CVT transmissions

[ucfireman]

Would y'all be scared of buying a vehicle with a CVT?
I was looking a little at the RAV 4 hybrid AWD and it has a CVT, 41/38 mpg stated.
The regular gas one has an 8 speed transmission. 27/35 mpg
I know CVT has been around a while but I'm not completely sold for a vehicle, 4wheeler ok.

 

[Skeeter XRi]

Personally I’d go with the gas/8 speed combo, but given the great history we’ve had with anything from Toyota, I’d expect they’d make it right if there were any issues either way.

jim

 

[The Original Rooster]

I have never, ever, ever, ever, ever, spoken to a mechanic who liked CVT's. I think they're trouble. They'll have to be trouble free for many years before I'll change my mind. Just my opinion anyway.

 

[bigchiefchoctaw]

My wife has had two Hondas with CVT transmission. No issues as of yet. It certainly doesn’t shift like a normal transmission does. My wife’s current car is a Honda crv hybrid. Its combined average is 36. For you to get the really higher mileage mpg it has to be a lot of slow speeds in town or traffic where it stays on battery. I wouldn’t hesitate to get the rav 4 hybrid..

 

[ucfireman]

^ that is why Im thinking about it, Honda CRV has been CVT for a while now, Rav4 a little less but its Toyota.
I do a fair amount of city driving now but looking at a vehicle to take on trips in the near future (hopefully). The mpg figures intrigue me.

I have never spoken to a mechanic about them but I dont talk to mechanics anyway unless Im there for service.

 

[Buford_Dawg]

My family has had several Nissan CVT vehicles, all above 100K miles and no problems whatsoever. Wife driving a 2019 Murano now, 78k miles...

 

[bigchiefchoctaw]

^ that is why Im thinking about it, Honda CRV has been CVT for a while now, Rav4 a little less but its Toyota.
I do a fair amount of city driving now but looking at a vehicle to take on trips in the near future (hopefully). The mpg figures intrigue me.

I have never spoken to a mechanic about them but I dont talk to mechanics anyway unless Im there for service.

My wife really likes hers and I don’t think you would be disappointed as you mentioned it is a Toyota. My buddy has a rav4 that his wife drives and he swears by them. @transfixer may have some input to share.

 

[transfixer]

My wife has had two Hondas with CVT transmission. No issues as of yet. It certainly doesn’t shift like a normal transmission does. My wife’s current car is a Honda crv hybrid. Its combined average is 36. For you to get the really higher mileage mpg it has to be a lot of slow speeds in town or traffic where it stays on battery. I wouldn’t hesitate to get the rav 4 hybrid..

Honda is virtually the ONLY manufacturer that hasn't had a lot of issues with their CVT transmissions, Nissan is the absolute worst, Toyota isn't as bad , but still has issues, you don't hear much about Toyota cvt's as there don't seem to be a ton of them on the road, like with the Nissan's , @Buford_Dawg has been extremely lucky with the ones they have if they have not had trouble with them, the internet is full of complaints and class action lawsuits against Nissan for their CVT's

If you're set on Toyota I personally would want the 8spd instead of their CVT, and there is no guarantee the 8spd will be trouble free, but I give it the advantage over the CVT,

CVT's are used in vehicles for one reason only ,,,, fuel mileage! the manufacturers know they will not last like a regular automatice transmission, but they don't care, they have to meet the CAFE standards, and CVT's helps them do that

my opinion of Nissan cvt's are this,,,, if I had two sisters and one of them worked in a house of ill repute , and the other one drove a Nissan CVT,,, I'd try to get the one out of the Nissan CVT first !

 

[transfixer]

My wife really likes hers and I don’t think you would be disappointed as you mentioned it is a Toyota. My buddy has a rav4 that his wife drives and he swears by them. @transfixer may have some input to share.

The last time I checked into trying to rebuild a Toyota CVT the majority of the necessary parts were not available in the aftermarket, and a replacement unit was up around $6k or so , I have nothing to gauge how many of them give trouble, as we've only seen a couple come in any shop I've been at .

 

[earlthegoat2]

I’d run from the hybrid aspect first and the CVT second. Just my own exp with hybrids.

Get the regular gas engine.

 

[bigchiefchoctaw]

My wife and I don’t plan to keep any new vehicle more than 5 years. Just isn’t worth it.. to much stuff on these vehicles that can and usually will go wrong at some point. That’s the reason we bought the hybrid..

 

[1982ace]

Cvt went out at 100k on my wife’s Nissan Rogue, put a reman from Nissan in and the warranty was only 12 months, at 143k now and is starting to act up again

 

[natureman]

What I did was buy a Subaru with a CVT on the condition that it came with a powertrain lifetime warranty.

 

[Geffellz18]

The only major concern I’d have with the hybrid is IF something went wrong with the hybrid system, it’s very costly, but Toyota has been in the hybrid game for nearly 30+ years with a solid track record, similar to Honda with their CVT transmissions.
If the pricing is not far off, a hybrid may actually have a lower cost of ownership over time, but if you’re debating just over the fuel economy it usually takes several years to recoup the difference in the purchase price.
I personally would opt for the non-hybrid/8sp transmission version.
Good luck with your purchase!

 

[bigchiefchoctaw]

I believe I read in my wife’s owners manual the battery and the hybrid system has a 10 year warranty.