How to Downshift Cleanly 

i’m learning manual in a 83 toyota truck that doesn’t show the rpms so i gotta just listen to the engine lol 😂

The one thing that helped me to figure it out better was to learn what 2k rpm was in each gear. So for me 3rd at 2k is 25mph, 4th is 37, and then just gauge from there. So if I want to drop to 3rd at 28mph, I know to go a little above 2k rpm (around 2200) it just helped me to get an idea of where to go. It’s a good place to start to learn your gearing.

and my mom is yelling at me when i rev match cuz its not "a race car" she shifts down, doesnt rev match or anything and just releases the clutch slowly so the clutch brings the rpm up... RIP Clutch

Been driving manual for 15 years (dang I got old) but it's always fun to see people talk about driving them.

I usually just go to neutral to slow down but learning how to downshift correctly would make driving look cooler

i don’t understand , what do i do after i put it in D ?

Yet another thing I know now (from dailying a manual) that I wish I'd known the first time someone tried teaching me to drive stick. Lesson learned: just because your friend is a good friend does not mean they know how to teach anyone anything. I learned more borrowing my sisters car for a ten minute grocery run than in the hour he spent yelling at me without actually telling me why lmao.

An easy way match the revs when downshifting is: as you blip the throttle you want to begin releasing the clutch pedal (start clutch engagement point) as the rpm needle is on its way up to meet with its rpm speed but release it smoothly/somewhat slowly. That way your helping the engine get up to the speed it wants without cutting short its momentum. Over time you''ll release the clutch faster as you gain confidence. Remember your just blipping the throttle not stomping on it. If you don't blip hard enough you'll hear some clutch whine; if you release the clutch pedal too fast and your rpms aren't up to speed then your tires might lock up. You won't lose your car if you mess up. Try it on a sim first to ease your worries.

My friend lives up on a mountain. When I'm leaving his neighborhood I'll throw my car into 5th gear and not touch the gas for about 10 minutes straight as I come down the mountain. I just cruise and watch my MPG's go through the roof.

I've never rev-matched. I was never told about it by my parents when learning to drive manual, and I'd only ever heard of it last night. I don't always downshift thru every gear, but I usually try to. But I also don't generally just let the clutch fly and jerk it either. I also slow down a bit before downshifting and I'll do both at the same time to stop the car, especially in snow and ice.

You don't always have to downshift every single time. Coming from someone who owns a 2jz 700hp Lexus sc400. When I come to a stop I put it in neutral and use my brakes. And I've never had any issues. I only downshift when I want to pick up speed. 👏

Just got a manual 2014 Mustang 5.0 and this video really helped me get a better understanding on how downshifting and rev matching works. You probably just saved me from a decent amount of clutch wear lol

“Sorry it’s not miles” hahaha Ohh Canada Ehh

100% right on when he said that the only way to get better at it, is to go get in your car, and practice. you know your car the best, and you're the one who knows what rpm your car is going to be at when you down shift.

I'd like to kindly propose my point of view: No one, who wants their clutch and transmission to last, uses both continuous down shifts with engine braking to slow down the car. It's better and more economical to allow the car to coast in the highest gear being driven. Then, once either the RPMs reach near idle or the car needs to stop, you depress the clutch and shift the gearbox into neutral. Any driver driver can continuously downshift through the gears if he wishes, when coming to a stop. But, this adds additional wear and heat to the clutch and raises probability of the clutch over heating. Clutch work on a car is NOT cheap and most transmisions crap out if over used and abused. Additionally, transmisions are also not very affordable. So, it's a good idea to maintain both as much as possible. Brakes have a purpose and they are relatively affordable compared to clutches and transmisions. Additionally, a car relying on brakes and the engine braking of a high a gear is more than sufficient to stop a car. In terms of normal driving, downshifting to slow down the car is not recommended not ideal. In racing conditions, however, downshifting though gears to maintain power bands, heel-toe-shift, etc is perfect. In terms of normal, day-to-day driving, Engine braking should ideally only be used with lower gears (2, 3, or 4) when driving on long hills and mountain driving. Hybrid manuals ( Honda CR-Z and the VW Golf Blue Motion) can remain in higher gears on long downhill declines due to added friction by default per regenerative braking.

Learning in a 2008 BMW been only two days... the engine light came on 😂💀

Please turn off the music for the video... The music plus the sounds of the car is too much... Hard to concentrate on what u r saying

25 five years driving manual I have never done the rev match thing, I learned in a 1984 4Runner sport, 22R engine four cylinders in Guatemala, where we have a lot of up and down hills. Never broke my dads car or burned the clutch. It was so much learning to drive over there, here everything is flat...

It’s honestly very simple. When down shifting, blip the throttle. Just blip enough to where you rev at least a little.

one thing I've found out is that when you were talking about timing how long to push the pedal in for in order to match the rpm, it also depends on engine temperature. When my car is up to temps, it's like yours where I only need to push the pedal all the way down then release, but when it's colder, it like me to hold it a bit longer because the engine doesn't build speed quite as fast.

Rev matching isn't always necessary. Unless your exhaust sounds awesome.

I literally didn’t even notice the music until I read the comments

Just to remind you guys that replacing a clutch is expensive. Use it wisely!

I just bought a 2012 Ford Focus 5 speed manual I haven’t drove a manual since I was 16 and I’m almost 40 so this video was pretty helpful 😊😊😊!!!

I have recently bought my first car, 1996 Nissan Pulsar with a 5spd, and I have always had trouble downshifting but this video really useful and explains the easiest and best ways to drive smoother

your reasonability and lack of snobbishness in addressing seemingly 'simple' questions is admirable - great content!

Anyone here bc they just got a manual car? haha 1999 svt cobra. IM SCARED SOMETIMES Sold the cobra in 9-18-2020 waiting for my 2020 GT to be delivered on 14th november

Your flywheel mass has a lot to do with how fast your vehicle's RPMs will increase or decrease. The lighter the faster it should rev or drop. The heavier the more RPMs will "hang".

"sorry it's not miles"

I’m prolly getting a BRZ soon and I can’t explain how helpful this video actually is since I’m still young and wanna learn manual

LOL literally me at every light slowly engine breaking to avoid a full stop 😂😂

This made perfect sense. My bf has been trying to explain this to me and we both were so frustrated lol

I’ve been learning on a Honda Civic SI. The hardest part for me is trying to get the revs right and not spending 5 secs with the clutch in. I end up watching my revs and waiting for them to either fall or go up instead of being able to just blip it and make a smooth transition.

One of the clearest explanations I've seen. Nice job.

I really love how you teach but the music is incredibly distracting. I know the car being loud is inevitable but please turn the music off when giving your tutorials. You do a great job teaching. Thanks!

I'm 13 and my dad is making me drive my grandpa's truck in our hay field. I can shift up but when I downshift it jerks really bad. This video helped ALOT. Thanks

I can’t downshift to save my life. Every time I try and rev match I fail miserably and the car shakes bad.. I just stay in whatever gear I’m in when slowing down and then put it in neutral once I’m close to fully stopping.

You explained it much much better than a car racer in another video I saw. Maybe because there is no arrogance in your video .

Great video! Im 13 and i was getting very stressed about rev matching and etc and this is the perfect video. :)

had a standard vehicle for 5 years never replace a clutch or breaks, down shift 1 gear at a time while the car is slowing down. try not to be crazy on the clutch at red lights take your foot off the clutch don't ride it. use clutch for gear change and don't hold it down for to long. it worked for me.. 2001 Mazda 3i 5 speed was the vehicle.

What I do is ride my clutch when coming to a stop sign while braking for about 10 yards, and down shift completely to first gear, all before stopping without rev matching, and I'm fine, but idk if this is correct.

i appreciate this video. Going to get a ford focus st as my first manual and people make it seem so hard to do, when its super simple. My dad was like "Do You Even Know How To Drive Stick!?!?!" its not complicated

always be in the right gear for the right speed is the way to go, rev matching as you downshift will save synchros, try to drive a manual 18 wheeler and you'l understand the necessity of doing so. it's not as obvious whin a tiny car but same principles apply!

I got my driving license like 2 years ago now, but i'm watching these videos just to check if i still do it right, i guess i do but i don't get what's so hard about it. You downshift after you lose the speed. For example You're driving 50 km/h in third gear. There is a corner coming. You brake to slow your speed to take the corner, so you want to drive like 25 km/h. you brake untill you're driving 25km/h Clutch Downshift to the second gear. release slowly it should go smooth and you should be able to take the corner. don't forget to check your mirrors, shoulder and indicate left/right. I hope this makes sense.

😂 I just got my second car it’s a Buick Regal gs 2014!! I know how to do everything but down shift... hopefully now I will be able to do so thanks!!!!!

your interior is so clean and well taken care of I love it hahaha

I’m learning in a 03 6speed tuned Nissan Maxima. Downshifting is very convenient, and it sounds great. This video def helped me a lot, thanks.

Brake pads are alot cheaper and easy to replace then downshifting constantly.....I cruise in neutral, apply the brakes and then rev match to accelerate.

I saw this mustang that’s a manual, and it’s such a good looking car that I’m willing to learn how to stick shift

This just popped up on suggested videos... It's crazy watching people in amaerica learning how to drive manual. In the UK a massive percentage of drivers learn in a manual and not many ever drive an automatic. I've been driving like this for years, rev matching downshifts and heel-toe if it's needed. I once owned an auto hyundai coupe (tiburon I believe in amaerica) I'll never own another auto again if I can avoid it. It takes so much away from actually driving your car. I like being able to control what my car does and when it does it, autos ruin that experience for me.

When I slow down, I stay in the gear I’m already in until the rpm drops to about 1000, clutch in, neutral, clutch out, brake as necessary, and whenever I need to pick up speed, clutch in, shift to the right gear, rev match, clutch out. I know it’s a little bit riskier to slow down in neutral, but I’ve never had to accelerate out of a bad situation in my 4 years of driving. Also brakes are cheaper than a clutch, so I prefer to avoid putting that extra wear on the clutch by downshifting through each gear while slowing down. I will downshift when going down steep hills because that does save fuel and brake wear if done properly. Also I like to coast as much as possible, and sometimes slowing down in gear works too well, and you either have to keep giving it gas longer before you start slowing down, or you slow down too much and then you have to give it gas to get back to a reasonable amount of momentum. It depends on the speed, traffic, the hill, how much I need to slow down, etc. Another thing is my impreza has 2.5L engine with 170 hp, and the car only weighs ~3150 lbs, so with that kind of power to weight ratio on a NA engine, I can keep it in a higher gear with minimal issues. For example, it has no trouble maintaining 35mph in 5th gear on a flat surface. I can be gentle with the gas all the way down to 22 in 4th, and I will let it go 10 mph with no throttle in 3rd in parking lots, as long its flat. I tend to drive like a hypermiler most of the time, so my shift points are like 12, 18, 25, and 35 in my 5 speed, unless I’m in heavy traffic and I will delay my shift points significantly.

I have been driving manual for years. One thing I DO NOT do is downshift when approaching a stop. I put go to neutral and reduce my speed with the breaks. I had a '86 Toyota pickup with a 5-speed manual. I drove 180k miles on the orginial clutch. I drove that truck another 70k when I sold it and the clutch was is great condition. The bottom line is replacing a clutch is more expensive than replacing breakpads.

it’s all trial and error. I remember taking my BRZ out on some hills just so I can get the hang of it's bite point. Within a week i was god tier.

I learned how to drive manual by just doing it. Got it first time around but never own a manual car till now. Just bought my wrx 3 weeks ago and I guess the previous owner beat the piss out of it so i just put in a new clutch and now it’s trying to learn how to downshift. After I break in the clutch of course.

Instructions not clear blew up my engine

I love how you say “About” or “out” - Great video man, very informative :)

Good tips on downshifting, but only one thing to mention. Engine breaking through downshifting can be helpful, although in most scenarios primarily using brakes when possible makes more sense. Which would you rather wear down: Brake pads or transmission? If you know your coming to a complete stop and have ample time to do so, downshift lower in the rpms to save your trany a bit. Obviously it takes time to wear most parts down to the point of replacing, but brakes are way less expensive. I've owned my first manual car for only a few months now ('19 WRX), but just my 2 cents.

I haveva 2016 kia forte ...my kid needs to watch this best wishes

Learned to Rev match pretty quickly after learning manual in my mazda 3.

This is the best video I've seen on downshifting. Nothing too wordy and straight to the point.

Honestly, it depends on the car when it comes to rev matching when you downshift. My car for example (WRX STi) has more aggressive gearing. the ranges are kind of close but have precise rpm ranges that suit the sweet spot for each gear when it comes to trying to avoid the “jerk”. Reason for that is because it’s gearing is meant to stay in the high rpms. So, I have to rev match even at slower speeds or my transmission will yank the car a little (horrible feeling) or, if you don’t rev it enough you’ll get that horrible clunk and bad jerk from the clutch 🤡 more toned down Manuals such as civics, base golfs, etc, are less aggressively geared. Those cars aren’t stamped with an aggressive setup from the factory, therefore it isn’t required to drive as aggressive.

The biggest thing for us new manual drivers: we will get it, it just takes practice and time. We now own dying breeds of cars, so we should have fun and not get frustrated because we will learn and be comfortable in no time!

If you’re breaking to a light, you’re not going to rev match unless you’re a race car driver (heel toe shifting). You’re also not going to put it in neutral. Does that mean you just clutch, shift, and let the clutch out (while breaking obviously)?

cheers bro, I drive a subie and I couldn’t quite understand all the other fellas but you explained it perfectly

i masterd driving a bike now i have to master this good shit :)

I've driven a manual for 4 years now, never heard of rev matching till tonight. I wish I still had the ford focus to try it out on. Gotta fix my Tach on the Vette before I go crazy. Plan on tearing it apart tomorrow/ today, as of 1 A.M. Finally getting to it after dealing with it for 6 months.

How many times have police stopped you and then thought that you had an open alcohol container setting in your counsel due to that crown royal bag?

first video out of 20 that told me how to downshift. thank you.

Moral of the story people, if you don't have automatic rev-match make sure you learn how to do it; it'll be much easier on your synchronizers and reduce the wear on your clutch. If you do have Auto rev-match, never turn it off.

I fux with the going down into 3rd to pick up speed! I've been wandering how to do that! I was topped out in 5th gear pedal touchin floor and STILL couldnt get away from the cops!! Naaah im jus playin. Lol But frfr, i did struggle to get onto the damn interstate. Shiiet not now! Ima be ghost whippin all around town in my MK5 boiiii bahaha For real, thank you:)

I been learning on my own and I've been stalling out about 3-4 times a day 😂 hopefully I don't fuck up my car.

Very informative video thx a lot man. I haven’t driven a standard car in 7 years and am thinking of buying one this week. This was the only thing I wasn’t sure of but now I understand better.

This is going to be useful, my first car is going to be a WRX

bought my first car at 15 about to be 16 and its a stick, i knew how to drive a manual but downshifting hasn't been smooth but now it is. Thanks

Another way of stopping at a sign or light is placing the car in neutral and using the brakes. I don't like to downshift to slow my car if I'm going to be stopping since that wears the gears and clutch. But hey everyone is different. Very informative video for the new stick drivers.

Great explanation! You covered this, but I think two big tips/takeaways are: more of a blip the lower the gear (i.e. just a lil blip from 6th to 5th, but a big blip from 3rd to 2nd,) and for smooth downshifts, treat the clutch action as if you were upshifting from 1st to 2nd. That is to say, feather it plenty around the bite point to keep things smooth, and don't be afraid of doing so. It will not hurt your clutch in the grand scheme of things. A sloppy, jerky downshift will do more harm than a well-feathered downshift. Once you really become accustomed to your car and how much blipping is needed, you can get away with feathering the clutch less, but this takes time and practice. I was afraid of "overusing" the clutch for the longest time, until not all that long ago, when I traded in my first manual car. It was 13 years old with 150,000+ miles on it, and still had the factory clutch, strong as ever. It's a wear-and-tear part -- use it! Better (and cheaper) to wear out your clutch than your transmission. Just don't dump it (abruptly let off) too often, and everything will be just fine. As long as you don't smell rotten eggs coming out of your A/C vents, that is. :P

I hopped in my car and just got some practice in an empty lot. That’s the best way to learn.

This video helped a lot just got my first manual car Honda Civic Coupe. Cheers!

I have a hard time downshifting without applying brake as well. Guess I've been downshifting wrong for 20 years.

I feel like a total idiot, my dad taught me differently and the car lasted so damn long I just trusted him. It wasn’t until I started getting more into cars that I realized he was destroying the poor thing, and I’m afraid to ask someone to teach me. I bought a bugeye and I’m afraid to ruin it, but from what I’ve gotten right so far when downshifting, it sounds great.

If i need to stop and im in third gear for example, im simply reduce speed a bit and go to neutral. I dont know if its bad or not, sometimes i skip from 5 to 3, but only if needed, but i allways drop speed first sure

It's better to learn in a manual gas transmission than in a manual diesel transmission. Trust me i've learned the hard way!😂🤘🏾

Do you have to take your foot off the clutch every time if you’re downshifting back to back

Awesome to see someone from BC making a video like this

stop looking at me while you are driving, some frogs can be saved.

Never drove a manual, but watched all the tutorials on youtube. Just bought a challenger hellcat; wish me luck lol

go from 5th gear to 3rd when turning a corner?

This helped so much I just got myself a 2005 mustang gt recently so I’m still Learning

Bro the music, turn it off?!?!? 🤦🏼‍♂️

I'm learning a 2014 mazda 6 and this gone take me a min to learn

Rev matching is easy. The real challenge is heel/toe rev matching while braking

the fact you use kmh reallyyyyy helps for me bein in australia

It is really weird to see that driving manual is like a "difficult" and uncommon thing in the US/Canada. Here in Europe most people drive manuals. Almost all people (at least in belgium) learn to drive a manual and get their manual license and cause if you get your license with an automatic you are not allowed to drive manual. Driving an automatic here is way less common. Mostly people who are like insecure when driving get an auto. Just the last years it has started to shift cause most new modern cars are auto and they are dropping the manuals

What you did in 2:10 to slow down the car, that really burns the clutch right? I'm so confused here. Cus you are not revmatching and letting the off the clutch to slow down. Please help me understand over here.

music was kinda distracting, but i enjoyed the vid!

I learned how to drive stick in a 2003 Mini Cooper S with a Getrag 6 speed. Now, I'm driving a 2006 Mustang GT with a Tremec 5 speed. OMG the difference is insane.

That explains why I hear grinding when I downshift. I dont add much gas

I just learned the clutch took me a day to do it I apparently am a “ Natural at driving but I just turned 14 a week ago so I can’t wait till i can drive.

I rev match a bit differently. Instead of blipping the gas and then releasing the clutch, I do them both at the same time. Is it okay to do that?

I have a manual car but I do really want to learn how to drive a standard. I really want to achieve that experience. I feel like I'm ready for it, so ready.