch in the left or right position - always centre the stalk before turning the car off.

[elephino]

Nope, it's an automatic transmission.

Will have to check the manual, but unless it's some sort of up down, up down, left right left right, AB, select then start code, the lighting knob seems like it would be straight forward. :p

Nope, headlights were on AUTO then I tried OFF, and opening and closing the lock mechanism before turning on the engine and realising the indicator was on.

I've owned 3 Mercedes in the past 5 years and none of them have that odd speedometer gapping. Yes, I got used to it after the first drive, but it still seems odd.

"up down, up down, left right left right, AB, select then start code" is for the car to do a roundhouse kick

Just had a quick check, the new A-Class has a changing increment now. In 10s to 60 then in 20km/h jumps after that, so Merc has changed their ways.