Whine is one thing. A known issue is the CVT sounding like rattling rocks inside a tin can. Its sporadic and really jumps out at you when it happens when you're driving next to a concrete divider or inside a parking garage. The thing literally makes you sound like you're driving a shitbox.
Stupid thing is Nissan says it normal, and yet for a lot of people this eventually leads to actual CVT failure.
Nissan's CVT is abyssmal. It was worth a shot and a risk, and they took it. They need to mature the NVH and overall refinement testing on it to get it to where it needs to be.
I've driven Honda's new CVT. I was skeptical (Seriously....100% bummed that they offered it in the Accord). Immediately, I was impressed with how well it reacted for an Automatic Trans. Not only that, but the pure efficiency of a variable ratio system like that is stellar.
Certainly not as bad as Toyota at carrying over engines.
Christ, the 2013 Yaris still has a 1.5L 1NZ-FE in it. It's the same engine as my girlfriend's 2000 Echo. :laugh:
Lethargic is a good word for it. The R18 in the lower model Civics has always impressed me in terms of capability, toss-ability, and "Civic" Like. It has enough pickup too to make an Economy Car well worth it, just needs a 6speed AT or MT
For the record, the SI will never have a CVT. Whoever PM'd me about that can sleep better tonight.
Honda right now in america is possibly the most "boring" car company there is. Even Kia and Hyundai have something of a performance model. Honda has dick I really don't know what happened with them. I guess they just dropped the enthusiast market all together. If this Unicorn of yours is really all that they have a lot of work to do and anything with Earth Dreams in the name just kills my libido.
Boring? How so? Conservative styling? meager engine offerings? the fact that only the Accord has had an official redesign in the last couple of years (Civic Excluded....we all know how bad that went)? I wouldn't say we're "boring" but I definitely think that the entire lineup needs a good scrubbing over, which is exactly happening. EVERYTHING is getting reworked between 2014-2017. It started with the Accord which is selling so well that I cannot purchase one through out Purchase program.
I believe Honda took a chance to drag out what they could before they make a huge push towards the market. "Save for the future"
My "Unicorn" is left to be determined but I know it'll perform well enough for my liking (and many others) The development of the chassis has barely started but the engine is pretty much done. All Japan stuff, so I really have no idea what to expect. As far as having "Earth Dreams" Moniker...? I could care less if it was on there or not. From what I've seen, it has all the technology, but not "designation". We shall see, we're still in the 1st inning.