Why CVTs are cool to me at the moment.

"Sky Captain Obvious" (SkyCaptainObvious) 01/29/2014 at 22:26 • Filed to: None

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So I worked the X Games this week. Amazing gig, and one of the best parts was that we got shuttled around the slope on snowmobiles or snow cats. 95% of the time it was an Arctic Cat M1100 Turbo. First ride up the mountain was a serious dose of

Rapidly followed by a moment of

as I noticed the telltale engine drone of something using the pulley n belt transmission.

WTF, these things use CVTs?!? Hate to admit it's the first time I'd ridden one, but hey, most of my life has been in FL and CA, so they weren't exactly common.

As bemoaned as CVTs are on Jalopposite lock, and they should be, I'm currently obsessed with getting a sled. So there's at least one time that having a CVT connected to an engine totally fucking rocks.

The second reason CVTs are cool to me at the moment is this video. There's something hipnotic about watching those damn weights and ramps do their thing.

Should I find myself in a Prius anytime soon, this temporary love for CVTs will be shattered to a million pieces like a masterlock blown apart by etch-a-sketch thermite.

GhostZ > Sky Captain Obvious 01/29/2014 at 22:36

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Real solution: infinitely-variable camless valve timing on street cars combined with existing DCTs.

But yeah, CVTs are cool in concept, just really hard to pull off in an automobile effectively.

Jordan Clifford > Sky Captain Obvious 01/29/2014 at 22:37

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man i feel ya. I remember the first time I saw a Nissan Murano commercial and I instantly googled CVTs. I'd like to think reading about them (along with getting my first car) started my gearhead cogs turning waaaay back in '03.

Singhjr96 > Sky Captain Obvious 01/29/2014 at 22:40

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My Honda Accord Coupe has a cvt. Really nice and smooth. It doesn't jump or jerks when I hammer it then let off the gas either, and it accelerates really smoothly and evenly. Power is constant and increases in a way that feels (at least to me)almost uninterrupted, unlike normal transmissions. Unlike normal auto transmissions it slows quite a bit when you let off the gas. plus they recommend that you only have to flush them every 100,000 miles, so... I'm definitely a fan. I never thought I would like them when I first heard of them, but don't knock it until you try.

Kailand09 > Sky Captain Obvious 01/29/2014 at 22:44

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sweet to watch. I looked into something similar for building a go-kart.

Anon > Sky Captain Obvious 01/29/2014 at 22:45

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Sweep JP?

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > GhostZ 01/29/2014 at 22:46

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Better solution: turbines.

tromoly > Sky Captain Obvious 01/29/2014 at 22:55

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CVT on sled? Absolutely brilliant, you need your limbs to hang onto the beast.

CVT in a car? Meh, you have seatbelts holding you in to the machine, it's OK to borrow a hand to shift.

All Motor Is Best Motor > GhostZ 01/29/2014 at 23:01

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See: Nissan Maxima. Don't knock it until you've driven one with an open mind . The car's great with the CVT. Much better than a POS auto they'd sure have put in its place.

Singhjr96 > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/29/2014 at 23:01

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I assume this is where you got the camless valve timing idea from.

All Motor Is Best Motor > Singhjr96 01/29/2014 at 23:02

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My friend has an 09 Maxima. Let's me drive it on occasion. It's a great car with the CVT. People need to drive one before they ride the CVT hate train.

Singhjr96 > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/29/2014 at 23:10

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I Agree. It's really good for gas milage too. And it's not like it's a transmission that can't handle power and is just for econo boxes. There are brand that offer cvt's hooked up to v6's. take honda's 270hp v6 with either a cvt or a manual for example. A majority of new cars offer cvt's simply because of gas milage, simplicity, and cost.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/29/2014 at 23:14

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Nissan's CVTs are the worst in the industry. So if you can stand/enjoy a nissan CVT then anyone else's will feel like a slice of heaven.

DrJohannVegas > Sky Captain Obvious 01/29/2014 at 23:16

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Why CVTs were cool in the 90s.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Jordan Clifford 01/29/2014 at 23:16

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Fair warning - Nissan versa with a CVT is by far the worst car I, or anyone I let drive it, have ever driven. The worst of all worlds - horrible freeway cruising, no low end grunt of any kind. I lost tons of speed on inclines and buzzed at over 4k rpm on the freeway doing 70. My 1997 monte carlo was being repaired but I had to visit a friend 100 miles away so I rented a car. The versa got worse gas mileage and was MUCH slower than my monte carlo while also having less interior space. I was appalled.

Jordan Clifford > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/29/2014 at 23:20

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Oh no, I would never buy one, just reading about how it worked and stuff turned me on to all kinds of shit. Actually that might be part of why I'm getting my degree in mechanical engineering.

All Motor Is Best Motor > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/29/2014 at 23:39

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Again, clearly you haven't driven a Maxima.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/29/2014 at 23:40

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Clearly you haven't driven anyone else's products.

Sky Captain Obvious > DrJohannVegas 01/29/2014 at 23:46

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Hell yeah, I've been looking for footage of this car since I first heard about a few months back.

Shift24 > Sky Captain Obvious 01/29/2014 at 23:52

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Great idea on paper and are actually nice rides BUT the problem are when put into the real word could pose a huge problem. Again great ride but the problem with them is their reliability and people available to work on them. Have two friends with problems with CVTs already. 2005 Saturn Ion with the CVT that has gone bad and the only way in the US to fix it is get a used trans for $4500+ and swap it. No one knows at least around central Ohio knows how to work on them. The other is a 2010 Jeep Patriot with close to 60K+ which is slipping already. Again great idea on paper and maybe in the future will be the go to trans but right now ill take a slushbox for 200k+ than have to replace a trans every 100K. But this is coming from a guy who will probably never buy a new car.

Stef Schrader > Sky Captain Obvious 01/30/2014 at 00:04

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Banned from F1 for a reason!

- CVT-driving bunghole

P.S.: Box of whirring bees > conventional automatic, not even a contest.

Rico > Singhjr96 01/30/2014 at 12:56

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Honda Accords V6 is a 6 Speed Auto not a CVT, previous gen was a 5 speed auto also not CVT.

Singhjr96 > Rico 01/30/2014 at 17:34

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Sorry I done gone F'ed up and got my cars mixed up. (this was after doing a weeks worth of calc hw and at 11 at night.) I meant to say the nissan altima 3.5 liter v6 with the Xtronic CVT which has 270 hp. The 2014 altima has an Xtronic cvt with O/D. I was wrong however when I thought that they offered an manual in that car.

Rico > Singhjr96 01/30/2014 at 18:22

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Nah it's cool just pointing out that Honda still puts 5/6 speed autos in some of it's cars. And in regards to CVT I've driven a 2008 Altima and it was quite a zippy car. It feels like driving an R/C car.

Singhjr96 > Rico 01/30/2014 at 18:31

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I like altimas and nissan in general, I want to have a 370z or possibly whatever their next car is as a midlife crisis car, but I have a honda accord because it has great handling and is fun in corners, and fun or sporty feeling, yet is still smooth and useable in the city when you're not on the gas. I have to make a review of my car honestly. I wish they had an Altima v6 as a coupe at the same price as the do the altima v6 sedan; or even a 1000 or 1500 dollars more would be fine. I would've probably take that over the accord if they did honestly.

Rico > Singhjr96 01/30/2014 at 18:42

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Well they have discontinued the Altima coupe (not sure if it has a 3.5 trim) so you might be able to find one for cheap soon. What MY Accord do you have?

Singhjr96 > Rico 01/30/2014 at 18:59

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I have a 2014 honda accord coupe 2.4l i4 ex-l trim with a cvt. I wanted a v6 manual, or at least a manual. But I didn't really pay for all of it so, I didn't really get to choose. I am getting another job this summer and I am going to get a cheap project car. honestly what I am thinking about doing is getting a mechanically running but salvage auctioned car (with something powerful), and a good bodied but mechanically bad or non running car, and combining the two. an LS1 and something rwd drive would be awesome. But if I want to piss people of I could put one into a mustang. lol that will piss people off.

Rico > Singhjr96 01/30/2014 at 19:13

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Love the new Accord in both Sedan and Coupe form. Surprised that the Ex-L trim comes with a 4 pot, on the sedan Ex-L comes with V6 only.

Singhjr96 > Rico 01/30/2014 at 23:02

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It's also a bit cheaper in sedan form I believe.