[asif163]

Originally Posted by Welshman

1. I see no need for option b. Option a is fine.

2. You shouldn't use the engine to brake the car. You are given brakes for that purpose - use them.

3. The purpose of downshifting is to select the right gear for the conditions. I agree, if you can see that you will be coming to a halt, you will take your foot off the accelerator while remaining in gear, depressing the clutch at the last moment before clutch judder sets in, and braking smoothly to a halt.

4. You should be able to drive smoothly at a low speed in 2nd gear. if you're going uphill you may need 1st gear but you shouldn't need to feather the clutch except at walking speeds in slow stop start traffic.

Referring to point #2- what about when going downhill and trying to maintain a moderated speed- I would think braking too much going downhill MAY cause the brakes to fade excessively so downshifting becomes essential (like when I'm coming back from skiing in VT/Maine etc). Anyone care to elaborate on their shifting technique while going downhill and trying to moderate a stable speed? I've always wondered about the best way to do this...maybe I should just stick to using the brakes?