CVT transmissions

I've only got 15,000 miles on my Outback, so I can't offer any opinions on maintenance.

As for drivability, you can manually shift the CVT, and it's pretty responsive. Not quite as much as when I would move the hand shifter in my Opel GT, but much better than, say, my mom's old Mustang, which would sit and think about whether it really wanted to downshift.

When I'm operating it, as usual, in purely automatic mode, it sometimes fails to respond promptly to the pedal at low speeds. I've noticed this, for example, when coming out of a corner or starting from a stoplight. It doesn't stall; it just doesn't speed up right away. The phenomenon has been so intermittent that I haven't been able to document the circumstances well enough to ask Subaru about it. I suspect something in the programming of the computer that controls the CVT, but that's just a guess.

What have you heard about the drivability and maintenance of Subaru's CVT?

Patty

Similar to what you're experiencing: slow to respond at slower speeds (or starting). The engine revs, but the car seems to delay getting going. Someone described it as a rubber band feeling: the engine revs, but the transmission waits to catch up.

As for maintenance, I've heard that regular (frequent?) transmission fluid changes are required, as well as the need to replace the internal belt too often for my liking.

The factory recommended maintenance does not indicate regular replacement of fluid, only an inspection that the level is correct. My wife and I have two Subarus, a 2014 Forester for about 26 months that has just over 45,000 miles on it and a 2015 Outback for about 12 months that has 16,000 miles on it. So, I'm fairly new to driving cars with CVTs as these are the only ones we;ve owned that have them. I have no complaints about the performance nor reliability. I've not heard anything about the need to replace the internal belt nor, as I said, regular changes of fluid.

I just got my new Forester with it and see no negatives. Shifting is transparent, that is there is no notice of shifting when speeding up or slowing down. There is a Hi and Lo and coming down my hill the Lo is not as slow as the old auto first gear and braking is required whereas with old low in automatic, I would not need to brake.

I've not heard of any problems with modern Subaru CVTs. In fact they've often been singled out as examples of how to do it right. I've read that the newest versions are, if anything, stronger than what has gone before so Subaru has moved to them for their entire line including the 3.6-engined versions.

That's certainly good news. Thanks.

I might be wrong, but usually for performance cars, they don't put CVT's on them, they put DCT's on them.

Yousuf Khan

I'm giving some thought to a new WRX, but as fewer and fewer of my friends (and occasional co-drivers) can drive a standard stick shift, I'm considering getting an automatic.

Here's the deal: I've heard varying reports on the drivability and maintenance requirements of the CVTs.

I'm open to any opinions you'd care to offer....

Thanks.

Our 2011 CVT failed with only 46,000 miles and one day over the 5-year warranty period. Five warning lights illuminated including the check engine, the AT Oil Temp, the the Cruise, the skid control, and the Brake light.

We took it to our local dealer and were told that two solenoids were sticking and that they were not sold separately, so we needed an entire new valve body(?) at a cost of $1200! I mentioned this failure occurred EXACTLY one day after the five-year warranty. The service manager said he will cover the repair as a goodwill gesture, but I am concerned about the long-term reliability of continuously variable transmissions after this failure.

Follow-Up Feb 23, 2016 The Outback is mostly driven by my wife, but every time I drive or ride in it I notice there is clearly something still wrong with the CVT. Sometimes it almost stalls; reverse operates strangely, the engine seems to over-rev and the gas mileage is worse than before the repair. I think we made sell it and buy a car with a normal transmission. CVTs are not recommended for most and certainly not for driving enthusiasts of any kind. I just think they are not perfected yet. And all higher-end cars never use them.

Thanks,

- Russ in Santa Barbara

I've been driving my 2016 Forester now for just a couple of weeks and have been pleased with CVT so far. I find it very smooth. There are two settings, drive and low but the low setting does not slow the car down going down my steep hill as much as the 1st setting of the automatic transmission of my old Forester. It is nice on other hills however where I might have downshifted into 3rd on old, I don't have to on this one.

Frank:

I've seen "enthusiasts" criticize CVT's in general, and MotorWeek specifically said it was unfortunate on the 2014 Forester. It has also been criticized on the Prius. (I have one of each.)

Get real! The Forester and the Prius are not sports cars. They're utility vehicles, and I think that the CVT adds much to the utility by making them smooth and comfortable to drive. Neither my three-year-old Forester nor my 10-year-old Prius has had a problem with its CVT.

I had seen such comments before I bought my Forester and was a little concerned but figured, just like you, that I was not buying a sports car.

It is easier to drive.

The "automatic" transmission in the "S" series 2015 Corolla is a CVT in disguise. It is programmed to give, I believe, 6 "gears" - but internally it is just a computer massaged CVT - and it shifts crisply and firmly - if you didn't KNOW it was a CVT you would never guess it

One feature that drew me to buying our 2014 Forester was the CVT. We took one out for a long test drive and I liked how it performed. If the Forester did not have a CVT, I still would have bought it but the CVT is a plus, IMO. Same with our 2015 Outback.

"Frank" wrote

I have a 2016 Legacy Limited. It comes with "paddle shifters". I didn't pay them any attention until recently, and I can downshift through the "gears" with them. It reverts to Drive very soon after, however, I think within about 15 seconds.