Autos with CVT transmissions ...

joeinid

joeinid

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I am car shopping these days. I notice more and more vehicles are coming standard with CVT transmissions.

My 2012 Camry XLE Hybrid has a CVT and I have had zero issues with the car.

Has the CVT stigma (in my mind) of unreliability likely gone away? Are the CVT transmissions as or more reliable than conventional transmissions? I'll likely buy (vs leasing - too many miles a year) my next vehicle but want/need something bigger to carry gear and stuff. I am all over the place in what I want, but some of the vehicles I'm considering are only available with a CVT.

Thoughts?
 
I have test driven and rented vehicles with CVT and have not liked them. They say they are getting better but I prefer to feel the shifts.
 
I drive a Subaru Outback as I've been a Subaru fan for a long time. Great vehicles overall. The Outback has plenty of space for hauling a lot of gear, etc. Mine is a 2011 3.6R with a 5 speed, but the newer ones now have the CVT. Of CVT's that I've driven, I think Subaru has one of the best ones out there. I certainly wouldn't hesitate at all about a Subaru with CVT. I haven't heard about people having any problems with them.
 
I am getting used to the feeling of CVT shifts or non-shifts. It's kind of a weird smooth delivery of power. Sometimes I feel a little disconnected but I don't think about it now. I just drive.

still-one said:
I have test driven and rented vehicles with CVT and have not liked them. They say they are getting better but I prefer to feel the shifts.
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I always loved Subaru. The Forrester is on my list too.



Everest Audio said:
I drive a Subaru Outback as I've been a Subaru fan for a long time. Great vehicles overall. The Outback has plenty of space for hauling a lot of gear, etc. Mine is a 2011 3.6R with a 5 speed, but the newer ones now have the CVT. Of CVT's that I've driven, I think Subaru has one of the best ones out there. I certainly wouldn't hesitate at all about a Subaru with CVT. I haven't heard about people having any problems with them.
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I'd test drive both the Forester and Outback. They also have programmed "shift points" which make it feel more like a typical auto transmission.

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I had a Subaru Outback years ago that I had to sue them under the Lemon Law, but it was not Transmission related. There was an issue with the steering due to some defect of the front right assemblies. It was constantly pulling to the right and you had to keep correcting to the left. If you took your hands off the steering wheel and stepped on the gas, it made a right turn on it's own. After months of complaining and numerous alignments, I took a Subaru Rep for a drive on a real busy multi lane road and he almost crapped his pants when the car changed lanes with traffic coming.

No other issues other other than it hurts my back to climb down into a car and climb up and twist to get out. But, it was the very best vehicle I ever drove in snow and ice and it's tracking saved my life more than once. It also climbs icy hills better than any other and due to its all wheel drive configuration, it basically walks up the hill.
 
Wow, I've never heard of a problem like that before. I guess there can be the odd lemon.

I'll mention that one of the reasons I love the Outback, aside from the killer AWD, is that it provides all the utility of a SUV, but is lower and drives more like a car. That's why I prefer it over the Forester. I also happen to think it looks much nicer than a Forester too, but that's just my personal preference. A brother of mine was looking to buy a Forester and wasn't interested in the Outback because of the wagon platform. I told him to drive both. He ended up buying the Outback.

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I drove a loaner Toyota with CVT while they dealt with the seat-belt recall. Didn't know that it had a CVT, I just thought it was a poor design.
Later we got a Kia with a 6 speed auto. Never liked any of the three modes (normal, Eco & Sport). Now we drive it as a stick shift.
 
Just drove a Nissan Rogue with CVT. It felt a little vague, even with preprogrammed shift points designed to make it feel more like a conventional automatic. I'm betraying my age, but it reminded me of the GM Hydramatics (We called them "slush-o-matics" or "slushboxes.") used in 1950's Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs and Cadillacs.

Driveline felt smooth, but not in the good way. Felt unresponsive and disconnected. I like the idea of CVT - the efficiency and simplicity plus low cost. But the actual driving experience? Not so much. For that reason alone, I would never buy a car with CVT.

My personal faves are the twin-clutch automatics pioneered in racing Porsches, now found commonly in German and other European road cars. But some people find these a little too far in the opposite direction - too "positive," even lurchy, like a manual with a really grippy clutch.

In other words, CVT choice is a matter of taste. I don't see many issues with their reliability any more.

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I test drove a number of vehicles with CVT and they are definitely not all created equally. This was a while ago, but I too was not a fan of the CVT on the Rogue. Subaru's was in a different league.

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I owned two Nissan/Infiniti maxima 3.5l with CVT. They were great and had zero reliability issues.

I now own a Golf GTI and do prefer the DSG gearbox. depends on what you are looking for.
 
Everest Audio said:
I test drove a number of vehicles with CVT and they are definitely not all created equally. This was a while ago, but I too was not a fan of the CVT on the Rogue. Subaru's was in a different league.

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Right on about the Subarus, but nothing like the old smg on an M3...my favorite.
Cheers


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I've been looking at the Golf Sportwagen again. I still would love a GTI but it seems a little hit/miss with VW. An older brother had a Golf. He absolutely loved it but it left him stranded 3 times. There was a coil pak or similar that would fail. The last time he got it fixed, he traded in on a Honda Civic. Two more Civics, many miles and ZERO issues later, he's a happy camper but misses how the VW drove.

XV-1 said:
I owned two Nissan/Infiniti maxima 3.5l with CVT. They were great and had zero reliability issues.

I now own a Golf GTI and do prefer the DSG gearbox. depends on what you are looking for.
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joeinid said:
I've been looking at the Golf Sportwagen again. I still would love a GTI but it seems a little hit/miss with VW. An older brother had a Golf. He absolutely loved it but it left him stranded 3 times. There was a coil pak or similar that would fail. The last time he got it fixed, he traded in on a Honda Civic. Two more Civics, many miles and ZERO issues later, he's a happy camper but misses how the VW drove.
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VW had some gearbox issues with series 6. The Golf is pretty well best in class these days with series 7.5. My GTI has not missed a beat in two years of owning and i drive it like a boy racer:exciting:.

cheers
 
XV-1 said:
I owned two Nissan/Infiniti maxima 3.5l with CVT. They were great and had zero reliability issues.

I now own a Golf GTI and do prefer the DSG gearbox. depends on what you are looking for.
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My experience is that those who like something like VW GTI's DSG will really DISLIKE the CVT driving experience and vice versa. Myself, give me the German DSG. I haven't driven every CVT car out there. But so far, I'm not a fan. They feel too vague & loosey-goosey for my comfort.

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Wife has had two CRV Hondas both with CVT. I did not care at all for the CVT transmission; but she didn't even care or knew what it was. If you are passionate about driving, most likely you will prefer a non-CVT transmission.
 
bonejobber said:
My experience is that those who like something like VW GTI's DSG will really DISLIKE the CVT driving experience and vice versa. Myself, give me the German DSG. I haven't driven every CVT car out there. But so far, I'm not a fan. They feel too vague & loosey-goosey for my comfort.

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bear in mind, the Maxima with CVT is a very different car to the GTI. Would I like a DSG in the Maxima - hell yes. Would I buy another Maxima with CVT or DSG - probably not unless I was a lot older.
 
nicoff said:
Wife has had two CRV Hondas both with CVT. I did not care at all for the CVT transmission; but she didn't even care or knew what it was. If you are passionate about driving, most likely you will prefer a non-CVT transmission.
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To many, a car is a transportation appliance. But today's median-priced car costs more than my parents paid for their 2500 sq.ft. house back in the '60's. For that kind of money, MY car has to be more than just a transpod.

A VW GTI may not be as reliable as a Honda, but it compensates by being a HOOT to drive. Honda Civics (except the Si Coupe) are <meh>. And CVT's are black holes that completely suck the fun out of driving IMO.

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XV-1 said:
bear in mind, the Maxima with CVT is a very different car to the GTI. Would I like a DSG in the Maxima - hell yes. Would I buy another Maxima with CVT or DSG - probably not unless I was a lot older.
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Nah! You won't get a Maxima. Everyone knows the official car of codgers, coots, duffers and old farts everywhere is a Buick LaCrosse.

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