In the past (02-07 model years), automatic transmission cars would sell for ~$1000-2000 less than a comparable manual due to a reduced market. I don't think that there is enough used car sales with the CVT to give an accurate picture of the used car market. I would expect it to be a little more difficult to sell vs a comparable manual, but it may be better than the 4EAT transmission of old (considering the reviews I've seen on the CVT version of the new cars).

 

Thanks for the info/insight. The reviews I've read have me seriously considering the CVT. Any other vehicle and I would have serious reservations but the WRX CVT sounds like it is very well designed. I just hesitate to spend that much money on a car and not have it retain its resale value as well as it could if I got a manual.

 

The WRX CVT hasn't really been out long enough to determine the long-term resale, but you can still research used 2015 models and compare them to the MT version. You may find some helpful info. I had an '08 WRX 4EAT and after 4.5 years of ownership I traded it in and received $4,500 more than what I owed on it so I can't complain. Money in my pocket.

 

That's a good idea - I plugged the info into KBB for a 2015 with and without the CVT and the value came back exactly the same. Will be interesting to see what that value does over the long term...

 

Unless they start exploding.. I think the resale will be similar. Maybe a grand off. The 15-16 are selling very quickly, and people are buying the CVT left and right. As a matter of fact, there are two of us on this thread with it.. You will get people who don't think it belongs, and you will get people complaining. But at the end of the night, guess what? It's your car. The only time someone can tell me what to do with my car is when the foot the bill. Until then...

The CVT does have some nice features. And some negatives. But, thats any car..

 

My $0.02:
Resale shouldn't hurt as bad as before. Reason being, there are no more Evos. When walking around in parking lots I would check if an Evo was a manual or DCT. Majority were DCT.

 

Hard to say given the type of car a WRX is. While many that like the idea of a sporty sedan will want the MT6, manuals are becoming such a rare option on most cars that there are many younger drivers that don't know how to and don't want to drive one. Since this is just going to get worse over time, a manual transmission may end up being worth less money since in the general population, the audience that wants one is significantly reduced.

 

I have the CVT in mine, it was ridiculously hard to find one locally and I ended up making an 8 hour round trip to get it. With that said, in intelligent mode it drives like a typical CVT transmission, no shifts and feels like a rubber band. It's great for driving around town and still has good acceleration, the only time it's off is if you really lay on it. It just doesn't know what to do then. In sport # it's like a totally different car and goes like hell. It'll hold the rpm's and gear that it's in and is quite aggressive if not a bit jumpy. I wavered a bit when looking at it, but I already have a beast of a track car with a Tremec 6 speed, and the wife can drive the WRX with the CVT so it worked out great.

 

Thanks for the info and experience - I always like hearing first hand from actual users, rather than somebody bashing or commenting who has never experienced the CVT.

How long of a delay would you say there is when stepping on it in Intelligent mode?

I'm coming from a Caliber SRT-4 so am kind of debating if I want to stay with manual or go for the CVT. I'm also in the same boat with the wife being able to drive the CVT easily.
Most of my driving is city driving so the manual shifting does get a little old sometimes. But on the flip side, when I do want to drive more aggressively, its quite exhilarating to fly through the gears

 

It'll pull hard when stepping on it from a dead stop to about 40 mph, then goes in to the gas saving not above 4k rpm mode. When in intelligent mode and looking to pass, there's just a slight lag in getting it to downshift (if that's what you want to call it) but it's never left me with a worry in passing someone. With that said, I spend 95% of my time in intelligent mode, so it's really not too bad. I skip sport mode, it's a joke really unless you are really laying in to the pedal. It'll simulate shifts in sports mode, nothing really noticeable on take off but more noticeable when my foot is to the floor. Really it just lets it rev higher through the gears. for me, it's either intelligent or sports #. I very seldom use the paddles even with it in sports # since the car is very responsive and seems to be in the right gear all the time, especially with autocrossing. The nice part is, I'm getting over 26 mpg with it still.

 

Is that 26 mpg with city or highway driving?

 

I do a lot of stop and go to and from work but have a good mix of decent stretches in there too. I'm also a bit heavy on the gas and have it mashed at least once a day for kicks. One the 4 hour trip home after I bought it it was averaging 31 mpg on regular gas (dealership didn't put in premium!) in the rain

 

I love the CVT. One thing I found it a bit annoying in winter is that the CVT doesn't lock up until the engine temp reach 130 degrees. During a cold day (<30F) it could take 5 mins to reach that temp. So to even I drive slow on highway for 60mph the engine is running at 3k. That also hurt the mpg as well.

 

Apart from that, I find the CVT a tad bit of delay from revere to drive. But, just a tiny bit. A little more then the average auto. But it's great.


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Hmm - my in-laws have a Crosstrek that will give a full 2-3 second delay on occasion when shifting from Reverse to Drive. The WRX CVT isn't that bad is it??

 

I have a Crosstrek loaner car right now that I've had for about 3 weeks, there's a huge delay in reverse to drive. Many times I've hit the gas before it's actually engaged drive. The WRX isn't nearly that bad, not even close

 

There's a terrible lag in that.. It's nothing like that. But it is a tad more then a standard auto id say.


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I do enjoy my 16 CVT quite a bit, and getting through this snowstorm in New York this year with zero problems really made me a true believer in what this car is capable of and why it has such a legacy. In sport mode it acts like a true CVT, only thing that bothers me is it just seems so loud. Sport sharp is a different animal entirely, very touchy throttle and you could get to 6k without shifting. Only thing I dislike about S# is at the lower gears it's VERY rubberbandy, almost feels like if you were sitting shotgun with somebody who is learning how to drive stick.

 

The CVT should hold its value pretty well considering it's still a WRX. I got a '16 limited CVT and have no regrets. I wavered on getting the manual, but at the end of the day, the CVT made more sense as a daily driver for me. It has its negatives, but for what it is, its been great so far.

 

I've been here since 2014 and still have not gotten a WRX yet. The boat sailed back then and it's back this year where I'm looking again, so I'm just like the OP, a potential owner with the same debate.

I've been a reader, this is my 2nd post. So here is my non-owner opinion.

I would like a WRX CVT too, for the same reasons mentioned. What's holding me back now is that the CVT is not available in the Base model. When you add CVT to the Premium model, it's a lot higher in price and I'm starting to consider other options.

In summary, I like the CVT. CVT fits my needs. Would buy a CVT WRX. So I am a CVT buyer. But if the question is resale, it's manual all the way.

Put that for sale ad on craigslist, you'll get 20 guys inquiring in 2 days if it's a manual. You can select the best offer. If I want that car, I may need to put down a good offer.

If it's a WRX with CVT, there will be buyers too. Me. If I'm the only one, I'm going to give you a low offer, just because I know there isn't too many guys like me. And my offer may be the only one the seller will get.

 

Considering no one can be bothered to learn to drive a stick anymore in a few more years people will be beating down your door for a wrx with an auto

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