CVT, yes or no

Thinking of buying my first Subaru, Impreza or Legacy. I prefer manuals but have heard some good things about Subaru getting the CVT right and seen some impressive fuel mileage numbers.

Are the numbers real? Is it a reliable tranny? Is it quiet? How well does it operate climbing mountains? (I live in British Columbia). Is it worth the extra $1300?

I have heard it is not terribly quiet and the early models had some issues, but mostly they have been reliable.

 

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If prefer manuals, buy the manual. I do not regret buying a 6MT over the CVT in my 2012. You could also test drive the cvt and mt to see which one you prefer.

The CVT pulls decently well, and gets fantastic fuel economy (my mother's 2012 2.5i CVT gets like 34-35 on the highway). That said, I'd prefer a 5-or-6 speed automatic over a CVT as far as driving enjoyment goes (and a manual wins out over everything).

 

It's a bit appliance-like, but it's not the worst CVT I've driven (looking at you, Nissan Rogue...). Test drive one, see what you think.

Is that 35 highway with American gallon or Canadian Imperial gallon?

I have the CVT combined with a diesel and that works fine. And I actually prefer that over the 6MT when it comes to the diesel engine.

 

Only thing I miss is the ability to select different programs for the gearbox, like an extra economy mode and a tow mode, but it's not bad as it is.

All my cars were MT including 2008 legacy 2.5i. When it came to buying the current car I test drove 2013 legacy 2.5i with manual and CVT and chose CVT. No regrets. I have to say I really liked the paddle shifters. They work much better than your average AT with shift mode. Also on the question of noise, I do not hear the transmission at all. If there is any noise it is from the engine. Which will be there whether you go with MT or CVT.

Is that 35 highway with American gallon or Canadian Imperial gallon?

 

American gallon.

 

 

All my cars were MT including 2008 legacy 2.5i. When it came to buying the current car I test drove 2013 legacy 2.5i with manual and CVT and chose CVT. No regrets. I have to say I really liked the paddle shifters. They work much better than your average AT with shift mode.

 

The paddle shifters are decently responsive, but altogether pointless on a CVT. It never actually disengages and reengages drive, so it doesn't feel like a shift at all, the engine just changing revs. Less of a droning sound than a CVT's normal operation.

 

If you enjoy it, it's your car, and more power to you.

I am not sure how it is pointless. A downshift is a downshift. The ratio between the speed of the engine and the speed of the tires is changed - which is a function of any transmission.

 

Is CVT overall less engaging? Sure. It is by default as any auto transmission is designed with that exact purpose in mind.

I agree that it's not pointless with the shift ability on the CVT, but I don't like the paddles since they aren't where you want them when you turn and want to shift.

So I finally tried one and am quite impressed. No weird transmission behaviour (even climbing a steep hill), it seems to lock into a ratio when you put your foot in it to provide a smooth, constant acceleration, and loafs along at 1800 RPM at 100 KPH. I doubt I would use the manual mode except for descending mountain roads to get some engine braking. Very little engine or wind noise on the highway. Quite a bit of tire noise. Lots of goodies for just the Touring trim level. Looking much harder now to buy one.

I enjoy the CVT in our 2016 Outback 3.6R, its very quiet and smooth.

 

You didn't tell us if you were looking at a new car or used ?

 

FWIW, the eyesight system is amazing, get it with the auto dimming side mirror option too.

I like the CVT in my 2010 Limited. Zero complaints about it, and zero regrets.

2015+ Legacy/Outback 3.6R, 2014+ FXT and 2015+ WRX (if equipped with a CVT) all use flavors of the Lineatronic HT-CVT you should be happy with (especially given the torque levels provided by the EZ36D and FA20DIT engines).

 

The CVT found in other Subaru models (mated to FA/FB engines) is a mixed bag. Nothing wrong with the transmission itself but combined with AWD, less powerful engines and still a relatively high curb weight of these cars - personal opinions are very mixed. For some, its fine. For others, its not a good pairing.

 

Best thing to do is to test drive the cars and see how you like it.

Remember that your impression of the CVT in a 2015+ Legacy/Outback 3.6R or Forester XT, WRX will be very different vs say a 2014+ Crosstrek XV.

As long as the CVT (6 cyl) can get me to decent acceleration on highways im fine with it. If I wanted a faster car I would have gotten an STI or Camaro. Kinda funny thing about the STI since it was designed for like a young to mid twenties. But most twenty year olds can't afford the car. By the time they can afford it they are too old for it.

I think it will. Its not neck snapping but decent enough given the motors average torque output across the most used RPM range (say 1.5-4K RPM).

I bought a 2015 Forester Touring with the CVT. Its actually quite nice smooth and capable. Obviously not as brutal as my 3.6R can be but Subaru ironed out a lot of the rubbery feeling from the earlier cvts.

OK people. I am now the owner of a 2015 Venetian Pearl Red Legacy Touring with a CVT. Really enjoying it. A definite learning curve going from a 2003 Suzuki Aerio to this. Thanks to all of you for your info and opinions. Happy motoring!

OK people. I am now the owner of a 2015 Venetian Pearl Red Legacy Touring with a CVT. Really enjoying it. A definite learning curve going from a 2003 Suzuki Aerio to this. Thanks to all of you for your info and opinions. Happy motoring!

 

Congrats. Which engine did you get? What part required a learning curve?

I got the 2.5 which is proving to be as fuel efficient as people have said and has enough power for what we need. Learning curve involves all the electronic doodads on this thing, many of which we didn't even know it had(i.e. the system that warns us a car is passing as we back up). Going to start a new thread regarding roof racks now. Trouble finding one strong enough for this car.