Honda Insight - Replace CVT Transmission (with manual)

[johnmyster]

...and on a metro, the swap would be FAR more straightforward due to the relative simplicity of the car. Especially compared to an insight.

Of course, if you found a metro with a dead slushbox, you could probably get it for nothing and bring it back to life as a manual.

[MechEngVT]

Originally Posted by johnmyster

Yup. A rental AWD Compass. Slow as turd. 26 mpg highway.

I recently rented a Caliber 2.0 CVT that was probably the same drive train as the Compass. It wasn't a hot rod but it was adequately quick to feel safe pulling out into traffic. I didn't baby it, but I did do some neutral-coasting (the engine braking programmed into that CVT was WAY too excessive) and tried to modulate throttle to hold no more than 2500 rpm accelerating when I could (without impeding traffic). Mostly highway trip with some small around town while on business. I wasn't able to accurately calculate mileage because the dang rental place let me pick it up with a half tank so I had to return it with a half tank, which is impossible to do. I filled before heading out and topped it up before returning and guesstimating how much fuel it actually used I had to have gotten at least 30mpg.

I found that if you began accelerating in a sane fashion but then decided it wasn't quick enough it was *really* slow to pick up. You could floor it at 30mph and for like 2 seconds the engine wound-out to red line and then the car took off. If you knew you were pulling out in front of a semi and gave it the boot from the get-go that thing would take off in a much more urgent manner. Basically, drive it like a golf cart. It's pretty much the same response (for those who haven't driven golf carts, either the brake or the gas is on the floor at all times unless you want to maintain a steady speed below the governed max speed, at which point the CVT shifts-out and engine rpms drop).

That said, I bet it would still be better with a 5spd. Automotive CVTs do require obscene hydraulic pressure to work and golf cart/snowmobile CVTs use rubber belts that are equally inefficient.

[Crono]

Not a car, but my Yamaha C3 (49cc Scooter) supposedly has a CVT and it seems to be alright. (I think it's more the "rubber band" type) The acceleration is alright, not as good as 2 stroke engines, but the mileage is really awesome - about 95mpg on average, though supposedly I'm supposed to get 115 if I drive 25mph. (Not going to happen) Realized the tires were underinflated recently though, so I might get a bit better mileage. Anyway, at least in a scooter application a CVT seems to be pretty good.