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How do you slow down a manual car?
I just got my driver’s license and currently drive an automatic transmission-equipped vehicle. Within the next year, however, I would like to start learning how to drive manually. Can you give me a few pointers? For instance, how do you slow down a manual car?
Maxine Boyko · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Congrats on earning your license! We’re happy to give you a few pointers.
There are two basic ways you can slow down a manual car.
First, ease off the accelerator and stop. The easiest way to slow down the vehicle is to do the following:
- Apply the brakes
- Shift into neutral
- Let the car naturally coast
Remember that you will lose the ability to re-accelerate at this point, so this is not recommended if you’re driving in traffic. If you’re already at a low speed and there’s no one else really around you, however, this is an easy and zero-frills way to slow down.
Second, downshift. If you’re driving at faster speeds and need to downshift, you’ll use the clutch to slow down. Here’s the most common method to do so:
- Stop accelerating and take your foot off the gas pedal.
- Push in the clutch and shift down to the next lower gear.
- Rev-match—give the gas a little tap. This will raise the engine speed to match the speed of the lower gear you’re shifting into (this will take a little practice to get a feel for it).
- Slowly release the clutch and apply gas if you need to avoid stalling out.
- Repeat the process as necessary.
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