HONDA CRVS " CVT transmissions"

Tony H · Jan 26, 2023

dussaultdc · Jan 26, 2023

Stick shift is the only way to go. Don’t care for CVT but everybody is using them now, can’t get away from them.

ABCCRV2018 · Jan 26, 2023

You guys are just afraid of change. Have there been ANY members from here who have suffered a CVT failure?

I felt the same as you when I bought my 2018 CRV. I would have much rather had the 2.0L without the turbo and a normal automatic. It was a bit painful actually, because there were a few things that the base model had that I liked, but was forced to "give up" (real keys, real buttons on the radio, tires with a taller sidewall, etc) in order to bump up a trim level to get some other features that I wanted (adaptive cruise control, sunroof, better radio, etc).

After driving the car for almost 5 years though, the tiny 1.5L with the turbo and CVT have really grown on me. They really are a surprisingly good pair, and as far as I can tell, they are proving themselves to be plenty reliable as well. With or without the extended warranty.

HOTELLJACK1 · Jan 26, 2023

2017 CRV EX-L Turbo with Nav. Honda has had a lot of experience with CVT's. This is my first vehicle with Turbo or CVT and I had a concern about both when I bought the CRV. I have about 110,000 miles on it with no issues with the CVT/ Turbo and both are still working as they should.

I have seen a posting from an owner who also had a 2017 CRV on which he said that he had 300,000 miles on the CRV. He was posting because his vehicle had some odd issues which they traced to an unusual cause, a stretched Metal timing chain, and he was just posting to say consider a timing chain issue if you have a truly high mileage CRV with a metal timing chain. My takeaway from the posting, however, was that he said that at 300,000 miles both his 2017 CRV turbo & CVT were working fine.

Not a lot of drivers will put 300,000 miles and counting on a vehicle. I am almost 80 years old & have driven a lot of vehicles, both manual, standard automatic & now a CVT. Any transmission can have a poor design or be defective & some manufacturers are not known for having reliable transmissions or motors but for all of my vehicles, I have never had a major transmission issue. I have no problem with Honda's CVT.

Auxiliary · Jan 26, 2023

I’m not CRV bias. I have had plenty of CRVs as you can see in my signature and I’m not a fan of them. They are too loud on the road. These are wife’s. With that said I rented a rav4 last year so most likely a 2022 and I didn’t like it. My wife wanted me to rent it since I wanted her to get one. Not after that. You didn’t say if you were going new . If that is the case, we have the 2023 crv (gas) and I am sold. Quiet, smooth, love it. 2023 is night and day to our 2020 crv we had.
like others said Nissan’s are horrible. I had an equinox , 6 speed , 9k miles and the tranny would slip. I got rid of it and have a Toyota ECT.

davidsh331 · Jan 26, 2023

I am on my 3rd Honda, second CR-V. I am a stickler for everything to be working, even things that I don't use. To date, I have never needed to repair anything on either vehicle to date. I found that to be very impressive, compared to other brands that I have encountered over the years.

Frank M 53 · Jan 26, 2023

My 2019 CR-V with 1.5 liter turbocharged engine, All Wheel Drive, and Continuously Variable Transmission have been flawless. I couldn't be happier with this car's performance. Only 57,000 miles so far but I would like to add that the Maintenance Minder does remind you when to change the transmission fluid. The literature I read online advised me to "be sure to also change the fluid in the transfer case (if equipped.)" The AWD vehicle has a transfer case but it is attached directly to the transmission, and shares the same fluid. No need to worry about another separate fluid change.

Bryan's Silver Fox · Jan 26, 2023

There may have been a few issues with the 15. But as far as CVT goes, Honda is one better. Do drain and fill every 30K.

Johnny55555 · Jan 26, 2023

I too am a bit leery about the CVT transmissions. I would of bought a Rav 4 too except for the fact my wife didn't like the seat position in the Rav 4. I have 2018 CRV Touring and so far am quite happy with it. Time will tell about the CVT.

rhody401 · Jan 26, 2023

I own two 2015 Honda CR-V Touring models, purchased for our family at the same time.

The CVT transmissions have been fantastic, and I think almost all brands use them now. Zero complaints from me, and I wont hesitate to get another CVT when I get a 2023 soon.

mrtn · Jan 26, 2023

Do fluid changes every 30K and you'll be fine. CVT creates metal flakes by design and is also designed to handle it but frequent fluid changes will make sure your transmission will last the lifetime of the car.

KCKENOP · Jan 26, 2023

My 2018 CRV had to have the transmission replaced within about six months of purchase. Luckily it was under warranty.

TheDarkKnight · Jan 26, 2023

Subjective.

Whats noisy to you may not be for others.

Garfy · Jan 26, 2023

Of all the CVTs out there, I trust the current Honda ones most because Honda learned a lot from their first foray into CVTs back in 2000 with the Civic HX which were very troublesome; most barely lasted 60,000 miles and lots of dealers were replacing them under warranty despite having gone past the 3 yr/36K base warranty. The new CVTs introduced in 2015 on the Fit, CR-V and Accord and in most 4 cylinder models in 2016 and up shows their commitment to it. I do know that CVTs are not capable currently of handling high power which explains why the V6 Hondas have conventional automatics as well as the 2.0L turbo Accords which had a 10-speed automatic early on. The 1.5L turbo had a CVT.

Rcfrauton · Jan 26, 2023

When shopping for my 2018 CRV, I, too, had reservations about CVT transmissions. Those reservations disappeared after my test drive. Honda seems to have refined the CVT just like they have refined their cars. I drove the 2018 for 3 years and am now driving a 2020 CRV. The CVT has never been an issue and, in fact, a big improvement over the constant hunting and shifting of the multi-gear “traditional” transmission, IMHO. My sister-in-law has a 2022 RAV4 which I recently drove. I find the engine sound and multiple gear shifts very annoying.

John72! · Jan 26, 2023

We have had three Honda CRVs and have had zero problems with the CVT transmissions.

PoppaJimbo · Jan 26, 2023

TESTIMONY OF A REPENTANT MOTORHEAD:
Speaking as a 65 year old motorhead who enjoyed my muscle car's power 'back in the day', and who swore I would never own a vehicle with a 'golfcart' CVT tranny, I am highly impressed with our 2020's CVT, yes sir!! Powered by our 1.5 Turbocharged power plant, it has plenty of power to pass slower vehicles, more than enough for ramping onto interstates, and will get us safely through an amber traffic light in a flash. Our CR-V is not a muscle car, I 'have that' with my '13 Accord V6 when I want to blow some carbon out the pipes. Our CR-V is our comfortable, quiet and reliable ride that is a pleasure to drive. We look forward to keeping it at least a decade or so, just like our Accord, paid off and built to last.

So, there it is. My perception of the worthiness of CVT trannys is a major 'yeh man', a complete 180 degree turn from my only previous CVT driving experience, which was when I drove a rental Altima POS with a CVT that felt like a golfcart with a major rubber band. I swore I would never own a CVT. If you buy a well-built vehicle, with a well-matched Engine-CVT drivetrain, you get a reliable machine, good mileage, and a long lifespan with committed maintenace.

8dragon · Jan 26, 2023

Exactly what I am doing. Honda is also pushing the 1.5L turbo engine with direct injection only (Toyota combines their direct injection with port injection to eliminate valve deposits). Remains to be seen how reliable this Honda engine will be. If you are considering a hybrid then it appears you will get the 2L engine with a e-CVT transmission which is nothing like the typical CVT. To see the difference between CVTs & e-CVTs you can check out videos on YouTube (Weber Auto & SpeedKarr).

JFlower · Jan 26, 2023

When I was buying in late 2019, I went with the CRV over the RAV4 and Rogue. I did read about CVTs potentially being an issue, but I researched it thoroughly and my concerns were put to rest. I realized previous history and perception of CVTs were a greater issue than actual recent performance of CVT transmissions and that there were very few complaints actually reported about CVT transmissions on CRVs and Rogues in the recent model years leading up to the one I got. I haven't regretted getting the CRV once.

But, I have been very, and I mean VERY, relieved that I didn't get the RAV4. Before you get one, I would strongly suggest seeking out a forum such as this, but for RAV4s. I joined both at the time I was looking to get a better feel for anything I needed to know about the cars, and the number of little issues that I was going to have to problem solve were numerous on the RAV4. And the big problems with the 2019 model were indeed transmission issues. So numerous that owners were pushing for a recall, but Toyota only issued a software fix to correct the issue. It worked for some, but not for all. There were actually owners that were able to file under the Lemon Law to get their money back for their 2019 RAV4s because of their transmission problems. So, make sure you are choosing the year wisely, but also don't just assume that the regular transmission is good to go just because it is a Toyota.

Good luck with whatever your final decision is for your next car.

Franken CRV · Jan 26, 2023

We had a 2018 CR-V with the CVT, which we passed on to our daughter. We now have a 2022 Hybrid CR-V. Power delivery is better, especially from a dead stop. But it DOES have a CVT.

HONDA CRVS " CVT transmissions"

Tony H

dussaultdc

ABCCRV2018

HOTELLJACK1

Auxiliary

davidsh331

Frank M 53

Bryan's Silver Fox

Johnny55555

rhody401

mrtn

KCKENOP

TheDarkKnight

Garfy

Rcfrauton

John72!

PoppaJimbo

8dragon

JFlower

Franken CRV

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