I've just test driven my car a few hours now. Was out in the hills in the night and testet all the modes in the CVT system. Seems to be many modes.
The normal P, R, N, D as in all automatic gear systems, but there is also a S and a L setting.
S is sports mode, L is low gear mode.

In both D and S mode you can switch on the 7-step mode button on the steering wheel. Now the system will act as a regular autmatic gear box with 7 diffrent steps that it will change between. You will see a number on the dashboard beside the P-R-N-D-S-L indicator which gear it is in.

If you now press one of the paddles behind the steering wheel (- or +) you will enter the manual mode in the 7-step configuration. A new lamp M marks that you now are in the manual modes.
But still, if you rev the engine too much the system will change the gear automatic for you. And if you are in lets say 7th gear and you brake to a holt and then press the throttle again, it wil gear down to 1th or second gear automatic. So its more like semiautomatic

Nice system.

In D mode the car appared a little "sluggish" and it was much delay from the time you put the throttle down before you could first hear the engine revving and then the acceleration.
But in S mode it was a lot quicker and acted more like a MT (in my prospective, I am used to drive a Toyota Yaris Verso in my work).

But I liked the CVT system, and will use it in D most of the time since it was very smooth and gave a lot of comfort.

Not sure where the L-mode will be used, but probably in very steep hills and you have a lot of heavy cargo with you.

 

basically it is like 7 speed automatic with paddle shifter..

 

Well, it is a CVT, that mean Continous Variable Transmission, so it have no steps when not using the 7-step mode.

It is a bit strange to drive in that mode at first because it feels like driving in first gear all the time
You can never hear or feel it changing gear like in 7-step mode or in traditional atomatic 5-step transmission systems.

In the US Fit with 5-step AT do you have the S and L mode too? Or just the S mode? I know you have the paddles like I do with my CVT.

 

I've been driving the UK CVT since September and I love it. You're right about 'D' being a bit sluggish though. It's great for steady, efficient commuting but if you want to have fun 'S' is the option to go for.

When pulling away from stationary be aware that it can take a quarter of a second before the transmission is prepared to let full power through to the wheels. Dunno why and tbh you shouldn't really need to burn away from stationary very often. Just means that when you do you really, really, need to anticipate.

The paddles are cute but rarely under your fingers if you're having fun. They are most useful (I've found) when you want to overtake and want to perform your own kick down. If you drop a couple of 'gears' to get the revs up to 4k the engine is really responsive.

Overall the CVT has proved itself to be efficient and a joy to drive. It's the first automatic I've owned and I hope I never have to use a clutch pedal and stick again. I hope that torque convertors are consigned to the same junk bin of history

 

Funny, some people enjoy shifting.

 

I never said they didn't, that's why I used 'I'

I'm sure there were people who felt that the carburetor ruined their driving experience and maybe even some felt that a real driver controlled their own choke, lol.

When the alternative was a conventional auto and torque convertor I was glad to do the job myself because I knew could do it better. A CVT plus clutch means the machine can now do it better. I can concentrate on the real work which is steering, speed and hazard perception.

If you like a manual, good for you. I can't see it being replaced all that soon. It's just nice that for the majority CVT is here or more intelligent autos anyway. Get a computer to control the gearbox and junk that wasteful torque convertor and we're doing well

 

yes we do have "Drive" & "Sport" mode but not "L" mode..

 

No, you said that they belong in "the junk bin of history". I guess that's why everyone has quit cycling, sailing, and cross-country skiing. Cars, motorboats, and snowmobiles just do the job better.

The carburetor and choke are completely bogus comparisons. Carburetors and fuel injection take the same input and produce the same output, making it a meaningless implementation detail. The choke was used merely to aide the engine. It never was a driving control.

 

No I didn't. I wrote (new emphasis added for clarity):

"I hope that torque convertors are consigned to the same junk bin of history".

Like most people I have a lot of hopes and I'm entitled to express them. Maybe you hope that automatics will vanish and everyone be forced to use a clutch and manual gear lever.

When the choke was introduced many people criticised it because it frequently left the engine idling for too long. Agreed it wasn't a direct control but it is another example where eventually machinery became a better alternative to human control.

Carburetors are relevant in much the same way. Plenty of people didn't like (and probably still don't) the modern fuel injection system. Way back before carbs some vehicles had a manual control of the fuel/air mixture.

I never implied that no one should be allowed to use manual gearboxes merely that I don't wish to again and I'd be happy to see them go.

I didn't join a "manual gearboxes are great" thread and make a pro-automatic post to derail it. That would be rude, maybe even trolling. i posted a supporting message and added my thoughts.

OTOH you joined a "CVTs are great" thread and seem to be determined to derail it. That kind of action doesn't do much to further the interests of those of us contributing to this forum.

 

You said (new emphasis added for clarity): "the same junk bin of history". That says that the previous item discussed also belongs in a junk bin of history.


These still aren't driving controls, and still aren't relevant to this conversation, except perhaps to bolster your claims in the mind of someone who isn't paying attention to the matter at hand.


Pray tell, what exactly is the difference between manual gearbox inavailability and no one being able to use a manual gearbox despite their ability and desire to do so?


Oh, right, if I don't agree with you I must be trolling!

I disagreed with a statement and I commented as such. That's contributing to the conversation, regardless of whether or not the subject of the conversation is "CVTs are great", which, by the way, is not the subject.

 

Before you both go way off topic with this thread
I did never inteded this thread to be any "AT is the best" or "MT is rubish", I just merely want other to know how I felt about especially the CVT system.

I can still understand that some people want to have a MT since they feel they "drive" the car more and take more part of the driving experience.

But I like the CVT system because of its steady and very comforting (not sure how to describe it in English), and it is very easy to drive.

And know I know the reason for the law about if you get your driving licence when using a AT your'e not allowed to drive a MT car. And there will be a note in your license that you only can drive AT cars. It is like that in Norway and probably other countries as well.

Using and learning to use a MT is not the easyest thing to learn in a car. Specially when you need to coordinate that with other things like looking at the traffic around you.

Well I know some of you will dissagree on me about this.

There has also been a study (I think it was in UK) that AT car drivers more is not safer drivers than MT drivers (as it was thought earlier), and here in Norway you got cheaper insurance if you got an AT. But now the insurance companies want to remove that rebate for AT car owners.


But now! A little back to the topic:

I have a question to all Jazz/Fit CVT owners.
When I drive very slow like in the morning traffic. The cars goes forward even if I have no foot on the gas pedal. Is it supposed to act like that? I can press the brake and it stops (offcourse ) but when I release the brake pedal again, the car slowly goes forward again...
To go very slowly I have to alternate between D and N.
Maybe the reason is that it is realy cold outside and the motor is going on a higher rpm to get warm and hence the clutch start to make contact earlier?

Have not tried to drive for a long time to be sure the motor is warm and then try to see if the car still goes forward when I release the gas pedal...

 

The CVT is always pushing except in P ore N.
That means that it will start rolling if you release the breaks.
Every time before stopping, I switch into N at a speed of 15-10 km/h.
This saves the clutch and the breaks lifetime.

 

Answer to your last question:It's a deliberate feature. It's emulating something called 'creep' that conventional autos have. It''s actually quite neat when you are just tootling around a carpark or manouvering (saves having to balance clutch and accelerator). Unfortunately it seems to have two creep speeds. 10mph and 20mph. The latter can be quite annoying in queues or when turning into a side road if you're an engine braker like me

The Digression:
I'm sorry for my part in that digression, I didn't intend it to become an MT v. AT hate thread but I do tend to evangelise about CVTs a bit.

I think it's because I'm a recent AT user. Until Summer '05 I'd only ever driven a manual and had 17 years under my belt. The AT (A Chevy Aveo) was annoying when it hunted going up hills and I detest torque convertors but I loved not having to bother with a clutch or gear lever.

When I got back home I decided to do some research and found out that CVT was coming of age. One drive and I was hooked. I've never been a petrol head and just want to get from A to B efficiently and easily.

 

Now I have had the car for a week and are absolutly thrilled about the little but big car. It is actually not as "sluggish" as I first thougt. When you set the transmission in Sport mode you get all the horspower the little car has right at your disposal. But D mode is for comfort and economical driving.

I read somewhere here at this forum about using the engine to brake in downhill. Have tested it and it works great. (Think it was in the manual too somewhere).
What you do is that you push the 7-speed mode button and then touch one of the gear change paddles on the steeringwheel. Now the transmission is in manual mode and you can use a lower gear to use the engine for braking.
That saves the brakes a lot I can imagine.
And just another push on the 7-speed mode and youre back in full auto mode again. Simple and quick.

I just love the CVT system and get impressed about it each time I drive the car

 

CVT doesn't engage or disengage. it can change gears while staying engaged.

US fit sport has only S (paddles). To do race mode, you just press the pedal hard, and it'll upshift later. The Fit non-sport does NOT have S mode, but it does have L mode, but it's calld 1, 2, 3, (i think) instead of plain "L"

 

LOL. Thinking that S means Slow, last Sunday when it heavily snowed I drove my FIT with gear in S mode! Now, I'm glad that I'm alive after driving with S mode and not having any accidents! Thank God! Now I'll know that S stands for Sport (not Slow)! Thank you guys!

 

i think cvt's run best in full automatic mode.

 

i would rather be paddling in s mode on snow... the ability of staying in specific gear with option to upshift or downshift when needed gives me more control than in full auto.

 

your car is not cvt, is it?

 

nay.......