CVT Opinions

[mickandjanet]

Hi to all, Thinking of switching from my Manual Yaris to a CVT Petrol Variant, never having driven this type of transmission before I am looking for opinions from other users, note that there a few posts on all the Toyota Vehicles regarding faults and problems or is it just a few of the many who are not satisfied , looking to make my driving experience a little more simple and not worry about gears.

Thanks. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

What one needs to bear in mind is that often people turn to forums when they have an issue, and one doesn't tend to hear from those who are happy with whatever they have. 

[YarisHybrid2016]

I was originally looking at CVT as I need to drive autos, and that's when I saw the hybrids.

You need to understand the technology. A CVT is more complex in some ways than a manual, and has complexities in operation that don't exist with a manual.

Generally speaking I think they're more reliable than they used to be, but if you're buying for reliability, simpler is always better.

The main thing to remember with a conventional CVT is there is a belt that slides on a pair of rollers. There is also a reversing gear, and all of this is computer controlled.

Compared to an MMT, they are more reliable.

A major reason hybrids are mechanically superior to conventional autos and manuals, is because of the lack of moving parts.

There are no clutches, no gears that engage/disengage, etc. It is essentially a group of fixed gears driven by a combination of electric motor and internal combustion engine.

The forward/reverse function is controlled by reversing the electric field in the motor. Bombproof!

If you did want to change, seriously look at the hybrids. You can't go wrong with any of the Toyota offerings. They drive similarly to a conventional CVT, but have many advantages, among them reliability. There is little to go wrong.

[Cyker]

There have been surprisingly few issues posted about the newer CVT autoboxes, esp. compared to the MMT which seemed to have a new complaint posted every other day!

The main one is that it can be very revvy under anything other than light acceleration, but aside from that I've not read much else. I don't think I've even seen a single mechanical issue posted yet which is pretty good for a relatively new unit.

That said, personally I feel if you want an auto box and can afford it you may as well get the HSD - IMHO they are the best autoboxes you can buy right now; Proven reliability, no friction wearing parts (Unlike the CVT which, as YH'16 says, uses sliding belts) and you get the fuel saving benefit of the energy regen and the instant-torque of an electric motor 
 

[Justhandguns]

Happy with my CVT so far, miles better than the stupid MMT...... I think the current CVT is probably by far the best in terms of fuel efficiency and reliability. I haven't driven a hybrid yet, so I do not want to comment on that, but all I can say that every technology has its own pros and cons. We had our old Previa Auto and Honda Jazz CVT for 5 years with plenty of milages on them, we never had any problem with the gearboxs or engines. I have the CVT Yaris for more than a year now and I am happy with it.  If you are new to CVTs, then it takes a bit of time to get use to it as it does have the same 'kick' of a gear change (ah... not jerky gear changes!!). The only thing that I miss is the engine brake in a manual, even though the newer CVTs have sensors to simulate that to avoid excessive braking and overheating of brakes. 

[Berisford]

Our 2014 Yaris CVT has been faultless since new.......yes, it can be a bit noisy and gives the impression that the engine is working too hard but that's CVT for you. The average MPG over 38 months and 20k miles has been just under 55mpg. I'm more than happy with that.

[Justhandguns]

2 hours ago, Berisford said:

Our 2014 Yaris CVT has been faultless since new.......yes, it can be a bit noisy and gives the impression that the engine is working too hard but that's CVT for you. The average MPG over 38 months and 20k miles has been just under 55mpg. I'm more than happy with that.

 

Yes, I think fuel economy has improved a lot for autos. My old Aygo/107 with MMT drank more petrol than my 1.33 CVT. 

[Bomber209]

Hi,  They are OK to a point but you MUST change the oil regularly as they no longer use belts, but use a type of chain. Metal on Metal causes wear of pulley and chain, so the residue collects in the oil. 

[Berisford]

7 hours ago, Bomber209 said:

Hi,  They are OK to a point but you MUST change the oil regularly as they no longer use belts, but use a type of chain. Metal on Metal causes wear of pulley and chain, so the residue collects in the oil. 

What is the service schedule for the CVT box, no mention in my handbook, anyone know?

[nielshm]

9 hours ago, Berisford said:

What is the service schedule for the CVT box, no mention in my handbook, anyone know?

There is'nt one. I think Toyota checks quality of the to see oil it's witn in specifications, but no oil change is scheduled at any point.

I'm planning to change my oil every 40.000 miles, roughly 2 years of driving. Draining all of the oil is a bit complicated. I think the pan (buttom plate) of the gearbox most be removed, there is'nt a drainplug that can flush all of the oil.

I do like the CVT in my Auris, how ever, the 1.2 has a better torque at low revs than the Yaris, so maybe you will experience higher revs during normal driving. If you decide to go for a testdrive, remember to try out the motorway at high speeds, overtaking other cars etc. High speed driving is in my opinion, where the CVT performs the worst.