Japanese automaker Honda started using continuously variable transmissions (CVT) in the 1996 Civic HX Coupe, earning it the distinction of being the first automatic car to make it to the EPA's top 10 list of most fuel-efficient cars that year. It came in second place to the Geo Metro, a vehicle that those who are old enough to remember was the epitome of cheap, fuel-efficient, yet somewhat crappy transportation.
The Metro earned the EPA's first-place nod by registering an excellent 44 mpg city and 49 mpg highway. Meanwhile, the CVT-equipped Civic HX Coupe, fresh from its sixth-generation EK-Series debut (the best Civic in my book, mainly for being the last Civic to have double wishbones in the front and rear), can achieve 35 mpg city and 41 mpg highway. What's more, the Civic HX accelerates from zero-to-60 mph in 9.4 seconds, which happens to be faster by around 1.1 seconds than a Civic sedan with a conventional four-speed automatic gearbox.
The CVT has been around for a surprisingly long time (having been invented by the British in 1923), and it works differently than a conventional gear-driven automatic. Since launching the Civic HX CVT in 1996, Honda's CVT has migrated to its other offerings, particularly the CR-V, HR-V, and Accord - Honda even made a CVT for bikes - but does it bring the promise of reliability that customers expect from the Honda badge?