Make sure the lever returns to its original position and the seat is locked in place by
attempting to push it forward and backward.
(Power Seat)
To slide the seat, move the slide lifter switch on the outside of the seat to the front or back
and hold it. Release the switch at the desired position.
Height Adjustment
(Manual Seat)
To adjust the seat height, move the lever up or down.
(Power Seat)
To adjust the seat height, move the slide lifter switch up or down.
Height Adjustment for Front Edge of Seat Bottom (Power Seat)*
To adjust the front hei ght of the seat bottom, raise or lower the front of the slide lifter
switch.
Seat Recline
(Manual Seat)
To change the seatback angle, lean forward sl ightly while raising the lever. Then lean back
to the desired position and release the lever.
Make sure the lever returns to its original po sition and the seatback is locked in place by
attempting to push it forward and backward.
(Power Seat)
To change the seatback angle, press the front or rear side of the reclining switch. Release the
switch at the desired position.
Lumbar Support Adjustment*
(Manual Seat)
To increase the seat firmness, move the lever downward. Move the lever upward to decrease
firmness.
(Power Seat)
To increase the seat firmness, press and hold the front part of the switch to the desired
position, then release it.
Press the rear part of the switch to decrease firmness.
Before making adjustments to the driving position recommended by Mazda
Before making adjustments, move the steerin g wheel and seat to their default positions.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
2-6*Some models.
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Seat Warmer*
The front/rear seats are electrically heated.
The ignition must be switched ON.
Press the seat warmer switch while the
ignition is switched ON to operate the seat
warmer. The indicator lights turn on to
indicate that the seat warmer is operating.
The mode changes as follows each time
the seat warmer switch is pressed.
When using the rear seat warmer, fold the
armrest forward.
Refer to Armrest on page 2-19.
Front
(Manual Climate Control)
OFF
High
Mid
Low
(Fully Automatic Climate Control)
OFF
High Mid
Low
Rear*
OFF
High
Mid
Low
WA R N I N G
Be careful when using the seat warmer:
The heat from the seat warmer may be too
hot for some people, as indicated as
follows, and could cause a
low-temperature burn.
Infants, small children, elderly people,
and physically challenged people
People with delicate skin
People who are excessively fatigued
People who are intoxicated
People who have taken sleep-inducing
medicine such as sleeping pills or cold
medicine
Do not use the seat warmer with anything
having high moisture-retention ability such
as a blanket or cushion on the seat:
The seat may be heated excessively and
cause a low-temperature burn.
Do not use the seat warmer even when
taking a short nap in the vehicle:
The seat may be heated excessively and
cause a low-temperature burn.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Warmer/Seat Ventilatio n/Heated Steering Wheel
2-22*Some models.
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Do not place heavy objects with sharp
projections on the seat, or insert needles or
pins into it:
This could cause the seat to become
excessively heated and result in injury from
a minor burn.
CAUTION
(Rear)
Before folding a rear seatback, make sure
that the rear seat warmer switch is off. If
a rear seatback is folded while the rear
seat warmer is in operation, it may heat
the seat excessively and damage the seat
surface.
Do not use organic solvents to clean the
seat. It may damage the seat surface and
the heater.
NOTE
Use the seat warmer when the engine is
running. Leaving the seat warmer on for
long periods with the engine not running
could cause the battery power to be
depleted.
When the engine is stopped while the
seat warmers are operating and then the
ignition is switched ON, the seat
warmers will not turn back on
automatically. To turn the seat warmers
back on, press the switch. In addition,
the seat warmer operation stops
automatically after the seat warmers
have operated for about 90 minutes.
(Vehicles with seat ventilation)
The front seat warmer cannot be used at
the same time as the seat ventilation.
Seat Ventilation*
The seat ventilation uses fans installed in
the seats to draw air around the seat
surface and ventilate them. The ignition
must be switched ON.
Press the seat ventilation switch while the
ignition is switched ON to operate the seat
ventilation. The indicator lights turn on to
indicate that the seat ventilation is
operating. The mode changes as follows
each time the seat ventilation switch is
pressed.
OFF
High Mid
Low
CAUTION
Do not use organic solvents to clean the
seat. It may damage the seat surface and
the seat ventilation parts.
Do not place heavy objects with sharp
projections on the seat, or insert needles
or pins into it.
NOTE
Use the seat ventilation when the engine
is running. Leaving the seat ventilation
on for long periods with the engine not
running could cause the battery power
to be depleted.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Warmer/Seat Ventilati on/Heated Steering Wheel
*Some models.2-23
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Hazardous Driving
WARNING
Be extremely careful if it is necessary to
downshift on slippery surfaces:
Downshifting into lower gear while driving
on slippery surfaces is dangerous. The
sudden change in tire speed could cause
the tires to skid. This could lead to loss of
vehicle control and an accident.
Avoid sharp turns, excessive speed and
abrupt maneuvers when driving this
vehicle:
Sharp turns, excessive speed and abrupt
maneuvering of this vehicle are dangerous
as it could result in the increased risk of loss
of vehicle control, vehicle roll-over,
personal injury or death.
This vehicle has a higher center of gravity.
Vehicles with a higher center of gravity
such as utility vehicles handle differently
than vehicles with a lower center of gravity.
Utility vehicles are not designed for
cornering at high speeds any more than
low profile sports cars are designed to
perform satisfactorily under off-road
conditions.
In addition, utility vehicles have a
significantly higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seat belt.
When driving on ice or in water, snow,
mud, sand, or similar hazards:
Be cautious and allow extra distance for
braking.
Avoid sudden braking and sudden
maneuvering.
Do not pump the brakes. Continue to
press down on the brake pedal.
Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-108.
If you get stuck, select a lower gear and
accelerate slowly. Do not spin the front
wheels.
For more traction in starting on slippery
surfaces such as ice or packed snow, use
sand, rock salt, chains, carpeting, or
other nonslip material under the front
wheels.
NOTE
Use snow chains only on the front wheels.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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The three main causes of vehicle-trailer accidents are driver error, excessive speed, and
improper trailer loading.
Before driving
Have your cooling and braking system checked by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Before starting out, inspect the operation of all vehicle and trailer lights and all
vehicle-to-trailer connections. Stop and re-inspec t all lights and connections after driving
a short distance.
Driving
Your Mazda will handle differently with a traile r in tow, so practice turning, backing, and
stopping in a traffic-free area.
Take time to get accustomed to the extra weight and length.
Allow more room between your vehicle and the one in front because braking distance
increases with a trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of speed, allow at least one vehicle
and trailer length between your Mazda and the vehicle ahead.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
Avoid sudden braking. It may cause loss of co ntrol and result in jackknifing, especially so
on wet or slippery roads.
Shift the selector lever to the D position wh en towing a trailer in hilly terrain or when
heavily loaded.
The D position will allow operating th e vehicle without frequent shifting.
Lane changes and turning
Avoid quick lane changes, sudden turns, and tight turns. Slow down before turning to avoid
the need of sudden braking.
A turning trailer will make a tighter arc than th e tow vehicle. Compensate with turns that are
larger than normal.
Passing
Plan well ahead to pass other vehicles, and provide plenty of room before changing lanes.
Crosswinds from passing vehicles, especially larger ones, and the effects of rough roads will
affect handling.
If swaying occurs, firmly grip the steering wheel and reduce speed immediately, but
gradually.
Steer straight ahead. If no extreme correction of steering or braking is made, the
combination of less speed and firm steering will result in stability.
Backing up
Backing a vehicle with a trailer requires practice and patience. Back slowly, and have a
helper outside at the rear of the trailer to reduce the risk of an accident.
Before Driving
To w i n g
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position. Depending on the road and
driving conditions/vehicle operations, gear
shifting could be delayed or not occur,
however, this does not indicate a problem
because the AAS mode will maintain the
optimum gear position.Manual Shift Mode
The manual shift mode gives you the feel
of driving a manual transaxle vehicle by
allowing you to operate the selector lever
manually. This allows you to control
engine rpm and torque to the drive wheels
much like a manual transaxle when more
control is desired.
To change to manual shift mode, shift the
lever from D to M.
NOTE
Changing to manual shift mode while
driving will not damage the transaxle.
To return to automatic shift mode, shift the
lever from M to D.
NOTE
If you change to manual shift mode
when the vehicle is stopped, the gear
will shift to M1.
If you change to manual shift mode
without depressing the accelerator pedal
when driving in D range, 5th gear/6th
gear, the gear will shift to M4/M5.
▼ Indications
Manual shift mode indication
In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift
position indication in the instrument panel
illuminates.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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NOTE
When driving slowly, the gears may not
shift up.
Do not drive the vehicle with the
tachometer needle in the RED ZONE
while in manual shift mode. In addition,
manual shift mode switches to automatic
shift mode while the accelerator pedal is
completely depressed.
This function is canceled while the TCS
is turned off. However, if the vehicle is
continuously driven at a high rpm, the
gears may automatically shift up to
protect the engine.
The steering shift switch can be used
temporarily even if the selector lever is
in the D position while driving. In
addition, it returns to automatic shift
mode when the UP switch (
To shift down to a lower gear, tap the
selector lever forward
once.
Using steering shift switch*
To shift down to a lower gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the DOWN
switch
toward you once with your
fingers.
DOWN switch (-)
WA R N I N G
Do not use engine braking on slippery road
surfaces or at high speeds:
Shifting down while driving on wet, snowy,
or frozen roads, or while driving at high
speeds causes sudden engine braking,
which is dangerous. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires to skid. This
could lead to loss of vehicle control and an
accident.
Keep your hands on the steering wheel rim
when using fingers on the steering shift
switches:
Putting your hands inside the rim of the
steering wheel when using the steering
shift switches is dangerous. If the driver's
air bag were to deploy in a collision, your
hands could be impacted causing injury.
NOTE
When driving at high speeds, the gear
may not shift down.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
4-68*Some models.
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Dynamic Stability Control(DSC)
The Dynamic Stabil ity Control (DSC)
automatically controls braking and engine
torque in conjunction with systems such as
ABS and TCS to help control side slip
when driving on slippery surfaces, or
during sudden or evasive maneuvering,
enhancing vehicle safety.
Refer to ABS (page 4-108) and TCS (page
4-109).
DSC operation is possible at speeds
greater than 20 km/h (12 mph).
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Contact Authorized Mazda
Dealer and Have Vehicle Inspected on
page 7-26.
WARNING
Do not rely on the Dynamic Stability
Control as a substitute for safe driving:
The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
cannot compensate for unsafe and reckless
driving, excessive speed, tailgating
(following another vehicle too closely), and
hydroplaning (reduced tire friction and
road contact because of water on the road
surface). You can still have an accident.
CAUTION
The DSC may not operate correctly
unless the following are observed:
Use tires of the correct size
specified for
your Mazda on all 4 wheels.
Use tires of the same manufacturer,
brand and tread pattern on all 4
wheels.
Do not mix worn tires.
The DSC may not operate correctly when
tire chains are used or a temporary spare
tire is installed because the tire diameter
changes.
▼ TCS/DSC Indicator Light
This indicator light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched ON.
If the TCS or DSC is operating, the
indicator light flashes.
If the light stays on, the TCS, DSC or the
brake assist system may have a
malfunction and they may not operate
correctly. Take your vehicle to an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
When Driving
ABS/TCS/DSC/Off-Road
Traction Assist
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