Toyota Yaris CVT

Author
Discussion

speedking31

Original Poster:

3,712 posts

151 months

Friday 18th April
quotequote all
My wife's last three cars have been Yarii. It is now time to get another one. She doesn't do many miles, maximum about 20 miles, although sometimes has 3 passengers. She doesn't buy new, so looking for something 2-3 years old. All the Yaris, irrespective of spec, engine type, appear to have CVT.

She's not averse to an automatic, so the question is, is the CVT OK, or better to look for a proper automatic? I have memories of my Dad having a CVT about twenty years ago and it felt gutless and weird. Presumably the tech has moved on. Anyone got any experience?

BIRMA

3,986 posts

209 months

Friday 18th April
quotequote all
My wife has run a 64 reg Yaris since new nearly 100K miles now, I have a Yaris GR among other cars so a two Yaris family. I call it our shopping car as I can take it to the supermarket/tip etc.
I hate the CVT autobox but if like us you are just doing local runs it's fine. Many years ago I tried the LS600h and that had a CVT autobox nice car but that autobox just had a drone (quiet and in the background) but when you put your foot down the drone went up in pitch and did nothing else, needless to say I didn't buy it.
When I take my RCF in for servicing I always get a new Lexus SUV as a loan car, I thought to myself perhaps the CVT has improved but over the past six years it's still in my opinion crap. So much so that I drive the loan vehicle home and park it up and never use it apart from returning it to the dealer.
We plan to keep our Yaris Hybrid until it falls apart as it does a good job, only thing is it needs heated seats for the winter.

Bridgewaterfalls

165 posts

178 months

Friday 18th April
quotequote all
Toyota CVT are very smooth. We've one in a 18 plate rav4 and it's much smoother than the ZF 8 speed in my audi.

They are noisy if putting your foot down.

speedking31

Original Poster:

3,712 posts

151 months

Monday 7th July
quotequote all
Been for a test drive now and the transmission/engine combination wasn't at all bad. A step up from a 1.3 to a 1.5l with the electric power at low speed. Picked up quite well to 60 mph and was much quieter than I was expecting. Not long enough exposure to hate it but the experience certainly didn't put us off.

As the next car will almost certainly have to be electric it seems like a good compromise in terms of range anxiety and learning to drive with two pedals and PRNDB shifter.

Rumblestripe

3,526 posts

177 months

Monday 7th July
quotequote all
Bridgewaterfalls said:
Toyota CVT are very smooth. We've one in a 18 plate rav4 and it's much smoother than the ZF 8 speed in my audi.

They are noisy if putting your foot down.
I have the Corolla and the only time you notice the CVT box is the strangely constant engine note under prolonged acceleration. We recently had a Yaris as courtesy car when it was in having a second key programmed (the dealer had managed to lose one before we bought it) and the Yaris is a little noisier but quieter than our previous 1.3 manual Yaris.