2007 Mazda MAZDA3 Owner's Manual - Page 140

Mazda3_8V66-EA-06F_Edition2 Page139 Friday, May 26 2006 10:54 AM Black plate (139,1) Driving Your Mazda Starting and Driving NOTE qDriving Tips Passing For extra power when passing another vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress the accelerator fully. The transaxle 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. The gear does not shift down to M1 automatically while in the second gear fixed mode. If the vehicle is kicked down at the following speeds or lower, the gears shift down automatically: Gear M5→M4 M4→M3 M3→M2 M2→M1 Vehicle speed 182 km/h (113 mph) 133 km/h (82 mph) 48 km/h (30 mph) 12 km/h (7 mph) Recommendations for shifting Upshifting For normal acceleration and cruising, we recommend these shift points. (2.0-liter engine model) Gear M1 to M2 M2 to M3 M3 to M4 Vehicle speed 24 km/h (15 mph) 40 km/h (25 mph) 65 km/h (40 mph) (2.3-liter engine model) Gear M1 to M2 M2 to M3 M3 to M4 M4 to M5 Vehicle speed 24 km/h (15 mph) 40 km/h (25 mph) 65 km/h (40 mph) 73 km/h (45 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.8V66-EA-06F