Two weeks ago, my wife got a new Sorento LX. She’s retired and drove about 340 miles in town during the first week. We have always had manual cars, so this is our first automatic. She uses left-foot braking with the automatic transmission. However, with this car, if you lightly touch the brake pedal while accelerating from a stop, the engine’s horsepower drops to zero. The dealer explained this to us. In racing terms, this technique is known as ‘trail braking.’
It serves no function on a public thoroughfare. Driving in a turn and having to shift your weight to the front tires while retaining power to prevent the car from tipping over won’t be a constraint. Plus, you won’t be trying to change the speed or trajectory of a bend without lifting, which would make the car unsteady. No more wondering about when to apply the brakes or throttle. When exiting a bend, you won’t be blipping the brakes to keep a close following distance. You see where this is going, I believe.
I use it so much on the track. Literally, F’ing never on a public road. It’s meaningless and foolish.
It sounds like your wife is adjusting to the automatic transmission. While left-foot braking is common with manual cars, it can cause issues with automatics.
The dealer’s explanation about “trail braking” is accurate. To avoid the engine power drop, it’s best to completely release the brake before accelerating.
It might take some getting used to, but it’ll make for a smoother ride.
Encourage your wife to modify her driving technique by using the right foot for both accelerating and braking, rather than left foot braking. This adjustment should help prevent the engine power drop you’re experiencing.