[Wrascal]

I don't remember when I started hearing/ reading owner reviews about the 'new' CVTs (10 years ago?) - but they weren't favorable. The one lasting comment that stuck to my mind was they drove as though they were connected with rubber bands; needless to say I avoided them. Well that was then and this is now.

Out of necessity I recently needed another vehicle (original was stolen/ totaled) and this CVT equipped CRV was the best deal I could quickly come up with; despite those lingering thoughts I bit the bullet.

Granted I've only driven this CVT for 1000 miles but I find it to be very smooth and works well; as the engine revs it always remains quiet - with no rubber band (sling-shot) feel.

While I would prefer to go back to rowing, heal/ toe'g (a stick is always fun); I like this new technology. Time will reveal if its a good long term solution.

Your thoughts?

 

[Coastie05]

It's a very reliable transmission and there is no need to worry.

 

[newbie99]

Yes. CVT has been around for a few years. re: Since 2015 CRV. Since first using CVT, I'm sure Honda has applied a few tweaking / improvements to it. And, other auto makers are using CVT in their base models as well. If wondering, my SIL has a little Spark - that uses CVT. She loves its CVT technology. For a heavier weight CRV, I'm not too sure how CVT will be in the long run. Especially for folks like me - who keep vehicle's 8-12+ years. Only time will tell...

 

[Wrascal]

I once had the same doubts about turbos (based on reviews from 20 years ago) but I've been happy with them (in my trucks) for for several generations now. Time moves on.

 

[newbie99]

I'm not a fan of turbo. Guy next to me has a turbo vehicle in his driveway and its turbo is broken. It will take $3K to fix it and trade-in (with working turbo) is $900. Not worth fixing and cannot trade it in. So, his vehicle just sits there.... Like I said, I'm not a fan of little engine engines and turbo tops - to force them to work harder... Way too many moving / spinning parts - that increase risk of breakage and higher repair costs. But that's me.....

 

[rocky]

My 16 was the first vehicle I've bought with cvt. Rest of the family (all drivers) have no clue it's cvt v traditional auto and probably don't care.
I think it's at its best when the car is heavily loaded. It's wider range of gear ratios really helps.

 

[Tigris99]

I'm not a fan of turbo. Guy next to me has a turbo vehicle in his driveway and its turbo is broken. It will take $3K to fix it and trade-in (with working turbo) is $900. Not worth fixing and cannot trade it in. So, his vehicle just sits there.... Like I said, I'm not a fan of little engine engines and turbo tops - to force them to work harder... Way too many moving / spinning parts - that increase risk of breakage and higher repair costs. But that's me.....

You realize a turbo systems is one added spinning part and 2 oil lines and that's about it right? Nothing complex. And they don't make the engine work harder, they increase the ability of the engine by supplying more air, nothing more.

Anything with a diesel engine since the mid 90s pretty much has a turbo

That $3000 fix is for a shop to put a brand new one in and guessing a old diesel truck that's a turd with a trade in that low. And that price is likely also because that is a BIG turbo.

Also ya he's looking at trade in value which is about 30% give or take of what he could sell it for privately.

Turbos have been around since WWII (used on some military aircraft like the p38).

Don't base judgement on something from a neighbor who obviously is lacking in some basic knowledge of what things are worth and such.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[newbie99]

I actually grew up with turbos. Especially Diesel turbos - which where always in the shop. And, I still avoid them today. When they blow, they blow "big time". Seen it many times over - with my own eyes...

BTW: To read about turbo reliability, surf: https://www.samarins.com/check/turbo-car.html

If wondering... I'm willing to try CVT in small weight vehicles. CVT is similar to my snowmobile drive systems. But, I'm not ready for turbos. Been there, done that will and probably skip directly to Electric Engine vehicles (when they mature their technology and battery sizes in a few more years)….

 

[Tigris99]

Ya I'm a mechanic I've seen turbos go plenty of times. Seen tons of timing chains fail, head gaskets blow and so on. You sighted one bias article. Turbos are not just about pushing a smaller engine harder, the writer has 0 understanding of the engineering behind an engine.

I'm not saying you have to like turbos, that's of course up to you, but need to actually see the facts and details before saying turbos are bad and blah blah blah.

My father's 96 f350 power stroke 7.3. replaced the turbo about 150k miles ago (before it came apart) and that had over 300k on it.

Look at the mileage on those big trucks that have blown turbos and go through to ones that weren't modified or extremely heavily worked.

Seen many many cars with over 200k with turbo in perfect working order still because they don't use cheap oil.

Turbos in anything besides diesel trucks the owner's just want to beat the crap out of the car and not take care of it. Look at how diesel pickups are treated. Expected to be hot rods or towing way beyond what they are meant for.

Ya turbos are something else that can go wrong but CVT failures and issues with them are 10x the failure rate of turbos.

Like any vehicle, being cheap is the killer far more than anything else. Don't hate turbos because of what you have seen. They aren't near as bad as you would think, but they do require extra attention. It's a trade off.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[osbornk]

I think you will be happy with the CVT in your CRV. I have 52,000+ on my 2016 and I have grown very fond of the transmission. I live where there are steep inclines and when I set the cruise, regardless of how steep the incline is, the speed remains the same even though the engine speed increases. On downgrades, it will "downshift" where the engine braking slows down the vehicle and the engine speed increases.. It works very well and I like that it doesn't downshift on steep upgrades like my two conventional automatics do.

 

[newbie99]

My other neighbour bought a brand new Ford Escape 2.0T. It's been in the shop several times for turbo fix work (under warranty). Like I said... I don't want turbo. Seriously.... Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt. No thanks. This Eskimo ain't buying Freezers anymore LOL!

 

[Tigris99]

Hey no worries man.

And using a Ford as an example of issues though..... Ford is a bad example of just making anything on 4 wheels in general. They can't do anything right since the mid late 90s.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Wrascal]

And using a Ford as an example of issues though..... Ford is a bad example of just making anything on 4 wheels in general. They can't do anything right since the mid late 90s.

I must take exception to that blanket statement. I've continuously had a Ford in my possession since 1998 (F150, F250 x2, E350, F350). With the exception of the last 250 they never again visited the dealership for a repair (that one wouldn't start and was towed in - some $43 relay died).

Apples to oranges: every single one of these Fords were worked beyond my Honda's capabilities (multiple Accords, Civic, Pilot, Odysseys, Ridgeline, CRVs).

 

[Tigris99]

Damn you had some good luck because we call Ford's job security lol. Multiple with broken transmissions between 60 and 75k from the around 2012 versions. And more than I care to count of spark plugs that have blown themselves right out of the heads. Though you may have not kept yours long enough for the problems to present themselves. I judge vehicles on how they are at high mileage. Though recent CRVs aren't even making it to higher mileage without a LIST of problems.

Ford cars have always been problematic. But Chrysler is no better, probably worse in all areas (done lots of engine work on Chrysler v6 and v8s at barely 100k, sometimes as low as 80k yet perfectly maintained). GM gets cars/crossovers done decent till about 2010ish then their OHC v6s self destruct.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Wrascal]

I started purchasing imports back in the mid/late 80's, primarily due to my numerous poor American brand reliability issues. In my fathers eyes this made me a low scoundrel (during that time he owned a Buick, Pontiac - and earlier a Land Rover dealership).

I believe it is fair to say that historically ALL brands have had their share of troubles. Now GM is doing well and Honda is slipping in overall quality.

My Fixed Often, Repaired Daily (dads name for Ford) vehicles have performed exemplary; and as biased as Dad was once Land Rover left the USA he purchased/ drove a Jimmy as his snow plow truck.

Dear Dad, forgive me; RIP.