Honda CRV with CVT

Geezer

Geezer

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Does anyone have any firsthand with a Honda CRV with the CVT? Pros, cons, maintenance schedule, opinions.
 
I have an older model (2013) I bought new so can’t comment on CVT.
Have a 187,000 miles (lots of highway) on her. Average about 29.2 MPG. Besides regular maintenance I have had to put $400 dollars into her. Have AWD which works pretty good in snow but not as well as my wife’s forester.
Drives nice but won’t win any drag races. I would be hard pressed not to buy another one once I drive this into the ground. Rated #1 suv I believe.
 
We also have a 2013 CR-V, super reliable car. My in-laws have had a new CR-V every three years since they came out. They loved them, even the old ones. I would buy another one.
 
We have a 2013 and want to get a new, or newer, one. All I know about the CVT is what I can find on the web. I don't have a warm, fuzzy feeling about the CVT but it looks like it's my only choice if we stick with the CRV.
 
Geezer said:
We have a 2013 and want to get a new, or newer, one. All I know about the CVT is what I can find on the web. I don't have a warm, fuzzy feeling about the CVT but it looks like it's my only choice if we stick with the CRV.
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As far as CVT trans goes, Honda and Toyota have the best so far. None have been proven with longevity due to still being relatively new.
 
Mike Overlay said:
As far as CVT trans goes, Honda and Toyota have the best so far. None have been proven with longevity due to still being relatively new.
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Thanks, I was hoping you'd reply.
 
Scrubber3 said:
If you want a car in that class, go with the Rav4. No cvt and it's better quality. Honda is overrated. Good, but overrated. And they aren't known for making the best transmission.
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The new , 2020 Rav4 is a nice dang vehicle. Have really stepped up in the market
 
Mrs. Vyntage is on her second CRV. The first one we sold after 160,000 problem-free miles. We recently talked to the woman that bought it and it's still going strong.

Her current CRV has a CVT with 80K on it, and so far has had zero problems (knock on wood).

As for maintenance, the first one had the five-speed and we changed the fluid one time. But given the spotty reputation of CVTs in general, we are being more cautious this time and changing the trans fluid every 30K.
 
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Majicmike said:
How’s the Fit Doing, that was a CVT wasn’t it
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No cvt.
Doing great after a couple transmission switches replaced to operate gear changes correctly. So far, no more twitching in 3rd and 4th gears that I know of.
 
I think its going to boil down to who uses "wet" clutches vs "dry" clutches for longer lasting transmission. The wet clutches with more frequent fluid services should, in theroy, see better, longer life
 
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I could not own a CVT just for the way they drive let alone the questionable reliability. If you like the CRV check out the RDX from Acura. There you get a V6 and a 6 speed transmission. I just got my wife a 2013 RDX with 66k for $13,500 and she loves it. Traded in an 07 Rav4 that was burning 2 quarts of oil every 1,000 miles.
 
Didnt own a Honda but wife had a Nissan with the CVT. Felt and drove and had all the characteristics of a electric golf cart but with less torque. Pretty sure Nissan has had issues with the CVT as well.

no thanks, I'll take a real slushbox full of that synthetic fluid and at least 6-8 real gears. Or just get a Tesla, none of that in between crap for me just because it's cheaper to make.
 
Honda has done a good job calibrating their CVT; in normal driving it "shifts" like a standard torque converter transmission.

It's only under full throttle, where the transmission holds the engine at peak power, that the CVT makes itself known. The drone is not particularly pleasant but it will scoot along pretty well under those conditions.
 
I have the CVT in my Rogue. It was the difference in getting about 28 MPG average as opposed to 24. They have been around for a while now.
 
Mike Overlay said:
So far, Ford, Nissan, Dodge, and GM are the stay far away from with CVT.
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My brother was talking to the owner of a transmission shop about a month ago and was told the 2013ish Ford Fusion and Focus models and Nissan's with the CVT were terrible. When they get a Nissan in with CVT transmissions in they don't rebuild them. They order one from Nissan.
 
I own a Rogue and Forester with CVT. No issues thus far, but less than 100k miles on each. Based on the NICO club forums, most newer CVT issues happen when people do their own fluid changes. They slightly overfill and that leads to foaming which reduces lubrication.
 
Only vehicle we have with a CVT is a 2012 Subaru Legacy I bought for my daughter. Had it a couple years and it now has a little over 100k with no real issues. It does do some strange things occasionally with a low idle and feeling like it will stall when backing up and putting it in drive. Brother’s wife has a HRV with the CVT and around 60k and no issues.
 
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