I'm with Click and Clack on this one. Brake jobs are cheap, clutch jobs are expensive.

Funny thing is, before I'd even heard of CarTalk, I was braking rather than downshifting simply because it was (a) easier, and (b) just felt right. And I was constantly chided by everyone telling me I should have been downshifting.

It's nice to be proved right sometimes...
_________________________
Tony Fabris