My experience with KTuner vs Hondata on 1.5T CVT

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Ramond
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:54 am

My experience with KTuner vs Hondata on 1.5T CVT

Post by Ramond »

Hello everyone,,
I am not a tuner in any way, so I can’t comment on the individual settings and abilities of each software. I just wanted to share my thoughts after trying both tuner’s Stage 2 tunes in case anybody else is trying to decide which tune to go for with their 1.5T CVT Accord. They are both solid options, are both easy to install, and each have their strengths.

Hondata was my first tune, and I was shocked at how much of a difference it made. It provides a huge boost in low end torque, which really makes passing and launching a more enjoyable experience. One concerning thing for me was that in the high RPM’s (5k+), the transmission seemed to be having a hard time finding the sweet spot for power. At first, it had me worried that the CVT was slipping. Overall, the Hondata tune gives a huge increase in power which feels exciting, but not the smoothest delivery. Also, while the large increase in low end torque is impressive, the limited research I’ve done seems to point towards high torque at low RPM’s as being what kills CVT’s. These 2 things combined is what persuaded me to try KTuner.

KTuner by contrast feels smooth and controlled, but also quite fast. When you compare the dyno charts, Ktuner’s shows a peak torque of 260lb/ft @ 3200rpm, versus Hondata’s 271lb/ft @ 2750rpm. The difference doesn’t seem huge, but you definitely miss the immediate pull that Hondata provided when you first put the foot down. On the high end, ktuner doesn’t have the same drop off in power after ~5600rpm that Hondata has. These things combined lead to a very confident and smooth delivery throughout the power band. The transmission doesn’t have the same “hunting” when flooring it that it did with Hondata, which is relieving. Overall, the ktuner tune feels more like a typical power curve (starting more smoothly, and building up to a peak). As a side note, the dual tune functionality is a really nice feature.

After trying both, I will be sticking with ktuner. Although most of what I read online beforehand seemed to cite Hondata as the safer choice, with this vehicle and this driver, ktuner feels like the smoother and safer choice for the CVT. I know that Hondata has tested the limits and what not, but something about the smoother power delivery just gives me more peace of mind. Like I said above, I think both are great options and either one is a tremendous improvement in power over the stock tuning, but at least for now, Ktuner stands out for me. Hope that helps somebody else decide for their new accord!
KTuner
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Re: My experience with KTuner vs Hondata on 1.5T CVT

Post by KTuner »

It's odd that this is a copy of an old Reddit post, but I will leave it here.
airfoxtwo
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed May 12, 2021 12:08 pm

Re: My experience with KTuner vs Hondata on 1.5T CVT

Post by airfoxtwo »

My research tells me that ktuner has been safe for the CVT, as long as you stick to the true 16.5psi, +3 or +6 tunes.
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