Should I buy a van with a dual-clutch transmission?
QUESTION
Hi John,
I am in the market for a new medium van. I’m a commercial plumber and gasfitter, and I’m looking to find out whether or not dual-clutch transmissions are a good choice in commercial vans or whether I should simply stick with a manual transmission.
Staying with a regular transmission or going to DCT will influence some of the brands that are available to me - the concept of not having to manually shift gears is pleasing.
But it means that if a DCT is not the right choice for a commercial van, it rules out certain manufacturers such as Renault and Volkswagen. Although, the concept of a fuel-efficient self shifter is also very appealing…
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Jim
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ANSWER
James,
Three points on DCTs mate:
First: they’re complex. Complexity is the enemy of reliability. The countermeasure is getting the detail design right, which most manufacturers do, but if it’s a new-ish powertrain without millions of kays on board, over months/years in service, you’re a lab rat running in an experiment.
Second: Inching forward in traffic under load in a DCT is roughly the same thing as riding the clutch in a manual. So if you do a lot of city stop-start driving with a heavy load in the van and you typically inch forward in slow moving traffic, because first gear is not fully engaged (the clutch is slipping) then this causes premature wear and this is not covered by warranty.
Third: There are two types of DCTs, broadly - wet clutch and dry clutch. The dry clutch type is more susceptible to point 2 above, because it’s not as good at dissipating heat. I think the Hyundai-Kia 8-speed DCP is particularly durable, but historically the Ford and Volkswagen ones have not been.
It’s not a problem, typically, if you avoid inching forward endlessly at walking pace under load. (You already know how to avoid this if you drive a manual.)
Conventional auto transmission is probably better for city driving, if all other things are equal, because a torque converter does a great job inching along at walking pace without blowing up…
JC
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