When it comes to hill starts, i learned by finding a shallow grade hill first and getting that start down pat, and slowly work your way up until you get to 1 in 3 hill or steeper.

Once you get thru the steep ones, hill starts are a breeze where ever you go.

 

I'm the stick driver in a family of auto autos. I've had a problem of shifting into neutral long before a red light and coasting the rest of the way. Everyone says it's the wrong philosophy, that the car should be in gear in order to have power if needed. But to use power, I'd have to gear down so that I was in the appropriate gear.

Anyway, my problem is that when I return to an automatic and approach a red light from a distance, I want to hit the clutch pedal--which jams on the brakes. Done it twice with nobody behind me.

So I'm wondering if I need to change my habit of shifting into neutral at 40 mph and coasting. Instead, should I stay in 4th until the car has slowed to 15-20 mph, shift into 2nd, and then into neutral at about 5 mph and wait for the light in neutral?

 

Reminds me of my dad doing that when he borrowed grandpa's car. They were 1960's Fords, grandpa's automatic had a brake pedal about 9-inches wide that covered the "space" where the clutch pedal should be. Good thing there wasn't a car behind...

Anyway, I normally don't bother downshifting when approaching a stop. I just take my foot off the accelerator & "coast" with it in-gear. With some practice you'll learn how early to start coasting. When the engine gets down to about 1000 or 1200 rpm I disengage the clutch & I'm close enough to stopping that I don't downshift. I've never found myself in a situation where I "really NEEDED" power that quickly.

 

I find this more of "personal pref" than "right or wrong". Depending on the conditions, I will do both...do I want/need the engine braking to help me slow down or coasting is fine.

Yes, I have stabbed the brake before when getting into an auto. If the "others" are Honda's...there is what I would call a "dummy" pedal to the left of the brake. When I drive the wife's Pilot in traffic, I plant my left foot on that "dummy"/rest pedal so I don't stab the brake.......doesn't mean my hand reaches for the stick every now and then