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Buying a new car
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| May 1st, 2014 at 4:08:49 AM permalink | |
| boymimbo Member since: Mar 25, 2013 Threads: 5 Posts: 732 | CVT is used pretty heavily in hybrids. I must say it feels strange to drive a car without gears, especially switching over from my manual Civic. The highway claim is 38MPG and I'm taking it down to CT next weekend for my niece's confirmation, so lots of highway driving coming up. Quite honestly, I got that Civic at a deal and the government was rebating new car owners $1,000 to drive any car rated more than 30MPG at the time (7L/100km). The Civic has lived up to its word. No matter what I am driving in, I consistently get about 600km to a 45L tank or about 31MPG. And very little unexpected maintenance either, though the A/C is out right now, but I use the brakes so little that I've only had to replace them once in the 150K miles driven. |
| May 1st, 2014 at 4:56:50 AM permalink | |
| AZDuffman Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 135 Posts: 18193 |
The "feel" has been a bit of a consumer turn-off. Even when you explain it is more efficient people still don't like it. One manufacturer IIRC actually let you lock in "gears" on them. I expect they will fade away. The President is a fink. |
| May 1st, 2014 at 5:16:14 AM permalink | |
| Mosca Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 22 Posts: 730 |
I've been driving a CVT since '08. It feels the same as a really good 8 or 9 speed, because that's what an 8 or 9 speed is trying to emulate. If you aren't thinking about it, it isn't there. And then when you get behind the wheel of a regular automatic, it feels crude by comparison. Nissan let's you lock gears in; except for using engine braking down hills in icy conditions, I've never done it. |
| May 1st, 2014 at 7:01:24 AM permalink | |
| boymimbo Member since: Mar 25, 2013 Threads: 5 Posts: 732 | The weirdest thing about the CVT is to be able to accelerate from 0 - 60 without the tach or the noise in the engine changing. Conversely I'm so used to having my Civic in neutral whenever I'm coasting... My only worry about the CVT is the reliability, and it appears that CR and JD Power have the same issue. CR reports people hearing early squeaks and rattles, and there are lots of horror stories on the CVT. Yet the Hyundai felt too cheap. The Ford Fusion is a solid car, but the headrests are killing sales of that car for shorter people (aka wives). So I think I'll go internet and pay the $99 next time in 7 years. |
| May 1st, 2014 at 7:46:55 AM permalink | |
| AZDuffman Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 135 Posts: 18193 |
CVTs have a steel band that runs between two pulleys. The band snapping is why you only see CVTs in smaller engines, a V-8 would really push the limits. Sometimes the issue on "newtech (CVTs are hardly new however) is the consumer does not know the right way to drive and take care of them. I'd suggest check some motothead forums and see if there is anything you need to know. Keep us posted, I was always curious about this transmission. The President is a fink. |
| May 3rd, 2014 at 6:43:58 AM permalink | |
| zippyboy Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 2 Posts: 665 | Brand new entry-level Jeep Wranglers still come with crank windows and stick shifts for $22,000. |
| May 3rd, 2014 at 7:02:28 AM permalink | |
| AZDuffman Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 135 Posts: 18193 |
Crank windows on a Jeep? Luxury! Wonder if they still have the plastic pop-out ones? The President is a fink. |
| May 3rd, 2014 at 11:22:16 AM permalink | |
| boymimbo Member since: Mar 25, 2013 Threads: 5 Posts: 732 | Just took it on a freeway run from my house to my parents (76km / 47 miles) and registered 7.0L/100km or 33.6 mpg. This is me driving at 120kph (75mph) on the freeway with about 5 minutes of city on each end. Not bad. It advertises 38mpg EPA on the highway. In Canada it advertises 46mpg on the freeway, which I think is pretty much impossible. With a pure mix of city/country driving through the week I was at 28.3 mpg. We'll see how the Connecticut drive pans out next weekend. |