I'm just curious as to other experiences... the manual states the car can be held on the brake for short periods, such as when at a crossroads... but that's a pretty vague statement. So, it's over to you...

If I know I am going to be stationary for any more than say 20 seconds, I'll slip it into N. that way I can take my foot off the brake. You should not under any circumstances allow the car to be in D with the handbrake only applied as it will destroy the clutches.

Thanks, I probably move to N less than 20 seconds after I have stopped, but then if I'm crawling out of Manchester in peak hour I seem to end up changing from D to N and back again... it almost feels like I'm driving a manual (apart from the clutch of course).

So is there actually a difference between holding the car in D with the foot brake, and holding it in D with the handbrake? Mine just seems to want to pull whichever brake I use, hence moving it to N quite early.

Edited 23 March, 201115 yr by Superbalicious

in D on the handbrake only the clutches are fully engaged and will be slipping if you are going nowhere, whereas in D on the footbrake you may feel some drag but the clutches are disengaged. The drag you feel is the oil between the friction surfaces, almost but not quiet like the way a torque convertor works in a traditional auto. Left in D like this the oil will heat up and eventually cause the overheat. Saying that I have spent many an hour crawling round the M25 using only D with no problem (typical stop/start with only short pauses).

So......Neutral is your friend!!

Ok, so N is best, followed by D with the foot brake for short durations. D with the handbrake is simply a NO-NO...

Cheers all