Page 484 of 727
482
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
Shifting
Change the shift positi on in accordance with your driving needs.
■Shift lever positions
Continuously variable transmission models without paddle shifters
1Shifting
You cannot change the pow er mode from ON to 
VEHICLE OFF unless the shift lever is in 
( P.
The vehicle may move ve ry slightly even in 
(N while 
the engine is cold.
Depress the brake pe dal firmly and, when necessary, 
apply the parking brake.
Reverse
Used when reversing
Drive
Used for normal driving
Park
Used when parking or starting the engine
Neutral
Transmission is not locked.
Release Button
Drive (S)
Used:
●For better acceleration●To increase engine braking●When going up or down hills
Low
Used:
●To further increase engine braking●When going up or down hills 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 485 of 727

483
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
■Shift Lever Operation1Shift Lever Operation
NOTICE
When 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 be fore the vehicle has come 
to a complete standstill  can damage the transmission.
Use the gear position indi cator to check the lever 
position before pulling away.
If the transmission system indicator blinks when 
driving, in any shift positi on, 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 of f if you drive at engine 
speeds in or over the tac hometer’s red zone (engine 
speed limit). If this happe ns, 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.
When shifting positions in extremely low 
temperatures (-22°F/-30°C), there may be a short 
delay before the shift posit ion is displayed. Always 
confirm you are in the corr ect shift position before 
driving.
Depress the brake pedal and press the shift lever release 
button to shift.
Shift without pres sing the shift lever release button.
Press the shift lever release button and shift.
Gear Position Indicator 
(Transmission System Indicator) Tachometer’s red zone 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 486 of 727
484
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
Shifting
Change the shift positi on in accordance with your driving needs.
■Shift lever positions
Continuously variable transmission models with paddle shifters
1Shifting
You cannot change the pow er mode from ON to 
VEHICLE OFF unless the shift lever is in 
( P.
The vehicle may move ve ry slightly even in 
(N while 
the engine is cold.
Depress the brake pe dal firmly and, when necessary, 
apply the parking brake.
Reverse
Used when reversing
Drive
Used:
●For normal driving●When temporarily driving in the 7-speed 
manual shift mode
●When driving in the 7-speed manual 
shift mode (when driving in SPORT 
mode)
Neutral
Transmission is not locked.
Release Button
Park
Used when parking or starting the engine 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 487 of 727

Continued485
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
■Shift Lever Operation1Shift Lever Operation
NOTICE
When 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 be fore the vehicle has come 
to a complete standstill  can damage the transmission.
Use the gear position indi cator to check the lever 
position before pulling away.
If the transmission system indicator blinks when 
driving, in any shift positi on, 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 of f if you drive at engine 
speeds in or over the tac hometer’s red zone (engine 
speed limit). If this happe ns, 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.
When shifting positions in extremely low 
temperatures (-22°F/-30°C), there may be a short 
delay before the shift posit ion is displayed. Always 
confirm you are in the corr ect shift position before 
driving.
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 re lease button and shift.
Gear Position Indicator 
(Transmission System Indicator)Tachometer’s red zone
M  (7-Speed Manual Shift Mode) 
Indicator
Gear Selection Indicator  
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 488 of 727

uuWhen Driving uShifting
486
Driving
Use the paddle shifters to change betw een 1st and 7th speeds without releasing 
your hands from the steering wheel. The transmission switches to the 7-speed 
manual shift mode when you pull a paddle shi fter 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 gear selection indicator.
The 7-speed manual shift mode is canceled  automatically if you drive at constant 
speed or accelerate, and the number in  the gear selection 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 (D with SPORT mode:
The shift mode goes into the 7- speed manual shift mode. The M indicator and the 
speed number are displayed in the gear se lection indicator. As the vehicle speed 
slows down, the transmission automaticall y shifts down accordingly. When the 
vehicle comes to a stop, it auto matically 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 manu al shift mode, pressing the SPORT button. When 
the 7-speed manual shift  mode is canceled, the M indicator and gear selection 
indicator go off.
■7-Speed Manual Shift Mode1 7-Speed Manual Shift Mode
In the 7-speed manual shif t mode, the transmission 
shifts up or down by operating either paddle shifter 
under the following conditions:
Shift Up: The engine sp eed reaches the lowest 
threshold of the hi gher 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 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. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 490 of 727

488
uuWhen Driving uShifting
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 moment. This stops the gears so they do not 
“grind.”
When you are not shifting, do not rest your 
foot on the clutch pedal. This can cause your 
clutch to wear out faster. 
■Shift Lever Operation
Manual transmission models
1Shifting
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 su re 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.
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. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 491 of 727
Continued489
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
Come on to inform you that upshifting or 
downshifting is necessary to prevent the 
engine from over revving or stalling.
The shift up indicator:
Comes on when upshifting is recommended.
The shift down indicator:
Comes on when downshifting is 
recommended.
■Shift Up/Down Indicators1Shift Up/Down Indicators
This indicator will not prom pt you to downshift to 
increase engine br aking. It is up to you to downshift 
to increase engine brak ing when driving downhill.
Always shift down at the  appropriate vehicle speed.
The shift down indicator does not come on when 
downshifting from 
( 2 to (1.
Road and traffic c onditions may require you to shift 
at times other than  those indicated. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 492 of 727
490
uuWhen Driving uShifting
Driving
The manual transmission has a lockout mech anism that stops you from accidentally 
shifting into 
(R from a forward gear while the ve hicle 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 set the power mode to 
ACCESSORY or VEHICLE OFF.
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.
■Reverse Lockout