I've been driving 'wrongly' for 25 years....

[Welly]

I've always skipped gears on down-changes as there's never enough road to go 6,5,4,3,2, etc. so I tend to hop down to third to begin with (take a roundabout in third if poss) or drop to 2nd if needed. The original query from my son was why was I dropping any gears at all when the teaching now is to leave alone.

It's an interesting topic this and it seems so far that most of us do down change as part of normal driving. Maybe if we asked the same question on a Citroen Spaxo forum we'd get a different response!

[Doggy]

It's not really possible to leave it in 6th until you've stopped decelerating, as idling speed equates to about 28 mph, (it's at least 25 on a 5-speed).
Maybe they conveniently overlook this since you're unlikely to get above 4th on an urban driving lesson?

[DaiRees]

I'm very similar. I do change down and utilise engine braking but I don't use every gear on the way down. Approaching a roundabout on a dual carriageway for example I'll often lift and coast for maybe 400 yds, before going straight from 6th to 3rd for a bit of braking assistance, then I can carry on in 3rd if it's clear, snatch 2nd if I need to, or stop completely and go straight from 3rd into 1st ready to pull away. I can't imagine staying in 6th until coming to a stop, that's just wrong!

[Welly]

It's not really possible to leave it in 6th until you've stopped decelerating, as idling speed equates to about 28 mph, (it's at least 25 on a 5-speed).
Maybe they conveniently overlook this since you're unlikely to get above 4th on an urban driving lesson?

Indeed, and when I did google this topic I found this post on the Piston Heads forum which sums it up nicely:

I did a half day IAM course through work and changing down gears approaching junctions was the main thing the instructor criticised about my driving. I’ll add they were smooth changes, as opposed to just whacking it in to let the engine decelerate rapidly.

He pulled out a statistic that automatics are involved in 30% less rear impact collisions because the driver is forced to use the brakes instead of engine braking. He also used the gears go - brakes stop phrase, but seemed to follow it too strictly. In the “this is how you should drive bit” I pointed out that he must be coasting up to the junction as the car would not do that speed in 4th without labouring. So he nearly stalled at the next junction trying not to appear to be coasting or changing down!

In my opinion that causes much more wear on the engine than a smooth downshift. Then again just pushing the clutch in would probably cause even less wear.

He also mentioned the “you have more control of the car if you aren’t taking your hands off the wheel to change gear” one but surely the control given by the correct gear is more important.

[Doggy]

I guess we're destined not to be 'advanced' motorists then.
If leaving the car in too high a gear and your brain in neutral is what's required, I'll settle for the being ordinary, (or retarded, whichever it is).

[Bailes1992]

I'm up for being a retard!

[rwb]

Sounds to me like following the rules is more important than understanding what you're doing or why you're doing it.

[steve_earwig]

I think you just summed up the british legal system...

[GingerMagic]

I was chatting about this to the chaps at work, some of the kids - you know the type, the ones who weren't born when I passed my test - and they all just use the brakes and only change down if they have a BMW on a wet road..

Some say its best to just use the brakes as the pads are cheaper than clutches - which is true - but at the expense of being caught in 5th at 20mph and neeingd to pull away a bit smartish....

I am a change down when braking person, changing gear while braking is second nature - its no biggie - and I feel in control and ready to either brake more or accelerate away in the correct gear if needed.

I've done this for nearly 750,000 miles since I passed my test.....

[Captain Jack]

Er... I am not actually sure what I do! I think I am a change-down person as well. Though, I remember Top Gear where JC drove that Audi A8... where he said that it's best to brake without changing down until you're ready to stop as no fuel is used then.

[KozmoNaut]

It's all part of the same silliness as saying "modern cars can go 50kph in 5th, so shift up early!".

If I do that, my poor 406 will be doing 1100-1200rpm or so, definitely not a good idea for a petrol engine! I can drive along at 1500rpm on flat roads no problem, but 50kph is 3rd/4th gear territory. A friend of mine recently took his taxi driver's test and for the "eco driving" bit they basically told him to shift up into 2nd gear even before his rear wheels had entered the intersection. He told me it felt like he was murdering the poor car.

I'm an occasional downshifter too. If I estimate that the light will change, I'll downshift a gear or two and try to go through the intersection without having to stop. I also do it for 2nd gear corners and such. It depends a lot on the situation, if I know I'm just going to be sitting at a red light anyway, I don't bother downshifting. I double clutch my downshifts too, especially when the gearbox is cold.

Synchros definitely aren't as good as on most newer cars, in fact the whole gearbox is a bit agricultural on the 2.2 and 3.0 petrols. You can't really rush the shifts, just let the gearbox take its time, and downshifts go much better with double clutching.

[Nightshade]

As per Gingers mates, I was taught that using the gears doesn't give as much warning with brake lights and, a set of pads are cheaper than a gearbox.

Still, being from Yorkshire, I'll admit to the odd 'coasting up to a junction the week before pay day'. That definitely rules out the possibility of being in the right gear to pull away

[steve_earwig]

Though, I remember Top Gear where JC drove that Audi A8... where he said that it's best to brake without changing down until you're ready to stop as no fuel is used then.

You listened to Germy Clottson now? He's dead wrong, fuel is cut off on overrun but if the clutch is dipped the engine's idling and using fuel. Unless he means he leaves it in 6th with the pedal up until the engine stalls...

[scotty73]

Though, I remember Top Gear where JC drove that Audi A8... where he said that it's best to brake without changing down until you're ready to stop as no fuel is used then.

You listened to Germy Clottson now? He's dead wrong, fuel is cut off on overrun but if the clutch is dipped the engine's idling and using fuel. Unless he means he leaves it in 6th with the pedal up until the engine stalls...

I overrun everywhere, the mpg display on the 406 requires me to do so.. get up to speed and try to use the loud pedal as little as possible and when i need to slow down it's a combination of changing down and using the brakes (both whenever i feel it makes driving safer)
Don't think it does the n/s/r tyre any good mind you.

I learned to drive and passed my test in a new 5 speed Escort and was taught to change from 5th to 2nd... My dad was less than impressed with this when he took me out in my older (much older) 4 speed Escort van... That's when i learned to change through the gears like dad says or WALK!!

[teamster1975]

I've always changed down when slowing; you do feel more in control of the car. Same on the motorbike as well although you have to guage it right so you don't twitch the back wheel!