LexusLSguy

Type of driving and personal habits is the biggest determining factor. If you put a lot highway miles on it is much easier on the brakes vs the city.

Jack88

Not a lot of highway miles for me, mostly city.

LexusLSguy

That is impressive. Good braking habits.

Jack88

I just try to drive smoothly, makes for a more relaxing drive.

I keep a greater than average following distance, brake early for lights, and pay close attention to traffic near and far to prepare for whatever is coming. Sometimes people behind me can get impatient, but although my habits make me look slower, I still match the average speed of the flow of traffic, and I don't hang out in the left lane, so they rarely have to wait long to get around if they want.

Forcefed4door

downshifting often will help diminish build up on rotors also

Jack88

Motors and transmissions aren't designed to be used as a brake, I wouldn't recommend it. Force applied in the opposite direction in which it's intended could cause excess wear on the transmission in the long term. I wouldn't trade brake wear for driveline wear. Look at it this way, if you slowly bend a paperclip in one direction, it will not break. However, if you bend it back and forth, it will break quickly. You could cause excess metal fatigue and premature transmission failure. You could probably get away with this in an older car(built to be generally tough,) or a manual car(the primarily affected parts are specific to them, designed with the idea that a lot of manual drivers use occasional engine braking.) These are just my concerns, I by no means claim to be an authority.

LarryJa

My '06 A6 has a slight shudder under light braking, once the brakrs have heated up some, but it goes away as braking forces increase. I suspect that it is deposits on the rotors. So, I'll change the rotors on the next pad change.

MP4.2+6.0

I don't really agree w/ the comment on not using downshifting--if you want to-- burn off some speed. I do it at times in most any ride, old or new, of course stick but also automatic And whether old or new think or metrics, seems debatable to me of any harm done or likely Other than yes you can transfer all the deceleration forces to brakes if you want to use incrementally more of those, as probably 95-99% of daily drivers do.

Time lines and various metrics:

1. Standard driver's ed and training when I got license in mid 70's was to know downshifting even in automatics. Driver's training instructor literally forced us to do it one afternoon in the full size then RWD Caprice on a steep barely two lane downgrade. I remember it even now; scared the crap out of several of the girls in the car. I happened to be at wheel at the time and thus up first down the steep hill, but had plenty of hours from dad in the Dodge Dart already. Even then, most cars sold were front disc only, and most cars till late 60's were four wheel drum. No way you wanted to go down steep downgrades with a three speed auto riding brakes. My first three rides, and first two Audis, were rear drum.

2. Fast forward all the way to current and next gen... Hybrid does/will essentially backfeed coast down or drivetrain braking through drivetrain. What our Q5 does today. What the lame (China and euro only) D4 FWD hybrid does, what the no doubt D5 more performance hybrids (plural probably) will. Whether Q5, Lexus, Prii or whatever I don't see parts falling off the back. If anything, a question folks ask me on Q5 Hybrid is do brakes last longer.

3. D4 already has (very modest) coast down decel if you think about it. When you go to that fuel econ screen where the COD shows (for those who have it), when that battery turns green, that's the 165A or whatever it is alternator backfeeding drag onto belt and basically transferring the energy to the battery. A micro hybrid, but a fair amount of horsepower drag actually on full tilt charge. Less known is the special Eco mode programming used in Europe (and available via VCDS mod perhaps...), which itself modifies coast down in certain scenarios as one of the elements.

4. Most Audis save maybe the D4 and very high performance ones do have a stick version; just not sold here. The only meaningful non transmission parts diff I know of is when practical Audi traditionally fits equal length half shafts with even more rigor than on the automatics, particularly any FWD version. One of key reasons Audi stayed longitudinal layout for most of them even in FWD from the get go.

5. Slushboxes have a torque converter (though the ZF Hybrid implrementation doesn't), which in practice also buffers some of the initial drivetrain shock on shift down cut in, and probably a lot more than your average clutch driver exercises dropping gears w/ little rev match attempt.

Carry on, with whatever style brings ride enjoyment.