Page 126 of 226

If you carry large items that
prevent you f rom closing the trunk
lid, exhaust gas can enter the
passenger area. To avoid the
possibility of, f ollow the instructions
on page .
If youfolddownthebackseat,tie
down items that could be thrown
about the vehicle during a crash or
sudden stop.
Distribute cargo evenly on the
f loor of the cargo area, placing the
heaviest items on the bottom and
as f ar f orward as possible.
Store or secure all items that could
be thrown around and hurt
someone during a crash.
Do not put any items on top of the
rear shelf . They can block your
view and be thrown around the
vehicle during a crash.
Be sure items placed on the f loor
behind the f ront seats cannot roll
under the seats and interf ere with
the driver’s ability to operate the
pedals or the seat.
Keep the glove box closed while
driving. If it is open, a passenger
could injure their knees during a
crash or sudden stop. If you use an accessory roof rack,
the roof rack weight limit may be
lower. Ref er to the inf ormation that
came with your roof rack.
The cargo net can be used to help
hold down items stored in the trunk.
If you carry any items on a roof
rack,besurethetotalweightof
the rack and the items does not
exceed the maximum allowable
weight. Please contact your dealer
for further information. 45
If equipped
Carrying Cargo
carbon monoxide
poisoning
Carrying Cargo in the Trunk or on
a Roof Rack
Carrying Items in the Passenger
Compartment
Cargo Net
132
——y
y
(%y
y
Page 127 of 226
Fasten your seat belt. Check that
your passengers have f astened
their seat belts (see page ).
Make sure the doors are securely
closed and locked.
Check the steering wheel
adjustment (see page ).
Check the adjustment of the
inside and outside mirrors (see
page ).
Check that any items you may be
carrying are stored properly or
f astened down securely.
Check the seat adjustment (see
page ).
Make sure all windows, mirrors,
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed. Remove f rost, snow,
or ice.
Youshoulddothefollowingchecks
and adjustments bef ore you drive
your vehicle.
Check that the hood is f ully closed.
Check that the trunk is f ully
closed.
Visually check the tires. If a tire
looks low, use a gauge to check its
pressure. When you start the engine, check
the gauges and indicators in the
instrument panel (see page ).
1. 2. 14
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
11.
10.
80
73
65 51
Preparing to Drive
134
——y
y
(%y
y
Page 129 of 226

The manual transmission is syn-
chronizedinallforwardgearsfor
smooth operation. It has a lockout so
you cannot shift directly from Fifth
to Reverse. When shif ting up or
down,makesureyoupushtheclutch
pedal down all the way, shift to the
next gear, and let the pedal up
gradually. When you are not shif ting,
do not rest your f oot on the clutch
pedal. This can cause your clutch to
wear out faster.Come to a full stop before you shift
into Reverse. You can damage the
transmission by trying to shif t into
Reverse with the vehicle moving.
Push down the clutch pedal, and
pause f or a f ew seconds bef ore
shif ting into Reverse, or shif t into
one of the f orward gears f or a
moment. This stops the gears so
they won’t ‘‘grind.’’
When slowing down, you can get
extra braking f rom the engine by
shifting to a lower gear. This extra
braking can help you maintain a safe
speed and prevent your brakes f rom
overheating while going down a
steep hill. Bef ore downshif ting,
make sure the vehicle speed is low
enough that you will not activate the
engine speed limiter in the lower
gear. On all models except U.S. DX
and Value Package, make sure the
engine speed will not go into the
tachometer’s red zone in the lower
gear bef ore downshif ting.
Manual T ransmission
136
Rapid slowing or speeding-up
can cause loss of control on
slippery surfaces. If you crash,
you can be injured.
Use extra care when driving on
slippery surfaces.
——y
y
(%y
y
Page 132 of 226

µµ
CONT INUED
To shift from:PtoR
RtoP
NtoR
Dto2
2toD
DtoD DtoN
DtoD NtoD
RtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
press the release button.
Press the release button.
Move the lever.
3 3
3
3
To shif t f rom any position, press
f irmly on the brake pedal and press
the release button on the front of the
shiftlever.Youcannotshiftoutof
Park when the ignition switch is in
the LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position. This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
buttononthefrontof theshiftlever
to move it. If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
To avoid transmission damage, come
to a complete stop bef ore shif ting
into Park. You must also press the
release button to shift into Park. The
shif t lever must be in Park bef ore
you can remove the key f rom the
ignition switch.
Press the brake
pedal and press the release button
on the f ront of the shif t lever to shif t
f rom Park to Reverse. To shif t f rom
Reverse to Neutral, come to a
completestopandthenshift.Press
the release button bef ore shif ting
into Reverse f rom Neutral. 141
Automatic Transmission
Shif ting
Park (P) Shif t L ock Release
Reverse (R)
Driving
139
SHIFT LEVER
RELEASE BUTTON
——y
y
(%y
y
Page 133 of 226

µµ
µ
µ If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, the engine
speed will enter into the tachometer’s
red zone. If this occurs, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
RPM below the red zone.
If you exceed the maximum speed
f or the gear you are in, you may f eel
the engine cut in and out. This is
caused by a limiter in the engine’s
computer controls. The engine will
run normally when you reduce the
engine speed by upshif ting or
slowing down.
To help reduce wheel spin.
For starting out on a slippery
surf ace or in deep snow.
To increase engine braking when
going down steep hills.
For more power when climbing.
Use Second gear: This position is similar
to D, except only the first three
gears are selected. Use D to provide
engine braking when going down a
steep hill. D can also keep the
transmission f rom cycling between
third and f ourth gears in stop-and-go
driving.
To shif t to Second,
pressthereleasebuttononthefront
of the shif t lever. This position locks
thetransmissioninsecondgear.It
does not downshif t to f irst gear
when you come to a stop.
Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from Neutral to
another gear.
Use this position f or
your normal driving. The
transmission automatically selects a
suitable gear f or your vehicle speed
and acceleration. You may notice the
transmission shif ting up at higher
speeds when the engine is cold. This
helps the engine warm up f aster.
3
3
All models except U.S. DX and Value Package
U.S. DX and Value Package models
Automatic Transmission
Engine Speed L imiter
Drive (D )
Second (2)
Neutral (N)
Drive (D)3
140
——y
y
(%y
y
Page 134 of 226

Do this if pushing on the brake pedal
and pressing the release button does
not shif t the transmission out of
park:Set the parking brake.
Remove the key from the ignition
switch.
Push down on the key while you
pressthereleasebuttononthe
shif t lever and move the shif t lever
out of Park to Neutral.
Put a cloth on the edge of the shif t
lock release slot cover. Using a
small f lat-tipped screwdriver or a metal f ingernail f ile, caref ully pry
on the edge of the cover to remove
it.
Insert the key in the shift lock
release slot.
Remove the key from the shift
lock release slot, then install the
cover. Make sure the notch on the
cover is on the lef t side.
Return the key to the ignition
switch, press the brake pedal, and
restart the engine.
If you need to use the shif t lock
release, it means your vehicle is
developing a problem. Have it
checked by your dealer.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.6.
Automatic Transmission
Shif t L ock Release
Driving
141
COVER
SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE SLOT
RELEASE BUTTON
——y
y
(%y
y
Page 135 of 226
The continuously variable
transmission’s unique design
provides a smooth, constant f low of
power. It is electronically controlled
f or more precise operation and
better f uel economy.These indicators on the instrument
panel show which position the shif t
lever is in.Avoid rapid acceleration and have
thetransmissioncheckedbyyour
dealer as soon as possible.
To shif t f rom any position, press
f irmly on the brake pedal and press
the release button on the front of the
shiftlever.Youcannotshiftoutof
Park when the ignition switch is in
the LOCK (0) or ACCESSORY (I)
position.
The ‘‘D’’ indicator comes on f or a
f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II). If it
f lashes while driving (in any shif t
position), it indicates a possible
problem in the transmission.
On HX model
Automatic Transmission (CVT)
Continuously Variable
T ransmission (CVT )
Shif t L ever Position Indicators
Shif ting
142
RELEASE BUTTONSHIFT LEVER
——y
y
(%y
y
Page 136 of 226

µ
µ µ
To shift from:
PtoR
RtoP
NtoR StoL
LtoS
StoD
DtoS
DtoN
NtoD RtoN Do this:
Press the brake pedal and
press the release button.
Press the release button.
Move the lever.
Use Neutral if you
need to restart a stalled engine, or if
it is necessary to stop brief ly with
the engine idling. Shif t to the Park
position if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason. Press on the
brake pedal when you are moving
the shift lever from Neutral to
another gear.
This position mechani-
cally locks the transmission. Use
Park whenever you are turning of f or
starting the engine. To shif t out of
Park, you must press on the brake
pedal and have your f oot of f the
accelerator pedal. Press the release
buttononthefrontof theshiftlever
to move it. If you have done all of the above and
still cannot move the lever out of
Park, see on
page .
You must also press the release
button to shift into Park. To avoid
transmission damage, come to a
complete stop bef ore shif ting into
Park. The shif t lever must be in Park
bef ore you can remove the key f rom
the ignition switch.
To shif t to Reverse
f rom Park, see the explanation under
Park. To shif t to Reverse f rom
Neutral, come to a complete stop
first. Press the release button before
shifting into Reverse from Neutral.
141
CONT INUED
Automatic Transmission (CVT)
Neutral (N)
Park (P) Shif t L ock Release
Reverse (R)
Driving
143
——y
y
(%y
y