so when you guys slow down..do you guys downshift or just go straight to neutral and brake all the way?

i used to just go straight to neutral and just cruise to a stop regardless of what gear i was...and then when i was testdriving my car...the dealer guy almost yelled at me when i did that saying how it was really bad for the car to do that..and that i should start downshifting..like 5th to 4th to 3rd to 2nd...then go to neutral..but never downshift to first..so i've been doing that now but the only problem is that i can't rev match yet..cause i still suck...so it gets kinda jerky when i downshift to 2nd...so to avoid that..i just stay in 3rd till i hit 1500rpms then i'll downshift to 2nd so it decreases the jerkiness then i stick it in neutral..

so i was just wondering what the best method was to slow down the car...or what everyone else does..i'm just worried about screwing up my transmission and my suspension by all the jerkiness and downshifting.

 

I only used gears to slow me down when i am racing or going extremely fast, i would rather replace pads then work my trans.

 

Like audiboy says....better to replace pads than replace a clutch.

 

but then is that bad for the car to be in 5th then go straight to neutral? from what the dealer was telling me was like it's kind of like to slow down the car gradually then go directly from 5th to neutral cause i guess it's kind of like a "shock" for the car to do that...but i guess if going directly into neutral then braking isn't bad for the car then maybe i'll do that...the only downside i suppose is that if some **** was charging at me...i wouldn't be in gear so that split second getting into gear may be the time it takes for that guy to hit me...

 

As said above, normally cheaper to replace pads than a tranny/clutch so better to give the brakes a workout than the tranny.
But as you said, not always a really good place to be in neutral for a long period of time.....

So you could split the difference and down shift to 4th and 3rd (tends to be a bit more forgiving and easier to rev match) and then go to neutral from there...

I am usually lazy, if I know I am going to come to a stop, I go to neutral...if I am going into a corner, then down shift.

You will not hurt your car going to neutral...you will just put more wear into the braking system...but that was what the brakes were designed to do.

 

You'll get better at downshifting and throttle matching as time goes on. If I'm coming up to a red light that I know just changed, I will coast it in, but if I see a light that I have no idea how long it has been red for, I downshift so that I can be ready to take off again and avoid that split second of hesitation. I basically do the same thing as abacab - nuetral for stops, downshift for turns. But my personal favorite is to heel-toe downshift to 2nd through a turn and roar out of it.

Just curious, why isn't it good to be in nuetral for a long time (with the clutch disengaged)? I ask because I usually do this when I am waiting at a light and first in line.

 

How I work my tranny depends on how I'm drivin. If I need the absoulte throttle control that walkin it down gives, then that's what I do. If I can be lazy and coast, I do that. No one way is always right. WHoever jumped yo schitt for coastin down is a maroon of the highest order. The *right* way is teh way that fits the situation best. Of course, pads are LIGHTYEARS cheaper than clutches, troo.

Now, if you want a REAL discussion...

Fastest way through a corner: 1. Brake early, pick your gear, grab it as you enter teh corner and come out under power? Or, 2. Brake late, pick your gear, grab it as you exit the corner and roll the power on?

OK, Sit back and watch... You should see some lively dialogue IF NEbody wants to bite.

 

I think the guy from the dealer want to be MR. NOW IT ALL, they all do. As far as I know it should be perfectly safe to throw it on neutral while slowing down. NOT unless you got an Automatic which you dont have.

 

that guy didnt really know much. I shift to neutral to save gas or when i am tired and dont wnat to downshift. I always downshift into corners so i can take off at the apex and get more speed.

 

goin into 2nd if its jerky, try kickin the accel up, then hit ur clutch, shift, and let off clutch a little slower then the rest of the gears, then gas. that cured the jerkyness going down into 2nd. i roll neutral all the time. going to a light, ill down shift to 2nd, just because there isnt any stick a6's in my area, and im a heatbag, so i just do it for fun. when i was learning from any gear going to a light, id go neutral, then before like 10 feet before the line, i go into 2nd....not sure if this is bad, but i was told aslong as speed an revs are right, u can go any gear to any gear