Audi Ditching CVTs In Favor Of Dual Clutch Gearboxes

There’s good news if the thought of a German luxury automaker selling cars with CVTs makes your skin crawl: Audi is ditching its infinite ratio transmission.

The company is getting ready to eliminate its Multitronic CVT in favor of a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission according to a report by Motoring that quotes Audi driving behavior engineer Ralph Riegger. During the course of its use, the unit became the center of a class-action lawsuit that said the transmissions are prone to premature failure in rouhgly 64,000 A4 and A6 sedans built between 2002 and 2006.

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vdiv - 7/23/2014 2:35:13 PM

+3 Boost

Shaken, not stirred! ;)

It's a good decision for Audi. The DSG they have is really good.

MattDarringer - 7/23/2014 4:02:10 PM

+2 Boost

While I applaud them for ditching the trouble-prone CVT, VWAG's DSG are remarkably fragile. Failures between 75K and 100K miles are surprisingly common. My advice would be to lease an Audi for no longer than the warranty. If you must buy, pay for the best extended warranty you can afford. You will need it.

vdiv - 7/24/2014 11:30:13 AM

+1 Boost

Agree with your advice though I believe the reliability of the DSG trannies and apparently Audi's confidence in them has improved from the early days. Audi's "victims" can chime in to confirm or deny :)

MattDarringer - 7/23/2014 4:05:12 PM

+1 Boost

Agent009 to correct you...a CVT is not an "infinite ratio" transmission because like a DSG or a superior conventional automatic it has a fixed ratio between low and high gear. The correct term would to call a CVT a "shiftless" transmission.

MattDarringer - 7/23/2014 6:49:39 PM

0 Boost

@reviews hehe

gkearns56 - 7/23/2014 7:15:50 PM

+3 Boost

@Matt: Couldn't disagree with you more on how "fragile" the DSG transmission. Wife had an Audi A4 with DSG tranny and it had about 186K miles on it; not a problem with the transmission. You may sell cars (based on your previous post). I grew up in Michigan the auto capital of the world and most of my brothers/sisters, Aunts/Uncles worked at big 3 and/or now work for one of the foreign car companies such as Audi/VW in Auburn Hill, Michigan and BMW too. A couple of perks are getting NEWS about models, designs and even issues (or recalls) about specific cars, as well as family purchase plan on an Audi (or BMW). You make it sound like every Audi owner has had an issue with it. Every car company is going to have some issue on a vehicles. Fortunately - you're not a Certified Master Mechanic and hope your not marketing Audi or BMW cars.

MattDarringer - 7/23/2014 10:43:56 PM

0 Boost

@gkearns56 I'm at the dealer level and the failure rate is HIGH. You can have your German fanboy reverence for VW's DSG but it's a steaming pile of feces that VW is 100% OK with sicking you with the replacement cost at 60K miles.

scenicbyway12 - 7/23/2014 4:29:04 PM

+1 Boost

Thank God.

jeffgall - 7/23/2014 8:33:49 PM

+1 Boost

Good news, just hope Audi keeps a manual as an option on the A4. Was not happy to see what they did with the A3. When you want a sedan with a manual transmission and AWD, your options are limited.