CVT transmission any good/bad?

[edwanny]

Let me know, try doing mpg differences between 87 & 89. You could be right!

Which one does he say is better?

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[domm92]

I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing this. When I'm coming out of a corner say at about 8-10 mph and want some power I put my foot down a little and the revs don't go up much they go to about 2200 rpm but the turbo meter is showing half boost. Does anyone else get a good amount of boost but the revs stay really low?

 

[AlexisJ]

My mechanic told me that it's possible the CVT on my Honda failed at 117,000 miles because at some point in the past someone serviced it with regular transmission fluid instead of the specialized transmission fluid.

On the other hand he also said a lot of Honda transmissions fail around 100,000 miles.

I bought a Honda expecting long life, not to be told that after 117,000 miles the trade in value is $300 due to common transmission failure.

 

[Gavnzdad]

Is green a good color for a Coupe?....depends who you ask.

Are women the best creation ever?....depends who you ask.

Is pizza better than spaghetti?....depends who you ask.

Is the Honda CVT good?....depends who you ask.

I answered yes to all.

 

[Billy4202]

My mechanic told me that it's possible the CVT on my Honda failed at 117,000 miles because at some point in the past someone serviced it with regular transmission fluid instead of the specialized transmission fluid.

On the other hand he also said a lot of Honda transmissions fail around 100,000 miles.

I bought a Honda expecting long life, not to be told that after 117,000 miles the trade in value is $300 due to common transmission failure.

That's the gamble you take unfortunately with what sounds like a used vehicle purchase. You never know...

I've heard of trouble with Honda's V6 autos in the early-mid 2000s, but that is squarely in Honda's past.

 

[mjones5]

My 2006 Honda Pilot has 178k miles and no transmission issues.

 

[NorthernEX-T]

Only thing that is certain, is that time will tell all!

 

[snail415]

Having been an owner of 6 Civics now (4 of which were manuals), I can say that I'm glad I got the EX-T with a CVT.

Here's the bottom line: If you're 25-30, have no kids, and heal-toe downshift in rush-hour traffic, go for a manual Accord V6.
If you're 35-40, have kids, a bad back, and count on your car to be a place of refuge, a CVT mated to a turbo engine is probably exactly what you need.

What I enjoy the most about the CVT (paired to a 1.5, specifically) is that it is like a chameleon- If you put it in L and work through some twisties at about 8/10, it's perfect.
But 99.9% of the time when you're never above 70 and trying to get good mileage, it will get you up to speed with less drama than just about anything.
If anything, the sensation of speed is misleading. There's no gear-to-gear lurch you've been trained all your life to expect.
I have to make sure that I'm not 10-over most of the time. The torque of the 1.5 compliments the logic of the CVT very well.
And because the Eco mode changes the throttle mapping to dull your inputs, you an really drive around lazily and forget there's an engine doing anything. I like that.

If the call to DIY shifting is that strong, then wait for the '17 models to come out- but don't get the LX/2.0. The upper trims just offer too many amenities to pass-up.
And if you still don't have the patience to get a powertrain that scratches the itch, then do yourself the favor and get that Accord V6 while they're still around.

 

[Ghostinnc]

Having been an owner of 6 Civics now (4 of which were manuals), I can say that I'm glad I got the EX-T with a CVT.

Here's the bottom line: If you're 25-30, have no kids, and heal-toe downshift in rush-hour traffic, go for a manual Accord V6.
If you're 35-40, have kids, a bad back, and count on your car to be a place of refuge, a CVT mated to a turbo engine is probably exactly what you need.

What I enjoy the most about the CVT (paired to a 1.5, specifically) is that it is like a chameleon- If you put it in L and work through some twisties at about 8/10, it's perfect.
But 99.9% of the time when you're never above 70 and trying to get good mileage, it will get you up to speed with less drama than just about anything.
If anything, the sensation of speed is misleading. There's no gear-to-gear lurch you've been trained all your life to expect.
I have to make sure that I'm not 10-over most of the time. The torque of the 1.5 compliments the logic of the CVT very well.
And because the Eco mode changes the throttle mapping to dull your inputs, you an really drive around lazily and forget there's an engine doing anything. I like that.

If the call to DIY shifting is that strong, then wait for the '17 models to come out- but don't get the LX/2.0. The upper trims just offer too many amenities to pass-up.
And if you still don't have the patience to get a powertrain that scratches the itch, then do yourself the favor and get that Accord V6 while they're still around.

I agree been driving a CVT about 3 years now with an Altima we have, once you get use to it and figure out all it's subtleties I wouldn't drive anything else.
That said Me personally I use the quote "Sport mode" which Honda calls Sequential Drive which works for me when I need it

 

[snail415]

That's what's intriguing to me about Honda's CVT. In many ways you have 6 shift profiles. D/S/L, and S/D/L with Eco. With a bit of homework, you can still find a way for the 'box to work for the conditions you want.

 

[OKMrazor]

That's the gamble you take unfortunately with what sounds like a used vehicle purchase. You never know...

I've heard of trouble with Honda's V6 autos in the early-mid 2000s, but that is squarely in Honda's past.

My '00 Accord V-6 (I bought it new) needed a replacement transmission at about 120,000 miles. The trade in value, similarly, was $500 due to the transmission. Cost to replace transmission, I think, was $3000. Wasn't happy then and almost unloaded the car, but I'm happy now that I paid for the repair - got many years and many more miles out of the car.

I've had an '06 Pathfinder and an '08 Explorer - both long gone - and even factoring that transmission, the Honda I've had for 16 years cost less in total life maintenance/repairs then either the Pathfinder (horrible) or Explorer - both of which we had for about 5 years each. (Also had a 2010 Malibu work car that I never drove because it was so bland).

I'm waiting on the '17 model year and the manual turbo, but I'll be kind of sad to see the old v6 go.

 

[snail415]

Oh the irony- I'm that guy with the mid-to-late-model Accord V6 with the iffy transmission..

Mine has 110,000 pampered miles on it. I put it in the shop (Custom Car Care in Yorktown) a month back for a comprehensive review, timing belt, water pump, idler/tensioner pulley, alternator and battery.
So essentially, it's a rock for years to come. But the faint gear whine was something I asked the shop tech to investigate.
And he was nice enough to say "don't do anything to it but fluid changes, and run it to the ground. A newer transmission installed will cost more than you wanna know".

So we'll hang on to it and have the service records handy for the day it's sold.
Just sucks to get in that thing and realize it's like a front-drive 90's NSX with elevator buttons in the center console.

JM

 

[OKMrazor]

Fear not, there's life after transmission trouble. It was such a tough call for me at the time (fix or ditch), but years later I'd advise younger me to make the fix call in a heart beat. I got WAY more value out of that $3,000 repair than I would have calling it quits, but every person's situation is unique.

 

[mjones5]

I am looking at a V6 Accord 6sp manual now. Drove it and loved it. I will take good care of it and sell it down the road.

 

[hunter44102]

CVT is just perfect as daily driver. incredible mileage and smooth driving. If you don't drive up and down hills like San Francisco, the CVT should last 300K miles.

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