2020 Honda Civic LX Sedan CVT NA 2.0L
2800 miles
Is there any benefit or drawback (besides gas mileage) of driving primarily in "S" gear on a CVT in the city? I watched a Scotty video saying that driving in sport mode in the city might be a good idea but I do not have a sport mode button because this is the base model and the Honda Civic driver's manual calls it "Drive (S) - Used for better acceleration, increased engine braking, or driving in hilly terrain." A lot of people basically call this sport mode but since this is technically "Drive(S)" and not "Sport Mode" is it any different?
I watched a Scotty short video saying modern engines are made to go at higher speeds and it's actually better for the engine to reduce carbon build up but even at highway speeds of 70mph the engine rpm settles around 1500-2000, same if I was going 35-45mph in the city in regular Drive. I also watched another video with Scotty saying that the lower the rpm the longer the engine will last so I thought maybe Drive(S) all the time isn't good for long life. Since Drive(S) holds the RPM around 2500-3000 and I mostly do city driving where there's stretches of roads mostly at 35-45mph would it be better to drive in Drive(S) or regular Drive in the city? Thank you for taking the time to read my question.
Sport mode is a little harder on a CVT transmission as it affects throttle and engine response. Basically when you punch the gas its a much more abrupt acceleration. It also affects handling and suspension characteristics as well. If you were on a winding country road with little to no stops sure have fun. If you’re driving to work in city stop and go traffic I would just run it in economy, get the best possible gas mileage while putting least amount of stress on the drivetrain.
Yours doesn’t do anything to your suspension but it does affect engine throttle and response. You can do the “italian” tune up occasionally but I would most of the time drive it normally
Thank you for your response! I've heard that the engine needs to be "exercised" from time to time, do you know how often people are referring to and also by "exercise" what do they mean exactly? I've been told about once a week to get the engine up to operating temperature and to drive reasonably spirited. Is this true?
Yep, once a week is good. Bi-Weekly is ok. Just need to get the ripems up for an extended period. Get on interstate or long country road. Drive 65-70 for a lil while, maybe turn overdrive off, or if your in a manual drive in 4th and not 5th.
If you drive mostly in city, use normal mode driving, you can take the car to a highway for 30 min drive every week for the Italian tuneup.
