It's clear a DSG will outperform a typical lossy automatic, so if people insist on driving the damn things, they may as well use this type (or CVT's).
Quote:
VW Golf: Coming with 7-speed DSG
For those not intimately familiar with VW’s DSG technology, the basic concept is relatively simple to grasp. Imagine a manual transmission, but instead of one gearset there are two - one for the even gears, another for the odds - and each has its own clutch. That clutch is computer controlled, as is the gear selection, so that while you are in second gear and accelerating, the computer has preselected third on the other gear shaft and only has to disengage the clutch from the active shaft and engage the clutch on the inactive shaft to change gears, allowing a seamless transmission of power between gears.
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Aside from the efficiency gain of a direct motor/wheels connection (vs. a torque converter), the most interesting tidbit I learned is that the transmissions can be programmed to automatically de-clutch
any time the accelerator is released... a true neutral glide!
I have read this was a feature that some drivers disliked on the super-efficient VW Polo model. Expecting engine braking and not getting it could be disconcerting.
And bonus: the speed freaks like the DSG gearbox too - because it makes the car faster than a traditional manual.
Here's a YouTube vid showing a DSG in operation: