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Sideburn_Cookie_Man@reddit

No. Yes.

They also feel worse to drive, and sound bad.

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fragmen52@reddit

In some ways I prefer the consistent continuous power of a cvt to a traditional automatic that I don’t have control over.

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Jumpy-Oil8555@reddit

Honestly loved my 2010s Altima cvt. Super fun, decently fast for fat sedan and I came to like the instant gear a lot. Guess I was lucky, no issues in 150k 🤷‍♂️

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Sideburn_Cookie_Man@reddit

I definitely don’t, they just drone and the RPM stays way too steady.

A bad traditional auto is pretty annoying for sure, but honestly I can’t remember the last time I drove a car with a bad auto transmission. They’ve all been ZF and GM based gearboxes.

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fragmen52@reddit

Most of my bad auto experience has been a Chevy so it could be just bad GM design, but I have noticed shifting in a negative way on other vehicles too.

I’ve had a cvt civic daily for 120k miles so it’s also what I’m used to at this point.

My preference for driving experience is probably manual though.

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Sideburn_Cookie_Man@reddit

Yeah TBH some GM models were just paired with transmissions that were undersized and undercooled, so they had a hard life dragging around heavy vehicles.

One of my current vehicles (Holden Jackaroo/Isuzu Trooper) I bought in manual, as the auto box (GM 4L30) is so bad that it’s basically guaranteed to die. It’s just way too small for a fat 4WD.

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Agreed on your last two points. I had a rental Sentra a few months ago and it literally felt like I was winding up a rubber band. If I had to stop, all the tension came out of the band, and I had to wind it up again.

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Sideburn_Cookie_Man@reddit

It’s a very strange sensation.

The only CVT I’ve driven that was nice was in a Subaru Liberty Sportswagon, and that used a chain based system instead of the rubber bands. The chain does a much better job of locking up and giving you the feeling of direct drive from the motor to the wheels.

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TactualTransAm@reddit

My Chevy transmission really begs to differ 😂

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Sideburn_Cookie_Man@reddit

Your Chevy has a CVT? Which one?

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TactualTransAm@reddit

No they have regular transmissions but they are junk. They are very very competitive in the reliability segment with older CVTs. Chevy trucks here have had transmission issues for years. Some small Chevy cars have CVTs but like, those are bottom barrel cars anyway.

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R0biB0bi@reddit

Toyota eCVT is better than the usual cvt imo

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camel2021@reddit

The Toyota eCVT is better than a conventional automatic transmission even

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Serialtorrenter@reddit

It's definitely less fun though.

Toyota's always been the king of practical. Other brands are more enjoyable, but a lot of them are much less likely to be getting you from point A to point B 25 years and 400000 miles later with only routine maintenance in between.

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TDN12@reddit

What other brands offer lineup competing with gr86, gr corolla, and gr supra?

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Vidimo_se@reddit

Yup, just worth noting that eCVT uses a planetary gear set not a belt

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Kooky-Answer@reddit

Toyota ecvt is a planetary gear set and two electric motors. Honda's is similar but adds a clutch. There isn't much to break. Change the fluid every two or three years and don't abuse it and it will probably outlive the rest of the car.

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Hopeful-Mirror1664@reddit

Correct and they are pretty much indestructible as far as a CVT goes.

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JaZoray@reddit

the hybrid synergy drive (tm) is maybe 5/10 in makeing a car use less fuel.

but it's a 10/10 when judged as a wear free evolution of CVT

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gravelpi@reddit

I mean, my Sienna gets 35mpg in the summer. My previous Sienna V6 (granted, 9 years apart) was more like 18mpg.

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tnsipla@reddit

The Toyota eCVT, yes

Nissan, Honda, or even Subaru's CVT? Still don't compare to an automatic for durability, reliability, and repairability. Unlike an AT if anything happens inside of the CVT, it's dead, there's nothing serviceable. At most you can replace solenoids or the valve body, but that's it.

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Serialtorrenter@reddit

Apparently the newer Toyota CVTs (non-eCVTs) have a planetary first gear that greatly reduces the amount of torque the rubber band has to deal with. It's still a lifeless CVT though. CVTs are what you get when you go too far in the pursuit of efficiency. It may be more reliable than an older CVT without a first gear, but it's still a chore to drive, and you're liable to fall asleep at the wheel.

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shreddedsharpcheddar@reddit

did you know that renault is responsible for getting CVTs banned in formula 1, because their test car was immediately faster than everything else on the grid?

did you know that the polaris pro r factory just won the mint 400 race using a CVT?

lifeless and "too far in the pursuit of efficiency" my ass

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Serialtorrenter@reddit

I'm aware, but in real-world driving, fast acceleration isn't the main thing that makes a car fun. Being able to hear/feel the gear shifts always puts a smile on my face. Being able to turn off overdrive and hear the engine's depraved screams as you rev it to 4500rpm while passing someone before shifting back into overdrive makes the drive engaging. If you just want fast 0-60, get an EV.

Not to mention that the CVTs used in racing are tuned to keep the RPMs at the engine's peak torque range. The CVTs used in passenger cars are typically designed to maximize efficiency instead. They definitely have their place, but they're not my preference.

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Euler007@reddit

Which is why my Outback is getting sold a few months before the warranty ends on the CVT. Good luck, future owner.

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tnsipla@reddit

I’ll probably still grab a new Subaru if my Outback goes kaput, but it’ll probably be one of the hybrids with the Toyota eCVT

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Euler007@reddit

I went with an XC60 T8. It's my second car, mileage was terrible because my wife basically does all cold start and goes a few miles, couple of times a day. Will all be done with the electric motor. It's also more fun to drive when you open up on the throttle and the engine and transmission goes ham.

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Annual_Student_487@reddit

Honda also has eCVT in its hybrids.

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av8or234@reddit

I must be an outlier in the data but we had a 2014 Altima with 8x,xxx miles when we traded it and never had a single solitary issue with the CVT. We also have a 2015 Fit with almost 148,000 miles and also never a single issue. We do keep up with all scheduled maintenance and don’t drive it like we stole it, just normal everyday driving.

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cyclingidiot16@reddit

My wife and I have put over 500,000 miles on Subaru CVTs. No issues and the only maintenance was changing the fluid. They drive just fine and I’d bet 9-10 drivers can’t tell the difference. I had a DSG and the maintenance was worse and more expensive. I think people make too much out of nothing over them.

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H0SS_AGAINST@reddit

I think people make too much out of nothing over them.

Or you're on the lucky side of the high probability that they will have catastrophic failures around or before 100,000 miles.

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cyclingidiot16@reddit

I’d rather be lucky than good! Maybe one day my luck will run out. If I had my choice, I’d get a manual every time. Sorry that I’ve ONLY owned 4 Subaru’s. But I have had several family members and friends that have owned them with no problems. Subaru is also the current Consumer Reports most reliable brand. But I take any of those rankings with a big grain of salt. Also, I quite enjoy the skinny pedal and I use it often.

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tnsipla@reddit

The problem with the Subaru CVT is not in fluids or maintenance- there have been many that last well past 200k miles without any fluid service, and then those that fail before 100k with fluid service every 30k

It’s down to how you drive- if you’re not putting load on it (towing, sudden acceleration, sudden braking) the CVTs work very well and are reliable- but if you do any of the stuff that Subaru markets itself for or is known for (outdoors, towing, safety braking) the CVT doesn’t like it

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RoamingRiot@reddit

I'm their target demographic yet I'd rather have a 15 year old Suzuki Grand Vitara.

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H0SS_AGAINST@reddit

Correct. Which is the reason for my last comment. 😅

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garcia38@reddit

How often do you change the fluid?

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TCMinnesotENT@reddit

Every 30-50k miles depending on the usage.

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cyclingidiot16@reddit

The first one we had the dealer told us it was lifetime and went almost 150k miles. Then I did some research and I change it every 40k. Even still it drove just fine and never had an issue. Depends on how hard you use it. I also just drain and refill. Do not flush. But like anything YMMV and now that I’ve bragged on them it’s going to blow up now. But my uncle had to put a new transmission in his 4Runner at less than 100k so you never know.

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beneficialBern@reddit

Did you ever drive stick and do you enjoy driving? Every time I drive a cvt it feels like the clutch is slipping I’ve come to really that’s just how cvts feel.

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cyclingidiot16@reddit

I do enjoy driving and I’ve owned a lot of different cars including manuals. My last two cars were manual and a lot of fun. But not fun in traffic and not great for hauling kids and dog. I don’t get that slipping feeling that people talk about but I’ve only driven Subaru CVTs. I also have a heavy foot! The dual clutch auto I had would shift fast but felt terrible at low speeds.

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Lordofpineapples@reddit

Give me a manual please.

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facticitytheorist@reddit

Nissan literally destroyed their brand by not admitting defeat and just fitting a normal 6 speed auto....instead they doubled down and kept those shyte cvts

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MrPogoUK@reddit

Our Nissan was still going strong in the CVT department at 70,000 miles, just unfortunately the engine gave up at that point!

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Lordofpineapples@reddit

70k miles is nothing for an automatic. Toyota autos regularly go 300k plus miles

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Sea-Newspaper-7643@reddit

My mom bought a 2014 Rogue Select and I swear it was the worst new car I have ever seen in my entire life. That piece of shit CVT went out at like 35k miles and the interior was the cheapest plastic you could imagine. You could scratch the door panels with your fingernail.

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External-Leopard4486@reddit

Massive screw up by Honda and Toyota calling the eCVT a CVT. Both are 100% mechanical; no rubber belt. I think the Honda is the better, simpler design.

Both are way less complicated than regular AT.

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CapoKakadan@reddit

The Honda hybrid “eCVT” is even more of a misnomer than Toyota’s, as the Honda doesn’t continuously vary ANYTHING. It has (depending on 5th vs 6th gen) either one or two gear ratios. Literally. If you aren’t in one of those, you’re driving solely with the electric motor, which doesn’t vary any gear ratio either. Honda is more “fixed speed”.

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Raptorchris1@reddit

My 2019 Nissan Pathfinder with a CVT has 217,000 miles on it. No issues whatsoever. I tow a 3,000lbs trailer fairly often. I feel like the original 2013-2014 were crap, and gave it a bad reputation that it never was able to shake.

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Hopeful-Mirror1664@reddit

Do yourself a favor and replace the radiator immediately. Those Pathfinders developed a problem where the trans cooler in the radiator leaked antifreeze into the trans fluid in turn destroying it. Use an original radiator.

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UnderwhelmingAF@reddit

The Frontier, Pathfinder, and Xterra all had that but I think 2011 was the last year for that issue.

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Raptorchris1@reddit

That was a problem with the Xterra, not the Pathfinder.

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kerberos824@reddit

It was a problem with the Pathfinder, too. Just not your generation. But the earlier generation was the same platform as the Xterra, and had the same problem.

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No_Mushroom3078@reddit

I feel that all CVT have the “younger sibling syndrome”, like no matter how they have improved you still remember when they were 3 and would mispronounce a word, or failed at something, but now they are functioning adults and you just can’t see that and you point back to “you fucked up 20 years ago and that’s where you are stuck”.

The real downside of CVT are the lack of torque so when automakers were putting them into large SUVs and owners were trying to pull a boat or trailer, or something like that and the transmission would fail. CVT are perfect for cars and small crossover vehicles, not for larger 7 passenger SUV.

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ScaryfatkidGT@reddit

Toyota are… that’s about it

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Kooky-Answer@reddit

Toyota's eCVTs (and most eCVTs in general) are extremely reliable.

For regular belt/chain CVTs, Toyota is again the most reliable, followed by Honda, Subaru, and finally Nissan.

No CVT is as reliable as a traditional planetary gear automatic, but Toyota comes closest.

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Serialtorrenter@reddit

In general, you're absolutely correct, but if anyone reading this is shopping for a used car, it depends on what automatic you're talking about. The automatic transmissions Honda used in their early J-series vehicles (like the TL, the CL, the Accord V6, and the Odyssey) in the late 90's and early 2000's are complete and utter junk, and Toyota's newer CVTs are easily more reliable.

Manual transmissions, usually considered to be the most reliable, also are occasionally made of glass. The early Lexus IS300s had weaker manual transmissions than automatics, and some of the Mazda manuals found in certain Ford Rangers are similar.

As always, the particular transmission needs to be looked at, not just the type. The same goes for car brands.

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scream4cheese@reddit

I know someone with a 11th gen civic with over 350,000 miles. They had to replace the cvt at 284,000 miles because it failed.

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Best_Market4204@reddit

Had 15 civic. Replaced the fluid twice. Failed at 120k

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scream4cheese@reddit

From what I’ve read, Honda cvt has improved since then

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captainjay09@reddit

I’ve ran two Honda cvt’s over 350k kms without issue. Just need to be taken care of and change the fluid. People don’t maintain them to manufacture spec and wonder why they have issues

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hatred-shapped@reddit

1 No

2 Yes

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dirtyforker@reddit

3 #Maybe

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gmehodler42069741LFG@reddit

Ecvt yes. Regular cvt no

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Gunk_Olgidar@reddit

Yes, pretty much all modern CVTs are fine as long as you do the maintenance on time and don't hoon on them.

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Rapom613@reddit

Honestly nothing compares to a proper torque converter auto like a ZF 8HP. Change the fluid every 60k and it will last longer than anything else in the car

The Toyota CVT is the best if the bunch because it uses a planetary gear to take off from a stop, eliminating the largest point of wear, but as a whole CVTs are less reliable, and not repairable

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Repulsive-Way272@reddit

Horrible driving experience...

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Realistic-March-5679@reddit

Depends on the automatic and the CVT. CVTs have been around until the 80s and it wasn’t until JATCO developed one that had its technology heavily adopted by several brands did they ever become an issue. Mostly because the design ended up being awful.

For a “car guy” they also feel weird because the shifting is solely for cosmetic reasons. I personally like them, hit an on ramp and my car just stays in the powerband until I’m up to speed. This is solely a personal feel kind of thing, just like manual vs automatic.

And lately there’s serviceability. Most automatics can be rebuilt pretty easy relative to a CVT. Manufacturers have not released any real rebuild parts for a CVT, no service instructions, no break downs, or anything else useful. So rebuilding them on an individual basis is still difficult, even if a shop wanted to learn them it’s not easy to get all the parts for them. This has already started to fix itself, but it’ll take a while for it to truly take hold.

So whether CVT, automatic, manual, or DSG, research the individual transmission is more important. Toyota, Honda, and Subaru have pretty much figured them out at this point.

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Seanyd78@reddit

Nissan is what gave CVTs a bad rap. I have had Subarus with CVTs and they have bene very reliable. My 15 Forester had 128k extremely hard driven miles on it when I traded it in and the CVT was still working perfectly. The key to CVT longevity is maintenance. Change the fluid every 30k-50k, depending on driving style, and it will last.

I would say Subaru CVT is one of the top ones as there are plenty of Subarus well over 100k and even 200k running the orginal CVT.

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PckMan@reddit

Nope. And manufacturers treat them as sealed units so they're less repairable.

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CAT_MARINE-POWER@reddit

Change the fluid and filter every 30,000 miles and it will last

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Tool_junkie_1972@reddit

I think the biggest issue with any transmission is the service, or rather lack thereof. Manufacturers keep pushing longer service intervals or claiming”lifetime fluid”. Service them regularly and they will hold up much better. Are their crap designs? Yep. But even those last longer when serviced. You also need to look at the customer base- cars (Nissan-looking at you) that are targeted towards lower income consumers tend to do poorly. Folks who struggle making their payments don’t have the $$ to service their cars. And that quickly compounds the issue.

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No_Durian_3444@reddit

They just require maintenance.

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FewAct2027@reddit

Most CVTs are at market average failure rates these days.

What kills them is bad driving habits, and bad ownership habits. You can't do shit like slam them from reverse to drive without coming to a complete stop or flooring it at intersections without taking life off them. Similarly you NEED to change the fluids at regular intervals, CVT fluid is not anywhere near as forgiving as ATF or MTF when it's cooked.

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that_dutch_dude@reddit

any cvt that uses belts is flawed by design and will fail sooner than a geard transmission.

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Middle-Gas-6532@reddit

I wonder how they compare to DSG-like AT's, meaning dual dry-clutch. You would be lucky to get to 200k km(125k mi) with a dry DSG without major repairs, such as clutches/flywheel replacement. Let alone with a bad design, such as Ford's older Powershift transmissions.

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