Should You Press the Clutch or Brake First When Downshifting a Car?
2 Answers
When downshifting a manual transmission car, you need to choose whether to press the clutch or brake first based on the vehicle's speed. Here are the relevant details: 1. When the car is moving at low speed, pressing the brake directly may easily cause the engine to stall, so you should press the clutch first to prevent the engine from stopping; 2. When the vehicle is moving at high speed, you should press the brake first because the engine is running at a higher speed and has inertia. In this case, you should use a gentle tapping brake method to slow the car down—avoid pressing too hard—and then press the clutch to prevent the car from stalling.
When I first learned to drive a manual transmission car, I was quite confused about this issue. My instructor repeatedly emphasized that downshifting must always involve braking first to reduce speed, then pressing the clutch to shift gears. If you press the clutch before braking, the car will continue coasting or even accelerate, especially during turns or downhill sections, potentially leading to loss of control. During practice, I tried it a few times and found that braking first to reduce speed to match the lower gear's range—for example, slowing to 20 km/h before downshifting to second gear—made the whole process much smoother. Later, I developed this habit: gently braking to gradually reduce speed before every downshift, ensuring safety before operating the clutch. This made driving much easier and more confident.
