06 During your trip
Driving recommendations
06
238
General information
Economical driving conserves natural
resources
Better driving economy may be obtained by
thinking ahead, avoiding rapid starts and stops
and adjusting the speed of your vehicle to
immediate traffic conditions.
Observe the following rules:
•Bring the engine to normal operating tem-
perature as soon as possible by driving
with a light foot on the accelerator pedal for
the first few minutes of operation. A cold
engine uses more fuel and is subject to
increased wear.
•Whenever possible, avoid using the vehicle
for driving short distances. This does not
allow the engine to reach normal operating
temperature.
•Drive carefully and avoid rapid acceleration
and hard braking.
•Use the transmission's Drive (D) position
as often as possible and avoid using kick-
down.
•Do not exceed posted speed limits.
•Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra
load) in the vehicle.
•Maintain correct tire pressure. Check tire
pressure regularly (when tires are cold).
•Remove snow tires when threat of snow or
ice has ended.
•Note that roof racks, ski racks, etc,
increase air resistance and also fuel con-
sumption.
•At highway driving speeds, fuel consump-
tion will be lower with the air conditioning
on and the windows closed than with the
air conditioning off and the windows open.
•Using the onboard trip computer's fuel
consumption modes can help you learn
how to drive more economically.
Other factors that decrease gas mileage
are:
•Dirty air cleaner
•Dirty engine oil and clogged oil filter
•Dragging brakes
•Incorrect front end alignment
Some of the above mentioned items and others
are checked at the standard maintenance
intervals.
WARNING
Driving with the trunk open: Driving with
the trunk open could lead to poisonous
exhaust gases entering the passenger com-
partment. If the trunk must be kept open for
any reason, proceed as follows:
•Close the windows
•Set the ventilation system control to air
flow to floor, windshield and side win-
dows and the blower control to its high-
est setting.
Weight distribution affects handlingAt the specified curb weight your vehicle has a
tendency to understeer, which means that the
steering wheel has to be turned more than
might seem appropriate for the curvature of a
bend. This ensures good stability and reduces
the risk of rear wheel skid. Remember that
these properties can alter with the vehicle load.
The heavier the load in the trunk, the less the
tendency to understeer.
Handling, roadholdingVehicle load, tire design and inflation pressure
all affect vehicle handling. Therefore, check
that the tires are inflated to the recommended
pressure according to the vehicle load. See the
"Tire pressure" section. Loads should be dis-
tributed so that capacity weight or maximum
permissible axle loads are not exceeded.
10 Index
10
338
Stability system...............................138, 139
Corner Traction Control (CTC)............138
Engine Drag Control (EDC).................138
indicator light........................................ 77
Starting the engine..................................108
with keyless drive...............................108
Starting the vehicle
after a crash (crash mode)....................38
Start inhibitor (immobilizer)........................ 55
Steering wheel
adjusting............................................... 89
horn....................................................... 89
keypad.................................. 89, 124, 197
Stone chips, touching up......................... 316
Storage spaces........................................ 186
Studded tires........................................... 270
Sunroof (moonroof).................................. 103
Sun shade.................................................. 99
Supplemental restraint system.................. 24
warning light......................................... 78
Symbols, overview................................... 328T
Temporary spare tire............................... 271
Three-way catalytic converter................. 245
Tire designations.....................................264
Tire Pressure Monitoring System....281, 282
indicator light........................................ 77
Tires.........................................................258
age...................................................... 258
changing from summer to winter........ 259
glossary of terms................................ 266
improving economy............................ 258
inflation pressure................................ 261
inflation pressure tables..................... 263
load ratings......................................... 262
rotation............................................... 259
snow...................................................270
spare................................................... 271
specifications...................................... 262
speed ratings...................................... 262
storing................................................. 259
studded............................................... 270
tire pressure monitoring system......... 281
tread wear indicator............................ 260
uniform tire quality grading................. 269
Top tether anchors (child restraint sys-
tems).......................................................... 49Touching up paint.................................... 316
Towing a trailer................................250, 251
trailer hitch.......................................... 251
Towing the vehicle........................... 253, 254
Traction control........................................ 138
Trailer towing...................................250, 251
trailer hitch.......................................... 251
Transmission
general description.....................111, 112
oil........................................................ 326
shiftlock override................................ 112
Tread wear indicator................................ 260
Trip computer.......................................... 137
Trip odometers.......................................... 80
Trips, long distance................................. 239
Trunk
changing bulbs................................... 298
driving with it open.............................238
Turn signals............................................... 93
indicator lights...................................... 77
