Page 343 of 627
6-26
Interior equipment
2. To keep the lid open, hang the hook (provided on
the back of the lid) on the rear edge of the roof.
3. Remove the left and right parts of the cargo floor lid.
4. Stow the cover housing and rear gate board in the
cargo area end.
!
To install the cover housing
To install the cover housing, insert both ends of the
cover housing into the retainers.
UB6524BA
UB6240BA
Page 344 of 627
6-27
Interior equipment
– CONTINUED –
!To install the rear gate board
Insert (tipped at an angle) the hooks on the rear gate
board into the holes in the rear gate panel. Rotate the rear gate board toward you until its top
touches the rear gate panel.
UB6523CA
UB6540BA
Page 345 of 627
6-28
Interior equipment
Fit the top of the rear gate board into the groove in the
rear gate panel.
Stowage boxes (Station wagon)
A stowage box is located on each side of the cargo ar-
ea. You can access each one by pushing up and pull-
ing the knob on the lid.
UB6535CA
UB6533BA
Page 373 of 627

7-18
Starting and operating
the selector lever to the “P” position.
Do not drive the vehicle with the selector lever
in the “N” (neutral) position. Engine braking
has no effect in this condition and the risk of an
accident is consequently increased.
! D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts into a suitable
gear from 1st to 4th according to the vehicle speed
and the acceleration you require.
When more acceleration is required in this position,
press the accelerator pedal fully to the floor and hold
that position. The transmission will automatically
downshift to 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you release
the pedal, the transmission will return to the original
gear position.
To use the “SPORT” mode, move the lever from this
position into the manual gate.
To use the manual mode, move the lever from this po-
sition into the manual gate then move it toward the “+”
and “–” ends. "
While climbing a grade
When driving up a hill, undesired upshift to 4th gear is
prevented from taking place when the accelerator is
released. This minimizes the chance of subsequent
downshifting to a lower gear when accelerating again.
This prevents repeated upshifting and downshifting re-
sulting in a smoother operation of the vehicle.
NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2nd or 1st
gear, depending on the way the accelerator pedal
is pressed to accelerate the vehicle again. " While going down a hill
When descending a steep hill, depressing the brake
pedal will cause the transmission to downshift to 3rd or
2nd gear, thus applying engine braking. Reaccelera-
tion for a short time will cause the transmission to up-shift normally.
NOTE
In some cases, depressing the brake pedal on a
downhill grade does not result in an automatic
downshift to 3rd or 2nd gear. This can happen
when the automatic transmission fluid tempera-
ture is very low, for example, during driving short-
ly after the vehicle has been parked for an extend-
ed period of time. When the ATF temperature has
Page 376 of 627

7-21
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
goes off.
Gearshifts can be performed using the selector lever.
Using the selector lever
Shift to the next-higher gear by briefly pushing the se-
lector lever toward the “+” end of the manual gate.
Shift to the next-lower gear by briefly pulling the selec-
tor lever toward the “–” end of the manual gate.
NOTE
Please read the following points carefully and bear
them in mind when using the manual mode. "Automatic gearshifts do not take place in the
manual mode. Perform gearshifts in accordance
with road conditions so that the tachometer nee- dle does not enter the red zone. If the engine
speed reaches a predetermined level, a fuel-cut
function will operate. Shift up if this happens. "
If you attempt to shift down when the engine
speed is too high, i.e., when a downshift would
push the tachometer needle beyond the red zone,
beeps will be emitted to warn you that the down-
shift is not possible." If you attempt to shift up when the vehicle speed
is too low, the transmission will not respond." You can perform a skip-shift (for example, from
4th to 2nd) by operating the selector lever twice in
rapid succession. " The transmission automatically selects 1st gear
when the vehicle stops moving. " If the temperature of the automatic transmission
fluid becomes too high, the “AT OIL TEMP” warn-
ing light will come on and upshifts to 4th gear will
not be possible. Immediately stop the vehicle in a
safe place and let the engine idle until the warning
light goes off. ! Maximum speeds
When down shifting, ensure that the vehicle is
UB7206BA
Page 383 of 627

7-28
Starting and operating
When more acceleration is required in this position,
press the accelerator pedal fully to the floor and hold
that position. The transmission will automatically
downshift to 4th, 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you re-
lease the pedal, the transmission will return to the orig-
inal gear position.
To use the SPORT mode, move the lever from this po-
sition into the manual gate.
To use the manual mode, move the lever from this po-
sition into the manual gate then move it toward the “+”
and “–” ends. "
While climbing a grade
When driving up a hill, undesired upshift to 4th or 5th
gear is prevented from taking place when the acceler-
ator is released. This minimizes the chance of subse-
quent downshifting to a lower gear when accelerating
again. This prevents repeated upshifting and down-
shifting resulting in a smoother operation of the vehi-cle.
NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2nd or 1st
gear, depending on the way the accelerator pedal
is pressed to accelerate the vehicle again. " While going down a hill
When descending a steep hill, depressing the brake pedal will cause the transmission to downshift to 4th or
3rd gear, thus applying engine braking. Reaccelera-
tion for a short time will cause the transmission to up- shift normally.
NOTE
In some cases, depressing the brake pedal on a
downhill grade does not result in an automatic
downshift to 4th or 3rd gear. This can happen
when the automatic transmission fluid tempera-
ture is very low, for example, during driving short-
ly after the vehicle has been parked for an extend-
ed period of time. When the ATF temperature has
risen to a certain level, automatic downshift nor-
mally takes place. In the meantime, downshift
manually for engine braking as required.
Also, downshifting when braking downhill will not
occur at speeds above approximately 50 mph (80
km/h). !
Selector lever reverse inhibiting func- tion
This function prevents accidental movement of the se-
lector lever to the “R” position while the vehicle is mov-
ing.
The function becomes operational when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 6 mph (10 km/h).
Page 386 of 627

7-31
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
goes off.
Gearshifts can be performed using the selector lever
or the shift switch on the steering wheel (turbo model
only).
Using the selector lever
Shift to the next-higher gear by briefly pushing the se-
lector lever toward the “+” end of the manual gate.
Shift to the next-lower gear by briefly pulling the selec-
tor lever toward the “–” end of the manual gate. Using the shift switch (turbo models)
Shift to the next-higher gear by briefly pressing the “+”
button of the shift switch.
Shift to the next-lower gear by briefly pressing the “–”
button of the shift switch.
To deselect the manual mode, return the selector le-
ver to the “D” position from the manual gate.
If you press the “+” button or “–” button of the shift
switch while driving with the selector lever in the “D”
position, the manual mode will be selected. At this
time, the currently selected gear will be shown by the
gear position indicator and the upshift indicator and
downshift indicator will come on.
UB7206BA
UB7505BA
Page 397 of 627

7-42
Starting and operating
light illuminate simultaneously, take the following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe, flat place.
2. Shut down the engine, then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both warning lights go
out, the EBD system may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU dealer and
have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again and stay illu-
minated after the engine has been restarted, shut
down the engine again, apply the parking brake, and
check the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the “MIN” mark,
the EBD system may be faulty. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the system inspect-
ed.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “MIN” mark, DO
NOT drive the vehicle. Instead, have the vehicle towed
to the nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
"
Driving with the brake system warning light
on is dangerous. This indicates your brake sys-
tem may not be working properly. If the light re-
mains on, have the brakes inspected by a SUB-
ARU dealer immediately. " If at all in doubt about whether the brakes are operating properly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the nearest SUBA-
RU dealer for repair.