Hertz Nissan Maxima with 40K on it for 1300 miles from Thursday through today. Didn't even realize it was a CVT until after the first 500 miles. Not as sporty as a manual but the thing accelerated VERY acceptably from 60 to 80 and suffered none of the "hunting" that I've heard claimed from constant velocity transmissions. AC worked well, stereo rocked Dire Straits and on balance a damn nice car. My $.02.
Do those have the simulated shift points?
Interesting. My sister has a Nissan Rogue with a CVT attached to a 4 cylinder of some sort. It's definitely noticeable. The noise it makes is awful. It has a "sport mode" but it doesn't change anything that I can tell. I'd like to drive a nicer/more powerful car with a CVT to see how it compares.
I don't think I'd ever own one though.
My Mom has a Freestyle with the CVT. She loves it. Calls it her lawnmower transmission. I've driven it, I don't hate it, but I wouldn't buy one. Her's doesn't have the simulated shift points, so to me it always sounds like it's slipping. It's just shy of 100k and my Dad is ready to dump it before the transmission pukes.
The torque of the V6 Maxima and Altima definitely makes the CVT more manageable because it doesn't have to hunt to find an optimal ratio, the engine has the torque to pull the car without drastically changing ratio during cruise.
The Versa CVT is downright painful.
stroker wrote: Hertz Nissan Maxima with 40K on it for 1300 miles from Thursday through today. Didn't even realize it was a CVT until after the first 500 miles. Not as sporty as a manual but the thing accelerated VERY acceptably from 60 to 80 and suffered none of the "hunting" that I've heard claimed from constant velocity transmissions. AC worked well, stereo rocked Dire Straits and on balance a damn nice car. My $.02.
Funny, I had a rental CVT Maxima last winter in Florida (also for about 500 miles). As a former 2000 Maxima owner, I was pretty pleased to have scored that as my "budget" rental. By the end of the week, I couldn't give it back quick enough. The CVT was smooth enough, but made the car feel gutless and it felt substantially slower than my VQ30 maxima that had 70 less horses (perception or reality, it didn't feel fast at all). Other than that, the interior was bleh, steering was bleh, handling was Camry-esque. Just a dreadfully boring car overall, and the CVT just added to the overall feeling that the car was thoroughly uninteresting. There was nothing particularly terrible about it, but nothing particularly good about it either. It was an appliance, not a "4 Door Sportscar" by any means. It made me sad.
Subaru has one of the best CVT's in the Imprezza in my opinion. When you want to hear "gear changes" it simulates them, exceptionally well, and as it it shifted with the speed of a dual clutch. I much prefer actual set gear ratios, but this unit isn't bad at all. All others I've driven...including most Nissans, even the miserable Versa CVT were bland or worse. Next to making it a prius style hybrid, I see no way to suck the fun out of a car faster than installing a crappy cvt.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I loathe CVT's faking gear changes. It's the engineer in me. A close second is a Veggie burger or maybe Tofurkey. Just be yourself.
I just think it's weird that the engine stays at one RPM (and thus makes a constant-frequency noise) while the car is accelerating.
I love the concept of the CVT. Thankfully the only one I have driven has been my mother's '14 Legacy. Yes, it does feel different than a conventional auto. It just seems that most issues are either reliability or poor programming.
RossD wrote: I've said it before and I'll say it again: I loathe CVT's faking gear changes. It's the engineer in me. A close second is a Veggie burger or maybe Tofurkey. Just be yourself.
Maybe that's why it's called a TRANSmission... 
Have one in a '15 Outback 3.6R. I don't mind it. In fact, I kind of like it to be honest. At times, if you really need to accelerate, it will mimic shifting.
My parents had an Altima with a CVT a few years ago as a rental and really liked it. Just yesterday, they traded in their manual '07 Forrester for a '15 Forrester with a CVT. The CVT was one of the things that sold them on the Forrester, my dad said it was very responsive and less buzzy on the highway than their old Forrester. Until yesterday, all three of their cars were manuals (C4 Vette, '01 Mustang GT, and the old Forrester), so I guess I owe it to myself to try out something with a CVT.
I drove one once...
Wife has a 2013 Subaru Legacy with the CVT. Her sister has a 2014 Altima with the CVT. I don't like the Altima but I do like the one in the Legacy. In fact, I like it enough that I just bought a 2015 Outback with the same setup.
My '14 Civic has CVT.
Works pretty well.
Runs the motor WOT at max torque RPM for acceleration.
Runs the motor at max efficiency in cruise for economy.
OEM's wouldn't let them out the door if they were going to be a warranty problem.
(I'm a lifelong Triumph freak, ex SCCA racer)
The wrx cvt is incredible. Honestly didn't think I'd like it. I want one for my hillclimb car now, but they are still a bit heavy. I've tried the cvt in other Subies, and wrx variant is even better. It just works. Sounds weird, and odd not to shift but it really does work. Just mash the throttle and giggle. Launch isn't anything special, but getting out of any corner is fun.
erohslc wrote: OEM's wouldn't let them out the door if they were going to be a warranty problem.
They're not a warranty problem, they're a REALLY, REALLY EXPENSIVE out of warranty problem.
They make high mileage 4L60Es look cheap and reliable.
Junkyard_Dog wrote:erohslc wrote: OEM's wouldn't let them out the door if they were going to be a warranty problem.They're not a warranty problem, they're a REALLY, REALLY EXPENSIVE out of warranty problem. They make high mileage 4L60Es look cheap and reliable.
This.
My cousins Jeep Patriot has a CVT. It just E36 M3 the bed at about 90K. No "rebuild", replacement only. $3500ish.
No thank you.
Junkyard_Dog wrote: They're not a warranty problem, they're a REALLY, REALLY EXPENSIVE out of warranty problem.
While that is true now, in the future I'm sure some clever people in the aftermarket will come up with some lower cost fixes for common problems. Not unlike hybrid batteries for example.
Had a rental car last year with a CVT, it was either a Focus or Fiesta and it was flat out miserable. It stumbled and jerked and didn't seem to have any acceleration at first, then would lunge forward. The worst was left tuning at a stop light in front of oncoming traffic. It would sit for a second before anything would happen. It was so bad that I called the rental company thinking that it may have had a problem and to replace it. Anyway, I had it for five days and I was so glad to turn it back in. Now to be fair it was a rental and probably abused and it truly may have had a problem but it was bad!!
Toyman01 wrote: My Mom has a Freestyle with the CVT. She loves it. Calls it her lawnmower transmission. I've driven it, I don't hate it, but I wouldn't buy one. Her's doesn't have the simulated shift points, so to me it always sounds like it's slipping. It's just shy of 100k and my Dad is ready to dump it before the transmission pukes.
It makes for a very efficient minivan clone, though, doesn't it?
Mine was somewhere around $4K and the first one died at 125K. The reman died some very short time later (can't recall) so I support your Dad's plan.
Feedyurhed wrote: Had a rental car last year with a CVT, it was either a Focus or Fiesta and it was flat out miserable. It stumbled and jerked and didn't seem to have any acceleration at first, then would lunge forward. The worst was left tuning at a stop light in front of oncoming traffic. It would sit for a second before anything would happen. It was so bad that I called the rental company thinking that it may have had a problem and to replace it. Anyway, I had it for five days and I was so glad to turn it back in. Now to be fair it was a rental and probably abused and it truly may have had a problem but it was bad!!
I'm guessing it was not so much the CVT but the drive by wire throttle delay that they use to keep drive train shock low and to help boost fuel economy. My Grand Cherokee does the same thing in ECO mode but pop it in Sport mode and it goes away.
I actually like the idea of a CVT. I might have to try a Subaru one. (As long as it doesn't pretend-a-shift.)
RossD wrote: I've said it before and I'll say it again: I loathe CVT's faking gear changes. It's the engineer in me. A close second is a Veggie burger or maybe Tofurkey. Just be yourself.
Sky_Render wrote: I just think it's weird that the engine stays at one RPM (and thus makes a constant-frequency noise) while the car is accelerating.
CVTs are the best solution IMO but it seems the main thing people don't like is that they don't feel like they are accelerating because the engine speed isn't changing. Never mind the speedometer going up and passing traffic and stuff, it doesn't sound like it is moving so therefore it's not, i guess.
So solution: Pipe in fake engine noises that change with speed. Let the CVT run the engine to its optimal load/RPM for a given speed. Everyone wins.
You'll need to log in to post.
