As someone who has played the Xbox version, I can confidently say that using a game pad will not help with the driving. It's a bit tricky no matter how you slice it and the only way to get used to it is to drive slower and learn to brake far in advance. Another thing is do not accelerate while you are stearing if you're trying to make a tight maneuver.
As for the aiming, make sure you set the mouse aim to "toggle". I can't explain it, but it seems a lot easier to aim when I don't need to hold down the right mouse button. Also set the duck to toggle. Toggling duck and toggling aim is a lot easier than trying to use the cover mechanic, or at least that's my opinion.
