Driving styles - automatic v70

[petey]

It’s not really like a car with stop/start technology (which incidentally are called micro-hybrids) because they decide on when the engine should run based on catalyst burn off temperatures, battery state of charge, HVAC condition etc. They also keep vital systems like lights and indicators running, so not really the same at all.
Generally, leave stuff do it’s thing, it’s designed to do it.

[oragex]

Originally Posted by Dippydog

During my driving lessons and test[many moons ago] I was always taught to put car in neutral and engage handbrake when at traffic lights

On a manual is important to put it in neutral at a traffic light and not to keep the clutch pedal depressed. I don't know if the industry has improved, but by the past the weak part of the manual transmission was the clutch bearing: not designed to be regularly kept under pressure (clutch pedal depressed) while waiting at traffic lights. It would had failed well before the clutch plate would.

[petey]

The bearing also puts a large axial load on the crankshaft so you’re also trying to push it out of block; in days of old, it’s not all that uncommon to push the fan belt off a mini with knackered thrust control every time you changed gear....

Fact is, all cars ever want to do is sit at a constant speed, they don’t like anything else.