I hate

The Merc passenger vans we used to drive at work were automatic but had built in engine braking, whenever you took your foot off the accelerator it would immediately slow down. The Fords we have now will continue to accelerate if you're on a downhill or simply coast on the flat.

All good chaps. I don't have any strong feelings about engine braking. I'm just being my usual pedantic self.

I suppose it depends on how used to it you are. I've always had manual cars/vans so don't even think about it. The only issue is when I drive an automatic for a bit then get back in a manual and I genuinely have to think about what I'm doing. Either way driving is shit and dangerous and should be avoided.

You're missing the bit with involving the clutch and the engine revs before they're slowed.

I'd still rather wear brakes than clutch. There's no free lunch.

I'd remove their phones before I bothered with their gearboxes.

driving is shit and dangerous and should be avoided.

Yeah this is it, basically. I’d just rather see gone anything at all that makes it more difficult for the waves of fucking idiots who, bafflingly, can legally drive a car.

I learned with a manual (old man would never pay extra for an Auto, umadbro?) and continue with them even though changing gears for someone that doesn't like driving is a ballache simply because they're cheaper. I drove my mate's auto once and it's fucking freaky. Auto + cruise control is nice because I can put my feet up and go to sleep..

I suppose it depends on how used to it you are.

Also as a motorcyclist, you can't avoid it. Engine braking is much more severe on bikes than in cars. May be a weight/momentum thing.

Higher revs to begin with, lighter weight, fewer cylinders to work with..

I just realised I hate talking about cars in the I hate thread.

I hate finding holes in the drybag that was holding your tent (so probably holes in the tent) to the bars because some prick (me) didn't clean up the ziptie he'd added to tighten the stupid aerobar bridge.

A colleagues pickup does this the garage told him it was to do with fuel efficiency and emissions.

Just to add to this my car doesn’t use engine braking it uses the energy to charge its battery and it’s not an automatic or manual.

and I am also not a drivererist expert

Don't undersell yourself.

Using an outlier scenario to make your point sounds boss level driver to me.

Engine braking means you really feel at one with the car.

Manual is the fixie of the car world.

But really, it's good for either long or steep or both hills, but as far as I'm aware most autos let you select a lower gear so you can avoid over heating the brakes and because if you're braking down a hill unnecessarily you're just turning your fuel to heat and leaving the car in gear down a hill drives the engine without needing fuel and out of gear you're essentially idling so using fueland not in full control. I've only driven an auto a few times and found it a bit confusing at first, changing gear manually doesn't really involve thinking, even if I've not driven in months, kinda muscle memory.

Ime it's like operating systems, most people you hear seem overly opinionated when it's not that big a deal.

We have a non-flappy paddle DSG. So a quick way to lower gearing is Sport mode, if you need real control you push the stick to Manual then push up or down. I found it really useful when staying with a mate in darkest Devon down a long steep rough road. The auto jumps to 2nd almost immediately (which was too high) so used manual a lot to select 1st. I do also use it for fun sometimes.

We have a non-flappy paddle DSG.

And you rent him out to orgies?

kinda muscle memory

The kinda muscle memory that has you reaching for the hand brake that isn't there 2 minutes after driving off in an unfamiliar hired car when perched at traffic lights on a steep hill.

Can't believe y'all aren't engine braking

Brake pads are cheaper than a new clutch thx

Should have checked before replying - can see this has already been covered 🙃

We have a non-flappy paddle DSG.

I have the flappy paddles. I have never used them, other than to go - ooh, look, flappy paddles.

Ad, of course, when I'm double-declutch-engine-assist-shift-brake-being-one-with-the-car-ing

You forgot the rev matching.

I got commended and told off at the same time for engine breaking when I was learning to drive a motorcycle.
Got told it was good practice and efficient to slow down that way but to use the brakes as the lights will show you are slowing to traffic behind

CSB

Engine braking can be pretty useless on some vehicles, the electronics step in and adjust the fuelling to reduce the effect. My last car had very effective engine braking and the latest car with the same basic engine and updated fuel system is rubbish.

I wrote off an old Golf I’d only owned a couple of months with a bit of overzealous engine breaking, the timing belt managed to hop a couple of teeth.
Still do it though, albeit on a lesser scale, as mentioned above the sound is almost as important as the effect...

https://youtu.be/KHgD0wJGcR0

Gears are for going, brakes are for slowing.

Except on bikes, natch. My old Guzzi 1000 twin has huge engine braking, just roll the throttle back and two fat 500cc pistons drag you right down. I rarely use the (admittedly poor) brakes expect to come to a halt.