Anybody drive a car with a CVT?

VortecJeep

VortecJeep

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I just test drove a Subaru with the CVT transmission. Anybody have one? What do you think? Are they as good as a typical auto tranny?
 
I used to have an altima with one and I personally hated it. Maybe the Subaru trannys are different from Nissan but i don't know. It always felt like it was in the wrong "gear". Passing or if I needed to get on it sucked because there was so much lag. It felt like the engine was wanting to pull and it just wouldn't go.

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I drove some kind of rental car with one a couple years ago, Dodge Caliber I believe. I hated it the whole time. There was no reasonable way to accelerate once at cruising speed. If you rolled on throttle, it would change the gearing so that the rpms went up, but it didn't actually accelerate. You had to go to about 3/4 throttle before it would start to actually pull, and then that would put you at 5k rpms. Also, it felt very laggy and was weird, but those are probably things you get used to. All in all I couldn't stand it.

With that said, I've got a 95 Polaris ATV that uses the same concept for the transmission, and it is fantastic. But the throttle to acceleration relationship is much better. I believe the execution has as much to do with it as the type of transmission.
 
well here goes the one "LIKE" wife has a ford freestyle with the CVT and I really like it, takes some getting used to, but it is always is at optimum operating rpm, her car has 7 passenger seating and is by no means a small car and checking it manually when I drove it to Florida recently it got right at 27mpg round trip 1200 and some odd miles, i drive alot of the subaru CVTs here at work and I like the way they feel, does'nt seem to lag or over rev like some of the older CVTs havent seen any trouble outta the subaru's either, we do a drain and fill with BG synthetic CVT fluid as a service, and we have a few over 200k. just my .02
 
The Subaru I test drove also had a "manual shift" mode, though I didn't try it out.

We're thinking about replacing her 02 WJ. We need something with cargo room, and I'd really like for whatever we get to get better mileage than my Cummins so we can take it on trips instead of the truck. That's why I went and tried out the Subaru.
 
they are not bad little cars, they have had some head gsket issues but i think they have more or less resolved that in the newer cars, most people who have them swear by them

scared to death!!!!!
 
i rented a dodge caliber with it when visiting my parents in North East PA. It was a miserable experience. In that particular car it was horrific. I've rented a lot of cars and driven them in that area, that thing was the worst. It was the only time I seriously considered returning the car for anything else.

While climbing any hill or trying to pass the transmission would "downshift" to the point of redlining the engine. Wouldn't go any faster, just got a lot louder. So in that area I was essentially at redline or coasting most the trip. It was awful.

I posted my experience on PBB once and another member agreed. he joked about how he didn't have an accelerator, he had a volume pedal. That's the perfect description of a CVT in a caliber.

Now in a subi? I can't say, I don't know. take it on the highway and pass some people and find some long hills to climb before taking it home!
 
I rented a Freestyle with the CVT once. What a horrible experience, I thought I was going to die if I got stuck in an emergency situation where I needed to accelerate faster than I could running on foot.

A good friend also has a Caliber with CVT. He despises it. He was all excited when he bought it, but that changed quickly. :lol:
 
It seems like a great idea from what I've read about them. It also occurs to me from the bad experiences that a manual control of the belts position and movement, or a power/economy mode might make them perform better when speed is needed. A computer should be able to respond to driver input or give it more torque when the go peddle is smashed. The problems described would drive me nuts w my style of driving. I like to be speeding when I get to the merge @ an interstate on-ramp and I would automatically assume the trans was faulty or needed work w this lack of perf. described, like a manual clutch slipping or a wore out auto about to blow chunks.
 
Well, we won't be getting the particular subaru I test drove. But if I test drive another one, I will definitely take it out on interstate and try out the manual feature. Its ashame that to get a conventional automatic in a newer subaru, you have to move up to the 6 cylinder.
 
A buddy of mine had a Dodge Caliber as his company ride for a few months while waiting on a truck order. The thing could not get out of its own way, and with some tools and weight in it he was a hazard on the highway, it could not keep up speed on hills. I am sure part of that is due to an anemic engine, but any time you put it in gear it would run up to 4000 rpm and stick there, making the car really loud and buzzy. I wouldn't touch one. Rather have a manual transmission than anything.
 
Mom has a Nissan Murano I drive around from time to time, I hate it... As was said, drive to pass someone, it tries to adjust and you end up turning 5-6k rpms just to get moving lol.
 
Our 2012 Subaru Outback is the best car we've ever had....by far. The H-4 w/CVT really is a great combination for fuel economy and it gets the most out the 4 cylinders. No regrets for us. 27mpg and AWD is nice, plus tons of room for 2 kids.
 
We bought a 2012 Subaru legacy with the h4 and cvt transmission. It has 27000 miles, it's been a great car. Has plenty of power for passing on the interstate. Gets 33 mpg. The wife loves it. Would definitely buy it again.
 
I have one in my Audi.
2.0 Turbo 4Cylinder and has the manual option which I never use.
For a little extra, I just shift back in the (S) sport mode and it raises the rpms and torque....
I love it.

I have driven the caliber cvt and hated it.
Drove a chevy cvt I think too.... hated it.
You have to have the ability to tighten it up, with either a 'manual' mode or a Sport option, so you can force it to gear "down".

I couldn't wrap my head around how they worked until i saw this:
 
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