
Instruments and controlsHigh/low beam change (dimmer) ......................... 3-28
Headlight flasher ................................................ 3-28
Daytime running light system ............................. 3-28
Turn signal lever ................................................ 3-29
Illumination brightness control ......................... 3-29
Front fog light switch (if equipped) .................. 3-30
Wiper and washer .............................................. 3-30
Windshield wiper and washer switches ............... 3-32
Rear window wiper and washer switch (Outback) ......................................................... 3-33 Defogger and deicer
.......................................... 3-34
Mirrors ................................................................ 3-35
Type A inside mirror (if equipped) . ..................... 3-35
Type B inside mirror (if equipped) . ..................... 3-36
Auto-dimming mirror with compass (if equipped) .................................................... 3-43
Auto-dimming mirror with compass and HomeLink
®(if equipped) ................................... 3-45
Outside mirrors ................................................. 3-50
Tilt/telescopic steering wheel ........................... 3-52
Horn .................................................................... 3-52 

3-16Instruments and controls
ally reducing speed. Then slowly 
pull off the road to a safe place.
Otherwise an accident involving
serious vehicle damage and serious
personal injury could occur. 
If this light still illuminates while 
driving after adjusting the tire pres-
sure, a tire may have significant
damage and a fast leak that causes
the tire to lose air rapidly. If you have
a flat tire, replace it with a spare tire
as soon as possible. 
When a spare tire is mounted or a 
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the Low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting. If the light
illuminates steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute,
promptly contact a SUBARU dealer
to have the system inspected.CAUTION
The tire pressure monitoring system 
is NOT a substitute for manually
checking tire pressure. The tire
pressure should be checked peri-
odically (at least monthly) using a
tire gauge. After any change to tire
pressure(s), the tire pressure mon-
itoring system will not re-check tire
inflation pressures until the vehicle
is first driven more than 20 mph (32
km/h). After adjusting the tire pres-
sures, increase the vehicle speed to
at least 20 mph (32 km/h) to start the
TPMS re-checking of the tire infla-
tion pressures. If the tire pressures
are now above the severe low
pressure threshold, the low tire
pressure warning light should turn
off a few minutes later. Therefore, be
sure to install the specified size for 
the front and rear tires.
& ABS warning light
CAUTION
. If any of the following conditions
occur, we recommend that you 
have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by your SUBARU dealer. –
The warning light does not
illuminate when the ignition 
switch is turned to the “ON ”
position.
– The warning light illuminates
when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON ”position,
but it does not turn off even
when the vehicle speed ex-
ceeds approximately 12 km/h
(8 mph).
– The warning light illuminates
during driving.
– The warning light flashes.
. When the warning light is on (and
brake system warning light is
off), the ABS function shuts
down; however, the conventional
brake system continues to oper-
ate normally.
. When the warning light is flash-
ing, the ABS system may be
malfunctioning. However, the
conventional brake system con-
tinues to operate normally.
The ABS warning light illuminates to-
gether with the brake system warning light
if the EBD system malfunctions. For 
further details of the EBD system mal-  

Audio control buttons NOTE 
For models with the genuine SUBARU 
navigation system, refer to the Owner’s
Manual supplement for the navigationsystem.
Models without Hands-free system
Models with Hands-free system
These buttons are located on the spokes 
of the steering wheel. They allow the
driver to control audio functions without
taking his/her hands off the steeringwheel. &
MODE button
This button is used to select the desired 
audio mode. Each time it is pressed, the
mode changes to the next one in the
following sequence. 
Type A audio:
*1: The frequency last received in the selected 
waveband will be displayed. 
*2: Only when a CD is in the player. 
*3: Only when an auxiliary audio product is connected. 
*4: Only when an iPod is connected using the 
iPod adapter that is available as a dealer option. Audio
5-41
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7-16Starting and operating
The manual transmission is a fully syn- 
chromeshed, 6-forward-speed and 1-re-
verse-speed transmission. 
The shift pattern is shown on the shift 
lever knob. &Selecting reverse gear
CAUTION
Shift into reverse ONLY when the 
vehicle has completely stopped. It
may cause damage to the transmis-
sion to try shifting into reverse when
the vehicle is moving.
1) Slider
You must raise the slider and hold it in that 
position before you can move the shift
lever to the “R ”position.
To change gears, fully depress the clutch
pedal, move the shift lever, and gradually
let up on the clutch pedal. 
If it is difficult to shift into gear, put the 
transmission in neutral, release the clutch
pedal momentarily, and then try again.
& Shifting speeds
! Recommended shifting speeds
The best compromise between fuel econ-
omy and vehicle performance during
normal driving is ensured by shifting up
at the speeds listed in the following table. Shift up mph (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40) 3rd to 4th 40 (64)4th to 5th 45 (72) 
5th to 6th 50 (80)
! Maximum allowable speeds
WARNING
When shifting down a gear, ensure 
that the vehicle is not travelling at a
speed exceeding the Maximum Al-
lowable Speed for the gear which is
about to be selected. Failure to
observe this precaution can lead to
engine over-revving and this in turn
can result in engine damage. 
In addition, sudden application of 
engine brakes when the vehicle is
travelling on a slippery surface can
lead to wheel locking; as a conse-
quence, control of the vehicle may
be lost and the risk of an accidentincreased.
The following table shows the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear. The tachometer ’s needle will   

7-22Starting and operating
turns off. 
Gearshifts can be performed using the 
paddle shift switch behind the steeringwheel.
Pull the “+ ” of the paddle shift to upshift
one level. Also pull the “  ” of the paddle
shift to downshift one level. 
To deselect the manual mode, return the 
select lever to the “D ”position from the “M ”
position. 
While driving with the select lever in the “ D ” position, if you change gears by
paddle shifting, the gear position indicator
light illuminates and shows the current
gear condition.
CAUTION
Do not place or hang anything on 
the paddle shift levers. Doing so
may result in accidental gear shift-ing.
NOTE 
Please read the following points care- 
fully and bear them in mind when using
the manual mode. . 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 transmis-
sion will not respond.. You can perform a skip-shift (for
example, from 4th to 2nd) by operating
the paddle switch twice in rapid suc-cession.. The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stopsmoving.. If the temperature of the transmis-
sion fluid becomes too high, the “AT
OIL TEMP ”warning light will illuminate.
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and let the engine idle until the
warning light turns off. &
Driving tips
. On a road surface where there is a risk
of wheelspin (for example, a snow- or 
gravel-covered road), you can pull away
from a standstill safely and easily by first
selecting the 2nd gear of the manualmode. . Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D ”or
“ R ”position.
. Always apply the parking brake when
parking your vehicle. Do not hold the 
vehicle with only the transmission. . Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary
position on an uphill grade by using the “ D ”position. Use the brake instead.
. The engine may, on rare occasions,
knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-
ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill.
This phenomenon does not indicate amalfunction. . A slight reduction in output torque may
occur in the models with a 2.5 L turbo or 
3.6 L engine before the engine warms up.  

7-30Starting and operating
low pressure threshold, the low tire 
pressure warning light should turn
off a few minutes later. 
If this light still illuminates while 
driving after adjusting the tire pres-
sure, a tire may have significant
damage and a fast leak that causes
the tire to lose air rapidly. If you have
a flat tire, replace it with a spare tire
as soon as possible. 
When a spare tire is mounted or a 
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting. 
Do not inject any tire liquid or 
aerosol tire sealant into the tires,
as this may cause a malfunction of
the tire pressure sensors. If the light
illuminates steadily after blinking for
approximately one minute, promptly
contact a SUBARU dealer to have
the system inspected.CAUTION
Do not place metal film or any metal 
parts under the driver ’s seat. This
may cause poor reception of the
signals from the tire pressure sen-
sors, and the tire pressure monitor-
ing system will not function prop-
erly.
NOTE 
This device complies with Part 15 of 
the FCC Rules and with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful inter-
ference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received, in-
cluding interference that may cause
undesired operation. 
Changes or modifications not ex- 
pressly approved by the party respon-
sible for compliance could void theuser ’s authority to operate the equip-
ment. Parking your vehicle
WARNING
. Never leave unattended children
or pets in the vehicle. They could 
accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on
hot or sunny days, the tempera-
ture in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to
cause severe or possibly fatal
injuries to them.
. Do not park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as
they may burn easily if they come
near hot engine or exhaust sys-
tem parts.
. Be sure to stop the engine if you
take a nap in the vehicle. If
engine exhaust gas enters the
passenger compartment, occu-
pants in the vehicle could die 
from carbon monoxide (CO) con- 
tained in the exhaust gas. 

8-22Driving tips
Certification label
! Gross Axle Weight (GAW) and 
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
Gross Axle Weight The total weight applied to each axle 
(GAW) must never exceed the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). The front and rear
GAWs can be adjusted by relocating
passengers and luggage inside the vehi-
cle. The front and rear GAWR are also
shown on the certification label.
Certification label
To check both GVWR and GAWR and to 
confirm that the total weight and weight
distribution are within safe driving limits,
you should have your vehicle and trailer
weighed at a commercial weighing station. 
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to 
prevent a change in weight distribution
while driving. !
Tongue load
Tongue load
WARNING
If the trailer is loaded with more 
weight in the back of trailer ’s axle
than in the front, the load is taken off
the rear axle of the towing vehicle.
This may cause the rear wheels to
skid, especially during braking or
when vehicle speed is reduced dur-
ing cornering, resulting in over-
steer, spin out and/or jackknifing.
Ensure that the trailer tongue load is from
8 to 11 percent of the total trailer weight
and does not exceed the maximum value
of 200 lbs (90 kg).     

NOTE 
For vehicles with trailer brakes, the 
trailer tongue load exceeds 200 lbs (90
kg) when calculated at 8% of the
maximum total trailer weight.
Even in this case, the maximum value
is 200 lbs (90 kg).
1) Jack 
2) Bathroom scale
The tongue load can be weighed with a 
bathroom scale as shown in the following
illustration. When weighing the tongue
load, be sure to position the towing
coupler at the height at which it would be
during actual towing, using a jack asshown.
F: Front
The tongue load can be adjusted by 
proper distribution of the load in the trailer.
Never load the trailer with more weight in
the back than in the front; approximately 
60 percent of the trailer load should be in 
the front and approximately 40 percent in
the rear. Also, distribute the load as evenly
as possible on both the left and rightsides. 
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to 
prevent a change in weight distribution
while driving. &
Trailer hitches
WARNING
Never drill the frame or under-body 
of your vehicle to install a commer-
cial trailer hitch. If you do, danger-
ous exhaust gas, water or mud may
enter the passenger compartment
through the drilled hole. Exhaust
gas contains carbon monoxide, a
colorless and odorless gas which is
dangerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
Also, drilling the frame or under-
body of your vehicle could cause 
deterioration of strength of your 
vehicle and cause corrosion around
the drilled hole.
CAUTION
. Do not modify the vehicle ex-
haust system, brake system, or 
other systems when installing a
hitch or other trailer towingequipment.
. Do not use axle-mounted hitches
as they can cause damage to the
axle housing, wheel bearings,
wheels or tires.
Choose a proper hitch for your vehicle and Driving tips
8-23
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