
Auto Start
The vehicle also has an Auto Start feature. The engine
will remain off while in Auto Stop mode until vehicle
conditions require the engine to run. The near-instant
starting of the engine from Auto Stop mode is called
Auto Start. Some of the vehicle conditions that may
cause the engine to Auto Start are:
.The hood is opened.
.The gear selector is in M (Manual Mode).
.The hybrid battery state of charge is too low.
.The hybrid battery voltage, temperature or power
limits are exceeded.
.A remote vehicle start has been requested.
.The engine is not at operating temperature.
.Acceleration demands require the use of the
engine.
EV Mode
The vehicle also has an Electric Vehicle (EV) mode
which uses only the electric motor to move the vehicle.
With light acceleration, the vehicle will drive in EV
mode. EV mode is unavailable when the vehicle is
out of fuel.
If increased acceleration is required, or the vehicle
reaches approximately 40 km/h (30 mph), the engine will
start automatically. The engine shuts off at speeds
below 40 km/h (25 mph) unless the transmission is in
M (Manual Mode) or Auto Stop is disabled.
During heavy acceleration, both the engine and
hybrid electric motors supply power. A sensation
similar to a transmission gear change can be felt as
the transmission changes modes. Engine RPM may
remain above 4,000 RPM for a longer period during
hard acceleration.
3-5

Automatic Transmission Operation
The vehicle has an electronic shift position indicator
within the instrument panel cluster.
There are several different positions for the shift lever.
See“Range Selection Mode” later in this section.
P (Park) : This position locks the rear wheels. It is the
best position to use when you start the engine because
the vehicle cannot move easily.
When parked on a hill, especially when the vehicle has
a heavy load, you may notice an increase in the effort to
shift out of P (Park). See “Shifting Into P (Park)”in the
Index of vehicle's owner manual for more information.
{WARNING:
It is dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the shift
lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly
level ground, always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park). See Shifting Into
Park in the Owner Manual. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Towing a Trailer on page 5‑8.
3-6

{WARNING:
If you have Four-Wheel Drive, the vehicle will
be free to roll—even if the shift lever is in
P (Park) —if the transfer case is in Neutral.
So, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear,
Two-Wheel Drive High or Four-Wheel Drive High
or Four-Wheel Drive Low —not in Neutral.
See “Shifting Into Park” in the Owner Manual.
R (Reverse) : Use this gear to back up.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice, or sand without damaging the transmission, see
“If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow” in
the Index of the vehicle's owner manual. N (Neutral) :
In this position, the engine and
transmission are not connected with the wheels.
To restart the engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
{WARNING:
Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless your
foot is firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
move very rapidly. You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into a drive gear
while the engine is running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park) or N (Neutral) with
the engine running at high speed may damage the
transmission. The repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the engine is not
running at high speed when shifting the vehicle.
3-7

D (Drive) :This position is for normal driving. It provides
the best fuel economy. If you need more power for
passing, and you are:
.Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
D (Drive) or M (Manual Mode) can be used when
towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on
steep hills, or for off-road driving. You may want to
shift the transmission to a lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts too often.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding. See “Skidding”
under “Loss of Control” in the owner manual for more
information.
When temperatures are very cold, the transmission's
gear shifting may be delayed, providing more stable
shifts until the engine warms up. Shifts may be more
noticeable with a cold transmission. This difference in
shifting is normal. M (Manual Mode) :
This position lets drivers select
the range of gears appropriate for current driving
conditions. If the vehicle has this feature, see “Range
Selection Mode” later in this section.
Notice: Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission. The repair will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. If you are stuck,
do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill,
use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
The vehicle has a shift stabilization feature that
adjusts the transmission shifting to the current driving
conditions to reduce rapid upshifts and downshifts.
If the shift stabilization feature determines that a current
vehicle speed cannot be maintained, the transmission
does not upshift. In some cases, this may appear to be
a delayed shift, however the transmission is operating
normally.
3-8

Range Selection Mode
The Range Selection Mode controls the vehicle's
transmission.
To use this feature:1. Move the shift lever to the M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the plus/minus button to upshift or downshift selecting the desired range of gears.
A number displays next to the M, indicating the current
gear that has been selected. The number displayed in
the gear indicator is the highest gear that can be used. The vehicle can automatically shift to lower gears
as it adjusts to driving conditions. When 3 (Third) is
selected, 1 (First) through 3 (Third) gears are
automatically shifted by the vehicle, but 4 (Fourth)
cannot be used until it is selected.
The Range Selection Mode controls the vehicle and
engine speed while driving down a hill or towing a
trailer, by allowing you to select a desired range of
gears.
When you move the shift lever into M, the transmission
will default to M4. In this gear range, effective engine
braking occurs at speeds above 45 mph (72 km/h).
Pushing the minus (−) button on the shift lever reduces
the gear range.
In the M3 gear range, effective engine braking occurs at
speeds above 35 mph (56 km/h).
In the M2 gear range, effective engine braking occurs at
speeds above 25 mph (40 km/h).
In the M1 gear range, effective engine braking occurs at
speeds above 10 mph (16 km/h).
When operating in M (Manual Mode), Auto Stop is
disabled. For better vehicle efficiency, operate the
vehicle in D (Drive) not M (Manual Mode).
Cruise control can be used while using the Range
Selection Mode.
3-9

Four-Wheel Drive
If the vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send the
engine's driving power to all four wheels for extra
traction. Read the following before using four-wheel
drive.
Notice:Driving on clean, dry pavement in
Four-Wheel-Drive High or Four-Wheel-Drive Low for
an extended period of time may cause premature
wear on your vehicle's powertrain. Do not drive on
clean, dry pavement in Four-Wheel-Drive High or
Four-Wheel-Drive Low for extended periods of time.
While driving on clean dry pavement and during tight
turns, you may experience a vibration in the steering
system.
The vehicle has StabiliTrak
®. Shifting into
Four-Wheel-Drive Low will turn Traction Control and
StabiliTrak
®off. See StabiliTrak®System in the index
of the Owner Manual for more information.
Front Axle
The front axle engages and disengages automatically
when you shift the transfer case. Some delay for the
axle to engage or disengage is normal.
Automatic Transfer Case
The transfer case knob is
located to the left of the
instrument panel cluster.
Use this dial to shift into and out of four-wheel drive.
You can choose among five driving settings:
Indicator lights in the switches show you which setting
you are in. The indicator lights will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition and the last chosen
setting will stay on. If the lights do not come on, you
should take the vehicle to your dealer/retailer for
service. An indicator light will flash while shifting. It will
stay on when the shift is completed. If for some reason
the transfer case cannot make a requested shift, it will
return to the last chosen setting.
3-10

Shifting Into Four-Wheel Drive High or
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel Drive)
Turn the knob to the Four-Wheel High or AUTO
position. This can be done at any speed, except when
shifting from Four-Wheel Drive Low. The indicator light
will flash while shifting. It will remain on when the shift is
completed.
Shifting Into Two-Wheel Drive High
Turn the knob to the Two-Wheel High position. This can
be done at any speed, except when shifting from
Four-Wheel Drive Low.
See“Shifting Out of Four-Wheel Drive Low” later in this
section for more information.
Shifting Into Four-Wheel Drive Low
When Four-Wheel Low is engaged, vehicle speed
should be kept below 40 mph (64 km/h). Extended
high-speed operation in 4L may damage or shorten the
life of the drivetrain.
To shift to the Four-Wheel Drive Low position, the
ignition must be in ON/RUN and the vehicle must be
stopped or moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the
transmission in N (Neutral). The preferred method for shifting into Four-Wheel Drive Low is to have the
vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Turn the
knob to the Four-Wheel Drive Low position. You must
wait for the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light to stop
flashing and remain on before shifting the transmission
into gear.
Notice:
Shifting the transmission into gear before
the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light has
stopped flashing could damage the transfer case.
To help avoid damaging the vehicle, always wait for
the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light to stop
flashing before shifting the transmission into gear.
The vehicle may have significant engagement noise
and bump when shifting between Four-Wheel Drive Low
and Four-Wheel Drive High ranges or from N (Neutral)
while the engine is running.
If the knob is turned to the Four-Wheel Drive Low
position when the vehicle is in gear and/or moving,
the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light will flash for
30 seconds and not complete the shift unless the
vehicle is moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) and the
transmission is in N (Neutral). After 30 seconds the
transfer case will shift to Four-Wheel Drive High mode.
3-12

Shifting Out of Four-Wheel Drive Low
To shift from Four-Wheel Drive Low to Four-Wheel Drive
High, AUTO, or Two-Wheel Drive High, the vehicle must
be stopped or moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the
transmission in N (Neutral) and the ignition in ON/RUN.
The preferred method for shifting out of Four-Wheel
Drive Low is to have your vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph
(1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Turn the knob to the Four-Wheel
Drive High, AUTO, or Two-Wheel Drive High position.
You must wait for the Four-Wheel Drive High, AUTO,
or Two-Wheel Drive High indicator light to stop flashing
and remain on before shifting the transmission
into gear.
Notice:Shifting the transmission into gear before
the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light has
stopped flashing could damage the transfer case.
To help avoid damaging the vehicle, always wait for
the Four-Wheel Drive Low indicator light to stop
flashing before shifting the transmission into gear.
The vehicle may have significant engagement noise
and bump when shifting between Four-Wheel Drive Low
and Four-Wheel Drive High ranges or from N (Neutral)
while the engine is running. If the knob is turned to the Four-Wheel Drive High,
AUTO, or Two-Wheel Drive High switch position when
the vehicle is in gear and/or moving, the Four-Wheel
Drive High, AUTO or Two-Wheel Drive High indicator
light will flash for 30 seconds but will not complete the
shift unless the vehicle is moving less than 3 mph
(5 km/h) and the transmission is in N (Neutral).
Shifting into Neutral
To shift the transfer case into N (Neutral):
1. Make sure the vehicle is parked so that it will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal. See Parking Brake in the index of the
Owner Manual for more information.
3. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
4. Put the transmission in N (Neutral).
5. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel Drive High.
6. Turn the transfer case dial clockwise to N (Neutral) until it stops and hold it there until the N (Neutral)
light starts blinking. This will take at least
10 seconds. Then slowly release the dial to the
Four‐Wheel Drive Low position. The N (Neutral)
light will come on when the transfer case shift to
N (Neutral) is complete.
3-13