Well said. If you DONT need to downshift to slow down dont do it. If you are going fast and need to make a QUICK stop then assist with your tranny. Dont make it a daily routine because its not necessary...

ok, when downshifting on a manual, do you need to rev match, if your intent is on slowing down(like braking) and not to gain more power to pass someone?

As mentioned before, the reason this isn't a big deal on an automatic is because the transmission rev matches for you. Not rev matching in a manual while downshifting puts lots of wear and tear on the transmission.

On a manual, it also puts wear on your clutch. When you don't rev match, the clutch does all the work matching the revs.

But, if you rev match, it won't slow you down as quickly.



Bottom line, just use the brakes. That's what they're there for. And, the brakes will stop you the quickest. The brakes will slow you down faster than engine braking by a long shot.

None of this stuff is really going to "hurt" your car. Just add to the wear/tear. Do it if you think it's fun. That's pretty much the only point.

Also, I'd bet that in a manual, you'll stop faster in neutral with full brakes than in gear with full brakes.

Minimum stopping distance is acheived when the tires are on the verge of locking up. It does not matter if the stopping force comes from the drive train, the stock brakes, or even big brakes.

That said ... the stock brakes are perfectly capable of locking up the tires in an emergency. As a matter of fact, the ABS is there to modulate the brake pressure so the tires do NOT lock up. Bottom line ... if you want to stop quick in an emergency, slam on the brakes.

But go ahead and manually downshift if you are preparing to accelerate quickly after braking. This is what rev matching does for you while in D or DS mode.

ive recently developed a liking for the DS mode....LOL

Actually, that's not true.

I like DS but wished there was a way to kick it back into DS after using the paddles w/o having to reach down and click the shifter over and back.

not sure why being in gear and or neutral impact breaking? I only downshift my 6mt to breke when going into an exit on/off ramp so that i can exit in the right gear. As far as downshifting to brake for any other occasion, it's too muh work to climb down the gears to slow down than to just use brakes. Maybe if it was as simple as a flick of a wrist, i'd do it. But to have to clutch in, rev match, gear down, time the release..it's simply not worth the trouble..hehe, maybe i'm just lazy

Really? Source?

I'm pretty sure the brakes will slow the wheels down faster than engine braking would, and if you're in gear, the engine would actually cause more drag on the brakes.

Guess you could argue this both ways. On the one hand, the brakes are capable of exerting enough force on the tires that without ABS the wheels will lock up - so additional force doesn't help.

That said, once you get past the rev matching with foot off the gas, engine compression DOES add force, so at any point below max braking force, it should help the car slow down.

Note that in the tests that some mag did (0 - 150 - 0), as soon as they hit the brakes they also pushed in the clutch. BUT, that's because the engines were at high revs, and until the engine slowed down (a second or two) it would actually keep trying to accelerate the car if left in gear.

Interesting thoughts and comments here.

I would think that with rev matching, gas is actually being fed INTO the engine to keep the revs up on a downshift. That would mean little or no effect from engine braking.

When I drive a manual, I usually don't downshift unless I plan to accelerate immediately after slowing down. Other than that, I coast to a stop in neutral.

wear your brakes down, not your transmission... brake pads are a hell of a lot cheaper to replace

No source necessary. You can test it yourself by doing this:

1. Leave your car in 1st gear, speed up to 20 mph, then let off the gas and don't hit the brakes. You will find the car slows down pretty quickly. This is due to engine braking.

2. Repeat the same exercise, except this time, when you get up to 20 mph, put the car in neutral. The car will coast for much longer than when you left it in 1st gear.

Now, knowing this, when you are applying the brakes AND downshifting to also apply engine braking, you will stop quicker than if you put the car in neutral and only used the regular brakes.

Basically, the engine does cause more drag, but that added friction is what slows the car down even more.