Though I do enjoy the pseudoscience being discussed here.

If slushboxers just admitted their main justification, that they're lazy, this discussion would be much more educational.

 

I sense the sarcasm but sometimes humor is close to the truth.

Multi-gear transmissions are designed to keep the engine close to its RPM of highest efficiency or power. The problem is that when you are shifting the engine isn't driving the car at all, an efficiency of zero. The more you have to shift, the lower the "duty cycle" of the drivetrain and the worse efficiency gets. There is always a compromise between flexibility of ratios and frequency of shifting.

With the broad powerbands of modern engines, a 6-speed has become the "but this one goes to 11!" icon of wannabe racers. One might be needed if the top speed of the car warranted it, but in an econobox that won't hit 120 the extra gear is just there for bragging rights. The Fit would be just as good with five

 

Actually the extra speeds help in low speed high performance racing. First gear isn't what you want to be in for autocrossing, but a second that'll take you to 60 is too tall.

Exactly right, but that time lost only applies when actually accelerating. I don't accelerate all the way from home to work, so I'm okay with trading a moment here and there in treturn for the response time whenever I move the throttle.

 

If you live in a city like Montreal you bet your clutch can get used quickly. With all the snow and the slipsliding around and getting unstuck from snow, it ends up putting a lot of strain on the clutch.

I wasn't having any trouble with mine as far as grip was concerned, it was the mainshaft bearing that was bad. I changed it and had my mechanic change the clutch for good measure. Even the throwout bearing was slightly damaged/worn.

 

@Myxalplyx Great choice my friend. You will not be disappointed. Small engines and MT's are made in heaven together. People who drive CVT? Well that's their choice, the pulley system gets better all the time as the engineering generations move forward. But it could never win on fun. If you really have tons of traffic you do every single day it may make more sense to be on a CVT system, and it will save more energy that way, maybe 1 - 2 MPG. That's the only practical reason to get a CVT excessive high traffic driving which I luckily do not have. Fun factor is always MT oriented.

CVT will always cost more in the end game as well as out the door. This whole debate about clutch wear out is again a factor of use (driver habits), just as realized MPG is. Keep your foot off the pedal unless you use it. Quick shifts! Have a blast driving an eco box with a decent fun factor. You want real fun, buy a Subaru WRX or maybe a turbo Honda earth dreams HR-V when they arrive. But Subaru wins if you really care about low center of gravity, Boxer growl, and of course experience in AWD.

I think a Turbo HR-V will fill a needed niche for the Company. Honda has become very dependent on their SUV line. I am looking forward to a test drive of one. See what kind of driver car it will become.

 

An HR-V as a fun alternative to a small economy car Economy cars have traditionally been great fun, if you need a fun alternative to one...that's prove that its not a good economy car.

And most AWD systems are crap, just understeer machines.

 

I think it went over your head that he was being facetious and meant he needed an operators manual for the CVT he prefers.

Many of us here, including hot-rodder Myxalplyx, find the CVT a ton of fun, especially once you learn to drive it. But you'll never experience that and continue to speak from a position of no experience. It isn't the traditional automatic.

Autos are better for more than just heavy traffic. Short-legged folks can drive them without having the seat so forward to fully depress the clutch that their chest is on the air bag. Those with knee, ankle, or leg or feet problems such as neuropathy appreciate them. They're the only choice for those who must use hand controls.

I learned to drive on a manual and made my kids do so. In the past 50 years, I've owned about as many manuals as automatics, often one or more of each at the same time, as well as a number of manual motorcycles. This Fit's CVT is one of the best transmissions I've ever driven.

The six-speed in the 2015 has some of the most poorly chosen gear ratios I've ever seen--overly widely spaced down low and needlessly close up top. They simply tacked on an additional unneeded gear between the GE's 4th and 5th.

Different strokes for different folks, but don't pontificate a manual is the only way to have fun. Without the experience of owning a CVT Fit, you don't even know if that's true for yourself.

 

This must be eligible for 'double entendre of the month' (genuinely amused), but getting to the point, I would be very interested in any available manual for learning how to drive my CVT in sport mode without flushing all the fuel economy down the proverbial drain, or possibly doing damage to my $5000 dollar gizmo. I suppose poking around this website would help, but a cover-to-cover "do's & don'ts" would really be handy.

 

Agree with Fitmo, the CVT can be fun when you want. I used sport mode and paddle shifted my way onto the freeway going up to high RPMs as if being in a manual while having the benefit of keeping both hands on the wheel.

 

3rd guy that is in with Fitmo! I know how to drive a manual. I'm just fascinated by this 'new' technology and am trying to learn how to get the most out of it. It's fun as hell!

Economy aside, as I said before, having the rpm hang right at 6500rpm or so while going full out acceleration, is a dream come true to me. I can't wait until the aftermarket find ways to beef up the CVT and/or change the ecu logic of the CVT for better performance. I'm practically foaming at the mouth. It's coming!

Manuals are fun but I'm past that now. I love 'new' technology and the idea around it. Driving this CVT is nowhere near as slow as people keep saying. With very minor modifications it can keep up with a Civic Si. Barely! This is good stuff guys.

 

Yes, the performance aspects of the CVT remain to be explored and the potential is exciting. After all the reason we have multi-speed transmissions is to keep the engine closer to the peak of the powerband so the prosepect of a transmission that will keep the transmission right on that peak seems ideal!

Unfortunately, the racing community isn't going to lead the way on this because automated transmissions seem to be banned pretty quickly when they are used.

 

HPD ran a 2015 B-Spec Honda Fit with the CVT transmission at a snow drift rally recently. The results were, "At the end of the event, the Fit had finished first in B-Spec, second-place finish in 2WD, and an amazing 8th place overall."
In addition, the new B-Spec Fit had completed the 8 stages without any mechanical issues. “So far the new Fit has been fantastic!” said Robinson, “We’ve had no issues and the new transmission seems to be taking the rough conditions without any concern.”
---> HPD 2015 CVT Fit @ Snow Drift Rally

Perhaps they will ban the CVT from snow rallying and force the team to use the six speed manual, because the CVT is that good. Just saying!

 

I guess you don't count Formula 1, Indy Cars, FIA World Championship Sports Cars, FIA Rallying, and of all people, NASCAR is testing those automatics, just is drag racers. many minor series already have automatics.
machines shift quicker than any human, even Sebastian Vettel.
If it's better, tradition drops dead..

 

More than likely if you're looking for fun the CVT won't satisfy.

I will say though that 6 gears in the Fit is totally unnecessary and 5-6 are so close together as to be ridiculous. Otherwise it's quite fun to drive with the manual and that's what I'd recommend. Doubt I'll ever own a CVT.

 

Still, it would help if they had a taller 6th gear, which would help with engine noise, fuel efficiency, wear and tear on the engine, etc.

 

Yes, definitely. If the 6th gear would have been meaningful (aka taller), I would have seriously considered the manual since I do like to 'row my own' gears. Not to say I'm unhappy at all with my CVT but I do feel more 'engaged' when shifting as I do with my other manuals.

 

Hey Myxalplyx, I am not a performance guru, but really like the feeling of driving "the right stuff"!

 

F1 does not have automatics. The driver still has to decide when to shift and which way. The same with Indy cars and WRC cars. Nascar uses 4-speed (!) manual transmissions without even an automated clutch, but of course they only use one gear for droning around the track at speed.

Jim Hall had the nearest thing to a CVT race car back in the 60s with his one-speed automatic which was basically just a torque converter attached to a 5.3-7 liter V8. He and the other drivers used left-foot braking and even had attention left over to operate a wing pedal to flatten the wing for more speed on the straights. Guess what was banned the next season!

 

That is really nice. CVT is definitely faster than AT. It accelerates quickly when needed. I am using - shift button to accelerate better from stop if needed instead of stomping on gas pedal. Any help on when to use down shifting (+ shift).

 

time is lost anytime the clutch is engaged; makes no difference if accelerating, decelerating, or just cruising. whenever the engine is not used time is lost. perhaps better mpg but that's not time.