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Dear Doctor: I have a 2012 Subaru Forester with the automatic transmission. I’m considering purchasing a new Forester with a continuously variable transmission. I’m looking for reliability, low maintenance, and good gas mileage. I have 150,000 miles on my current Forester and never did anything to the automatic transmission. Will the CVT be the same?
Harvey
Dear Harvey: I am driving a new Subaru Crosstrek with a CVT transmission that has steering-wheel paddle shifters. Subaru is continually updating its vehicles and my test car is a great example. The engine is a clean design and the engine compartment is uncluttered. The CVT transmission can be shifted manually for spirited driving, if desired. The engine has ample power and is very quiet. There are many vehicles with CVT transmissions and they seem to be holding up. However, I recommend you drain and fill the transmission at 50,000 miles. It is an inexpensive service that could save the owner a lot of money over the long run.
Dear Doctor: I am in the process of shopping for a 2016 Honda Pilot Touring. My questions pertain to the new technology in this vehicle, which seems to be over the top. What are your opinions on the nine-speed transmission, the start/stop engine technology, and the push-button transmission (and its location right next to cupholders)? Is this an SUV you would recommend or should I look for a pre-owned 2015 Honda Pilot with low mileage? Anthony
Dear Anthony: I drove a new 2016 Pilot for a week equipped with the nine-speed transmission. The advanced technology with new electronics is here to stay. I would not worry about any of these mechanical features you mentioned on this vehicle. The 2016 Pilot multipurpose vehicle does offer good performance, handling, and plenty of passenger room and storage.
Dear Doctor: I do my own oil changes on my 1999 Ford Expedition with 112,000 miles, as well as on my 2005 Ford F-150 with 95,000 miles. Is there any downside in switching to full-synthetic oil at this time? It actually seems cheaper to extend mileage between changes rather than changing the oil every 3,000 miles.
Don
Dear Don: I recommend the use of full-synthetic oil on most vehicles, unless the engine has multiple oil leaks that the owner is not planning to repair. The use of full-synthetic oil should not cause any additional oil leaks or cause any problems. I recommend as I do with my own vehicles: no more that six months or 6,000 miles between change intervals.
Dear Doctor: I own a 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. Engine heat is getting into the passenger compartment. What can be done to fix this problem?
Rich
Dear Rich: You first need to locate the source of the heat before you can prevent it from entering the passenger cabin. If the heat is entering through the heater vents, then the blend door is not working in the heater box. An inexpensive solution is to have a technician cut either heater hose and install a shut-off valve available from any good auto parts store. If the heat source is from a hole in the firewall, then you would need to block off the area of the hot air penetration.
Dear Doctor: I hear the new Volkswagen Golf R is a favorite among pocket rocket fans. Have you driven the 2016 version? If so, what are your impressions?
Sam
Dear Sam: Yes, I drove the 2016 VW Golf R – an AWD four-cylinder turbocharger that makes 292 horsepower mated with a close-ratio short throw shifter six-speed manual. There’s no turbo lag, and under hard acceleration the engine not only comes to life, of course, but the exhaust notes become louder under the hard acceleration, too. It took a lot of engineering to get this wonderful engine/exhaust sound. In the old turbocharged four-cylinder, the engine RPM would start making power at 3,500-plus, but this little guy brings on the power just above idle all the way up to the redline around 6,000 rpm.
Junior Damato is an ASE-certified Master Technician. E-mail questions for publication to info@motormatters.biz. Mail questions to: Motor Matters, PO Box 3305, Wilmington, DE 19804.