Can a CVT Automatic Ever be Any Good?

I have mumbled and grumbled long and hard about the utterly awful CVT automatic, for its dreadful, fun-sapping drive experience.

A CVT has no gears. Instead, think of it as a strong metal band between two adjustable reels. They act a little like big cotton reels with sides that go in and out. As the reel’s V-shaped gripping surface gets wider, the band slips deeper towards the centre of the spindle. At the same time, the opposite spindle narrows, and it this constant varying that allows the band to remain tight.

That rubber band feeling you notice is the reels expanding and contracting to allow maximum revs for maximum acceleration.

To motoring enthusiasts, it is an enigma. Subaru put this devil’s work into their WRX, with the brand having no torque converter or DCT automatics available. This transmission is awful in any form, but can it be made better?

Claims of weight, fuel, and money savings made by the car companies count for nothing if the drive is dreadful. We every CVT equipped car we’ve driven is awful, but Nissan, Subaru, Honda, and Kia, have drive modes that make the CVT act like a conventional automatic.

Video Review: 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Review – Their Best Car YET HERE’S WHY – FULL Review #gaycarboys

1 Minute Video Review: 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 #SHORT Review #yakandah

Help Support Gay Car Boys Subscribe to our Youtube Channel

Top GayCarBoys Stories:

ABOVE: CVT transmissions, 3 examples of models with CVT transmissions

Some brands have programmed their CVTs to use stepped ratios under heavy acceleration, whether in sport mode or not. This goes some way to making the experience less like being hit like a tennis ball on a stick.

At a recent launch, Subaru chose the manual WRX to do track work, leaving me to ask what, if any use, the CVT is if its owner ever want a track day. The answer was, “someone wanting a track day would likely have bought a manual.” I then asked if that meant a CVT was not fit for purpose, and was direct to lunch.

In short, yes, a CVT automatic can be bearable, but doing so negates any benefit afforded by infinitely variable gear ratios. Personally, I would never buy a car with a CVT unless it was some kind of hybrid. That is the only circumstance where one just has to put up with it.

All transmissions fail eventually, it is the drive experience in-between that counts.

More GCB Sports Car Stories

Share this: