CVT or Manual, Change my mind

[disgraced.fk8]

@zhp4595
Interesting, here all CVTs come with paddle shifters, no matter if sport or not. But we don't have the L gear in Europe.

The sport doesn't come with L gear here. Must have taken it out to justify the cost of the paddle shifters

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[Myx]

This thread is almost two years old but my question is related:

Is it true that there are 1.5 Civic models with CVT that don't come with paddle shifters in the United States?

Yes! I own one.

 

[suhhh]

I don't know why but I could never get into that whole "CVT" shifting... My dad has a honda fit with CVT and I understand that they put paddle shifters so they can mimic the feeling of shifting but it still just feels like one long gear to me. I might be the odd one out but I would've preferred it came in 6 speed auto but maybe that's just a dying breed now.

I drive in heavy nyc traffic almost everyday because of work and even though there are those small moments where I wish I was in a CVT, I will always prefer my manual

 

[disgraced.fk8]

I don't know why but I could never get into that whole "CVT" shifting... My dad has a honda fit with CVT and I understand that they put paddle shifters so they can mimic the feeling of shifting but it still just feels like one long gear to me. I might be the odd one out but I would've preferred it came in 6 speed auto but maybe that's just a dying breed now.

I drive in heavy nyc traffic almost everyday because of work and even though there are those small moments where I wish I was in a CVT, I will always prefer my manual

If you go into sport mode and use the paddle shifters, it will hold the "gear" for a long time and you can make it act more like a manual. Still not the same, but depending on how you do it it feels different. You can paddle shift without letting off the throttle, it's faster and smooth, but lackluster.

The way I do it... As I'm letting off the throttle, whack the paddle, continue letting foot all the way off, then foot back in and it it gives you a nice little lurch as the belt re-engages. Definitely not too much lurch, you don't feel as though you're stressing the trans, but it's there for sure. I find it fairly satisfying, and in traffic not having to shift makes up for that.

I'll just second what someone said a few pages back... One of each!

 

[GermanCivic]

I don't know why but I could never get into that whole "CVT" shifting... My dad has a honda fit with CVT and I understand that they put paddle shifters so they can mimic the feeling of shifting but it still just feels like one long gear to me.

I don't know what model year you've driven, but the Honda Fit (Honda Jazz in Europe) has a completely different CVT than the Civic has, as far as I know.

But anyway, you're right about the Civivs CVT, it still feels like kind of a long gear compared to a manual transmission.

 

[suhhh]

I don't know what model year you've driven, but the Honda Fit (Honda Jazz in Europe) has a completely different CVT than the Civic has, as far as I know.

But anyway, you're right about the Civivs CVT, it still feels like kind of a long gear compared to a manual transmission.

Ah didn't know that, well it's a us-spec FIT but the cvt transmission did feel pretty similar to my friend's CVT civic. But yeah I would definitely prefer an automatic, I guess I just like that feel and sound of a car going through gears

 

[gtman]

Ah didn't know that, well it's a us-spec FIT but the cvt transmission did feel pretty similar to my friend's CVT civic. But yeah I would definitely prefer an automatic, I guess I just like that feel and sound of a car going through gears

I think the CVT in the 2.0NA models might be similar to the Fit one. The turbo models used a CVT based on the last gen Accord CVT.

 

[Gruber]

I don't know why but I could never get into that whole "CVT" shifting... My dad has a honda fit with CVT and I understand that they put paddle shifters so they can mimic the feeling of shifting but it still just feels like one long gear to me. I might be the odd one out but I would've preferred it came in 6 speed auto but maybe that's just a dying breed now.

I drive in heavy nyc traffic almost everyday because of work and even though there are those small moments where I wish I was in a CVT, I will always prefer my manual

I never thought paddle shifters are there to mimic the feeling of driving the MT. I use them all the time, but I tried to row my paddles in full manual mode maybe a couple of times. I would not bother to do it for any extended period of time. There is no jerky feeling that I'm used to in a MT as a feedback. I don't want any jerking, that's why I have a CVT, but I would need it to change gears.

 

[ATX_Si]

maybe i'm just old now but 10-12 years ago it was manual or bust. granted, automatics weren't what they are now. the connection you have to the car and the road in a manual transmission will always win over speed for me. there's something therapeutic about rowing your own gears and having that connected driving experience. i'm all in on saving the manuals, so that would get my vote.

 

[Diamond Ned]

Bought my hatchback sport a month ago and absolutely love it, but every day I regret not picking up the Si that was in the showroom that day.
I know I’m gonna end up trading this thing in within a year, and take the hit, but I want a manual so bad.

 

[gtman]

I was a manual only driver for nearly 30 years. Back in 2010, my wife lost her job and was seriously ill and we had to downsize to one car. She couldn't drive stick so we bought an automatic. I wasn't thrilled but at least it had a manual mode which came in handy for engine braking.

Sadly my wife died in 2015 and in 2017 I was looking at a new car. My plan was to either get a manual Elantra Sport or a manual Civic (sedan, hatch or coupe). Ultimately, the manuals were hard to get and I wound up with an EX-L sedan.

At first I disliked the CVT. It sounded weird, it lagged and it felt like it was driving me, not vice-versa. Then I got a tune. All of the sudden the CVT seemed improved. I started to see that it always had the engine at the rpm it needed to be for the situation/environment.

Having said that, no automatic compares to a manual transmission driving experience. With a manual you're truly engaged. You feel like you are in control of everything. The biggest difference I see between a CVT and manual would be out there on a nice winding road. A manual allows you to downshift and upshift at just the right moment while going into and out of the curves. The CVT just isn't very good in that scenario.

 

[VarmintCong]

I never thought paddle shifters are there to mimic the feeling of driving the MT. I use them all the time, but I tried to row my paddles in full manual mode maybe a couple of times. I would not bother to do it for any extended period of time. There is no jerky feeling that I'm used to in a MT as a feedback. I don't want any jerking, that's why I have a CVT, but I would need it to change gears.

I use the paddles in our Outback to get into a better power band before I'm ready to step on the gas, like when you begin a passing move. It's necessary in our 2012 Outback cause it's so slow and the CVT reacts so slow - maybe unnecessary in a 10th gen Civic CVT - which is way more responsive.

 

[VarmintCong]

Bought my hatchback sport a month ago and absolutely love it, but every day I regret not picking up the Si that was in the showroom that day.
I know I’m gonna end up trading this thing in within a year, and take the hit, but I want a manual so bad.

I did it, though it was a 2017 6mT sport hatch not a CVT. The Sport 6mT is nice but the Si is much nicer, it feels more solid and is a joy to row. Some manuals aren't that great - like a GTI or a Mazda Miata or 3 - but Honda and BMW make fantastic feeling manuals.

 

[VarmintCong]

I was a manual only driver for nearly 30 years. Back in 2010, my wife lost her job and was seriously ill and we had to downsize to one car. She couldn't drive stick so we bought an automatic. I wasn't thrilled but at least it had a manual mode which came in handy for engine braking.

Sadly my wife died in 2015 and in 2017 I was looking at a new car. My plan was to either get a manual Elantra Sport or a manual Civic (sedan, hatch or coupe). Ultimately, the manuals were hard to get and I wound up with an EX-L sedan.

At first I disliked the CVT. It sounded weird, it lagged and it felt like it was driving me, not vice-versa. Then I got a tune. All of the sudden the CVT seemed improved. I started to see that it always had the engine at the rpm it needed to be for the situation/environment.

Having said that, no automatic compares to a manual transmission driving experience. With a manual you're truly engaged. You feel like you are in control of everything. The biggest difference I see between a CVT and manual would be out there on a nice winding road. A manual allows you to downshift and upshift at just the right moment while going into and out of the curves. The CVT just isn't very good in that scenario.

I wish I'd taken the time to try the Elantra GT N-Line in a manual (would have had to drive 50 miles to test drive a manual) - I drove the DCT and I liked it but didn't love it. Trying the manual might have persuaded me. Would have been kind of cool to get the last Elantra hatchback. Si is a better car of course, but I love hatchbacks and the N-Line in a manual would have been super rare.

Are you waiting for an 11th gen Si hatch, would that be your next car?

 

[ladysi]

Before I bought my car I was looking at a WRX, Model 3, or a Civic Si. The WRX, honestly, was too expensive of a platform - I know I would want to mod and it tightened my budget too much to do so. The Model 3, while expensive (but would not have many aftermarket options), and was really really really fun to drive.

I ended up with the Si as I figured this might be my last chance to buy an affordable tuner with a manual transmission. Every year there are less manuals available... I have been driving MT vehicles for like 20 years and really wanted to finally get into modding and more sporty driving. Two years later, I am still very happy with my choice. I have never had this much fun driving, and for the first time in my life, I am excited to work on my car and learn!

Edit: Also, I liked the Si gearbox feel more than the WRX which felt clunky. And the wrx steering wheel didn't telescope. And the fuel economy on the wrx was a joke.

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