Initial Drive Information
Transmission
Range Selection Mode
The Range Selection Mode switch is located on the
shift lever. To enable the Range Selection feature,
move the column shift lever to the M (Manual) position.The current range will appear next to the M. This is the
highest attainable range with all lower gears accessible.
As an example, when 3 (Third) gear is selected, 1 (First)
through 3 (Third) gears are available.
Press the plus/minus buttons, located on the steering
column shift lever, to select the desired range of
gears for current driving conditions. See Automatic
Transmission Operation in the owner manual.
Cruise control can be used while the vehicle is in
Range Selection Mode.
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.
1-2
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
2m(Two-Wheel Drive High):This setting is used for
driving in most street and highway situations. The front
axle is not engaged in two-wheel drive. This setting also
provides the best fuel economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel Drive) : This setting is
ideal for use when road surface traction conditions are
variable. When driving your vehicle in AUTO, the front
axle is engaged, but the vehicle's power is primarily
sent to the rear wheels. When the vehicle's software
determines a need for more traction, the system will
transfer more power to the front wheels. Driving in this
mode results in slightly lower fuel economy than
Two-Wheel Drive High.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High): Use the four-wheel high
position when you need extra traction, such as on
snowy or icy roads or in most off-road situations.
This setting also engages the front axle to help drive
the vehicle. This is the best setting to use when
plowing snow.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low) : This setting also
engages the front axle and delivers extra torque.
You may never need this setting. It sends maximum
power to all four wheels. You might choose Four-Wheel
Drive Low if you are driving off-road in deep sand, deep
mud, deep snow, and while climbing or descending
steep hills. 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.
{WARNING:
Shifting the transfer case to N (Neutral) can cause
the vehicle to roll even if the transmission is in
P (Park). You or someone else could be seriously
injured. Be sure to set the parking brake before
placing the transfer case in N (Neutral). See
Parking Brake in the index of the Owner Manual
for more information.
N (Neutral) : Shift the vehicle's transfer case to
N (Neutral) only when towing the vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing or Towing Your Vehicle in
the index of the Owner Manual.
If the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE message stays on,
you should take the vehicle to your dealer/retailer for
service. See DIC Warnings and Messages
on
page 4‑12for more information.
3-11
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