Proper breaking with a 5 speed?

You mean BRAKING! Whatever you do, don't break your 5 speed! ;)

When you're coming to a stop, you can do one of two things. Pull the shifter into neutral and coast, or start dropping gears - as long as you're not going too fast, you can drop it clear from 4th to 2nd and let the clutch out slowly as your braking - you'll be "engine braking" the vehicle, and you can then go from second to first. If necessary, then, you'll have "gear" in case you need to accelerate. If you really want to you can drop into 3rd, then 2nd, then 1st and engine brake most of the way, if you're not needing to brake too fast.

You do not want to keep the clutch pressed in the whole time if you don't want to.

Good luck with your 5 speed - its a great thing to know how to do, and makes the driving experience a more connected one.

Driving a manual transmission in city traffic can be nerv racking if traffic is bumbe to bumper the esaiest way is stay at or below the speed limit by a mph or two, if conditions allow. give yourself extra time to get there since you are new to driving a manual. If you wnat to get better mileage use a technique called progressive shiting. Progressive shifting is when you do not rev i and second gear to maximum rpm, instead shifting at beteween 3 and 4 thousand rpm. when you see yourself approaching an intresection that you may have to stop at downshift ffrom 4 to3 or from 3to 2, letting the engine do some of your braking, then as wou approach the intersection, clutch and brake, without engagaing the clutch brake, only when you stop should you engage the clutch brake to get to 1st. this will save you wear and tear on the clutch and transmission. My 2001 dodge ram 1500quad cab has a 5 speed and 130,000 miles on a 8 year old clutch that came with the truck. Try to remain in gear because if someone hits you and knocks your feet off the pedals, the engine will stall, and that is a good thing, it will prevent you from rolling into someone else. when you are open road driving, just drive it normal, but remember that if you are going uphill, and the engine starts to slow, downshift one gear,and climb in that gear

The old answer would be to go down through the gearbox using the engine to kill the speed, then stop in 2nd with the clutch down at the last minute. That way you're controlling it all the way. Nowadays more people probably use 3rd to slow it then clutch down and coast to stop.