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What Car - 1.4 DSG review

7K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  Tell 
#1 ·
What Car did a comprehensive review of the Ateca some time ago and gave it great scores. I've just received this link where they specifically drive and test the 1.4 DSG. Still looking great although I have ordered a manual.

My only concern is the ride. I've only seen one criticism on here for the 19" wheels and it was referred to as harsh. No one seems to complain about the standard 18" wheels that come with the Xcellence. I suppose it really depends what you're used to. Are people generally happy with it? On my test drives I did pick up on the ride but then I wasn't expecting a soft ride.

http://www.whatcar.com/news/seat-ateca-14-tsi-dsg-2017-verdict-and-specs/
 
#2 ·
I've got no complaints on the standard 18" wheels. I was impressed that the dealer took me on a route with speed bumps for the test drive. My back does play up from time-to-time but the Ateca hasn't set it off at all so far.
 
#3 ·
I find the ride comfort on 18" rims on the hard side, but that's exactly what I like.

I test drove my old car on 18" alloys and I thought it was alright so bought the thing, but chose the std 17" rims. I got rid of the car 18mths later for a variety of reasons, one of the minor reasons being ride comfort. Anything over 50mph on a bumpy B road and it was like sitting on a trampolene. Yet most of the reports I read said the car rode well on 17" wheels.

Only you can decide if it rides well - try looking for a test car as near as possible to the specification you intend to purchase.
 
#4 ·
They comment on "jerkiness" when moving off, which is caused by the autohold feature. This can be dealt with by careful use of the accelerator. A very gentle nudge will disconnect the autohold and start it creeping. If you prefer, you can turn off the autohold by pressing down on the button and that disables it until you restart. Sadly you cannot seem to re-enable it without a restart.

All that happens without it, is that it behaves like a normal auto where you keep your foot on the brake until you wish to move off, which it will do without the jerkiness. Personally, it doesn't give me a problem once I got used to it.
 
#6 ·
Fred99 said:
If you prefer, you can turn off the autohold by pressing down on the button and that disables it until you restart. Sadly you cannot seem to re-enable it without a restart.
I don't know if this is due to a software setting somewhere, but my Big Blue Bus allows me to switch the autohold on and off at will - the button acts as a toggle, press once for off and again to turn it back on. Might be that you have to have your foot on the brake to do it, though...?
 
#8 ·
This is my first DSG car, hopefully my last! I agree with the gearbox aspects of the review. Having covered around 270K miles in my last three automatic vehicles I much prefer the control and progressive take-up of a traditional auto. I don't use auto hold, but the gearbox still jerks from a standstill when trying to get out into a gap in traffic. No doubt I will get used to it over the next four years, perhaps by then an electric powered vehicle will be an option. I can't say it's a step forward for fuel consumption either, it's smaller and 200kg lighter than my last car but uses more fuel. It's not particularly refined either, it has the same low rpm gear whine as the 1.4 Audi Q3 demonstrator I tried. I don't have high hopes it will cope with the miles I did in my last car (119K). My opinion of course, no doubt someone will be along in a minute to tell me it's my fault somehow and my opinion is wrong...
 
#9 ·
PaulT00 said:
Fred99 said:
If you prefer, you can turn off the autohold by pressing down on the button and that disables it until you restart. Sadly you cannot seem to re-enable it without a restart.
I don't know if this is due to a software setting somewhere, but my Big Blue Bus allows me to switch the autohold on and off at will - the button acts as a toggle, press once for off and again to turn it back on. Might be that you have to have your foot on the brake to do it, though...?
I had another play with it and you are quite right, you can put it back on manually. I was confusing it with the fact that if you switch off with AH off, it will stay off when you restart.

The other thing I found was that with AH on, the parking brake comes on automatically when you are in Park as soon as you turn the ignition off or open the door. If you have AH off, then when you stop and go into Park, the parking brake does not come on automatically so you must put it on manually.

I hope that is clear, but it is complicated! Tell me if you find different.
 
#10 ·
Fred99 said:
PaulT00 said:
Fred99 said:
If you prefer, you can turn off the autohold by pressing down on the button and that disables it until you restart. Sadly you cannot seem to re-enable it without a restart.
I don't know if this is due to a software setting somewhere, but my Big Blue Bus allows me to switch the autohold on and off at will - the button acts as a toggle, press once for off and again to turn it back on. Might be that you have to have your foot on the brake to do it, though...?
I had another play with it and you are quite right, you can put it back on manually. I was confusing it with the fact that if you switch off with AH off, it will stay off when you restart.

The other thing I found was that with AH on, the parking brake comes on automatically when you are in Park as soon as you turn the ignition off or open the door. If you have AH off, then when you stop and go into Park, the parking brake does not come on automatically so you must put it on manually.

I hope that is clear, but it is complicated! Tell me if you find different.
That's exactly what I found. And to reiterate what I just wrote on the 'DSG driving tips' thread, if you don't ensure the parking brake is set then the car is only held stationary by the parking pawl in the gearbox, which is a small component which might break under the load if e.g. you park on a hill without setting the parking brake.

My usual routine is
starting - start the engine, press parking brake button to release handbrake, press auto hold button to deactivate auto hold.
drive around mostly without auto hold, unless I am in a traffic queue in which case I toggle auto hold on and off at will to have the effect of the handbrake.
stopping - pull up, foot on footbrake, shift gearbox to Park, toggle auto hold back on, press start/stop button to stop engine. Car auto-engages the parking brake during shutdown. Take foot off footbrake and exit vehicle.
 
#11 ·
PaulT00 said:
My usual routine is:
starting - start the engine, press parking brake button to release handbrake, press auto hold button to deactivate auto hold.
drive around mostly without auto hold, unless I am in a traffic queue in which case I toggle auto hold on and off at will to have the effect of the handbrake.
stopping - pull up, foot on footbrake, shift gearbox to Park, toggle auto hold back on, press start/stop button to stop engine. Car auto-engages the parking brake during shutdown. Take foot off footbrake and exit vehicle.
'
My usual routine is:
Starting - start the engine, select 1st ger and drive off.
Stopping - pull up, switch off the engine and exit the vehicle.

Then again I have the manual version. I thought people pay £1300 extra for an auto to make life easier? :lol:
 
#12 ·
Golfmk56 said:
PaulT00 said:
My usual routine is:
starting - start the engine, press parking brake button to release handbrake, press auto hold button to deactivate auto hold.
drive around mostly without auto hold, unless I am in a traffic queue in which case I toggle auto hold on and off at will to have the effect of the handbrake.
stopping - pull up, foot on footbrake, shift gearbox to Park, toggle auto hold back on, press start/stop button to stop engine. Car auto-engages the parking brake during shutdown. Take foot off footbrake and exit vehicle.
'
My usual routine is:
Starting - start the engine, select 1st ger and drive off.
Stopping - pull up, switch off the engine and exit the vehicle.

Then again I have the manual version. I thought people pay £1300 extra for an auto to make life easier? :lol:
You're starting to sound like my anti-auto-gearbox other half!
Although in fairness, if SEAT in their infinite wisdom had seen fit to make the proper diesel engine (you know, the one which runs smoothly and generates 190bhp) available with a manual gearbox, I'd have been there like a shot. I don't know what their thinking was for making the TDI190 DSG only, but someone needs taking outside and seriously inconveniencing about that... :evil:
 
#13 ·
I only really notice 1" roadwork ramps where you get a considerable jar. The rest of the ride is firm which is what Seats are noted for.

The other thing the car is capable of doing and this may or may not be due to the 4Drive enhanced suspension is you get "woe" movements. Coming from an Altea that was glued to the road, the Ateca is sensitive to undulating road where the suspension can cause the car to oscillate. Stomach in your mouth as if you are offroad but you are not. Think that's the offroad suspension kicking in whilst a normal saloon would fall into holes into the road the car instead flies into an offroad heave hoe. You will know when it does it. Doesn't do it alot just on badly undulating roads.
 
#14 ·
Having a young baby, we actively wanted to get a car with a "more jiggly" ride so it rocks her to sleep!

Gives me the perfect reason to go for bigger alloys ;)
 
#15 ·
Will have to give you the location in Epping Forest where you get the rock action :). It's the collapsed roots under the road.
 
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