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304
uuWhen Driving uContinuously Variable Transmission
Driving
Continuously Variable TransmissionThe engine runs at a higher idle speed and creeping increases.
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed when stopped.
Quickly depressing the accelerator pedal while driving uphill may cause the
transmission to drop to a lower ratio, unexpectedly increasing vehicle speed.
Depress the accelerator pedal carefully, especially on slippery roads and curves.■
Creeping
■
Kickdown
1 Precautions While DrivingNOTICEThe following can damage the under spoiler:•Parking the vehicle by a parking block•Parallel parking along the road shoulder•Driving towards the bottom of a hill•Driving up or down to a different surface level
(such as a road shoulder)•Driving on a rutted or bumpy road•Driving on a road with potholes.2.4 ℓ engine models
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uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
ShiftingChange the shift position in acco rdance with your driving needs.■Shift lever positions
*1:Models with the smart entry system have an ENGINE START/STOP button instead of an
ignition switch.
Continuously variable transmission models without paddle shifters
1 Shifting
You cannot turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0*1
and remove the key 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.
Reverse
Used when reversingDrive
Used for normal drivingPark
Used when parking or starting the engine
Neutral
Used when idling
Release ButtonDrive (S)
Used:●For better acceleration●To increase engine braking●When going up or down hills
Low●Used to furth er increase engine braking●Used when going up or down hills
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uuWhen Driving uShifting
306Driving
■
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 i ndicator 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 zone
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uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
ShiftingChange the shift position in acco rdance with your driving needs.■Shift lever positions*1: Models with the smart entry system have an ENGINE START/STOP button instead of an
ignition switch.Continuously variable transmission models with paddle shifters
1 Shifting
You cannot turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0*1
and remove the key 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.
Reverse
Used when reversingDrive
Used:●For normal driving●When temporarily driving in the 7-speed
manual shift modePark
Used when parking or starting the engine
Neutral
Used when idling
Release ButtonDrive (S)
Used:●For better acceleration●To increase engine braking●When going up or down hills●When driving in the 7-speed manual
shift mode
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uuWhen Driving uShifting
308Driving
■
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 i ndicator 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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309
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
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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uuWhen Driving uShifting
310Driving
■
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 45 mph (72 km/h)
5 to 6
50 mph (80 km/h)
6 to 7 55 mph (89 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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uuWhen Driving uShifting
Continued
Driving
ShiftingFully depress the clutch pedal to operate the shift lever and change gears, then
slowly release the pedal.
Depress the clutch pedal, and pause for a few seconds before shifting into
(R
, or
shift into one of the forward gears for a moment. This stops the gears so they do not
“grind.”
■
Shift Lever OperationManual transmission models
1 ShiftingNOTICEDo not shift to
(R before the vehicle comes to a
complete stop.
Shifting to
( R before stopping can damage the
transmission.
NOTICEBefore downshifting, make sure the engine will not
go into the tachometer's red zone. Should this occur,
it can severely damage your engine.
There is a metallic part on the shift lever. If you leave
the vehicle park ed outside for a long time on a hot
day, be careful before moving 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.