
53
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mir-ror(s), and outside lights are clean.
 Check the condition of the tires. 
 Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
 Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections  
Fluid levels, such as engine oil, engine 
coolant, brake fluid, and washer fluid
should be checked on a regular basis, 
with the exact interval depending on the 
fluid. Further details are provided in sec- 
tion 7, “Maintenance”.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
Driving while distracted can result 
in a loss of vehicle control, that
may lead to an accident, severe
personal injury, and death. The dri- 
ver’s primary responsibility is in 
the safe and legal operation of a
vehicle, and use of any handheld
devices, other equipment, or vehi- 
cle systems which take the driver’s 
eyes, attention and focus away
from the safe operation of a vehicle 
or which are not permissible by law 
should never be used during oper-
ation of the vehicle.
CALIFORNIA PROPOSI- 
TION 65 WARNING
Engine exhaust and a wide variety of automobile components and
parts, including components foundin the interior furnishings in a vehi- 
cle, contain or emit chemicals 
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects and 
reproductive harm. In addition, cer- 
tain fluids contained in vehicles
and certain products of component
wear contain or emit chemicals 
known to the State of California to 
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm.    

Driving your vehicle
4
5
Before starting 
 Close and lock all doors. 
 Position the seat so that all controls are
easily reached.
 Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
 Be sure that all lights work.
 Check all gauges. 
 Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is turned to the ON position.
 Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning light goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are famil- 
iar with your vehicle and its equipment.WARNING- Driving under
the influence of alcohol or drugs
Drinking and driving is dangerous. 
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount 
of alcohol will affect your reflexes, 
perceptions and judgment. Drivingwhile under the influence of drugs 
is as dangerous or more dangerous than driving drunk. 
You are much more likely to have a 
serious accident if you drink or 
take drugs and drive. 
If you are drinking or taking drugs, 
don’t drive. Do not ride with a driv- er who has been drinking or taking 
drugs. Choose a designated driveror call a cab.
WARNING
 When you intend to park or stop the vehicle with the engine on, be careful not to depress the accel-
erator pedal for a long period of 
time. It may overheat the engine 
or exhaust system and cause fire.
 When you make a sudden stop or turn the steering wheel rapidly,
loose objects may drop on the
floor and it could interfere with
the operation of the foot pedals, 
possibly causing an accident. 
Keep all things in the vehicle
safely stored.
 If you do not focus on driving, it may cause an accident. Be care-
ful when operating what may dis-
turb driving such as audio or 
heater. It is the responsibility of 
the driver to always drive safely.
WARNING
All passengers must be properly 
belted whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing. Refer to “Seat belts” in section 
3 for more information on their 
proper use.
WARNING
Always check the surrounding 
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before putting a
vehicle  into “Drive” or “Reverse”.      

55
Driving your vehicle
Ignition switch position
LOCK
The steering wheel locks to protect 
against theft. The ignition key can be 
removed only in the LOCK position.
When turning the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, push the key inward at 
the ACC position and turn the key toward the LOCK position.
ACC (Accessory)
The steering wheel is unlocked and elec- 
trical accessories are operative.
✽✽NOTICE
If difficulty is experienced turning the 
ignition switch to the ACC position, turn 
the key while turning the steering wheel 
right and left to release the tension.
ON
The warning lights can be checked 
before the engine is started. This is the 
normal running position after the engine
is started.
Do not leave the ignition switch ON if the engine is not running to prevent batterydischarge.
START
Turn the ignition key to the START posi- 
tion to start the engine. The engine will
crank until you release the key; then it 
returns to the ON position. The brake 
warning lamp can be checked in thisposition.
WARNING - Ignition key
 Never turn the ignition key to LOCK or ACC while the vehicle is 
moving. This would result in loss
of directional control and braking 
function, which could cause an accident.
 The anti-theft steering column lock is not a substitute for the parking
brake. Before leaving the driver's
seat, always make sure the shift
lever is engaged in P (Park) for the 
automatic transaxle, or reverse for 
the manual transaxle, set the park-
ing brake fully, and shut the engine 
off. Unexpected and sudden vehi- 
cle movement may occur if theseprecautions are not taken.
 Never reach for the ignition switch, or any other controls through the
steering wheel while the vehicle is
in motion. The presence of your hand or arm in this area could 
cause a loss of vehicle control, an
accident and serious bodily injuryor death.
 Do not place any movable objects around the driver’s seat as they
may move while driving, interferewith the driver and lead to an  acci-
dent.
OUN036002
KEY POSITIONS    

Driving your vehicle
8
5
 During cold weather, shifting may be
difficult until the transaxle lubricant has 
warmed up. This is normal and not
harmful to the transaxle.
 If you've come to a complete stop and it's hard to shift into 1st or R (Reverse),
put the shift lever in N (Neutral) posi-
tion and release the clutch. Press the 
clutch pedal back down, and then shift 
into 1st or R (Reverse) gear position.Using the clutch
The clutch should be pressed all the way 
to the floor before shifting, then released
slowly. The clutch pedal should always be 
fully released while driving. Do not rest 
your foot on the clutch pedal while driv-
ing. This can cause unnecessary wear.
Do not partially engage the clutch to hold 
the vehicle on an incline. This causes 
unnecessary wear. Use the foot brake or
parking brake to hold the vehicle on an 
incline. Do not operate the clutch pedal 
rapidly and repeatedly. 
This vehicle is equipped with a Hill-start 
Assist Control(HAC) that will hold the 
vehicle in place for about 2 seconds 
when the brake is released on a sleep
enough uphill grade (about 8° incline). 
Practice releasing the brake and apply- 
ing the throttle with your right foot while
releasing the clutch with your left foot, so
you learn how the HAC works.
CAUTION
 To avoid premature clutch wear
and damage, do not drive withyour foot resting on the clutch
pedal. Also, don’t use the clutchto hold the vehicle stopped on an uphill grade, while waiting for atraffic light, etc.
 Do not use the shift lever as a handrest during driving, as thiscan result in premature wear of
the transaxle shift forks.
 When operating the clutch pedal, press the clutch pedal down fully.
If you don't press the clutch pedalfully, the clutch may be damagedor noise may occur.
WARNING
Before leaving the driver’s seat, 
always set the parking brake fully
and shut the engine off. Then makesure the transaxle is shifted into 1st 
gear when the vehicle is parked on 
a level or uphill grade, and shifted
into R (Reverse) on a downhill 
grade. Unexpected and sudden 
vehicle movement can occur if
these precautions are not followed
in the order identified.
WARNING
The HAC is activated only for about 
2 seconds, so when the vehicle is
starting off always depress theaccelerator pedal.    

Driving your vehicle
12
5
R (Reverse) 
Use this position to drive the vehicle 
backward. N (Neutral) 
The wheels and transaxle are not 
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely even 
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or service brakes are applied.
D (Drive) 
This is the normal forward driving posi- 
tion. The transaxle will automatically shift 
through a 6-gear sequence, providing the 
best fuel economy and power. 
For extra power when passing another 
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the 
accelerator fully, at which time the
transaxle will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear (or gears, as appro- 
priate).
✽✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before 
shifting into D (Drive).
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged if you shift into P (Park) while thevehicle is in motion.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage the transaxle if you shift into R whilethe vehicle is in motion, except as
explained in “Rocking the vehicle”in this section.  

517
Driving your vehicle
Engine power can be delivered to all front 
and rear wheels for maximum traction. 
AWD is useful when extra traction is
required on road, such as, when driving
on slippery, muddy, wet, or snow-covered 
roads. These vehicles are not designed 
for challenging off-road use. Occasional
off-road use such as established 
unpaved roads and trails are OK. It is 
always important when traveling off-high-
way that the driver carefully reduces the
speed to a level that does not exceed the 
safe operating speed for those condi- 
tions. In general, off-road conditions pro-
vide less traction and braking effective- 
ness than normal road conditions. The 
driver must be especially alert to avoid
driving on slopes which tilt the vehicle to
either side. 
These factors must be carefully consid- 
ered when driving off-road. Keeping the
vehicle in contact with the driving surfaceand under control in these conditions is 
always the driver's responsibility for the 
safety of him/herself and his or her pas-
sengers.Tight corner brake effect
Tight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of all-wheel drive vehicles
caused by the difference in tire rotation at 
the all wheels and the zero-degree align- ment of the front wheels and suspension. 
Sharp turns at low speeds should be car- 
ried out with caution.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
- Off road driving
This vehicle is designed primarily 
for on road use although it can oper-
ate effectively off road. However, it 
was not designed to drive in chal- 
lenging off-road conditions. Driving
in conditions that exceed the vehi-
cle's intended design or the driver's 
experience level may result in 
severe injury or death.CAUTION - AW D
When turning sharply on a paved
road at low speed while in four-wheel drive, steering control will be difficult.
WARNING
When AWD system warning light 
illuminates, AWD system does not 
operate. 
Contact an authorized HYUNDAI 
dealer as soon as possible.    

Driving your vehicle
24
5
Power brakes  
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes 
that adjust automatically through normal 
usage. 
In the event that the power-assisted 
brakes lose power because of a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can 
still stop your vehicle by applying greater 
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how- 
ever, will be longer. 
When the engine is not running, the 
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do 
not pump the brake pedal when the 
power assist has been interrupted. 
Pump the brake pedal only when neces- 
sary to maintain steering control on slip- 
pery surfaces. BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING
- Brakes
 Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will create abnormal high brake tem- 
peratures, excessive brake lining 
and pad wear, and increasedstopping distances.
 When descending a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake application will cause the brakes 
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
 Wet brakes may impair the vehi- cle’s ability to safely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull to one side when the brakes are applied. 
Applying the brakes lightly will
indicate whether they have been
affected in this way. Always test 
your brakes in this fashion after 
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward 
speed until brake performance returns to normal.
(Continued)
(Continued) 
 Always, confirm the position ofthe brake and accelerator pedal 
before driving. If you don't checkthe position of the accelerator
and brake pedal before driving, 
you may depress the accelerator 
instead of the brake pedal. It maycause a serious accident.   

525
Driving your vehicle
In the event of brake failure 
If service brakes fail to operate while the 
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake. 
The stopping distance, however, will be 
much greater than normal.
Disc brakes wear indicator 
Your vehicle has disc brakes. 
When your brake pads are worn and new 
pads are required, you will hear a high- 
pitched warning sound from your front 
brakes or rear brakes. You may hear this
sound come and go or it may occur
whenever you depress the brake pedal. 
Please remember that some driving con- 
ditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly 
apply) the brakes. This is normal and does 
not indicate a problem with your brakes.
Parking brake  
Applying the parking brake
■■Foot type
To engage the parking brake, first apply 
the foot brake and then depress the park-
ing brake pedal down as far as possible.
WARNING- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound 
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking 
performance, which could lead to a serious accident.
CAUTION
 To avoid costly brake repairs, do not continue to drive with wornbrake pads.
 Always replace the front or rear brake pads as pairs.
OLM059014
WARNING- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake while 
the vehicle is moving at normal 
speeds can cause a sudden loss of 
control of the vehicle. If you mustuse the parking brake to stop the 
vehicle, use great caution in apply- 
ing the brake.