2006 Subaru Forester Owner's Manual - Page 205

7-10 Starting and operating mph (km/h) Non-turbo models 1st 2nd 3rd 30 (49) 51 (82) 73 (117) Turbo models 28 (46) 52 (83) 73 (118) hold your vehicle at a standstill on an upgrade. Either of those actions may cause clutch damage. Do not drive with your hand resting on the shift lever. This may cause wear on the transmission components. When it is necessary to reduce vehicle speed due to slow traffic, turning corners, or driving up steep hills, downshift to a lower gear before the engine starts to labor. On steep downgrades, downshift the transmission to 4th, 3rd or 2nd gear as necessary; this helps to maintain a safe speed and to extend brake pad life. In this way, the engine provides a braking effect. Remember, if you "ride" (over use) the brakes while descending a hill, they may overheat and not work properly. Automatic transmission The automatic transmission is electronically controlled and provides 4 forward speeds and 1 reverse speed. NOTE When the engine coolant temperature is still low, your vehicle's automatic transmission will up-shift at higher engine speeds than when the coolant temperature is sufficiently high in order to shorten the warm-up time and improve driveability. The gearshift timing will automatically shift to the normal timing after the engine has warmed up. Immediately after ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is replaced, you may feel that the automatic transmission operation is somewhat unusual. This results from invalidation of data the on-board computer has collected and stored in memory to allow the transmission to shift at the most appropriate times for the current condition of your vehicle. Optimized shifting will be restored as the vehicle continues to be driven for a while. When shifting down a gear, ensure that the vehicle is not traveling at a speed exceeding the Maximum Allowable Speed for the gear which is about to be selected. Failure to observe this precaution can lead to engine over-revving and this in turn can result in engine damage. In addition, sudden application of engine brakes when the vehicle is travelling on a slippery surface can lead to wheel locking; as a consequence, control of the vehicle may be lost and the risk of an accident increased. Driving tips Do not drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal and do not use the clutch to