I test drove couple of new cars with the CVT automatic transmissions that purportedly have 6 speeds with a manual select mode.

The cars I tested were the 2012 Hyundai Elantra and the 2012 Subaru Outback.

What I found on both was a throw back to the first 2 speed automatics of 50 years ago, not a good thing. These new CVT's feel like a single speed transmission, to me they feel anemic, I feel they have been introduced only by a need for higher MPG. The 6 speed thing the auto trade keeps criticizing any mfg that still has a more conventional 5 speed seems ludicrous to me.

What you have is a single cone drive that is no fun to drive, effectively the 6 speeds are only truly there if you want to play around with the manual mode, and if you do that you can kiss your high mpg good bye would be my guess!

Anyone loving the CVT in long term use? Do you eventually learn to love it after longer term use?

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