Those are not Edmunds reviews but customer reviews posted on Edmunds.com. CR rates the CRV based on many reviews from their readers and shows an excellent rating for the transmission. Any vehicle family will have problems, even the most reliable. I would not base my buying decision only on customer ratings on almost anything unless other ratings are not available.
On Hondas, you’re supposed to wait until you get the maintenance code which translates into CVT fluid drain and refill . . . I believe it comes on roughly every 30K . . . ?
Up to now I have completely excluded CVT’s from my car search but after reading this thread I am getting more comfortable with the idea. Granted, right now, I am looking for a stick shift car but that is a different story.
thank you Bill,how do you do it on a Subaru ,these cars have progressed to the point(especially if they bring back a small pickup) that future ownership is not out of the question for me.I think they solved the head gasket issues my favorite mechanics used to love these cars with the repairs and engine replacements they generated,Can you get the HO 6 in the Forester ? I believe AWD would suit me perfectly,the only time I use low range was pulling something or climbing up on ramps.I know a former Ford lover who bought an Outback and said it was the best car He has ever owned.
I found the opposed 4 (non -turbo) plenty of power. Even a bit overpowered.
Yep depends on your needs .
All, or most, CVTs require frequent fluid servicing to the tune of 30k miles and so on.
I wonder how many CVT failures occurred way past 30k miles with never a fluid change and the transmission itself gets the finger pointed at it.
A relative of mine bought a new car with a CVT and the owners manual specifies 30k miles fluid changes. I strongly suggested several times over the following few years that the trans needs to be serviced.
This was not done, about 80k miles the trans was acting up, and the move to another car was made.
“Can you get the HO 6 in the Forester ?”
Nope!
Subaru’s six cylinder engine is available only on Legacy sedans, Outbacks, and the upcoming (as yet un-named) “3 row seating” vehicle that replaces the Tribeca.
You can get the turbo 4 in the Forester, with CVT. Would be fun.
Edmunds is doing a long term test on a new Civic with the 1.5l turbo 4 and CVT, and think it’s great. They’re also testing a Pilot with the 9 speed ‘regular’ AT and really dislike the transmission, which gave about the same mpgs as the same Pilot with the older 6-speed AT. So these days a CVT might be the better choice than a ‘new tech’ 8 or nine speed AT.
I seem to recall at least one or more of the regulars commenting some time ago a dubious opinion of 8 and 9 speed transmissions as going to be beneficial rather than proving too problem prone.
Eight and nine speed autos are far too complicated. Mercedes loves them, but their owners will likely put up with the expense of repairs.
In theory, a CVT makes much more sense than a 9 speed automatic.
My aunt in Holland had one of the very first CVTs, in a rubber banded DAF car; underpowered and slow as molasses. But she hated shifting gears and loved her little DAF.
How is changing fluid in a CVT at 30,000 miles any different that a more conventional transmission? The general consensus around here is to change fluid on a conventional transmission at 30,000 miles, too.
Yes, as @jtsanders says, I already change it anywhere between 20-30 K miles. I guess on a CVT a DIY change might be more difficult. But I am more concerned with durability. But then I think rebuilding an 8 or 9 speed automatic is not going to be cheap either.
CVTs have their place, in little Japanese cars in their own island country where they mostly putting around in city traffic. While a regular automatic may hunt between 2 or 3 gears as traffic and speed varies, the CVT can ‘hunt’ between many more ratios. In high torque applications, solidly clamped clutch packs make more sense than the constantly slipping cone and belt or chain. Also, in wide open spaces with high speed limits, CVTs do not have the wide ratio spread compare to the current 8 and 9 speeds(btw, Honda will be ditching the weird zf 9 speed for their in house design 10 speed). The wide ratio spread provides the low gear multiplication for starting while the tall top gear allows for low rpm cruising.
CVTs have their place, in little Japanese cars in their own island country where they mostly putting around in city traffic. While a regular automatic may hunt between 2 or 3 gears as traffic and speed varies, the CVT can ‘hunt’ between many more ratios. In high torque applications, solidly clamped clutch packs make more sense than the constantly slipping cone and belt or chain. Also, in wide open spaces with high speed limits, CVTs do not have the wide ratio spread compare to the current 8 and 9 speeds(btw, Honda will be ditching the weird zf 9 speed for their in house design 10 speed). The wide ratio spread provides the low gear multiplication for starting while the tall top gear allows for low rpm cruising.
The DAF used two rubber belts, one for each rear wheel:
To correct a couple of misconceptions on CVTs, at least Subaru’s CVT. The only thing that defines “severe” for the CVT is trailer towing frequently. That’s it, otherwise, the ATF does not require changing according to the owners manual. If you tow a trailer, then the ATF change is every 25k miles.
The CVT has a very wide ratio. I can hold 1800 rpm all the way from torque converter lockup (about 10 mph) to 60 mph.
The archaic 3 speeds can’t reach 3.0. 4 speeds are close to 4. Nissan Jatco CVT are at 7. That’s about the same as ZF 8 speeds. So the CVT is a major improvement. The controversial ZF 9 speed is at 9.8. Honda’s 10 speeds will break the double digit.
Many vehicles these days ( like Toyota) have a lifetime fluid that (according to Totota) never needs changing. I changed it in my 4 runner every 50k miles and the tranny was still going strong when I sold it with over 300k miles.