My 2013 EX has low miles so I cannot comment on CVT reliability. The performance of the CVT is outstanding. It does not suffer from the "rubber band" effect reported for CVTs from other car maker, along with high engine noise due to high engine revs before performance kicks in.
Upshifting is very smooth. Downshift response if you hit the gas is instantaneous, better than any automatic I ever had previously. RPMs always seem to be in a logical place for the load and the desired acceleration.
There is no transmission fluid dipstick so you cannot check transmission fluid level yourself. This may be related to the need to keep the CVT's internal environment pristine. Honda's CVTs are built in a clean room type environment to preclue introduction of particulate contamination during key manufacturing steps. Here is an excerpt from a Honda site from a few years ago about building CVT manufacturing capability at their Ohio facitlities:
"Honda started with about 60 employees on the line a day and are slowly ramping it up to a goal of 1,250 employees on the line a day. There are currently 360 employees daily on the CVT line.
The new production line was made using many ergonomically based studies, making robots in the plant both state-of-the-art and user friendly.
The addition also features "clean rooms" in and out of the main area. When questioned on the reason behind them, Fagan explained the importance of cleanliness around the new transmissions. Some pieces of the new products have only a 20-micron clearance. In relation, a thick piece of hair is about 40 microns."
The combination of the CVT with the direct injection 4 cylinder engine provides a nice combination of performance and gas mileage.