Nissan CVT - WTF

So we got a car in for service and were given a 2014 Nissan Sentra as a loaner. It has a CVT transmission this is my first hands on experience with one and it just seems odd.

Pulled out of the shop onto a major road and needed to go it set itself at like 5,000 RPMS and just held while it sort of accelerated.

I figured I had broken it... Turned around and took it back and was told by the nice rent a car guy "Yea they do that" and sent me on my way.

It just seems odd it is seems like it is slipping a clutch at all times until it sort of locks up at a set RPM range.

Nissan claims superior efficiency but how much more efficient can the be from some of the newer 6 to 9 speed automatics available today?

Kinda like an F-Mod?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by POS Racing

It has a CVT transmission this is my first hands on experience with one and it just seems odd.

---

Au contraire mon frere. Remember the Mitsubishi that you drove from the dealer to the 2007 Div at La Grave? You had to blow the toll booths on the Bush. I was driving Matt Lucas's truck with toll tag, so I was legal. You sir, should have gone to the slammer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jrj512

Au contraire mon frere. Remember the Mitsubishi that you drove from the dealer to the 2007 Div at La Grave? You had to blow the toll booths on the Bush. I was driving Matt Lucas's truck with toll tag, so I was legal. You sir, should have gone to the slammer.

---

I guess the overwhelming fear of the possibility of jail time made me forget those were CVT equipped cars... ::GottaRun

I am now invoking my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.

They actually reprogrammed the early CVT's to be less efficient due to customer complaints about them failing to "shift." Lol. They work by holding the rpm's and varying the ratio to accelerate the car. If you are gentle on the accelerator it will simulate a shift, but it doesn't actually need to. I have to remind myself about this when I pull onto a busy road in the Subaru and floor it, then wait for the kickdown. Once you've driven it for a bit it is fine, but its odd when you are expecting it to feel like a slushbox. I actually put it into paddle shift mode when i drive it for any length of time, just to feel like what I expect. I've also learned I can milk more mpg's from it on road trips by forcing it into the "6th gear" ratio and setting the cruise. It has NO torque when you mash the gas in that situation, but it will barely sip the gas.

I had one of the new Nissan Pathfinders with a CVT on a business trip last year, and put about 1000 miles on it. Not my cup of tea. I'm sure the acceleration was acceptable, but the "slipping clutch" feel that Meesh described was very annoying.

LOL, a co-worker just got one of these Nissans for a rental. She absolutely hates it!!

We owned a Murano with one for 3 or 4 years. I never got used to it. We ended up selling it as soon as the warranty ran out as I read nightmare stories online about repair costs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wrx74

Kinda like an F-Mod?

---

Sort of..... But it is not on fire or dropping parts so it is a little different. ;)

Our murano does this when its cold. I figure either its got a bad sensor or has some warm up function that holds the rpms high.

Cvts are hard to get used to. The murano at least trys to simulate a normal transmission by keeping the rpms moving. Not like my brother in laws dodge caliber. That turd just picks an rpm and stays...like the whole trip same rpm. Wierded me out every time I drove it.

they always remind me of old briggs and stratton go carts. floor it, let the engine rev and wait...

i got a prius to drive as a rental weds - far worse 'hang' time

I'm surprised this sucker is reporting 35 mpg with all in town driving (I reset all the stuff the day I got it)! That seems quite good.

But yea still just doesn't seem normal to me.

Not bad at all. Hard to argue with 35 mpg in Dallas. I'm averaging right at 30 in the Mini, but that is all surface streets and hardly any freeway, and I still row the 6MT more than needed. For a grocery getter, its hard to argue with the CVT as a viable option. Might make teens safer since they are boring too. (prob not)

Way back in the day we had a couple of Honda Odyssey 4-wheelers. They had primitive version of a CVT with a rubber belt - like a snowmobile (or an F-mod). WOT in it reminded me of firewalling the throttle on a ski boat...

http://s29.postimg.org/of5vuotqv/Oddyssey_250.jpg
http://s12.postimg.org/4nuyxg9f1/Oddyssey_350.jpg

CVTs have felt weird to me. The new eco car I'm in has a single speed direct drive transmission. That's a weird feeling too. You expect a shift and it never comes.