[quote=spdrun]Nope.
(a) my car’s a diesel. No throttle plate, so not much engine braking
(b) if you rev-match properly before letting the clutch back in, and ONLY THEN gradually let off the gas, the slowing will be very gradual. Not to mention that downshifting and letting the clutch in with the engine idling chews up clutch plates.
If you’re talking about doing the same in an automatic, I’d actually agree, but unless it’s an electric car, any car I own will have the correct # of pedals.[/quote]
I never have a diesel, so I didn’t know down shifting in a diesel behave differently than down shifting in a gas engine.
Your (b) sounds a lot less dangerous than your initial description. I though you’re talking about going 70 and down shift to 3rd or 4th gear and just let go of the gas. Now, that’s dangerous. Doing that can easily slow you down 20+MPH very quickly.
