downshifting is great to let the engine help slow you, automatics do it too calling it engine braking. just don't slip the clutch while doing it. I would suggest downshifting from , 4-3-2 then stop completely at 1. stopping quick to hit a corner is ok but be careful not to over-rev the engine. if you know you car you will be able to feel when you should downshift then up shift. riding the clutch and/ or holding the pedal in is worse than anything, the throw-out bearing and pressure plate fingers wear more rapidly causing the clutch assy to go out faster. learning to use it correctly will save you and your friend big repairs on the clutch and or transmission.

hope I helped out.

No you're right. When I drove a stick I'd push into neutral if there was no traffic around and let my car roll. Then it's possible to safely go from 4th to 2nd although it's much better to shift down gear by gear. But To go from 4th to 2nd at a decent speed is a pretty good way to pop your clutch

Brakes are WAY cheaper and easier to replace than a clutch, so not a good idea.

Also not a good idea to skip gears.

Easier on the synchros to go through all the gears on the way down.

DON'T ever put a car in a gear at a speed that is out of range for that gear. One of my techs had a very bad habit of putting the car in 2nd at high speed, and this (of course) put the transmission and clutch plate at about 25,000 RPM. After only a year on a brand new car, the transmission was shot, and needed to be thrown away. He said to me, "but I didn't let out the clutch...".... duh... read the owner's manual.

It's perfectly OK to take the car out of gear and coast to a light, by light application of the brakes. I wouldn't take it out of gear and coast over 40 MPH. Always be aware of your speed and the proper gear. One thing you have to remember is that you need to wait a second or two for things to come to a stop after pushing in the clutch at a light before putting it in gear. remember, if the car doesn't work, neither can you.

To use the motor to slow down a vehicle is fine...BUT not the way you are doing it. You need to downshift from 4th to 3rd to 2ed and release the clutch as fast as possible between gears while rev matching the motor speed to the next lower gear. What you are doing is being lazy skipping gears and wearing your clutch out twice as fast by using it to absorb the motor revs caused by going into the wrong gear. Besides wearing out the clutch disc it also causes too much heat which ends up warping the pressure plate. Then you start chipping tranny gear engagement teeth. NOT SMART!!!

that's one way to wreck a transmission you clearly have no idea how to drive, rolling in neutral is called coasting and is illegal and dangerous like the other guy says brakes cost $50 transmissions cost $3000 so which makes most sense to slow down with , take some driving lessons before you kill someone, on a slick or icy highway you can lose control of the car in an instant in neutral with zero chance of recovery as you skid head on into oncoming traffic

I've been driving a manual transmission car for over 2 years, and the way I brake is I anticipate how far my car can roll on neutral without losing too much speed then shift to neutral and free roll to the desired location all while lightly braking. I saw my friend go from 4th to 2nd but with the clutch still fully engaged and lightly letting off the clutch petal so that the car brakes for him. Of course my initial thought was two things, first stress is put on the flywheel that way and second if you let go of the clutch in an instant the clutch would f*x up and that's too risky. So I just need confirmation on my instinct or am I wrong?