CVT transmission any good/bad?

[David Harper]

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.

As long as you go easy on it, don't floor it,don't go over 75mph for more than an hour, don't drive up any mountains, don't drag race anybody,you know, just use it for everyday transportation to get you from point A to point B,you should be fine. I, unfortunately,don't drive that way,so the CVT won't work for me.

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[Billy4202]

As long as you go easy on it, don't floor it,don't go over 75mph for more than an hour, don't drive up any mountains, don't drag race anybody,you know, just use it for everyday transportation to get you from point A to point B,you should be fine. I, unfortunately,don't drive that way,so the CVT won't work for me.

Well, anyone buying a non-sport oriented car expecting to drag race someone is looking at the wrong class of car. Look beyond the popular segments. Dat twin turbo 3 series sounds up your alley. Enjoy brotha

I drive up mountains, works fine. I drive at 75-80+, works fine. I've floored it, works fine.

 

[anthony11]

The next car I get will be my daily driver for commuting so it can't be a manual unfortunately.

What does that have to do with it ?? I've commuted with my 5sp.

 

[Sgtstaadanko]

What does that have to do with it ?? I've commuted with my 5sp.

 

[David Harper]

Well, anyone buying a non-sport oriented car expecting to drag race someone is looking at the wrong class of car. Look beyond the popular segments. Dat twin turbo 3 series sounds up your alley. Enjoy brotha

I drive up mountains, works fine. I drive at 75-80+, works fine. I've floored it, works fine.

not for long

 

[SteveGG]

The next car I get will be my daily driver for commuting so it can't be a manual unfortunately. I was reading in the press release that the auto transmission will be CVT. Never owned or even drove a car with CVT so what's it like? Seems like CVT in general has a bad reputation, at least in the past. Gimme the lowdown - what's good and bad about it ?? Thx.

My 1st CVT and I think it's great, so far. Really does seem to vary the ratio ideally. Call for acceleration, and the engine picks up RPMs and gives it to you. Cruise is optimal with reasonable RPMs, barely more than 2K at 70+ mph (beats the MT all to hell in this regard).

 

[snail415]

Steve,

I concur. The only thing I get frustrated about isn't really the CVT's fault, but it's turbo lag and how that ties to the given ratio.
If you're from a dead stop and need to get moving, you have to anticipate the 'boost lurch' from burying the throttle.
A way to mitigate this is to dump it into low, so at least you have a better ratio on-deck.

But overall I can't fault the transmission. As I've said before, if you look at the 2 throttle mappings (Econ/Normal), the 3 gears (D/S/L), you can learn to get the driveability you want with some practice.

I hope in the years ahead there is a robust ECU upgrade that improves spool-up without affecting engine reliability. Resolving that in combination with the CVT, and you then have a surprisingly quick car.

Thanks,
JM

 

[RobbJK88]

Having come from my 2014 coupe to my new 2016 EX-T i can say honda has put some work into the CVT for the 10th gens. Gone is some of the oddities that my 14' had when coming quickly to stops, or when doing a rolling stop on a hill which made the car almost... pause, before "gears" grabbed and the car took off. Overall much better, cold weather will be the true test as my 14' always had the most bugs and glitches in the cold winter months (below 30 degrees).

I've never driven a turbo charged car before. I had to adjust to the fact that from a stop the little engine doesn't pull the car forward very quick until that turbo spools up. I was constantly getting too deep into the throttle to try and rush the car and then the turbo would kick in and id be roaring to redline unintentionally (still made me laugh and smile though). Compared to some stories and accounts i've heard of turbo lag though, it seems honda did everything possible to minimize the civic's lag to a bare minimum which makes me appreciate their attention to detail and engineering even more.

 

[snail415]

Robb,

I agree. I'm on my 6th Civic (and 7th Honda), and this is also my first turbocharged car. Before getting this car I looked at the new/used market so hard for a car that blended efficiency and driveability. I looked at the GTI for a long time because of the powertrain (DSG and DI turbo-4), but 'because VW' I moved on rather quickly.

I was worried I would despise the CVT, but the torque curve makes acceleration similar to the sensation of a good speedboat (which is not annoying at all). I've owned 5 cars with manuals, and I don't miss them. Why? Because they all required you to beat the tar out of the (Honda) motor to move. Fun when you're 19, and intolerable at 37.

The turbo-paired Honda CVT never gets in its own way, and is the only product that has convinced me that manuals will eventually go away almost altogether.

To be able to get 45mpg on family treks, pull 60mph in about 7 seconds, quietly putter around in traffic...and do all of it reliably...is an amazing feat. I feel quite obligated to take care of this car.

 

[David Harper]

My 6 speed MT makes my car move real well,every time I drive it, and I don't "beat the tar" out of the motor or anything else. Speak only for yourself from now on.

 

[RobbJK88]

Robb,

I agree. I'm on my 6th Civic (and 7th Honda), and this is also my first turbocharged car. Before getting this car I looked at the new/used market so hard for a car that blended efficiency and driveability. I looked at the GTI for a long time because of the powertrain (DSG and DI turbo-4), but 'because VW' I moved on rather quickly.

I was worried I would despise the CVT, but the torque curve makes acceleration similar to the sensation of a good speedboat (which is not annoying at all). I've owned 5 cars with manuals, and I don't miss them. Why? Because they all required you to beat the tar out of the (Honda) motor to move. Fun when you're 19, and intolerable at 37.

The turbo-paired Honda CVT never gets in its own way, and is the only product that has convinced me that manuals will eventually go away almost altogether.

To be able to get 45mpg on family treks, pull 60mph in about 7 seconds, quietly putter around in traffic...and do all of it reliably...is an amazing feat. I feel quite obligated to take care of this car.

Thankfully i was no stranger to the CVT going into this car (my 2014 was CVT as well and was my first) and i was extremely hesitant then. Before my 14' coupe the only CVT i had ever driven was a 2007 sentra and it was TERRIBLE... no power, torque dropped off after 4000rpm and it droned and droned (no simulated shift points). So i was really not looking forward to adopting a CVT. But after test driving a CR-Z and the 14' civic with the CVT my fears were put to rest as i found it operated much like my old 5 speed autos did, just much smoother and much better pull throughout the rev range (no power loss between shifts). I was excited to get my first turbo'd car, but didn't quite realize how i'd have to change my driving style for it, having come from 5 previous high revving, floor them to go honda's before it.

 

[SteveGG]

Steve,

I concur. The only thing I get frustrated about isn't really the CVT's fault, but it's turbo lag and how that ties to the given ratio.
If you're from a dead stop and need to get moving, you have to anticipate the 'boost lurch' from burying the throttle.
A way to mitigate this is to dump it into low, so at least you have a better ratio on-deck.

But overall I can't fault the transmission. As I've said before, if you look at the 2 throttle mappings (Econ/Normal), the 3 gears (D/S/L), you can learn to get the driveability you want with some practice.

I hope in the years ahead there is a robust ECU upgrade that improves spool-up without affecting engine reliability. Resolving that in combination with the CVT, and you then have a surprisingly quick car.

Thanks,
JM

Ah yes, the turbo lag. My 2L NA has none.

 

[snail415]

Steve,

I think torque curves/figures are misleading with turbo cars. 1.5T makes peak torque under 2krpms, but it still takes time from planting the foot to realize that torque. But it's a very small gripe.

I never owned an N/A car that really had 'the beans' that demonstrated instant throttle response, but I did get to drive a C6 Vette one. The throttle was like a volume knob.

 

[Truckin]

So far I am enjoying the 1.5L and the CVT. I have not had any major issues with either. Everyone told me to steer clear of the CVT, but at this point almost 2k miles later I'm satisfied with my purchase.

 

[ulieq]

The next car I get will be my daily driver for commuting so it can't be a manual unfortunately. I was reading in the press release that the auto transmission will be CVT. Never owned or even drove a car with CVT so what's it like? Seems like CVT in general has a bad reputation, at least in the past. Gimme the lowdown - what's good and bad about it ?? Thx.

It's like driving on a rubber band, sort of fun.

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