Chevrolet 2002 Prizm Owner's Manual page 92

DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving.
If you need more power for passing, and you're:
D
Going less than about 27 mph (43 km/h),
push your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
D
Going about 29 mph (47 km/h) or more,
push your accelerator pedal all the way down.
You'll shift down to the next gear and have
more power.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
Don't drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use DRIVE (D) as much as possible.
Don't shift into SECOND (2) unless you are
going slower than 60 mph (96 km/h), or you can
damage your engine.
2-20
LOW (L): This position gives you even more power but
lower fuel economy than SECOND (2). You can use it
on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the shift
lever is put in LOW (L), the transaxle won't shift into
low gear until the vehicle is going slow enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can't turn, don't try to drive.
This might happen if you were stuck in very deep
sand or mud or were up against a solid object.
You could damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don't hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes to hold your vehicle
in position on a hill.