Here's a question I always had but never asked.

Is it good to downshift to a stop all the time or
shuld you just throw the car into neutral and
manually stop with the brakes?

What are the pros and cons?

Do you drive stick shift?
I haven't seen anybody driving like that.

If I downshift, I downshift it to 2nd when I stop. I never do 1st and I don't think anybody does.

But usually I leave it in 3rd or 4th or whatever I am in. I don't think anybody use neutral to stop.

can you even shift into first when coming to a stop? my wrx only lets you go into first from an absolute stop, wonder if there is something wrong with it. I really don't even down shift when I stop, rather wear out my brake pads than my tranny and clutch!

stop with shifting
pro: sounds cool, less wear on breaks
con: uses tranny to rev engine higher, potential to over rev engine, using tranny and clutch more than you have to

I like stopping in neutral, never had a problem with it, but if you are on a track I would suggest down shifting when slowing.

It's better to use the brakes, brakes are cheaper and easier to replace than a clutch.

If you are going down a very long hill then it's OK to use the motor as a brake to prevent your brakes from fading.

There have been several discussions on this in the past with the general concensus that it's okay to use the transmission to slow down as long as you match the revs first. However, it's my opinion that brakes are for stopping and the transmission is for accelerating, and why put the extra stress on your glass Subaru transmission? I'd rather burn the brakes and replace them with upgraded pads, rotors, and lines in the future.

that's engine braking...
I don't normally do that. I usually leave it in the current gear, brake to proper speed, then downshift. The only time i do engine braking is when no brake is required, but speed has gone down and requires the downshift. But always remember to tab the gas to rev match. ;)

The one downfall about having a father who used to be a driving instructer is all the lectures you tend to get. Personally, I usaully put the car in neutral and cost til the stop tapping the brakes when necessary. However, my father always points out that the reason you should downshift as you slow down is because if a driver or pedestrian or whatever, jumps out, you need to be in the proper gear to take evasive maneuvers.

I think this is a pretty valid arguement, so when I'm in more congested areas with cars and people, I tend to always be in a gear when slowing down.

I like to use engine breaking as I'm slowing down


If noting else I get more practice rev matching

I used to go to into neutral all the time…

Until I was rear-ended at a stop sign.
Saw it coming but didn’t get into gear fast enough.

Just repeating here that, while engine braking isn't all that harsh on your car, it can't possibly be better than just replacing your pads 5,000 miles sooner. So, unless you just like to practice rev-matching, want to hear your exhaust/intake, or are concerned about response to sudden emergencies, just hit the brakes.

But engine braking is definitely more fun, and if you didn't like fun you'd have bought a Toyota. ;)

Yeah, I enjoy it and I feel i have a little more control of the
car coming to stops. I like rolling up to red lights and then
jumping on it while it's still slowing down in gear when the
light turns green. heh...

I'd like to echo the fact that leaving it in gear allows you the option to press the gas pedal to "go" if necessary. That sometimes means you need to downshift. I downshift to 2nd just because it sounds cool! ;)


Also, there *is* a possibility that your car *could* stall while coasting in neutral. I remember riding in my friend's Jeep down a hill near my house. He was coasting in neutral and somewhere along down the hill, we hit a bump which caused his Jeep to stall. Can you say "no power steering or brakes?!?" Pretty freaky - especially when you're rolling down a hill at +60mph! :eek:

Well, he had to put it in gear and pop the clutch out to get the engine to kick over again. It is an experience that I would NOT like to do over again.

Then also, is the argument of whether or not to leave your car in neutral at a stop. Some people argue that with the car in neutral, your foot is not on the clutch, thus saving wear and tear on the throw-out bearing of your clutch. The "evasive action" camp says that if you leave your car in first and with the clutch in, if you notice that someone is about to rear-end you, you can quickly move your car without having to waste time putting your car in gear. 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other. Both camps agree that riding your clutch is a no-no! :p

LaterZ!
Darren!!

yeh, i usually heel toe into the lower gear when the gear im in
falls down to about 2100rpm's. when you downshift higher,
there's much torque that it doesnt really help to slow the
car down (you'll end up using more brakes).

so if im in 5th and coming to a gradual stop, i'll just rev match into 4th, then brake and heel toe into 3rd and just let the clutch out when it gets to about 1500rpm. from there its all brakes.

i believe somewhere in the owner's manual that it recommends
downshifting when coming to a stop. i think downshifting to
3rd is enough, 2nd is usually when im in a steep downhill, and
1st is almost never.

exactly

nuff said

I rev match to a stop instead of using my brakes on slippery surfaces (especially on ice). I once threw my wife's automatic Toyota into second (it was a 3 speed) on an icy highway to avoid hitting the guy doing 360's in front of me (who hit the car next to me at 55mph)...it was scary, but it kept us from being in the accident.

always drive in the gear that is appropriate for the speed.
you will need to rev match each downshift. its not
about saving your tranny or discs. its about
driver control of the car. if you want machinery to do
everything for you, just get a AT. AT's imo are very cool too.
AT's downshift at lower speeds...that's got to mean
something too.

MT: use 3rd gear when coming to a stop. 4th gear
works too, but sometimes ratio's too high depending
on situation. 2nd gear if you're coming down a hill or
know that you need to accelerate soon before a
complete stop. i highly not recommend downshifting
into 1st gear unless you absolutely can rev match
correctly.

Personally, I've come to the conclusion that the only possible negative outcome of using 100% brakes to stop, without compression braking, is pad and rotor wear. Since that is a cheap and easy maintenance issue, not to mention a good excuse for upgrades ;) I'll go that route. While it is still debatable, I am not going to risk internal engine damage by braking with it. I would just hate to be proven wrong on the issue down the road.

it's a habit of mine to throw it in neutral and coast to a stop... only like 25MPH and less though. anything faster and i will downshift to 2nd first.

I'm agreeing with the rule of keeping it in the propper gear for the speed and rev matching. Not only is is not bad for the car but in many states its the law to be in gear and not neutral for stops. This goes back to the control and reaction point some people were making. If rev matching is too much work for some people then I suppose braking in neutral is the next best thing. Rev matching is way more fun though : )!!