And with a wehicle... and with the type of fuel ... and with turbocraged vs not. For example Honda min speed will be different than Bmw and so would petrol vs diesel
And the minimum speed in each gear depends on the situation. In general, the less predictable the situation is and the more you may need to vary your speed, the lower the gear you would want. For example, on my car, cruising at a steady 30 MPH in 6th at 1200 RPM works great, but I wouldn't do that in traffic where I'm slightly varying my speed all the time.
I think every (good) driver understands when they need to downshift, not based on the speed in numbers, but the feeling and vibrations the engine is giving off in any given scenario. I also feel like we don't pay attention to minimum speed in each gear due to the fact that we downshift to slow the car down, so most of the time we're not waiting until the car has reached the minimum speed to downshift, especially in cars that like to rev high or don't have a lot of power in the lower RPM range (so that we can get back on it as soon as we have a chance to speed up again).
When I was learning to drive, my instructor taught me to slow down to the desired speed, then select the appropriate gear, even if that meant braking with the clutch down for some time (not enough to be classed as coasting). Now, about a year and a half later, I downshift as I brake, and I find it easier to anticipate the gear needed; I also find it easier to keep the car rolling as I come up to a queue of traffic just as it starts moving, for example.
Driving uphill reduces the minimum speed and you need higher revs to not stall. I think that's important to note when talking about car gearings. Edit: ofc i meant the minimum speed requirement increases, not decreases
Off topic but I really appreciate you doing these vids in modern cars. Tons of people online say that modern cars are kind of soul-less and boring but I think it's how you approach it that decides whether driving is fun or not. I remember chatting with an oldhead online about how even driving instructors really don't understand manual driving so bad technique ruins the experience. I think it might be a blessing in disguise I have an automatic right now as the rest of my family would think I'm somehow breaking the car if I want to rev-match and heel-toe shift. Can already hear my dad ranting about how it's dangerous to press the brake and accelerator at the same time...
There are 3 things that Mick does not communicate about manual transmissions. Firstly , you want to get on the brakes to reduce speed in the safest manner and reduce driveline wear and tear (also to benefit from anti dive technology). Secondly, get on the brakes first as there is more to learn about braking that gear changing, plus this provides the greatest safety margin when learning (correct approach speed is vital). Thirdly, the heel and toe wants to run through the braking zone, meaning that your foot is still on the brakes once the matched downshift is complete (don’t forget that you are trying to avoid any unwanted engine braking). If your ability to read the road is sufficient there is absolutely no need to shift down sequentially, it’s just more wear and tear, more opportunity to upset balance and takes the focus off effective braking. Looking forward to the pros and cons of double declutching with heel and toe and left foot braking in a manual Mick (not that you need any of these techniques other than rev matching on the public road). Happy shifting
Regardint the minimum speed for every gear ...You never hear people talking about this is because this is not a problem and people fairly early and easy figure it out themselves . Regarding protecting your gearbox .. :DD Ive been driving for 30 years and manuals only. Never , not once I thought about protecting my gearbox:D Never heal toed and never had any single problem with my gearbox ot fllywheel. I had to replace my clutch once, but all my cars are 5-10years old, so youi should expect that . Rev matching is a good thing , but just dont use crazy force to cvhange the gear and you will be fine without any heal toeing . Just relax and enjoy driving! People are overthinking too much:) I have never personally seen anyone, any of my friends who would wory what is the minimum speed at any gear and they all do fine. Because its easy to get it. Thats why no one talks about it
Age doesn't really matter. A clutch should last in excess of 100-200,000 miles. Many people just don't care, as they don't really have any interest in driving, but being able to change down the gears smoothly is only possible with rev matching, unless you let the clutch out very slowly and accelerate wear significantly. It also enables much quicker downchanges which is useful for overtaking etc.
Having spent years assessing qualified drivers, I have to agree with Mick on the need to understand minimum gear speeds. This is particularly important with diesels that can pull when speed sensors identify an engine is struggling. It is also helpful to help drivers develop a feel for their car rather than over anticipating or driving through simple habit.
@@timothyhicks5843Absolutely correct, how many times I tried to convince my wife that needs more revs in her 1.6 diesel engine, lost battle. She sees the engine struggling but always really on torque. I am a petrol head, how many times she stalled the engine, 2l turbocharged, not a bad one too. I hope one day she will understand. She is not a bad driver at high speed but this is easy.
I don't see the value in learning the minimum speed in numbers like that. I think nobody talks about it because nobody does it. What you need to be able to do is judge from the sound and feel of the engine. The actual speed in numbers changes on a hill vs the flat and changes from vehicle to vehicle. Also, worrying about the difference between 5 and 6 or 11 and 12 is fine if you have a digital speedo, but suggesting people peer at an analogue dial to make distinctions that fine is daft. The rev counter is a much more important instrument for this stuff than the speedo.
I mean, if you're hearing/feeling the engine as an indication your revs are too low then it's too late. I do think people naturally have a feeling of "I should probably change down to 2nd for this junction" but this is such a clear and straightforward way to always get it right. Fair point on the digital Speedo... Though at this point I think >90% of cars on the road will have a digital speedo.
@@MickDrivesCars Thanks for the reply Mick. I would never criticise someone for using a technique that they find helpful and works for them, but using the speedo as a reference for this stuff is quite alien to me. What do you think about learning the minimum comfortable rpm? That's still specific to the vehicle and will change on a hill, but it's only one thing to learn regardless of which gear you're on, rather than learning a different speed for each gear. I couldn't tell you at all what the minimum speed is for each gear is in my car, but I can immediately know from seeing the position and movement of the rev counter in my peripheral vision, along with the sound and the response under my right foot, whether I'm approaching the bottom of the usable rev range and it's time to change down. I've driven a car with a failed speedo and it didn't have any impact on using the gears appropriately. Driving a vehicle with no rev counter is a much more noticeable absence. It feels like driving partially blind.
Number one is pointless. Why? Because any good manual transmission driver can feel when his car needs to be shifted to a lower gear without looking at the speedometer. Nobody is going to memorize lowest speed per gear. Besides, those minimum speeds change depending upon conditions. For example, if you can do a minimum of XX MPH in second gear, that's going to change if you're not on a completely flat road. If you have even a slight incline or decline in the road, you can throw your minimum speeds right out the window. Anyone who knows how to drive a manual transmission vehicle knows not to lug the engine. Looking at speeds is amateurish.
Got my first manual (and first car) 3 months ago, still struggling with the manual in terms of shifting smoothly, and releasing the clutch correctly when the car coasting at like 2-3 kph, and these tips really help improve thank you
Thanks for the info, I wasn't sure if I was doing something wrong while rev-matching and "engine braking." Now I understand I made a few mistakes, I'll fix them, ty!
Nice video! I am automatic (hydrokinetic Aisin) owner now, because of wife mostly. It is really convenient solution in most situations. But when I am driving longer journeys to mall alone, late evening, many corners, I shift manually and using S mode:) Then I realize I could have 2nd car with manual;) So now when I am on delegation at work I always choose manual to have this mind-body memory in my reflexes.
As long as you lift the clutch high enough, you're not doing much harm to your clutch rev matching without throttle blips - it's literally what the clutch is for. Can be good to remember when you're doing every day driving and don't want to mistakenly jab the brakes in traffic (especially when your pedals are as awkwardly far apart as mine lol).
instead of minimum speed i look and feel for minimum rpm i know that for my car it doesn’t like anything under 2k rpm so i just keep it above that and im happy
I drove about 6-7 cars (tested the cars of friends) until now and all of them had the gas pedal much lower than the brake and its very hard or impossible to do a hill toe in a regular car that is not designed to be sporty if you don't want to emergency break every time you want do it or maybe i'm just dumb and my feet are too small.
Hi Mick, i have now owned 5 new Subaru WRX since 2005, my first 2 were manual, with my last 3 being a CVT ( now SPT ) i would never buy anything but a CVT now, i can set it to manual and use the shifter paddels if needed, once driving a CVT with todays heavy traffic in Oz now, the SPT is a blessing, Plus, i can keep both hands on the wheel, otherwise my new 2023 WRX tells me to keep my hands on the Wheel 😉 😉 Au
man i take the wider roads in my country for granted, trips me out watching people from the UK spirit drive, especially through towns and cities in damper conditions than my country
It's a driving technique to use the new rev limit that the manufacturers don't want you to know about. Most people find that it's so exciting they only need to do it once with a car, and then they buy a new one.
minimum speed is good, but try not to accelerate when at 1000rpm. It s putting useless stress on the engine and it s harmful. instead, try to go a gear lower, unless you re in second, or just slip the clutch a bit. It s never good to lug your engine
Sadly, not all cars have the proper pedal assembly to do heel-toes, I drive Volvo S40 and the accelerator pedal is too far in, compared to clutch and brakes, so I tried once to heel-toe downshift on an empty straight road and when I wanted to rev up, my toe pushed on brakes a bit too much just to reach gas pedal, so the car nose-dove with me XD. I now just do like I would normally shift gear up, except I do it downward. Maybe its not perfect as there is still a bit of kick, especially If the clutch is released to quickly but WAY better than If I would just release clutch with no revving.
Idk if something has changed fundamentally about cars in the last 5 years but i've had multiple people tell me that doing low rpm (even on 4th gear, let alone 5th gear) can cause damage over time.
I really want to learn how to heel-toe, but my Altima's brake pedal is absurdly sensitive. I think pedal placement is also important, right? Mick talking about clutch wear reminds me that I should probably bang gears less. But it's funny to get tire spin in second with an NA I4.
You don't heel toe on the street period, or really in any car or situation that's not hyper aggressive. Take that shit to a track and you can brake as hard as you want.
@@thegamingguy1You seem to have a very distorted view of how heel and toe can be of benefit on the road. There's absolutely nothing aggressive about it. It's literally just rev matching a down change while braking. The alternative is either you sacrifice rev matching, or you have to separate gear changing and braking. For me, both those alternatives are inferior, regardless of where and what I'm driving. Once you integrate it into your normal, safe, considerate, non-aggressive driving, pottering around town or out on the open road or wherever you're driving, it becomes second nature and indispensable.
Clutch placement and sensitivity should not be a barrier. The key is to establish the break force as normal and then to rotate into the blip or constant accelerator setting. During the accelerator work the pressure remains constant on the brake pedal until the shift is completed. That means that you have to have enough approach speed in the first place. This is a key reason why heel and toe is best learnt on a straight. I never taught it to a novice approaching a bend or real hazard as that would be irresponsible - just simulate until the action is established.
@@timothyhicks5843 Even brake force is probably the main issue. My brake pedal has low travel and the brakes grab early. Sneezing while braking could throw passengers forward. 😅 I'll still give it a try though.
Another thing most people don't know is that in a lot of modern cars, because there is an incentive for manufacturers to sell more autos (because they cost more AND they make it easiet to hit emissions targets), many of the manuals deliperately have a worse gear ratio than the automatics so they require 1 more gear change to hit 60mph and thus look less appealing to potential buyers. Engineering explained has a great video on it. Ever wonder why the same car in manual may take 0.5s more to 60 yet a manual gear change does not take this long, well that's why
4:03 That cut, I thought it was an automatic for a sec😂. Didn’t see him shifted but he went up a gear.
Месяц назад
I was going to try heel and toe some months ago, but quickly realized that the gas and brake pedals are so far apart that I can't reach the gas while braking 😂 Also I don't think you can drive for more than a month before you more or less intuitively know the highest gear for your speed, which is probably why noone bothers talking about it.
@@MickDrivesCarsmy old fiat 500 had the pedals so weirdly spaced that I couldn’t get it. They also had the AC vent right next to the pedals so I would scrape my ankle all the time. 1 month on the GR86 and I can heel and toe now 😅
@@MickDrivesCars I drive a 2006 fiat panda and if you've got your foot on the accelerator, not pressed, just on it, you can slide your foot perfectly behind the brake with no problem. Not all cars are made for heel & toe.
I'm smoother on down shifts than I am on upshifts and cannot workout what I'm doing wrong... A lot of the time there is a slight jerk when I come off the clutch, I've tried slowing down or speeding up how I come off the clutch but nothing seems to make a difference.
I actually went through this with the m2... I noticed if I hold the gear a little longer and shift at slightly higher RPM, the upshift is a lot smoother. Maybe try this. I have a tendency to be -too- gentle
@@MickDrivesCars I will give it a go, I drive a diesel so I don’t rev it out very much as power band ends at around 3500rpm I will try go a little over this and see what happens.
one thing about heel and toe is it is highly dependent on the pedal setup of your car. Some cars are effortless to heel and toe, and other cars are so difficult to Hell-Toe that it's not worth doing at all in everyday driving. An example is an E46, the offset between the brake and the accelerator mean that you have to be braking extremely hard for Heel-Toe to even work. other cars like the MX5 or lotus Elise have a pedal setup that really lends itself to Heel-Toe making it both easy and rewarding to do so.
True. Ironically, my 1989 Carlton GSi has the perfect pedal setup regarding my foot size. And you don't have to break hard in order to control both brake and accelerator pedal. On the other hand, my daily Civic, not worth the effort.
My driving instructor taught me to slow the car down with the clutch, is this normal for driving lessons? I get they’re trying to keep it simple for learners but its pretty awful advice in my opinion
Yeah but what is the point doing manual rev match when the M2 has has auto rev match that will hit it everytime. I wasn‘t a fan at first using it but it matches perfect every single time. Btw. i really like your vids and i drive an M2 my own and love it.
There are quite a few things not entirely correct in this video. To name just a few: You don't have to remember what minimum speed a gear can go. It's quite boring to start with, we're not all nerds or geeks. While driving, you want to focus on many other things which are far safer or more interesting than the gear ratios. Gear ratio knowledge can be overlooked anyway, since most cars have a rev counter. Using that is just as easy if not easier. Also, as soon as you're no longer driving on the flat, the minimum speed argument goes out of the window anyway. Driving in 5th at 23mph does not necessarily save fuel. To accelerate to 50 or 60 will take longer, and you'll have to open the tap a lot more since you're engine is under revving. I've done the experiment myself. I save fuel by pushing gears and skipping one or maybe even 2 gears, and then coasting nicely rather than keeping crushing the throttle pedal because I'm in a very high gear for the speed I'm doing and aiming for.
It helps to know what that speed is. You can leave the car in gear in lets say 2nd (depends on the car) and it’s the perfect speed for a parking lot without pressing on the gas
i love manual, but not for my daily, i drive everyday, i understand manual, but aholes on the road are making my day just pain, im not choosing manual on my next daily, but if i get some fun car for the day offs ill get manual for sure (european commenter)
Hi Mick haven’t watched this video yet but I know it will be a banger. Thanks for all the tips you have made me a better driver always love everything you post 1.8 Zafira has never felt better.
Breaking with your heel while you push the accelerator down to increase the amount of revs. Obviously only works if you've got the clutch pressed down too.
It’s a technique that allows you to rev match a down change while braking, by using the brake pedal and accelerator simultaneously. You use your right foot to do two things at the same time: brake, and also raise or blip the revs in the middle of the gear change (i.e. while the clutch is down) to match engine speed to road speed for the new gear. Obviously this requires a different position for your right foot. The name suggests using your heel for one pedal and toe for the other but it’s not really like that. The exact foot position depends on the pedal layout in the particular vehicle, but basically you move your right foot across a bit and maybe rotate it a bit, so that you still have firm control of the brake pedal but you can also use the outside of your foot, maybe twisting your ankle a little, to operate the accelerator. In some vehicles it can be hard to find a position that works. A few things to think about if you’re going to give it a go: Safety and braking are more important than smooth gear changes. Make sure you don’t move your foot so far that you risk losing control of the brake. You’re operating two pedals at once - if you fluff one of them, it needs to be the accelerator that you fluff not the brake. You still need to be able to execute an emergency stop with your foot in the position you’re using for heel and toe. And as with anything new, you will be consciously thinking about doing it, which uses a bit of your attention span. So find a nice, hazard-free place to try it out. Don’t try it for the first time when you have an idiot tailgater up your chuff or you’re driving past a primary school at kicking out time :).
@@matthewlee-mu2kqNo problem. A couple of other points occurred to me: It's easier to do this when you have a firm pressure on the brake pedal, so light braking when you only need a little bit of speed reduction probably isn't the time to practice. And the idea is that the gear change is finished before the end of braking, so you might find you need to change gear a little earlier than you're used to.
Again the auto stalling guy, Hi . I had a discusion whit my parents 2 or 3 months ago. I was in the city where the speed limit is 50km/h but everyone was doing 60 to 65 km/h. The question is do i do 50 and be a risk on the road or do i go to 60 whit the traffic. Again i love your vids and thanks for the efford. Cheers
Of course, but do you really need these split-second times when driving 98% of the time? I doubt it. I'd much rather enjoy shifting smooth and feeling the car. Most of the time I wish I didn't own an auto currently :D
@@MickDrivesCars agreed, just like EV’s. Maybe it’s cause I learnt to fly before I learnt to drive. When I command full throttle, be it in a plane or a car, I want full throttle. I don’t want to mess around with gearing and a clutch pedal. Also manual gets very painful in traffic, if you live in/near a major city.
I had a week's work placement in Bristol a while ago, and in rush hour traffic 2x per day I'm 99% sure my left foot had a six-pack by the end of the week lol
@@edwardtye4119 for sure.. wish i had the autop version of my car when i have to deal with m62.. the adaptive cruise controll can do it all the.. with mine I have to interveen because its all too slow haha.
Still driving way too fast for the conditions. The speed you going round some of the those blond bends... If there had been cyclists you wouldn't have been able to stop in time.
Some people don't listen to their engine, or know what they're doing...when I hear people red lining it in 1st, its painful..(not really proper drivers, because they should know better, but some boy racers don't care)
Is there a problem if you reach 3.5-4.5 rpm on 1st when you make a turn and want to get up to speed fast? And also, what's the problem going 4th-3rd-4th on a bend? The guy on the video is right, if you brake and you are still on the high gear you accelerate way slower.
Are u not driving over the limit? could the police use the videos to screw you? Too many crossroads with little visibility .... I would be scared of crashing that expensive car .....
Heel and toe should relegated to track only or very high level driving only. It's a shame how many RU-vidrs act like its something every car guy does, when in reality its like only race drivers in race cars doing that shit. Probably the dumbest thing about car RU-vid is heel and toe. It's just not a real thing people do hardly.
I don't know about you, but I prefer to rev match my gear changes, and I don't want to preclude changing gear while braking from being part of my driving plan. Therefore: heel and toe. It is an absolutely routine part of my driving since I learned to do, in anything manual (and sometimes when manually changing gear in an auto). I know basically nothing about racing. My objectives driving on the road are completely different to a racing driver's objective on a race track.
You should 100% rev match every down change... and sometimes you have to brake. When you're braking and you need to change gear - you don't really have a choice.
@@MickDrivesCars lol for real? And people listen to you for advice lmao You absolutely do HAVE a choice lmfao just look ahead and cruise, take it out of your gear, put it in the lower gear, and at some point during all of that you figure out when is a good time to slow down. Idk why choose the words you don't have a choice when literally millions of people have drove manual without heel and toe shifting. Just slow down and put it in the lower gear wtf? And yeah man you can match the revs doing that too just get good, damn.
@@gavindeane3670 okay well you're a weirdo, most people don't do that and you don't have to unless you feel like it. The problem I'm talking about is new manual drivers thinking it's a prerequisite to driving stick rather than a high level technique. Good for you you like doing it man but you're in like the 3% of weirdos so have some awareness of that. Most people should just drive and not think that hard.
@@thegamingguy1 Actually I think the roads would be a lot safer if people thought a lot HARDER about their driving and more of them aspired to continuous improvement. I absolutely agree heel and toe is not a high priority for a newly qualified driver, but there's absolutely no need to disparage it or mischaracterise it as something track-related or aggressive when it's absolutely nothing of the sort.
