Mazda 6 Manual page 173

qGear Shift Indicator
The gear shift indicator supports you to
obtain optimum fuel economy and smooth
driving. It displays the selected gear
position in the instrument cluster as well
as notifies the driver to change to the most
suitable gear position corresponding to the
actual driving condition.
Selected gear position
Indication
The selected gear position is
Numeral
displayed.
Shift up or down to the indicated
and numeral
gear position is recommended.
CAUTION
Do not rely solely on the shift-up/
shift-down recommendations by
indications. The actual driving
situation might require shift
operations different from indication.
To avoid the risk of accidents, the
road and traffic conditions have to be
judged correctly by the driver before
shifting.
Suitable gear position
Action
NOTE
The gear shift indicator turns off when the
following operations are performed.
The vehicle is stopped.
l
The vehicle is put in neutral.
l
The vehicle is driven in reverse.
l
The clutch is not fully engaged when
l
accelerating from a stop.
The clutch pedal remains depressed for 2
l
seconds or longer while driving.
qRecommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, we recommend
these shift points.
Gear
1 to 2 24 km/h (15 mph)
2 to 3 42 km/h (26 mph)
3 to 4 60 km/h (37 mph)
4 to 5 75 km/h (46 mph)
5 to 6 79 km/h (49 mph)
For cruising
Gear
1 to 2 13 km/h (8 mph)
2 to 3 29 km/h (18 mph)
3 to 4 49 km/h (30 mph)
4 to 5 63 km/h (39 mph)
5 to 6 70 km/h (43 mph)
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or on a steep upgrade, downshift
before the engine starts to overwork. This
reduces the chance of stalling and gives
better acceleration when you need more
speed.
On a steep downgrade, downshifting
helps maintain safe speed and prolongs
brake life.
When Driving
Transaxle
Vehicle speed
Vehicle speed
4-49