Experience with Toyota Corolla CVT

Any experiences would be welcome. Considering a low cost daily driver for the wife and I notice the L trim level still has a traditional automatic and is rated 27/36 on MPG. The LE and higher trims are rated 29/37, which is obviously better but wondering about real world experiences, how they drive, and mainly, reliability. All the CVTs I've been have not been pleasant.

Background: We had a 2010 Corolla that she racked up 70k on in two years that was a great car and got 35mpg easy. Cheap maintenance and reliable and held 70% of its original cost when we traded it for a Honda Civic that wasn't as good a car (but she HAD to have it).

 

Don't everybody try to answer at once now.

 

I got rid of my 2015 Corolla after 15000 miles. Never liked the car or the CVT transmission.When I bought it I thought I was replacing my 2003 Corolla with the same car which I had driven for 150000+miles. I loved the 03 but found the 15 frustrating.My CVT going down hills sounded like a semi using their engine brake.
I traded it for my Tacoma which I love.
Hated the radio, and where the horn,radio and window buttons were located. Heater controls were a pain as well. Spent to much time playing with that stuff when I needed to be concentrating on driving.
I wont buy another car with CVT transmissions. I dont like the way they shift. We have a 14 Sienna with one in it and does all kinds of weird things when it shifts. I'm hearing Nissan has a nightmare on their hands with the CVTs. Good luck.

 

Thank you. There seems to be an almost universal hate for the CVT. Was the fuel mileage at least good?

 

The 3rd gen Prius uses a very similar CVT and they've been exceptionally reliable over the years.

Zero issues with my wife's Prius.

I think Nissan's issues with their early CVTs as put a bad taste in people's mouths

 

I weirdest part about a CVT is getting used to the way it operates. You don't get that traditional engine rev, tranny shift, engine rpm drop, engine rev pattern we're all used to.

Instead the engine holds at whatever rpm is appropriate for the throttle input and stays there as the transmission varies the output

 

@BDL5589 I recommend getting a test drive and see if you/she can get used to the way the CVT works.

This would be cool actually!

 

We'll definitely drive before we buy but I mainly wanted to hear about longevity. I didn't realize the Prius was CVT and I've never really heard issues on it so I guess Toyota has it figured out. Thanks guys for the input.

 

Make sure that B pillar is something u can live with.
Was gunna get my girl 1 until she made me sit in it and the b pillar was pretty much caressing my damn check.
We got a new camry for less with rebates.

 

Can't comment on the Corollas CVT, but both the wife and I have 2015 Subarus with a CVT in them. It took a little getting used to at first, but for the most part I like it! Still "shifts" fine and puts the power down when you need it.

 

Test drive it but don't fret the reliability. You'll be fine.

 

My GF has a 2015 Subaru and I can't stand the CVT. Been driving it for 1.5 years and I just can't get on board with it. To this day every time I drive it I automatically think "what is wrong with this thing" before I remember it's a CVT. But to each their own.

 

When I worked at Nissan I was changing CVT's every other day.

I have yet to change a Toyota CVT from Prius or Corolla yet. They are boring and lack refinements that Nissan and Subaru have, but they are stout.

I expect the Rav4 to get the CVT next.

I would push for a Corolla S, they have more range and spunk with the CVT being paddle shift.

 

CVT just removes another layer of 'driver feel' for the road. It's not 'bad', just feels different. I don't enjoy them, but the majority of the motoring public is ambivalent to actual joys that mechanical empathy can bring a driver.

 

The Subaru CVT is still a big improvement over the preceding 4-speed auto with poorly-chosen ratios.

 

I had forgotten but she got a letter a few weeks ago from Subaru that said they extended the warranty on the transmission for a year. This was unprompted and no charge, which makes me wonder if 1) there is a known issue, or 2) there was some type of suit and settlement related to a potential issue/design flaw. Of course it could just be Subaru extending the warranty out of the goodness of their hearts...


Edit: Did a quick search and found this:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jensen...ranties-on-1-5-million-vehicles/#76b29cb679dc

 

I got the same letter, but IIRC it was until 100k miles, not just a year.

 

Wonder if the next Frontier might get a CVT?

 

Thanks everybody. Probably going to go drive one Wednesday and it's ultimately up to my wife, I'll never drive so I don't care. She's the type that views a car as transportation and nothing else so she'll probably be fine with it.

 

While we didn't have any mechanical issues out of my wife's 2014 over the course of 30k miles, I hated driving it. It just didn't feel right. I'll probably never buy another vehicle with a cvt.