[FriskyDingo]

To answer the question, I bought a DSG car. It was the only way to get the color and options I wanted. I would have preferred a manual, but the DSG is more convenient for everyday city driving, and it'll allow me to either hand the car over to my wife down the road, or relegate it to normal family errands and day-to-day use.

In comparison to the ZF 8AT, I wouldn't hesitate to say the ZF is the smoother, more refined transmission. The DSG in the new GTI is very fast and responsive in manual mode, though. There is certainly room for improvement in regular auto mode. I only use it when there is no traffic, and that seems to do the trick.