Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Question: Continuously Variable Transmission ??

This is the biggest problem with CVT's, wrong fluid.

Don't forget the Subaru WRX. It is still available with a stick. The Nissan is a known bad CVT. Not sure if they have done anything to improve quality yet. Subaru at least stands up and provides 100K warranty now. Honda builds a quality car but it is a 50/50 thing to me. If it is the same quality as they normally make, it is a now issue. If it does fail, it is going to be more money than another brand. Found that out the hard way when my '03 Element busted a CV joint on the rear drive shaft. $1000 as it is a non rebuildable part.

My company vehicle is a Subaru Forester. Got it new in August 2017. Has 83k miles on it and no tranny issues. I drive the hell out of it. My first Subaru experience and I love it.

The WRX only has a 6 speed in 2020. Subaru bought back my Son's WRX a few years ago that had CVT troubles.
He replaced it with a Lingenfelter Caddy CTS-V that he loves.

CRV's had CVT's 10+ years ago??

My 14 has auto/standard.

Honda makes their own and last I heard they had none of the issues the others have had as they all buy from JATCO.

Just another bullshit government "fix" as they all try like hell to make the CAFE standards.

I bought a low miles 2009 accord specifically to avoid the cvt

How is mountain descent? Friend has the nissan and likes the running at happy rpm going up but never mentioned coming down. They do have a lo of some sort. I am talking about rockies, like Eisenhower and vail, or monarch

My wifes little 1.4 chev can be locked into a gear as can my kia. A 1.4 doesnt have much compression braking, the 3.5 is ok.

Seems like a common theme running through these responses of failures around 100k miles. I have two friends who had the Ford Freestyles with CVTs who had similar experiences; failures at that mileage. One traded in, the other replaced it for $4k and ran it another 100k.

The first automatic transmissions were not as reliable as manuals, but they have improved significantly in the past 70 years. I have no doubt that with a few more decades of improvement the CVTs will get more reliable. but at this point they are probably not a good match for people who expect to drive a vehicle for 250 - 300k miles.

Jerry

I believe 2011 was before CVT's were available on Honda's. It looks like for 2011 Honda was using a 5 Speed Auto tranny on the CRV's.

I bought a Rav 4 Toyota in 2014 because they did not have CVT's then but Honda, Nissan, and Subaru did.

My wife drives a 2005 Ford Freestyle AWD with CVT. I bought it cheap at auction 6 or 7 years ago because it had been totalled in a hail storm. Constant velocity transmissions were pretty much an oddity at that time. It has just under 140,000 miles and the CVT has not been touched. It is well mated to the power curve of the engine and only makes the engine feel like it is revving hard while pulling a steep hill. All transmissions would do the same. This one, to date, is a pleasure to drive and has been flawless. Having said that, a cursory internet search will show that these transmissions are a ticking time bomb that usually explodes at 80-120,000 miles. I've been lucky. I was in the car industry for 35 years and have yet to hear a mechanic recommend a CVT for people that keep cars long after the warranty expires. I will not own another CVT until they earn a reputation for lasting 250-300,000 miles. YMMV, as they say....

My experience is limited to a 2016 Crosstrek that now has 90K on it. I had the dealership change the fluid around 55k and will probably have them do it again after 100k. Subaru uses a chain driven CVT so in my mind its important to get at least one drain and refill around 50k to get out any break-in shavings. I really like my CVT in every way thus far. It has specific shift points and has paddle shifters for manually controlled shifting per its designated shift points. It does not rev high when cruising, but rather stays in the lowest rpm setting possible for the optimum fuel mileage. It will wind out to the redline under hard acceleration before it shifts to the next shift point, i.e. shifting like an auto transmission. It learns your driving style quite well and will optimize to it. I learned that you can take off fast if you don't push the peddle immediately to the floor but instead give it like a 3/4 throttle and then push it to the floor when it fully engages if you must have more power. You can learn this technique instinctively. In reality though, unless you are racing why would you immediately push the pedal to the floor anyway when taking off quickly?

Not all CVTs are created equal. I like Subaru's Lineartronic but I also believe its better to keep them serviced with drain and refills using oem fluid only. Lifetime fluids were created for people who will never service and for people who will try to use a non-oem fluid and get the wrong lubricity spec fluid in it. A few changes fluid changes can make a significant difference in longevity.

The dealership which did my CVT service said they do have an outback with around 300k on the CVT. Most Subarus don't have the age yet to test the longevity of their CVT design when maintained. I plan to to test it.

Listening to the comments on stepping on the gas and nothing happening kind of reminds me of my buddy's 49 Buick Roadmaster with the Dynaflow transmission. Stomp on that dude and the engine roars the slowly the car would move out. Had a hell of a top speed once it got going though. It had a beautiful back seat though. Buick stuck with that Dynaflow tranny for years. IIRC, my ex-mother in law's 55 Buick still had that tranny.
Paul B.

"All models are powered by a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine making 185 horsepower paired with the CVT. From 2012 to 2014, a five-speed automatic transmission was offered."

"What type of transmission does a 2014 Honda CR V have?
The 2014 Honda CR-V features a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 185 horsepower. A five-speed automatic transmission is standard, which is paired with front- or all-wheel drive."

It appears that one of the two transmissions was standard, the other optional.
My 2014 is a standard automatic.

Manual trannys are best for longevity, followed by automatics, followed by CVT. Many CVTs are truly craptastic. Hondas are better than most, and Toyota makes the best...but "best" is still inferior (reliability-wise) relative to manual or automatic shift trannys.

I will not be buying a CVT in anything for the foreseeable future.

Maybe it was a 2015. I bought the Rav late in August of 2014.

I know the Honda CRV I test dorve had a CVT tranny from all the time it took to get up to speed, just like the Rogue I also drove. I hated that and saw it as a safety hazard.

!997 Subaru Justy s had a CVT.

Wife's 2016 CRV has 65K miles no issues. That includes 3 cross country trips and now living in WY driving on flat roads as well as through the Bighorns, no issues. Previous was a 2010 CRV, 100K+ no issues, gave it to our son who ran it for a while no issues til he totalled it. He now has a 2015 CRV and no issues.

Wouldn't slow me down one bit to get one

I've been driving a CR-V's for years. Current one is 2017 with 44,000. Never had a major issue with any of them. Hondas tend to be VERY reliable.

I bought a Subaru Outback a year ago this week. Have 53000 completely trouble free miles on it as of this morning. It is the base model 2019 Outback with base model 2.5i motor and CVT.

On my way to work is a complex interchange with a double merge double exit loop where I88 meets I80, and IL2. It is a choke point if a truck gets into the I88 exit ahead of you going to I80. But the ramp is 2 lane for about 200 yards and I frequently wind it up and pass snappily in that short distance.

I'm a very large driver and there are times that I would appreciate more room in the driver's seat. Still I am convinced that the Subaru outperforms anything remotely close to it's price range, and does it without trouble of any sort.

I have probably close to 2000 miles off road or on marginal (2 track) roads in the little subaru as well. And the largest percentage of these miles were with the unimpressive Bridgestone Dueler factory tires. No problem anywhere ever.
Combine that with it's impressive winter road handling, that is so much better yet with new tires designed for winter and it is an impressive little car.

My wife went looking for a car a month ago. Came home with a Subaru Outback like mine, but a 2020 about 4 trim levels up.

Now we are a 2baru family...

I have no doubt that a CVT transmission will fail. I intend to find that point as quickly as possible.

Stay tuned...