How hard do you drive your A?

[RcT]

I have been on this site for about six months and have noticed differences in driving methods to bring me around to this: I pretty much drive my car by the instructions written in the original owners manual, pertaining to speeds when one should shift, and I tend to cruise around a typical turn and gently continue on in third gear, easy on the gas, and careful not to lug the engine. I have read that others downshift to second , wind it up, then shift.

If I hear no strain on the engine, am I doing harm to the engine in any way? I'm just curious what others do and want to avoid damaging anything. I would think my easy driving would be better for the long run, but then sometimes I think I may not be splashing enough oil around the engine. How hard do you folks drive your A's?

Thanks, Richard