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uuWhen Driving uShifting
438Driving
■Shift Lever Operation
1Shift Lever OperationNOTICEWhen you change the shift lever from
(D to
(R and
vice versa, come to a complete stop and keep the
brake pedal depressed.
Operating the shift lever before the vehicle has come
to a complete standstill can damage the transmission.
Use the shift lever position indicator to check the
lever position before pulling away.
If the transmission indicator blinks when driving, in
any shift position, there is a problem with the
transmission.
Avoid sudden acceleration and have the transmission
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The fuel supply may be cut off if you drive at engine
speeds in or over the tachometer's red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happens, you may experience a
slight jolt.
It may not be possible to operate the shift lever if the
brake pedal is applied while the shift lever release
button is held down.
Depress the brake pedal first.
Shift Lever Position Indicator
Depress the brake pedal and press the
shift lever release button to shift.
Shift without pressing the shift lever
release button.
Press the shift lever release button
and shift. Tachometer’s red zoneM (7-Speed Manual Shift Mode)
Indicator/Shift Indicator
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uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
Use the paddle shifters to change between 1st and 7th speeds without removing
your hands from the steering wheel. The transmission switches to the 7-speed manual shift mode when you pull a paddle shifter while driving. This mode is useful
when engine braking is needed.■When the shift lever is in
(D:
The shift mode goes into the 7-speed manual shift mode temporarily, and the
number is displayed in the shift indicator.
The 7-speed manual shift mode is canceled automatically if you drive at constant
speed or accelerate, and the number in the shift indicator goes off.
You can cancel this mode by pulling the
(+ paddle shifter for a few seconds.
The 7-speed manual shift mode is especially useful when reducing the vehicle speed
temporarily before making a turn.
■When the shift lever is in
(S:
The shift mode goes into the 7-speed manual shift mode. The M indicator and the
speed number are displayed in the shift indicator. As the vehicle speed slows down,
the transmission automatically shifts down accordingly. When the vehicle comes to
a stop, it automatically shifts down into 1st.
If the vehicle speed increases and the engine speed reaches near the tachometer’s
red zone, the transmission automatically shifts up.
You can only pull away in 1st speed.
When canceling the 7-speed manual shift mode, move the shift lever from
(S to
(D. When the 7-speed manual shift mode is canceled, the M indicator and shift
indicator go off.
■7-Speed Manual Shift Mode
1 7-Speed Manual Shift Mode
To improve fuel economy, the transmission may shift
up to a higher speed than the seventh under certain
circumstances. In this case, the number in the shift
indicator remains as 7.
In the 7-speed manual shift mode, the transmission
shifts up or down by operating either paddle shifter
under the following conditions:
Shift Up: The engine speed reaches the lowest
threshold of the higher speed position.
Shift Down: The engine speed reaches the highest
threshold of the lower speed position.
When the engine speed reaches near the
tachometer’s red zone, the transmission shifts up
automatically.
When the engine speed reaches the lowest threshold
of the selected speed position, the transmission shifts
down automatically.
Operating the paddle shifters on slippery surfaces
may cause the tires to lock up. In this case, the 7-
speed manual shift mode is canceled and goes back
to the normal D driving mode.
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440Driving
■7-Speed Manual Shift Mode Operation
17-Speed Manual Shift Mode Operation
Each paddle shift operation makes a single speed
change.
To change continuously, release the paddle shifter
before pulling it again for the next speed.
Recommended Shift Points
Use this table as a guideline for efficient fuel
economy and effective emission control.
The shift indicator blinks when you cannot shift up or
down. It indicates that your vehicle speed is not in its
allowable shifting range.
Slightly accelerate to shift up and decelerate to shift
down while the indicator is blinking. Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1 to 2
15 mph (24 km/h)
2 to 3 25 mph (40 km/h)
3 to 4
40 mph (64 km/h)
4 to 5 47 mph (76 km/h)
5 to 6
52 mph (84 km/h)
(- Paddle Shifter
(Shift down)
(+ Paddle Shifter
(Shift up)
Downshifting when pulling
the
(- paddle shifter
(Changes to lower speed
number) Upshifting when pulling
the
(+ paddle shifter
(Changes to higher speed
number)
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Driving
ShiftingChange the shift position in accordance with your driving needs.■Shift lever positionsAutomatic transmission models
1Shifting
You cannot change the power mode from ON to
VEHICLE OFF (LOCK) unless the shift lever is in
(P.
The vehicle may move forward very slightly even in
(N while the engine is cold.
Depress the brake pedal firmly and, when necessary,
apply the parking brake.
When shifting gears in extremely low temperatures
(-22°F/-30°C), there may be a short delay before the
shift is indicated in the display. Always confirm you
are in the correct gear before driving.
Reverse
Used when reversingDrive
Used for normal driving (gears change
between 1st and 6th automatically)Park
Used when parking or starting the engine
Neutral
Used when idling
Release ButtonDrive (S)●Automatically changing gears between
1st and 5th (5th gear is used only at
high speed)●Used when towing a trailer in hilly
terrain●Used to increase engine braking
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442Driving
■Shift Lever Operation
1Shift Lever OperationNOTICEWhen you change the shift lever from
(D to
(R and
vice versa, come to a complete stop and keep the
brake pedal depressed.
Operating the shift lever before the vehicle has come
to a complete standstill can damage the transmission.
Use the shift lever position indicator to check the
lever position before pulling away.
If the transmission indicator blinks when driving, in
any shift position, there is a problem with the
transmission.
Avoid sudden acceleration and have the transmission
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The fuel supply may be cut off if you drive at engine
speeds in or over the tachometer’s red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happens, you may experience a
slight jolt.
It may not be possible to operate the shift lever if the
brake pedal is applied while the shift lever release
button is held down.
Depress the brake pedal first.
Tachometer's red zone
Shift Lever Position
Indicator
Models with information display
Models with multi-information display
Depress the brake pedal and press the
shift lever release button to shift.
Shift without pressing the shift lever
release button.
Press the shift lever release button
and shift.
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444Driving
When you are not shifting, do not rest your
foot on the clutch pedal. This can cause your
clutch to wear out faster.
1Shifting
Recommended Shift Points
Driving in the highest gear that allows the engine to
run and accelerate smoothly helps to optimize fuel
economy and effective emissions control. The
following shift points are recommended:
If you exceed the maximum speed for the gear you
are in, the engine speed will enter into the
tachometer's red zone. When this happens, you may
experience a slight jolt. Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1st to 2nd
17 mph (27 km/h)
2nd to 3rd 29 mph (46 km/h)
3rd to 4th
37 mph (60 km/h)
4th to 5th 43 mph (69 km/h)
5th to 6th
49 mph (79 km/h)
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uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
The manual transmission has a lockout mechanism that stops you from accidentally
shifting into
(R from a forward gear while the vehicle is moving above a certain
speed.
If you cannot shift to
(R when the vehicle is stopped, do the following: 1.Depress the clutch pedal, move the shift
lever all the way to the left, and shift to
(R.
2. If you still cannot shift into
(R, apply the
parking brake, and turn the ignition switch
to ACCESSORY
(q or LOCK
(0*1.
3. Depress the clutch pedal and shift into
(R.
4. Keep depressing the clutch pedal and start
the engine.
Have the vehicle checked by a dealer if you
have to go through this procedure repeatedly.
*1: Models with the smart entry system have an ENGINE START/STOP button instead of an
ignition switch.■Reverse Lockout
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uuWhen Driving uCruise Control
*
Continued
Driving
Cruise Control
*
Maintains a constant vehicle speed without having to keep your foot on the
accelerator. Use cruise control on freeways or open roads where you can travel at a
constant speed with little acceleration or deceleration.
1Cruise Control
*
It may not be possible to maintain a constant speed
when driving uphill or downhill.
When not using cruise control:
Turn off cruise control by pressing the CRUISE
button.
While in the ECON mode, it may take relatively more
time to accelerate to maintain the set speed.
When the engine speed slows down, try to
downshift.
You can maintain the set speed if you change gear
within fives seconds.
3
WARNING
Improper use of the cruise control can lead
to a crash.
Use the cruise control only when traveling
on open high ways in good weather.Manual transmission models
When to use■Shift positions for cruise control:
In (D or
(S Always keep sufficient distance
between you and the vehicle in
front of you.
Automatic transmission/CVT models■Vehicle speed for cruise control:
Desired speed in a range above
roughly 25 mph (40 km/h) ~How to use
CRUISE MAIN
is on in the
instrument panel.Cruise control is ready to use.
■Press the
CRUISE
button on
the steering wheel.
* Not available on all models