Modern engines and gearboxes are programmed to abide by some arbitrary test conditions and don’t necessarily reflect real world conditions. I think we can nearly all agree on that.
The DSG engineers are clever but are hemmed in by regulations.
Within the software there are workarounds and I’ve found that a quick but firm prod on the brakes makes the gearbox drop down very quickly to an appropriate gear to engine brake properly.
Engine braking every time for me I’m afraid. It keeps you in full control.
Coasting down on the brakes puts the engine out of the responsive zone and using the wrong gear (too high) for most situations unless you know you’re going to be coming to a dead stop.
Truly skilled drivers would almost never need to come to a full stop, well in theory - other impatient pricks on the road who think the world ends six feet in front of their bonnet would soon hamper that mission!
I learnt at a young age the exact thing p3asa says, cleaning brake dust off intricate alloys is a disgusting chore so any way of avoiding it building up should be encouraged!! Yuk!
And who says new brakes are cheap?
I might be a pauper amongst millionaires on here but if there’s any way of staving off a £250 plus bill for another 10 or 20k miles I’ll take it
I think in 34 years of driving I’ve had to buy new brakes less than half a dozen times, which considering nearly all my cars have been second hand isn’t bad going.
And obviously the small detail that I change cars every few months has no bearing on that whatsoever...
