Mazda 3 Owners Manual: Driving 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.

NOTE (Some models) The accelerator pedal may initially feel heavy as it is being depressed, then feel lighter as it is depressed further. This change in pedal force aids the engine control system in determining how much the accelerator pedal has been depressed for performing kickdown, and functions to control whether or not kickdown should be performed.

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.