Page 416 of 593

415
Driving
This chapter discusses driving, refueling, and information on  items such as accessories.
Before Driving
Driving Preparation .......................... 416
Maximum Load Limit........................ 419
Towing a Trailer Towing Preparation .......................... 421
Driving Safely with a Trailer .............. 423
Towing Your Vehicle ........................ 424
When Driving Starting the Engine .................. 425, 427
Precautions While Driving................. 431
Automatic Transmission/CVT ............ 432
Shifting .................... 433, 435, 439, 441
ECON Button ................................... 444 Cruise Control*............................... 445
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)*....... 448
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)*.. 456
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)*..... 460
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®), aka Electronic 
Stability Control (ESC), System ............... 464
LaneWatch
TM*.......................................... 466
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ... 468
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) -  Required Federal Explanation ......... 470
Braking
Brake System ................................... 472 Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) ........... 474
Brake Assist System ......................... 475
Parking Your Vehicle When Stopped ................................ 476
Multi-View Rear Camera .................. 477
Rearview Camera ............................. 478
Refueling Fuel Information .............................. 479
How to Refuel ................................. 480
Fuel Economy Improving Fuel Economy .................. 481
Accessories and Modifications ........ 482
* Not available on all models 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 427 of 593

uuWhen Driving uStarting the Engine
426
Driving
3. Turn the ignition switch to START (e 
without depressing the accelerator pedal.
1. Keeping your right foot on the brake peda l, release the parking brake. Check that 
the parking brake indicator has gone off.
2 Parking Brake P. 472
2.Put the shift lever in (D. Select (R when reversing.
3. Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal to pull 
away.
■Hill start assist system
Hill start assist keeps the brake engaged br iefly to help prevent the vehicle from 
rolling on inclines as you move your fo ot from the brake pedal to the accelerator.
Depress the clutch pedal, and shift to 
(1 when facing uphill, or (R when facing 
downhill, then release the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever to 
(D, (S, or (L* when facing uphill, or (R when facing 
downhill, then release the brake pedal.
1 Starting the Engine
Do not hold the key in START 
(e for more than 15 
seconds.
•If the engine does not start right away, wait for at 
least 10 seconds before trying again.
•If the engine starts, but  then immediately stops, 
wait at least 10 seconds  before repeating step 3 
while gently depressing  the accelerator pedal.
Release the accelerator pedal once the engine 
starts.
The immobilizer system pr otects your vehicle from 
theft. If an improperly code d key (or other device) is 
used, the engine's fuel  system is disabled.
2 Immobilizer System  P. 124
■Starting to Drive
Automatic transmission (CVT) models
Manual transmission models
Automatic transmission (CVT) models
1Hill start assist system
Hill start assist may not  prevent the vehicle from 
rolling downhill on a very st eep or slippery slope, and 
does not operate on small inclines.
Hill start assist is not a replacement for the parking 
brake.
* Not available on all models 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 429 of 593
uuWhen Driving uStarting the Engine
428
Driving
3. Press the ENGINE START/STOP  button 
without depressing the accelerator pedal.
All models1 Starting the Engine
Bring the smart entry remote close to the  ENGINE 
START/STOP  button if the battery in the smart entry 
remote is weak. 2 If the Smart Entry Remote Battery is Weak  
P. 550
The engine may not start if the smart entry remote is 
subjected to strong radio waves.
Do not hold the  ENGINE START/STOP  button to 
start the engine.
If the engine does not start,  wait at least 10 seconds 
before trying again. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 432 of 593

431
uuWhen Driving uPrecautions While Driving
Driving
Precautions While Driving
Avoid driving in deep water and on flooded roads. This can damage the engine or 
driveline, or cause electrical component failure.
If there is a strong impact with something under the vehicle, stop in a safe location. 
Check the underside of the vehicle for damage or any fluid leaks.
*1: Models with the smart entry system have an  ENGINE START/STOP button instead of an 
ignition switch.
■In Rain
■Other Precautions
1 Precautions While Driving
NOTICE
Do not operate the shift  lever while pressing the 
accelerator pedal. You could damage the 
transmission.
If the ignition switch is turned to ACCESSORY 
( q*1 
while driving, the engine  will shut down and all 
steering and brake power a ssist functions will stop, 
making it difficult to control the vehicle.
Do not put the shift lever in 
( N, as you will lose 
engine braking (and acce leration) performance.
During the first 600 miles  (1,000 km) of operation, 
avoid sudden acceleration or  full throttle operation so 
as to not damage the  engine or powertrain.
Avoid hard braking for the  first 200 miles (300 km).
You should also follow this  when the brake pads are 
replaced.
NOTICE
If you repeatedly turn the steering wheel at an 
extremely low speed, or hold the steering wheel on 
the full left or right position for a while, the electric 
power steering (EPS) system heats up. The system 
goes into a protective  mode, and limits its 
performance. The steering wheel becomes harder 
and harder to operate. Once  the system cools down, 
the EPS system is restored.
Repeated operation under  these conditions can 
eventually damage the system. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 438 of 593

Continued437
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 ma nual 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 especial ly 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 engi ne 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 sh ift mode is canceled, the M indicator and shift 
indicator go off.
■7-Speed Manual Shift Mode1 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 shif t mode, the transmission 
shifts up or down by opera ting either paddle shifter 
under the following conditions:
Shift Up: The engine sp eed reaches the lowest 
threshold of the higher speed position.
Shift Down: The engine sp eed 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 positi on, the transmission shifts 
down automatically.
Operating the paddle shifte rs 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. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 439 of 593

uuWhen Driving uShifting
438
Driving
■7-Speed Manual Shift Mode Operation17-Speed Manual Shift Mode Operation
Each paddle shift operati on makes a single speed 
change.
To change continuously, re lease the paddle shifter 
before pulling it agai n for the next speed.
Recommended Shift Points
Use this table as a guideline for efficient fuel 
economy and effectiv e 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 indi cator is blinking.
Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1 to 215 mph (24 km/h)
2 to 3 25 mph (40 km/h)
3 to 440 mph (64 km/h)
4 to 5 47 mph (76 km/h)
5 to 652 mph (84 km/h)
6 to 7 57 mph (92 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) 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 442 of 593
441
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
Shifting
Fully depress the clutch pedal to operate the shift lever and change gears, then 
slowly release the pedal.
Depress the clutch pedal, and pause fo r a few seconds before shifting into 
(R, or 
shift into one of the forward gears for a mo ment. This stops the gears so they do not 
“grind.”
■Shift Lever Operation
Manual transmission models
1 Shifting
NOTICE
Do not shift to (R before the vehicle comes to a 
complete stop.
Shifting to 
( R before stopping can damage the 
transmission.
NOTICE
Before downshifting, make sure the engine will not 
go into the tachometer's red zone. Should this occur, 
it can severely da mage your engine.
There is a metallic part on the shift lever. If you leave 
the vehicle parked outside for a long time on a hot 
day, be careful before movi ng the shift lever. Because 
of heat, the shift lever may be extremely hot. If the 
outside temperature is low, the shift lever may feel 
cold. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 445 of 593
444
uuWhen Driving uECON  Button
Driving
ECON Button
The ECON  button turns the ECON mode on and off.
The ECON mode helps you improve your fuel economy by adjusting the 
performance of the engine, transmission, heating and cooling system
*/climate 
control system*, and cruise control.
*
* Not available on all models