There are several different positions for your shift lever.

PARK (P): This position locks your rear wheels. It is the best position to use when you start your engine because your vehicle cannot move easily.

Caution: It is dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set. The vehicle can roll.

Do not leave the vehicle when the engine is running unless you have to. If you have left the engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly level ground, always set the parking brake and move the shift lever to P (Park). See Shifting Into Park .

Be sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock control system.

You have to fully apply your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the vehicle is running. If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever - push the shift lever all the way into PARK (P) and release the shift lever button as you maintain brake application. Then press the shift lever button and move the shift lever into the gear you wish. See Shifting Out of Park .

REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.

Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse) while the vehicle is moving forward could damage the transmission. The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only after the vehicle is stopped.

To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow, ice, or sand without damaging your transmission, see If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow .

NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine does not connect with the wheels. To restart when you are already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. If your vehicle needs towing, see Towing Your Vehicle .

Caution: Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is running at high speed is dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could move very rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or objects. Do not shift into a drive gear while the engine is running at high speed.

Notice: Shifting out of P (Park) or N (Neutral) with the engine running at high speed may damage the transmission. The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Be sure the engine is not running at high speed when shifting the vehicle.

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving.

SPORT MODE (S): When in SPORT MODE (S), the transmission will work as an automatic until you use the Manual Paddle Shift Controls, which activates the driver manual gear selection. See Manual Paddle Shift later in this section. While in automatic SPORT MODE (S), the transmission computer determines when the vehicle is being driven in a competitive manner and will select and hold the transmission in lower gears and have more noticeable upshifts for sportier vehicle performance.

Manual Paddle Shift

While in SPORT MODE (S), the paddles located on the steering wheel, can be used to manually up-shift or down-shift the transmission.

While in SPORT MODE (S) mode, push the paddle above the steering wheel spokes to up-shift to the next gear, or pull on the paddle behind the steering wheel spokes to down-shift to the next gear.

To use the system, shift from PARK (P) to SPORT MODE (S) while stopped and with the engine running, or from DRIVE (D) with the vehicle moving. When accelerating your vehicle from a stop in snowy and icy conditions, you may want to shift to second (2) or third (3) gear. A higher gear allows you to gain more traction on slippery surfaces. If the Traction Control is active, upshifts are delayed to increase your control of the vehicle. See Traction Control System (TCS) .

While the Manual Paddle Shift gear selection system is active, the transmission will automatically downshift through the gears as the vehicle slows. The transmission will select second gear as the vehicle stops. From a stop, the vehicle will start from and hold second (2) gear unless the driver manually paddle shifts into a different gear or selects DRIVE (D). The driver can select first (1) gear for maximum acceleration from a stop.

When you up-shift or down-shift when using the Manual Paddle Shift Feature while in the SPORT MODE (S) , the current gear will be displayed in the Driver Information (DIC), or the Head-Up Display (HUD), if the vehicle has this feature.

The Manual Paddle Shift system will not allow either an up-shift or a down-shift if the vehicle speed is too fast or too slow, nor will it allow a start from fourth (4) or higher gear

If up-shifting does not occur when needed, the vehicle speed will be limited to protect the engine.

The transmission will also automatically down-shift as the vehicle slows down and comes to a stop.

When the transmission gear does not respond to a shift change, the DIC will show an X over the gear display.

When a requested shift is denied due to the speed restrictions shown, the DIC will momentarily show an X over the gear display and a chime will sound.

If the vehicle has HUD, and the transmission gear does not respond to a shift change, then a chime will sound and the HUD will momentarily show an X over the gear display.

Manual Paddle Shift operation is available for use with Cruise Control, see Cruise Control for more information.

The vehicle speeds required for Manual Paddle Shift up-shifts depend on several vehicle inputs, which will vary the allowed up-shift speed by a few mph (km/h).

To prevent damage to the powertrain, Manual Paddle downshifts to a lower gear cannot be done above certain speeds. The maximum speed allowed for downshifting of gears one (1) through fourth (4) are:

If the driver does not request an upshift as the engine speed approaches fuel shut off RPM, the engine speed will be limited to protect the engine. See Tachometer for more information.