2006 Toyota RAV4 Owners Manual - Page 155

'06 Rav4_U (L/O 0601) (b) Normal driving 1. Start the engine as instructed in "How to start the engine" on page 306 in Section 3. The transmission must be in "P" or "N". 2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to "D". When the lever is in the "D" position, the automatic transmission system will select the most suitable gear for running conditions such as normal cruising, hill climbing, hard towing, etc. Always use the "D" position for better fuel economy and quieter driving. If the engine coolant temperature is low, the transmission will not shift into the overdrive gear even in the "D" position. (c) Using engine braking To use engine braking, you can downshift the transmission as follows: D Shift into the "L" position. The transmission will downshift to first gear when the vehicle speed drops down to or lower than the following speed, and maximum engine braking will be enabled. Two- wheel drive models 56 km/h (35 mph) Four- wheel drive models 53 km/h (33 mph) When the cruise control is being used, even if you downshift from "D" to "3", engine braking will not be enabled because the cruise control is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle speed, see "Cruise control" on page 166 in this Section. D Shift into the "3" position. The transmission will downshift to third gear when the vehicle speed drops down to or lower than the following speed, and stronger engine braking will be enabled. Two- wheel drive 173 km/h (108 Four- wheel drive 164 km/h (102 models mph) models mph) D Shift into the "2" position. The transmission will downshift to second gear when the vehicle speed drops down to or lower than the following speed, and stronger engine braking will be enabled. Two- wheel drive models 113 km/h (70 mph) Four- wheel drive models 107 km/h (66 mph) CAUTION Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while shifting. 3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting. CAUTION Be careful when downshifting on a slippery surface. Abrupt shifting could cause the vehicle to skid or spin. 142 2005 RAV4 from Jan. '06 Prod. (OM42620U)