how do you guys stop when cruising say at 40mpg to a stop light?

 

sometimes I downshift but mosty I just brake then shift to neutral and end my braking.

 

Cost anaylsis, clutch>brakes so I will just brake most of the time.

 

Sorry, I can't vote, my option isn't up there. I engage the clutch but leave it in gear as I brake to a stop (sometimes running down through the gears as appropriate to what the RPM's would be were I to re-engage the clutch).

The reason I do this is two fold. Leaving it in neutral while you coast down does almost nothing to increase mpg or decrease engine wear. However, if you suddenly find yourself needing to speed up, you have to take the time to throw it back into the appropriate gear. I'll already be there.

If you find yourself needing to suddenly engine brake, again, I'll already be in the correct gear for it.

 

Coast down my current gear to around 1k (or brake down, traffic conditions permitting), then put it into neutral and finish braking.

BTW, there's really no wear disadvantage to engine braking. I'm not sure what the deal with the clutch is, as it does not wear any extra if you engine brake, unless you clutch brake as well (downshifting and dumping the clutch just to get the braking effect). Then yes, I'd agree with you.

When I use engine braking, I mean that I just take my foot off the throttle and coast down in gear. I do not downshift to a stop - not only is that wasteful, but it doesn't save some gas like you can by just coasting in gear with no throttle.

BTW if you have any more questions feel free to join the great community over at www.standardshift.com

 

hmm true, never thought of it that way, that's good. I got into a bad habit of putting it in neutral first then brake to a stop. If any of the above mention, i will have to put it back in the gear that i want

 

i just pop it into neutral and brake.

 

i usualy nuteral n then break but sometimes downshift

 

option 1 for me, i know it's not the safest way, but i'm lazy to downshift

 

ditto

no need to downshift like a racecar, if u do i hope you know how to heel-toe and match the revs.

never coast down while neutral because ^^ said.

 

always stay in gear no matter what, its called being safe, and it helps you stop better and faster, so you cant say brake wear or any other bs

 

^thats what i do too^

 

Coasting in gear does help mileage too, although how much is neglible. I can't verify this as fact, but i'm pretty sure that while the engine is being pushed by the car's movement, that movement keeps the engine on, requiring no gas. However, if you're in neutral, it requires gas to keep the engine idle.

 

the 1st two choices seem to be pretty even

 

WOW! This site is really helpful. I've been driving manual since I was 16 and there are some things covered here that you don't learn on your own. Thanks buddy.

 

I haven't been using engine braking that much lately, but I've always pushed the clutch in and downshifted to 3 or 2 (4 or 3 if slowing down from highway speeds) while braking. This way, if something stupid happens and I have to take off again, I can release the clutch and gun it. I use engine braking if I have to stop quickly. I picked up the engine braking habit since I learned to drive on a stickshift F-250 (where engine braking is a good thing since you have more mass than a car).

 

I thought it's bad to be in higher gears(like 4th or 5th) and let the rpms drop below 2k?

I've only been driving stick for a year...learned on my tC

 

+2 ohh no im an xA >_<

 

It is bad if you do so, when you drive you want to make sure you either down shift to a grear to slow you down say 2nd or 3rd or pull the car out of gear.

 

you dont have to down shift to each gear when you want to stop..
when you travelling in 4 or 5th gear just hit the break and then just feel the car= depress the clutch around ~20mph..