
114 2-1. Driving procedures
Vehicles with a manual transmissionWith the parking brake firmly set and the clutch pedal fully
depressed, shift the shift lever to 1.
Lightly depress the accelerator pedal at the same time as
gradually releasing the clutch pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be
especially slippery.
● Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road
surface, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■ Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving.
This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation
to meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
● When the accelerator pedal is released
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is rec-
ommended:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 500 miles (800 km) (3-door models for Canada):
Do not tow a trailer.
● For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.

116 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle (vehicl es with an automatic transmission)
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine run-
ning. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■ When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident
that could result in death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi- culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly. This allows you to depress the brake and acceler-
ator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
● Do not drive the vehicle over or st op the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot
parts may cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
● On vehicles with an automatic transmission, do not let the vehicle roll
backward while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll forward while
the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
● If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and
check that the back door is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the vehi-
cle can cause driver drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or a
serious health hazard. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
● On vehicles with an automatic transmission, do not shift the shift lever to P
while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle\
control.

117
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●
Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle\
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to D (vehicles with an automatic transmission) or
1 (vehicles with a manual transmission) while the vehicle is moving back-
ward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle\
control.
● Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is
selected.
● During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way: P. 339
● Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( P. 127,129)
● When stopped on an inclined surface, use the brake pedal and parking
brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward or forward and causing
an accident.
● Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents,
resulting in death or serious injury.
● Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.

118 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■ When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
● Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-
shifting and down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an
accident.
● After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in
an accident.
■ When shifting the shift lever (vehic les with an automatic transmission)
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected
rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in
death or serious injury.
■ If you hear a squealing or scrapin g noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota dealer as soon
as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads
and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded.

123
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
NOTICE
■
Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for
an extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
● When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■ If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
● The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
● The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire. ( P. 315)
■ When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may
cause the following serious damage to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
● Short in electrical components
● Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be
sure to have your Toyota dealer check the following:
● Brake function
● Changes in quantity and quality of engine oil, and transmission fluid, etc.
● Lubricant condition for the bearings and suspension joints (where possi-
ble), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.

128 2-1. Driving procedures
■Downshift restriction
The maximum allowable speeds are as follows.
■ AI-SHIFT
AI-SHIFT automatically selects the suitable gear according to driver perfor-
mance and driving conditions.
AI-SHIFT automatically operates when the shift lever is in the D position.
When driving downhill, there may be cases where the vehicle shifts down
automatically to obtain engine braking. As a result of the downshifting, the
engine speed may increase.
■ When driving with the cruise control system (if equipped)
Engine braking will not occur when downshifting from D. ( P. 159)
■ If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
P. 328
CAUTION
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift gears suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine braking may cause the vehicle to spin or skid,
resulting in an accident.
DownshiftingMaximum speed mph (km/h)
3 2 53 (85)
2 L 25 (40)

135
2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
Instrument panel light control
The brightness of the instrument pa nel lights can be adjusted by turn-
ing the dial.
Brighter
Darker
■The meters and display operate when
The engine switch is in the “ON” position.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the engine and its components
●On vehicles with a tachometer, do not let the indicator needle of the
tachometer enter the red zone, which indicates the maximum engine
speed.
● The engine may be overheating if the high engine coolant temperature
warning light flashes or comes on. In this case, immediately stop the vehi-
cle in a safe place, and check the engine after it has cooled completely.
( P. 334)

138 2-2. Instrument cluster
■Indicators
The indicators inform the driver of the operating state of the
vehicle’s various systems.
*1: These lights turn on when the engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position to indicate that a system check is being performed. They
will turn off after the engine is started, or after a few seconds. There
may be a malfunction in a system if a light does not come on, or if
the lights do not turn off. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
*2: The light flashes to indicate that the system is operating.
Turn signal indicator
(P. 130)
(If equipped)
Cruise control indicator
( P. 159)
Headlight high beam
indicator ( P. 147)
(If equipped)
Cruise control “SET”
indicator ( P. 159)
(If equipped)
Front fog light indicator
(P. 149)*1,2
Slip indicator ( P. 164)
Low engine coolant
temperature indicator
Indicates the engine
coolant temperature is
cool.*1VSC OFF indicator
(P. 165)
*1“TRAC OFF” indicator
(P. 164)
(If equipped)
Engine immobilizer/
alarm system indicator
(P. 72, 74)*1“AIR BAG ON” indicator
( P. 92)
*1Eco Driving Indicator
Light ( P. 115)*1“AIR BAG OFF” indica-
tor (P. 92)
(Vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Shift position and shift
range indicator
(P. 127)
(Vehicles with an automatic transmission)