REPORT: Subaru considering using more CVTs
2010 Subaru Legacy - Click above for a high-res image gallery
The 2010 Legacy will be the most fuel efficient Subaru in the Japanese automaker's US lineup, but only when it's powered by the 2.5i boxer engine mated to a CVT transmission. According to the EPA, that powertrain returns 31 mpg on the highway, a full four mpg better than the six-speed manual. With fuel economy standards set to climb over the next decade, Subaru is going to need more mpg success stories, and more CVTs could be a big part of the equation.
Japan's Nikkei Sangyo business daily reports that Subaru will flood its product lineup with CVTs over the next two years, starting with the popular Forester and Impreza models. The CVT, which is made at Subaru's engine plant in Oizumi, will eventually be offered on all models.
While the CVT is new for larger Subarus, the company has been using the transmissions in JDM city cars since 1987. Last week, Subaru began using a CVT in its Japan market Exiga MPV, which will soon be extended to the Australian market.
Gallery: 2010 Subaru Legacy
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Kevin 7:07PM (9/08/2009)
Subaru using CVT's? What is the world coming to??? Anyone that gets a Subie without a stick is retarded...IMO. Couldn't they just make 6th an overdrive gear??
Side note: I swear, as Japanese looks get worse, American cars get better. That is one helluva ugly car right there. *sad face*
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James 7:29PM (9/08/2009)
Ugly indeed...next to the Crosstour.
PCIV 7:37PM (9/08/2009)
How are americans supposed to drunk drive with a stick-shift? I actually think that should be the law for previous offenders.
montoym 7:56PM (9/08/2009)
Not sure what you mean about the overdrive gear. I'm really unaware of any modern car(at least those sold in the US) in which the top gear(and sometimes two gears) are overdrive gears.
Do you understand what overdrive is?
montoym 8:03PM (9/08/2009)
Oops, typed my response too quickly there.
I meant to say, I'm really unaware of any modern car(at least those sold in the US) in which the top gear(and sometimes two gears) are NOT overdrive gears."
Please mention a car that's been made in the past 20yrs that doesn't have at least 1 overdrive gear.
shimman 1:02AM (9/09/2009)
the appearance is bad, but what's ugly is with the CVT.
from the spec from subaru
6speed manual: CONTINUOUS all wheel drive
CVT: ACTIVE all wheel drive
the4thheat 4:13AM (9/09/2009)
Boy you'd make a great Subaru of America CEO there buddy...only sell manual transmissions right? So you won't have any money for R&D whatsoever because the vast majority of cars sold in the US are automatics. So you won't meet CAFE requirements either and will have to pay penalties. Of course you won't have any money to pay penalties with since you couldn't sell your manual transmission Foresters.
Quit being an idiot, most Subaru's are not WRX's. Most people buy Subaru's for their AWD and practicality (Subaru's are particularly popular in snowy areas), and about the last thing anybody buying these cars wants is a stupid manual transmission since it's hard enough as it is to drive in the snow belt dealing with visibility and traction without having to worry about shifting and spinning out with a manual transmission.
Seriously what's with the stupid boy racers who think Subaru just builds sports cars or something?!?
Jason 4:23AM (9/09/2009)
the4thheat - Have you ever driven in the snow? I live in Michigan. For most of my driving live I've lived on roads that get plowed MAYBE once a week in the winter for part of my hour long commute to work (1 hour in good weather). I've thus far owned 34 cars - a healthy mix of (mostly) cars, a van, a truck or two, and a couple SUVs - with a healthy mix, of automatics and manuals between all of them.
Driving in sketchy situations is "normal" here in the winter months, and I can easily tell you that one has FAR greater control with a manual transmission in the snow than with an automatic, no matter what "wheel drive" the vehicle is. In an automatic, the car kicks down when I apply power (which in a RWD car is suicide on ice), changes gears in the middle of a corner (upsets balance, again suicide), and doesn't let me manually shift in to a much higher gear than normal to "creep" across really sketchy road surfaces without having to worry about spinning tires and sliding either the front or the back end around.
If you have to "worry" about shifting, then you're probably either a horrible driver, need to get off the phone or put your burger down, or need to really learn how to drive a manual transmission before getting online and bashing them. Driving a manual trans should come as second nature to anyone who has done it for more than a week - even my wife doesn't even think about it in her manual Accord, it's just second nature to her.
ForgedInternals 7:10PM (9/08/2009)
While I'm not a fan of them, an Automatic is the proper gear box here in the US and Subaru would be losing a lot of customers just sticking to mostly Manuals.
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Kowell 7:10PM (9/08/2009)
Subaru please just drop some 5 speed automatics with the standard 2.5L already.
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gefinley 7:12PM (9/08/2009)
As long as they don't offer it as the only option, although regardless this is disappointing. First they do framed door windows, then terrible styling to go mainstream, now more CVTs. More quirkiness like their older cars please.
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Bill 7:32PM (9/08/2009)
Yeah, that "quirkiness" led me to be a Subaru owner for all of 8 months before I unloaded that piece.
- bad paint
- worst automatic transmission ever
- 19 mpg
- engine pinging
gefinley 7:37PM (9/08/2009)
Your first problem was buying an slushbox. As for paint, I've got a 10-year-old Legacy that sits outside and the paint is fine on it. As for mileage, 19 doesn't mean much if I don't know what model you have. I easily get mid-to-high 20s, and I have a pretty heavy foot. 19 is the absolute minimum I've gotten. I also have no idea what your "engine pinging" is.
Rev 7:53PM (9/08/2009)
Quirky-schmirky: I got my 02 WRX because of great reviews, fun-to-driveness, AWD, but mostly Subaru's reputation and customer satisfaction. Haven't had a single issue with the thing. Been slowly modding it and it's more fun to drive now than the day I got it.
Can't argue with the MPG complaint, though. Hard to call Subaru the leaders in efficiency...
TonyInMI 11:47PM (9/08/2009)
Your experience is very rare. My 99 Legacy just turned over 300K. Looks great except for a few rust spots developing (Michigan). Originally bought it for my wife so its and auto (ick) but I have put 1 wheel bearing in it other that the regular maintanance. I think you will find this the norm. Hell it still has the original exhaust! Doesn't burn or leak oil. So it's kinda ugly - my other cars are pretty!
Benfolio 11:53PM (9/08/2009)
Yes, Bill, elaborate about the '96 Outback with 220,000 miles that you bought used and abused. Yes, the paint on the bumpers crack, and it needs a tune up which is why you have "pinging" and only get 19MPG.
Silly.
xtasi 7:13PM (9/08/2009)
@Kevin: you see the uptake of manual in the US, it's very low. The quickest way, so far, to increase MPG (thanks CAFE, you dindn't have to, really). Is to use small tweaks here and there. A complete platform overhauls is quite expensive (ask Ford why they tweaked the Mustang for 2010 instead of a new platform). If you are already getting an automatic, you will get better mileage from a CVT. I would prefer a dual clutch transmission, but I think i'm in the minority of the market.
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Jim 7:50PM (9/08/2009)
"A complete platform overhauls is quite expensive (ask Ford why they tweaked the Mustang for 2010 instead of a new platform)."
Because throwing out a perfectly good platform is stupidity to the extreme? Look at the most successful cars of the last decade- Accord, Civic, Camry, Corolla. Honda/Toyota have not ever completely thrown out the platform and started over.
Ford, GM, and Chrysler have struggled because they've done precisely that- sat on a platform for far too long with no updates, until the point that it can't be cost-effectively updated, so they throw them out and start all over again. It's largely why the Sebring and Avenger are such miserable pieces of trash.
Chris 7:37PM (9/08/2009)
CVTs are gross.
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Jim 7:46PM (9/08/2009)
This. I hate hate hate CVTs. I mean, I guess they're fine if you want to be completely disconnected from the road.