You should use D and Overdrive all the time, except:
(1) When you are going down a long deep slope, use a lower gear ("S" or "L" as some individual cars using different terms), to let engine help brake the car.
(2) When you can't pull out from a snow ditch, or a muddy hole, use a lower gear.
(3) When you are towing a trailer and climbing a mountain, you want to increase the towing power consistently and drive slowly, you can use lower gear.
(4) There may be other cases I forget, other people to continue to add here... Regularly, you just do the simple thing - put the gear on D and leave the overdrive on.
(1) When you are going down a long deep slope, use a lower gear ("S" or "L" as some individual cars using different terms), to let engine help brake the car.
(2) When you can't pull out from a snow ditch, or a muddy hole, use a lower gear.
(3) When you are towing a trailer and climbing a mountain, you want to increase the towing power consistently and drive slowly, you can use lower gear.
(4) There may be other cases I forget, other people to continue to add here... Regularly, you just do the simple thing - put the gear on D and leave the overdrive on.