2006 Mazda RX-8 Owner's Manual - Page 147

RX-8_8U58-EA-05J_Edition1 Page147 Thursday, August 25 2005 4:54 PM Black plate (147,1) Driving Your Mazda Starting and Driving If the vehicle is kicked down at the following speeds or lower, the gears shift down automatically: Gear M6→M5 M6→M4 M5→M4 Vehicle speed 210 km/h (130 mph) 175 km/h (108 mph) 175 km/h (108 mph) qDriving Tips Passing For extra power when passing another vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress the accelerator fully. The transmission will shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle speed. Climbing steep grades from a stop To climb a steep grade from a stopped position: 1. Depress the brake pedal. 2. Shift to D or M1, depending on the load weight and grade steepness. 3. Release the brake pedal while gradually accelerating. Descending steep grades When descending a steep grade, shift to lower gears, depending on load weight and grade steepness. Descend slowly, using the brakes only occasionally to prevent them from overheating. Recommendations for shifting Upshifting For normal acceleration and cruising, we recommend these shift points. Gear M1 to M2 M2 to M3 M3 to M4 M4 to M5 M5 to M6 For cruising Gear M1 to M2 M2 to M3 M3 to M4 M4 to M5 M5 to M6 Vehicle speed 5 km/h (3 mph) 30 km/h (19 mph) 40 km/h (25 mph) 50 km/h (31 mph) 67 km/h (42 mph) Vehicle speed 19 km/h (12 mph) 35 km/h (22 mph) 47 km/h (29 mph) 58 km/h (36 mph) 78 km/h (49 mph) Downshifting When you must slow down in heavy traffic or on a steep upgrade, downshift before the engine starts to overwork. This gives better acceleration when you need more speed. On a steep downgrade, downshifting helps maintain safe speed and prolongs brake life. 5-17 Form No.8U58-EA-05J