Quote:
Originally Posted by DougLikesBMW
No I don't, the pedal configuration in my Jetta doesn't allow for it. The brake pedal is too high in comparison to the accelerator  .
On top of that, I don't even know how to. I'm sure I could've figured it out by now if they didn't have a gay pedal set up.
However, I have learned to minimize the jerkiness of downshifting and sometimes it's smooth as butter.
I downshift to slow my car, because that's how I was taught (it is after all the proper way to drive), but how do I combat the argument from my friend (he does the neutral thing) when he says brake pads are less expensive than a clutch? |
Cause he is wrong. You are not going to need to replace your clutch because you downshift. You are going to need to replace your clutch for downshifting into 2nd from 5th. Not 2nd from 3rd. or 3rd from 4th. Doing burnouts, riding your clutch from gear to gear... resting your foot on the clutch while driving. These are the types of things that cause your clutch to fail. Not downshifting.
My fleet of trucks consist of mostly automatics and about 5 manuals. They all used to be manuals. I learned how to drive a truck on manual transmissions. I only use the clutch to go from neutral to 1st and from neutral to reverse. Otherwise, you hit your RPM target and lift from the gas and shift. It works with every manual transmission. My trucks go almost 100k without clutch replacement and my drivers are downshifting. If they weren't downshifting they would never be able to slow down the trucks with a full load, the brakes would simply overheat and explode.
If you want to combat that argument, ask him why he is driving a car with a clutch if he doesn't want to use it? 4 brake pads installed on a BMW are not cheap... at all.