After driving a golf mk7 dsg for over 3 years and doing a little over 40k miles and a few long trips across europe and then having the civic with the cvt box for 4 months now, i can say i am so glad i ignored the, I would not touch a cvt with a barge pole advice, as often in most car reviews they say they’d opt for a manual over an auto. As would i if i had the choice… I used to hate automatics with a passion, but hey ho i find myself not being able to use a manual anymore.
Due to reviews about cvts. I went not expecting much, i was thinking it would be slow and noisy and not for me, i am liking it alot. especially how sporty the drive is, which according to some is not possible and thus one/I must be lieing yeah!! vtec turbo dohc roar and no cvt noise.. In basic driving mode it has no gears at all so it keeps the revs constant so there no changing gears at all, if i use the paddles it simulates gears and you can control and hold the revs higher, like when driving up or down an incline.
The new yaris and toyotas are self charging hybrids and the noise could be lots of things to do with that also, not just the cvt. The Golf 8 is Volkswagen’s first model to feature the e-TSI engine with mild-hybrid technology. e-TSI uses a lithium-ion battery to help power the engine at low speeds and drastically reduce both fuel consumption and emissions. The battery is recharged using energy from braking and coasting.
People have said that in ev’s they can hear more noises and some ev’s whine more than others from reviews i have seen., like a milk float or a washing machine on the spin cycle that uses an electric motor, the more it spins the more a high pitched noise it makes. A hybrids Gotta make a different sound as it is different to both an ev and an ice car.. but i have not as yet driven any hybrids so i cannot comment 1st hand but what i can comment on is what i currenly drive and have driven in the past.
There is no lack of exceleration either on my honda, i would imagine if i had opted for the 3 cylinder 1.ol i’d be saying the opposite. but would i be blaming the cvt no.. This is another issue imo when you opt for the cars that return the best mpg. They not sporty and are designed that way, likewise sporty cars are not designed to give great mpg.
I try to be objective and my 1st thoughts are because of mikes usage a medium size and engined car maybe the best for his mixed driving needs not a small one and all i have ever done is advised him to check the options out for himself and i do find this negativity towards the cvt very strange indeed. I am very happy with the honda cvt in my civic and the performance of the car in all conditions it is a joy to drive.
dsg’s are not perfect either it can only select the gear it’s in or another up or down but not both, so if the situation arises that you need what it thinks you don’t there’s a delay Also driving the golf in eco mode you gotta press the pedal down more to move, than in normal or sport mode to save fuel, its all electronically managed, most cars are the same now.. you have to kickdown and wait for it to find the right gear, on a cvt there no such issue at all. They both differ from a manual gearbox hugely though and this is why most reviews are against auto’s in general and suggest a manual.
That the 1.5l 182 bhp civic is not sporty or gives a sporty drive with a cvt is untrue, i reckon it would blow the golf 1.5l engined dsg away all you will see is the twin rear real pipes.. That vw only get 130 and 150 out of there 1.5l engines says alot even the 1.ol civic has around 127 bhp, but they was a F1 engine supplier till recently they decided to stop and they make motorbikes my mate luvs his fireblades, Unlike toyota they more the eco kings and that comes at a cost, again some think they all the same companies and have the same visions and think all cvt’s are the same and all engines are the same when they not..