Technically *all* cvts are automatics, because the gear ratio is controlled by the car, not the driver. i.e. It's not manual.

As for insight cvt vs. 5-speed, they're not the same car. They have different engines, and therefore different MPG results.




I like Volkswagen's approach for automatics: Their Direct Shift Gearing (DSG) transmission is basically a 6-gear manual transmission, with NO torque converter. That eliminates the losses associated with a slushbox and/or a belt-drive. It's a direct engine-->wheels connection.

troy