Automatics are the work of the dark one.

It is easy, first gear for one car's length, 2nd until you can shift up into third. In third you can generally ease the car along in urban areas and in traffic, coasting in third with the gas off (modern cars cut off fuel when the gas pedal is up, see I am making it easy for you - the gas peddle is really the accelerator) so you are not burning excessive gasoline, correctly styled petrol. Fourth is for cruising at about 40-50, after which you can change up to fifth (and then sixth if you have one) to cruise at higher speeds. When you slow down again you change down gear by gear. You can miss out gears under some circumstances but that is usually the province of the heedless, better to keep full control of the car and protect the transmission.

You can select a low gear to retard the car down steep hills but it is better to use cheap brakes than expensive transmission if you can.

It is essential to practice clutch control for hill starts and slipping the clutch to keep control in very slow situations. But it is not difficult.

Remember to put the car in gear when parking on a hill so it cannot run away.

Coasting in neutral is not advised.