Do you own a car that's equipped with a CVT transmission?
If so, what is your overall opinion of the way it operates or performs while you're driving?
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sarabee1995 · 26-30, F
Okay, so I've owned a hand-me-down Toyota Prius, and I've bought two cars so far in my adult life: a 2017-ish used Subaru Crosstrek (which my fiance now drives) and just bought a new 2025 Subaru Crosstrek.
All three cars have been CVT transmissions. My brother says CVTs are junk. Honestly, I love how smooth they drive. I've never had a problem and I drive a LOT.
All three cars have been CVT transmissions. My brother says CVTs are junk. Honestly, I love how smooth they drive. I've never had a problem and I drive a LOT.
swirlie · 31-35
@sarabee1995
Interesting what you say about Toyota Prius! I was just reading in my tech research that Toyota uses a non-standard version of CVT technology in the Prius, which is the installation of a 1st gear (mechanical) considering that CVT's don't actually have any gears at all. So this amounts to a one-gear + CVT technology.
What the most common problem with even modern CVT's is a 2 second lag-time that often exists from when you start out from a dead stop, where you hit the gas but nothing happens.. for 1 to 2 seconds except for the engine accelerating, but the car not moving. Suddenly the car will start to move and moves forward at the usual rate of acceleration.
In the Prius however, the car responds immediately to throttle movement by getting the car going in that 1st gear, but then the CVT technology takes over about 2 seconds after the car moves along in 1st gear mechanical, then transitions to CVT variable speed technology thereafter.
I don't know if the Crosstrek uses that Prius technology or not, but if it doesn't, then you might notice a slight lag or delay in forward motion when starting out from a stop.
Don't know why your brother thinks CVT's are junk, unless he's old school in his auto aspirations!
I think what annoys me the most about modern cars are the 8 and 10 speed transmissions they use now. I was test-driving a VW Atlas SUV and I was actually holding up traffic behind me because my car couldn't run through all the gears as fast as the cars behind me were accelerating from a stop light!
With CVT, I understand that the acceleration is more like one continuous acceleration line from zero to 60, which I think I'd prefer in a car. I ride a motorcycle, so this CVT research is new stuff for me! Thanks!
Interesting what you say about Toyota Prius! I was just reading in my tech research that Toyota uses a non-standard version of CVT technology in the Prius, which is the installation of a 1st gear (mechanical) considering that CVT's don't actually have any gears at all. So this amounts to a one-gear + CVT technology.
What the most common problem with even modern CVT's is a 2 second lag-time that often exists from when you start out from a dead stop, where you hit the gas but nothing happens.. for 1 to 2 seconds except for the engine accelerating, but the car not moving. Suddenly the car will start to move and moves forward at the usual rate of acceleration.
In the Prius however, the car responds immediately to throttle movement by getting the car going in that 1st gear, but then the CVT technology takes over about 2 seconds after the car moves along in 1st gear mechanical, then transitions to CVT variable speed technology thereafter.
I don't know if the Crosstrek uses that Prius technology or not, but if it doesn't, then you might notice a slight lag or delay in forward motion when starting out from a stop.
Don't know why your brother thinks CVT's are junk, unless he's old school in his auto aspirations!
I think what annoys me the most about modern cars are the 8 and 10 speed transmissions they use now. I was test-driving a VW Atlas SUV and I was actually holding up traffic behind me because my car couldn't run through all the gears as fast as the cars behind me were accelerating from a stop light!
With CVT, I understand that the acceleration is more like one continuous acceleration line from zero to 60, which I think I'd prefer in a car. I ride a motorcycle, so this CVT research is new stuff for me! Thanks!
swirlie · 31-35
@sarabee1995
Okay, that's good to know about the Subaru. I think I'll test drive a Crosstrek because they seem to be a popular choice here, a nice size too!
Okay, that's good to know about the Subaru. I think I'll test drive a Crosstrek because they seem to be a popular choice here, a nice size too!