Am I damaging my Honda Civic CVT by using engine braking on freeway off ramp?

General Question

I have a Civic CVT (EX trim, 11th gen but that doesn't matter). It has 3 configurations for driving, sport, and low. When I'm exiting the freeway, I shift the car into low mode because the engine braking usually brings the car to a smoother stop. I sometimes do this too when there is a red light far away and there's no point in putting any gas so I just let it coast + engine brake and then use the brake for the final 10-15 mph.

Thing is, I don't do this to for fuel efficiency or saving the brake pads. I just like the smoother deceleration (and also the sound). I just wanted to know if this is okay for the car or if I'm just slowly damaging the transmission/engine.

Posted Aug 5, 2025, 10:05 PM UTC

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