USA
What Edmunds Says
Subaru expands its Impreza platform with a chiseled urban dirt runner in the 2013 XV Crosstrek.
Pros
Sure-footed in dirt and snow; spacious cabin; crossover utility in a compact package.
Cons
Sluggish and underpowered; droning CVT under load.
UK -
DTelegraph Review
Subaru XV
Tested: Sport-utility crossover with four-cylinder, 1,998cc, turbodiesel, six-speed transmission, four-wheel drive
Price/on sale: From £21,000 (as tested £24,000)/March
Power/torque: 145bhp @ 3,600rpm 258lb ft @ 1,600rpm
Top speed: 123mph
Acceleration: 0-62mph in 9.3sec
Fuel economy: 41.5mpg (EU Urban)/50.4mpg (Combined)
CO2 emissions: 146g/km
VED band: F (£130)
Verdict: No-nonsense compact SUV that feels genuinely rugged and tough, but it’s expensive
Telegraph rating: Three out of five stars
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>>droning CVT under load<<
= = = = > :-(
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>> >>droning CVT under load<<
>>
>> = = = = > :-(
>>
No just under load - all the time. Horrid inventions, CVT boxes.
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>>Horrid inventions, CVT boxes<<
Shame really, my only experience of them was with the old Accords and Civics (Hondamatic) OK (sort-of)
but y'all can't beat a Tiptronic IMHO.
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The only other Volvo I ever drove (apart a hired 340 which was dire - good seats but crap car) was my dad's little Volvo 66 - the CVT in that was its downfall, very noisy when cold...
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Suzuki must be pushing them close with the Kizashi.
2.4 litre petrol engine with CVT in a market dominated by diesels. 191g/km emissions 178PS and 230Nm torque.
Or, could it be they are highlighting how out of touch Europe is with the rest of the world and their view of emissions and taxation ?
The only CVT I have driven recently is the Honda Jazz which which surprisingly smooth when cold but felt like it was trying to pull away in too high a gear when warmed. Had a bad vibration similar to trying to pull away in third in a manual.
The real weakness for this gearbox was driving into a headwind. I had to lock it into manual mode to stop it high revving and drinking fuel.
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The Hondamatic wasn't a CVT. Not in my experience anyway.
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>> The Hondamatic wasn't a CVT.
Correct. It was a 2 speed(!) torque converter based automatic.
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I believe the Hondamatic transmission was a hydromechanical continuously variable transmission that used sliding gears on parallel axes rather than planetary gears like most other automatic transmissions but, whatever it was,
I didn't like it, so there :)
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>> I believe the Hondamatic transmission was a hydromechanical continuously variable transmission that used sliding gears
>> on parallel axes rather than planetary gears
No, it was unconventional in that it had 2 forward gearsets instead of a planetary gear arrangement, but the gearchanging was achieved using multi-plate clutches like on a conventional torque converter automatic gearbox.
I guess Honda were making use of their motorbike building experience in offering this transmission. I encountered it in a late 70s Honda Prelude which was the first car I remember which had a radio as an integral part of the dashboard. The gearbox was horrible. Later ones had more gears.
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I remember the Honda CB400A - 2 speed auto - I think Ted mentioned once he may have ridden one, best avoided.
They make one now - a far better proposition...
www.motorcycle.com/specs/honda/sport/2010/vfr/1200f--dual-clutch-automatic-transmission-.html
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Certainly wasn't a CVT - had a 4-speed Hondamatic on a 1986 Prelude - very little 'slushiness' to the drive compared to most TC boxes of the day.
Sensitive to quality of ATF however - changed the fluid for some non-branded Dexron (II i think) and it started sounding/felt as if it was slipping clutches - switched that for Castrol and sweet as a nut again.
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I still didn't like it :)
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Going back to the original post.....
Won't the CVT comments relate to the US petrol version rather than the UK diseasel variant?
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>>..
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>> Won't the CVT comments relate to the US petrol version rather than the UK diseasel
>> variant?
UK XV = Diesel+ Manual Gearbox OR Petrol + CVT auto
Differs from Current Range
Forester
Diesel+ Manual Gearbox OR Petrol + torque converter auto
Legacy / Outback is Diesel + Manual OR Petrol + CVT auto
EXCEPT 3.6 Litre which is Torque converter
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Subaru go to all the trouble of developing the worlds first boxer diesel (I think) and then fail to offer it with an auto-box! D'oh! If only ....
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