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Old 02-08-2013, 02:19 PM   #26
bruuster
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Default I don't mind the CVT

I've had my Impreza almost a year now and have 14k miles. I do a lot of city and hill driving and the MPG is about 27. I tend to use the paddle shifters a lot and get plenty of pick up. While in drive I can do a quick downshift to pass or engine brake going down hill. I've had no problems with the CVT.
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Old 02-08-2013, 02:22 PM   #27
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I never drive a MT, but the CVT sucks. I still not get used to it after driving my car for 6 months. that rubber band effect is horrible. esp when I try to park or do a broken U-turn, there is a 0.5-1 second delay from change gear. Also I can feel the car pulls back when I take my foot off the accelerator. it doesn't roll at all.
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Old 02-08-2013, 02:33 PM   #28
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Default CVT rubberband

Wing,

I do notice the delay when shifting from reverse but I'm used to it. As far as the braking when you take your foot off the gas, have you tried up shifting?
I up shift when I have a slight down hill and this makes the car feel like it's coasting.
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Old 02-08-2013, 02:45 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by winglik View Post
I never drive a MT, but the CVT sucks. I still not get used to it after driving my car for 6 months. that rubber band effect is horrible. esp when I try to park or do a broken U-turn, there is a 0.5-1 second delay from change gear. Also I can feel the car pulls back when I take my foot off the accelerator. it doesn't roll at all.
Not sure if youre talking about the engine braking, but make sure your car has the ecu update that was available mid-2012 that corrects this. I think it affects mostly the imprezas made in first 6 months of production or so.


As ive said before I dont mind the cvt, its just boring. Paddle shifters help but it doesnt always let you shift when you want to. I dont blame anyone for hating it and yet i dont regret my decision.
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Old 02-23-2013, 01:14 AM   #30
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Lots of posts I agree with on this thread, too many to quote.

The clutch and trans both need a break in. When new it feels kind of stiff and chunky... at first it really felt like this trans belongs in a tractor.

I'm up to about 9600 miles on my Impreza Sport. The clutch started feeling like it was broken in at about 4000. Once I crossed 8000 the trans started getting noticeably better. Now I'm able to shift a lot smoother without clutch groping; much quicker and sharper with no shock - just pull. Maybe there's a certain amount of adjustment on my part, but the break-in is real. I'd suggest keeping that in mind when test driving the manual.

I also got to try the CVT in a dealer's loaner when I brought mine in for service (that's another thread). It's a completely different trans and differential. Handles like a "normal" car, i.e. FWD with no kick from the center diff and none of the grip of the symmetric AWD. The CVT likes to shift a lot. Pretty much every time you touch the gas in traffic. After 100 miles I was sick of it and glad to be back in my 5MT.

Don't be shy about revving it up. With the wide gear ratios you kind of need to wind it out a bit. But first gear is nice and low for bumper to bumper traffic. I have no problem engaging as low as 1500 rpm. It's the shift from 1st to 2nd that gets ya in traffic... get it up above 4k and watch all the auto SUV drivers get out of your way when they hear the boxer.
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Old 02-23-2013, 08:09 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mc888 View Post

Don't be shy about revving it up. With the wide gear ratios you kind of need to wind it out a bit. But first gear is nice and low for bumper to bumper traffic. I have no problem engaging as low as 1500 rpm. It's the shift from 1st to 2nd that gets ya in traffic... get it up above 4k and watch all the auto SUV drivers get out of your way when they hear the boxer.

This
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Old 02-23-2013, 08:20 AM   #32
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I love the 5 sp in my sport. It isn't the best shifting car I have had but it seems to be getting better. At around 3k miles the reverse gear grenaded and I had a new trans installed. The new one seems to be a little tighter than the original one. I do have a quick question though.
Has anyone noticed that their trans rattles a bit when cold? When I start mine in the garage it rattles in neutral until the clutch is pushed in stopping the rotation of the main shaft. After its warm the noise goes away. I am getting ready to change to synthetic fluids but I want to make sure that this is normal. If it isn't I don't want them to try and blame the Redline fluid for a failure.

Paul
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Old 02-23-2013, 09:59 AM   #33
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Originally Posted by gt601 View Post
I love the 5 sp in my sport. It isn't the best shifting car I have had but it seems to be getting better. At around 3k miles the reverse gear grenaded and I had a new trans installed. The new one seems to be a little tighter than the original one. I do have a quick question though.
Has anyone noticed that their trans rattles a bit when cold? When I start mine in the garage it rattles in neutral until the clutch is pushed in stopping the rotation of the main shaft. After its warm the noise goes away. I am getting ready to change to synthetic fluids but I want to make sure that this is normal. If it isn't I don't want them to try and blame the Redline fluid for a failure.

Paul
Mine doesn't do this.
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Old 02-23-2013, 10:09 AM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mc888 View Post
The clutch and trans both need a break in. When new it feels kind of stiff and chunky... at first it really felt like this trans belongs in a tractor.
I don't think I've noticed this break-in, and my car has almost 12k miles on it. I think it's more that I've gotten used to the clutch's high catch point, which took months.


Quote:
Originally Posted by mc888 View Post
Don't be shy about revving it up. With the wide gear ratios you kind of need to wind it out a bit. But first gear is nice and low for bumper to bumper traffic. I have no problem engaging as low as 1500 rpm. It's the shift from 1st to 2nd that gets ya in traffic... get it up above 4k and watch all the auto SUV drivers get out of your way when they hear the boxer.
If you're looking for passing power, you need to wind it up above 4k RPM, and you need to understand that you must avoid both 4th and 5th gears during hard acceleration. Fourth and 5th gears are both overdrive gears, making them good for fuel economy and bad for acceleration. Third gear is good all the way up to 80 MPH before hitting redline. So if you're stuck behind someone on the highway and you need to pass aggressively, don't downshift from 5th to 4th. Downshift from 5th to 3rd, and she'll accelerate nicely. The boxer gets loud during this maneuver, but have no fear--that's just the noise of the engine saying "weee!" and doing what you want it to do.
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Old 02-23-2013, 10:11 AM   #35
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I can only hear it when I am in the garage in the morning. If I am out in the open it is barely noticeable. Just a slight whirr.
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Old 02-23-2013, 10:30 AM   #36
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Will listen for that sound but never heard it As for redline dunno about that these trans seem to be iffy with redline I would check the sticky by Unibomber. I opted for motul gear 300 for both vehicles as that was highly recommended and used in 5sp wrx, some had issues with redline and subie trans as they seemed to be more fluid intolerant. I am paraphrasing here
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Old 02-23-2013, 10:32 AM   #37
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Thats the first transmission I've heard of failing mechanically on a new Impreza.
My trans is working well, and doesnt rattle in neutral. Even in the garage in the morning.
I drained the factory 80w90 at around 1200 miles and went with Amsoil Severe Gear 75w90, and it seems to really like the stuff. I think it also helps with that pesky reverse gear. Sometimes reverse doesnt want to engage. If you encounter a stubborn reverse shift, make sure you havve disengaged the e-brake, and then try going second gear to fourth to reverse.
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Old 02-23-2013, 10:34 AM   #38
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MC88- Ive had a couple cvt loaners, and I agree about the traction. On a fast, twisty dirt road the cvt feels much more fwd than the good ole' 5mt.
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Old 02-23-2013, 10:43 AM   #39
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+1 for the Amsoil Severe Gear, in both my tranny and rear diff.
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Old 02-23-2013, 10:47 AM   #40
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http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=995498

from the threads I read and from memory some of the redline issues were that ppl used the wrong fluid, however there were a few tht used the correct fluid that I remember had issues with it so read up and do your research. As for reverse you can also do a shift to 1st/2nd to grab the syncros so that R engages. In agreement with 79letour synthetic fluid makes pesky reverse go bye bye. 79letour if I recall correctly did his change at 1200, I did my change on both cars at around 3600, did rear diff at same time as well. choose what works best for your situation
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Old 02-23-2013, 11:05 AM   #41
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Yes you are correct. Also did the rear diff when I did the tranny. I swear I may have picked up a .25 mpg or so!

I did the rear again when I was doing the oil at around 10-15k, I still had/have some Amsoil leftover. Overkill? Maybe but the diff should be good to go now for at least a half million miles.
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Old 02-23-2013, 11:05 AM   #42
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Yes you are correct. Also did the rear diff when I did the tranny. I swear I may have picked up a .25 mpg or so!

I did the rear again when I was doing the oil at around 10-15k, I still had/have some Amsoil leftover. Overkill? Maybe but the diff should be good to go now for at least a half million miles.
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Old 02-23-2013, 11:07 AM   #43
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At a dealer the going rate for a diff fluid change is $70-90!
Its really easy to do.
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Old 02-27-2013, 10:45 PM   #44
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Originally Posted by mc888 View Post
I also got to try the CVT in a dealer's loaner when I brought mine in for service (that's another thread). It's a completely different trans and differential. Handles like a "normal" car, i.e. FWD with no kick from the center diff and none of the grip of the symmetric AWD. The CVT likes to shift a lot. Pretty much every time you touch the gas in traffic. After 100 miles I was sick of it and glad to be back in my 5MT.
So you guys that are saying you feel the CVT handles more like a FWD car, how does the manual feel different? My experience with non-FWD cars at this point is nearly nonexistent.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mc888 View Post
Don't be shy about revving it up. With the wide gear ratios you kind of need to wind it out a bit. But first gear is nice and low for bumper to bumper traffic. I have no problem engaging as low as 1500 rpm. It's the shift from 1st to 2nd that gets ya in traffic... get it up above 4k and watch all the auto SUV drivers get out of your way when they hear the boxer.
This is what I experienced on the first test drive with the new gen manual. I drive a Tacoma right now which has more low-end power. I think I was short-shifting the Impreza; it made it feel like it had no power. But I also could hardly hear the engine, the defroster was cranked to the max.
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Old 02-28-2013, 12:21 AM   #45
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So you guys that are saying you feel the CVT handles more like a FWD car, how does the manual feel different? My experience with non-FWD cars at this point is nearly nonexistent.



This is what I experienced on the first test drive with the new gen manual. I drive a Tacoma right now which has more low-end power. I think I was short-shifting the Impreza; it made it feel like it had no power. But I also could hardly hear the engine, the defroster was cranked to the max.
The power on the manual is split 50/50 front to rear. This means that the handling and power distribution are much more balanced and even, and handling feels much more like a rear wheel drive car, but is easier to control. It's a proper awd car, not like the posers that some of the cars on the market are with their semi full time awd (fwd till slippage is detected). Of course, this car does understeer because subaru tuned the suspension that way, but replacing the rear sway bar to a 19mm along with the manual make for one of the most balanced cars I've ever driven in the corners, and this is in part due to the AWD balancing the power distribution and not pegging the front tires with torque. The center diff has a mechanical system that redistributes power as well when slippage occurs. It's mechanical and proven so it's pretty reliable. Subaru engineers say that the automatic electronic system is better, but that's subjective. The mechanical system is far more predictable so I would prefer it personally, and yes, the automatic does distribute power something between 90/10 to 60/40 most of the time between the front and rear. The manual is 50/50 all the time till something starts to slip. Also, the tacoma you are driving is a completely different engine with different uses, as you well know, so your driving style will be off for a bit, as was mine. I was shifting too soon, and often I still do for fuel efficiency, but I usually reach about 3000 to 3500k rpm before I shift. This engine revs more freely than any other I've tried save for a BRZ, and 350z, and there is a good reason for this, as it's designed to run this way. When I really need to go somewhere fast, I liberally push it to 5000 in every gear before I shift, and then I just pop it in and the car jumps forward, very eagerly. My cousin who is used to driving an older Toyota Celica was highly impressed by its acceleration, so that should say something about it when it's pushed. Go ahead and test drive one again, but this time don't be afraid to push it. It's designed to do this.
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Old 02-28-2013, 05:35 AM   #46
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The power on the manual is split 50/50 front to rear. This means that the handling and power distribution are much more balanced and even, and handling feels much more like a rear wheel drive car, but is easier to control. It's a proper awd car, not like the posers that some of the cars on the market are with their semi full time awd (fwd till slippage is detected). Of course, this car does understeer because subaru tuned the suspension that way, but replacing the rear sway bar to a 19mm along with the manual make for one of the most balanced cars I've ever driven in the corners, and this is in part due to the AWD balancing the power distribution and not pegging the front tires with torque. The center diff has a mechanical system that redistributes power as well when slippage occurs. It's mechanical and proven so it's pretty reliable. Subaru engineers say that the automatic electronic system is better, but that's subjective. The mechanical system is far more predictable so I would prefer it personally, and yes, the automatic does distribute power something between 90/10 to 60/40 most of the time between the front and rear. The manual is 50/50 all the time till something starts to slip. Also, the tacoma you are driving is a completely different engine with different uses, as you well know, so your driving style will be off for a bit, as was mine. I was shifting too soon, and often I still do for fuel efficiency, but I usually reach about 3000 to 3500k rpm before I shift. This engine revs more freely than any other I've tried save for a BRZ, and 350z, and there is a good reason for this, as it's designed to run this way. When I really need to go somewhere fast, I liberally push it to 5000 in every gear before I shift, and then I just pop it in and the car jumps forward, very eagerly. My cousin who is used to driving an older Toyota Celica was highly impressed by its acceleration, so that should say something about it when it's pushed. Go ahead and test drive one again, but this time don't be afraid to push it. It's designed to do this.
Nice description. Agreed.
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Old 02-28-2013, 09:20 AM   #47
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Regarding the different awd systems:

For the purposes of getting un-stuck, either one will be just about as effective of a system as you can get on a small car. Some people say the cvt system is a bit better. Some people say the mt system is more fun. But they both work.

Regarding handling, what everyone else has said is true, but you'll only notice it during spirited driving.
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Old 02-28-2013, 02:02 PM   #48
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What does that tell you?
they are more interested in selling CVTs and the market is bigger. a lot of people don't drive manuals anymore. if they really wanted to sell manuals they wouldn't have relegated them to only the lower half of the trim levels. I know a manual would have looked a lot better to me if I could have had one with leather. other factors lead me to getting a CVT but in general I like having leather.
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Old 02-28-2013, 03:04 PM   #49
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they are more interested in selling CVTs and the market is bigger. a lot of people don't drive manuals anymore. if they really wanted to sell manuals they wouldn't have relegated them to only the lower half of the trim levels. I know a manual would have looked a lot better to me if I could have had one with leather. other factors lead me to getting a CVT but in general I like having leather.
I would have liked leather and a sunroof too. But I only buy cars with manual trannies, so I stuck with the Sport Premium. I would have bought a Sport Limited if it could have been purchased with a stick.

So for you, the leather was the main thing. For me, it was the stick and clutch.
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Old 02-28-2013, 03:06 PM   #50
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I would have liked leather and a sunroof too. But I only buy cars with manual trannies, so I stuck with the Sport Premium. I would have bought a Sport Limited if it could have been purchased with a stick.

So for you, the leather was the main thing. For me, it was the stick and clutch.
i also wanted leather, but refused to buy the CVT
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