Why MILLIONS of Cars Have The WORST Transmission Ever
30% of new cars have Continuously Variable Transmissions or CVTs. Let’s figure out why they’ve become widespread, how CVTs work, and why they’re not very good!
CVTs are used by major manufacturers like Buick, Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia, Lexus, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota. CVTs are simpler, cheaper, should save fuel, and should improve acceleration. That’s why a CVT was tested by Williams in their FW15 Formula 1 car in 1993. Unfortunately, most of CVT’s benefits haven’t been fully realized and current CVTs are terrible to drive and unreliable! To make people hate them less, manufacturers made them even worse! Is there hope the CVT will ever achieve its full potential, or is this technology better off abandoned in favor of alternatives? Let’s find out…
00:00 Worst Transmission Ever
00:19 How CVTs Work
02:00 Better Power Delivery
02:49 Williams CVT Test
03:25 Better Fuel Economy
04:30 CVT Acceleration Lag
05:37 Fake Shift CVTs Worse
06:13 Reliability
06:46 Power Limits
07:25 Gears Are Better
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Having a CVT "shift" negates the real benefit of having a CVT.
Engineering Explained Actually explained that having a "stepped" CVT reduced fiction losses. Honda Engineering worked very hard to try to make the CVT transmission more like a normal transmission with two steps and fake stepped. It also reduces stress on the belt by having "steps". When you apply full torque and you are pushing against the chain at the same time, it is causing more wear. If you put tons of torque behind a CVT, it will be fucked very quickly.
@@brarautorepairs I'll try to keep that in mind. I finally figured out my CVT has one "shift." I also looked at what others have said about it. Where it shifts varies. It might be around 35-37. It might shift 39-41. It depends. Once it does that, I love driving the car at faster speeds. It is smooth and quiet. But slower speeds are what I dislike until it makes that shift. I thought I'd like it better without that. But you say it serves a purpose. Ift hat is the case, I wish that wasn't necessary. I don't need to feel the car shift. However, now that I have looked at what Honda has done, I don't think my car manufacturer has done the same. I think it is just a fake noise and hesitation.
Yeah that's true, but imagine that if it had no shifts, but it was literally a CVT. I would be very very boring, you accelerate and the revolution is not changing at all, it's the same all time although the gear ratio is changing. Obviously the computer tries to keep it at the "optimal fuel consumption" or "highest torque" revolution depending on settings.
@@telelaci2 its literally how an electric car feels... But slower...
@@Tiago_Ferrari Not exactly, because a CVT comes with a very unresponsive clutch and roaring engine noise and low torque. And the revolution is not changing during acceleration, the CVT ratio changes to keep the optimal revolution constant, the sound is quite monotone. An electric motor's huge torque is immediate it's very responsive, the artificial engine noise tone is running up with the revolution, it's not monotone. Totally different driving experience.
So basically, people don't like how the engine has to sound to make CVT's actually effective and so car manufacturers made them work like traditional automatics which made them about as efficient as an automatic, just more fragile
Yes that is what the guy says but it's not that simple. The video is a bit misleading.
They're not "just as efficient" as traditional automatics, even with the fake shifts CVTs are more efficient, just not as much as they can be.
@@sadmanh0 i agree but it only applies to naturally aspirated engines with a narrow max torque/power band. With small turbos that have a much wider max toque range so simulating shifts does not affect efficiency.
@@sadmanh0 Also the gear simulation only kicks in when you accelerate harder than usual. The rest of the time it works like a normal cvt.
Maybe CVTs should have been sold to the idea that they sound like planes
Emulating gears on a CVT is utterly bongus imo.
bongus?
@@XavierAwayabongus
@@XavierAway idiotic.
@@Conservator. ah, I agree
Wait until you hear about auto-hold on electric cars.
1993 Williams used CVT and was sponsored by Sega. You can see Sonic's leg and feet on the side. "The fastest thing alive!" Everything makes sense now.
The CVT car wasn't raced, but it did participate in a couple of tests running on circuits with other cars - it ate the opposition What's not mentioned is that the CVT was larger and heavier than a manual gearbox and Williams didn't think the engine could handle being at 15,000 rpm continuously. They didn't object when the FIA banned CVTs for the simple reason that they didn't think a CVT car could actually finish a race Other things banned around the same time: Active suspension, antilock brakes, traction control, stability controls, ground effect aero, active aero This is the point at which F1 stopped being a testbed for onroad technology and turned into a fancier version of go-karts with more expensive sponsors I get _why_ FIA did this (spiralling team costs and cars getting too fast for the circuits) but perhaps there was a better way
There was a story that Prost feet was basically in the same place as drown feet on the car, Hill was not because he was taller.
@@alanbrown397 Fastest in a test means nothing ...
If they're so cheap and simple, why does it still cost the same to replace as a normal transmission?
its definitely cheaper to produce, but they don't pass down the cost saving to you, they can get away with it because consumer still buy it
Because cooling systems are a pain to install.
Because pulling a transmission off is still a helluva job
Labor
Most hydraulic automatic transmissions can be rebuilt/repaired, potentially reinforced/strengthened depending on the model. Not so with CVTs, brand new from the manufacturer is the only reliable option, at ludicrous expense from the dealership (""stealership""). Rebuilding a CVT is difficult to get it right (so no guarantee of long life reliability) here in Australia. So most people here buy used CVTs to get their older cars back on the road again, only to have it fail again soon enough. A friend of mine has gone through this twice with a 2011 CJ Lancer (CVT chain slipping), then a 2013 CJ Lancer at only 113,000 kms ($3000 for a replacement used CVT, $800 labour to fit, with only a 3 month warranty). Car is going to the wreckers now!
I remember reading about that Williams CVT test back in the day, and I'm still of the opinion that if the technology wasn't banned from F1 the engineers would find a way to solve the reliability problems.
IIRC there was a secondary issue with CVTs was that it stressed out the engine too. You needed to beef engines up a lot because they typically aren't running at full blast at max RPM for minutes on end.
@@Appletank8 what? CVTs are the way to stress engine *the* least, because it can run in the same most efficient RPM all the time without constant changing from too low to too high. And WTF running at max RPM on CVT? Why would anyone do this, instead of running at the sweet spot? Some braindead BS like simulating RPM change of a "usual" transmission. Also running engine at a constant RPM means you can tune an engine itself for this exact RPM instead of the broadest range you can, which will ALWAYS be better for efficiency, power, and reliability at the same time. It means you can go back to simpler camshafts, ports, etc., because you don't need the whole range to be useful, just go all in for that perfect RPM. As for CVTs themselves - pullies and belt is not the only design, but the common thing for all of them - more losses (which does mean more wear and heat), and compromise between weight+complexity and reliability+efficiency is very often worse, then "classic" transmissions. But I think it is not true for hybrids, though for hybrids it is better to just get reed of gear changing in the first place and use ICE just as generator, keeping it at constant RPM and load, which is the perfect scenario for any ICE, period. Let an electric motor and a battery/supercapacitor array take the beating, leaving ICE chiling.
@@Blackwing2345635 I was referring specifically to the F1 version, where racing typically wants you to use max power, all the time, when grip permits.
@@Blackwing2345635this!! diesel and gas generator tech is basically resolved at this point, minimum emissions, and very efficient energy conversion, the ideal scenario for an ICE engine is to work at a constant RPM, as you said, you can tune it for maximum efficiency, fuel economy and reliability
@@Blackwing2345635 mans definitely thinks that all engines make their maximum hp/torque at redline
Also make a video on Toyotas E-CVT on Hybrids, No Rush, take your time it is more than 20 years of Tech and not only the Prius. That is the Best CVT; No Belts, No Cluthes, No gears engaging , Maintenance free, Super reliable. They are seen bad because of the Belt driven they behaviour "Sounds" like, But they are nice to drive. And for those that don't know how to drive them, You don't need to put the foot at the metal, You just leave it half way and you will have the advantage of a smooth ride and not the feeling of been always in the wrong gear.
Toyota ecvt is one of the greatest invention in the car industry. Smooth efficient, reliable, instant power delivery. Only downside is not so fun to drive and limited top speed
My Lexus RX has one. I think it's brilliant. Such smooth power delivery.
Agree Toyota CVT is perfect 👌👌
Toyotas e-CVT is not CVT.. It is a planetary gearbox
@@tomasmartinek6538 C. V. T. Continous, Variable, Transmission, e because works with Electric motors, One transmit, One used to Start the ICE and change gearing by changing its speed.
Can't wait to see Scott complete his goal of driving inverted and all the other great stuff he has to teach on Driver61 channel, but as for Overdrive, I'm not sure there's anything left to keep me here
Same.
Same, I watched the videos for Will & Callum's antics, so I probably won't be staying
Same, i still hope on the upside down goal, but nothing else anymore
Yeah, they found something really good w/ those 3. Definitely had that Top Gear 'charm'.
Yep. Unsubbed today. If it pops up on my feed and I feel like watching it, sure - otherwise, IDGAF.
Love how CVT feels for a not powerful day-to-day auto. It is most responsive, economic and quick transmission out there. There are only one problem - the moment you try to push car to do something that is not a calm driving, they break. No towing, no offroading, no wheel slipping, have to be gentle.
Tell that to honda , while not a US option the 10th gen Civics had a tow package. It received an extra cooler for the cvt oil and a rear hitch, raited for like 3000lbs iirc. Is also an option for SI CIVICS
if you wanna drive a CVT hard you really just need to manage two things: the fluid and the heat. i change my fluid regularly and i installed a transmission cooler and it's happy as can be.
@@staterafukumoto well, no. CVT breaks under kick-like loads and I just cannot help out a stuck friend, as well as avoid towing any vehicles. Technically I should be able to, but CVT is just too fragile and even if you do it really smoothly, you end up shortening mileage before major CVT repair dramatically. Also, have a huge trouble monitoring CVT temperature since no OBD-2 devices has picked it up.
@@PointBlank65 I'm unsure about which transmission you are speaking about. I see there are E-CVT and LL-CVT, which has pretty little info I can find right away. I know about Subaru's chain CVT, which is drastically tougher, working well for offroad, but still, towing is not jerking and you can't pull another stuck vehicle.
@@PointBlank65SI s don't come with CVTS. U mean the tow package?
Apart from the other issues mentioned - the single biggest problem with automotive CVTs is that they're underbruilt for the task they're being asked to do. Beefing them up only a fraction would solve most of the reliability issues (and get rid of the fake shifting)
I like how they fit next to the transversal engine in a FWD car. I read that they have a problem to get a car started from the stand still, but are beefy enough for velocities above 20 km/h. So in stop and go traffic, the CVT still works, but when you suddenly floor the pedal, the load needs to go over to a clutch or torque converter.
toyota makes normal first gear with CVT in new prius whoch is probbaly why 0 to 60 miler pehr hour time is almost half what it used to be. if car wasnt made bigger than nessesary for aesthetci reasons as toyota said, and if they made it more of a compact 4 seater sort of like lotus gr 86 type car, wouldve been much more effceint , im guessing at least 70 soemthign mpg and 0-60 5.5 seconds instead of 7 seconds
@@ouch9326 I usually don’t write this: but I cannot understand you. The video is not about electric motors. Electric motors have no problem with torque 0-60 as shown by Tesla and tons of experimental dragster before. Why would a hybrid even start the ICE for low speeds?
@@ArneChristianRosenfeldtmore energy flowing into battery and out reduces battery longveity , toyota makes battery not work even in low speeds sometimes by software guessing how battery will be most effceint over its lifetime according to stuff like average driver behavior , tempurature etc
@@ouch9326 would be cool to see "life time reduction" vs current on a graph going from - ( hard acceleration) through 0 (not working) to + (fast charge ).
I own a Toyota Auris hybrid, it uses a cvt, and in that car it makes total sense. The soundaspect was some getting used to, but it drives smooth, the electric motor takes up the initial acceleration while the CVT gets into the right ratio, and i easily get 1L/20-25km on the motorway. All in all I like my CVT
Tmg Hybrid cvts are many many many(not exaggerating) times more reliable than belt cvts
The “e-cvts” in Toyota hybrids aren’t belt driven, they connect the engine and an electric motor to a planetary gearset, which mimics the feeling of a belt CVT.
As many others had mentioned, Hybrids use e-CVT, which is completely different from regular CVTs used on non-hybrid cars. Your Auris e-CVT is actually great, it will last a long time, unlike Jatco CVTs Nissan is using.
@@Roboticpycotic They (Toyota eCVTs) are probably many times more reliable than conventional gearboxes too, to be honest.
@@Mormielo i may/may not work at a dealer.... people can't remember last time one has been replaced. Its essentially just a planetary gear set with brushless no contact electric motors.
There are dozens of types of CVTs out there and not all are created equal. The belt and cone type discussed here is commonly used in passenger cars has some definite limitations in reliability and input torque. There are many powersplit type CVTs which are extremely robust and are a great option for both efficiency and high torque applications. Agricultural and construction equipment including tractors and wheel loaders commonly use hydromechanical powersplit transmissions and can handle many thousands of foot pounds of input torque. More relevant to cars are electromechanical powersplit CVTs. They are extremely simple and robust and have shown great efficiency and reliability. Toyota is the most obvious example of a manufacturer who has had success with this transmission architecture. Other manufacturers are also utilizing this configuration which can be, in general, as reliable as the batteries and motor/generators installed in the car. That said... long live the 3 pedal car!
Gearheads had best forget about the feeling of shifting gears because when electric vehicles take over there won’t be any transmission at all.
To my knowledge, only the Porsche Taycan Turbo S ev has a transmission (2 speed automatic). All other ev no transmission, fixed ratio final drive only.
Toyota apparently applied a patent for a fake 3 pedal gear stick for EVs. So. It's there if you want to row just for the heck of it.
mitsubishi also had great cvt car in mirage
The belt driven CVTs mentioned in the video are just one concept among many. The Toyota Synergy-System for example makes use of electric motors / alternators and most construction vehicles and locomotives use a hydraulic CVT. The biggest problem with CVTs is the amount of engineering effort it takes to design an efficient CVT with low maintenance costs. In the end you should always consider the requirements and choose the best option, which may or not may be - the CVT.
In fact, it's more a marketing than really beneficial development. Use of hydraulic fluid for transferring the torque is already used in standard planetary type gearboxes. And losses of energy may reach up to 25%! I'm definitely not optimistic of that. Sorry, nothing better than ordinary stick is invented until now😢
the toyoya regular CVT uses a first physical gear to reduce stress on the system and their E-CVT is just two electric motors MG1 and MG2 coupled with a set of planetary gears very simple actually!
@@russelldsyder1344 Of course there is. No gearbox, as in an EV. A gearbox is just a patch for a combustion engine problem.
All of my cars since 2010 have had CVTs and been fine. But what isn’t fine is the software that controls the transmissions. The “learning “ algorithm that chooses between eco, normal, sport is frustrating. Also the CVTs have outlasted the GM 6 speed transmissions and VW DSG transmissions in all of the rental vehicles we had at one large rentals company.
It baffles me that the software is so clunky. Looking at a BSFC map and a Dyno chart should tell you all you need to know about where to put the operating window between efficiency and power. A bonus feature would be a display that tells you how much power you're requesting so you can better understand what the engine is going to do. Having the ECU try to guess what mode to put the car into seems wrong, just put a dial in the car so the driver can choose what they want.
Appletank I believe a lot of what makes the software so janky is that the software doesn't actually know the future, and drivers don't want the "rubber band effect" which is truly annoying when it presents itself. For about a year I drove a CVT equipped Nissan Rogue daily. I leased it rather than bought, and knowing what I know now about JATCO/Nissan CVTs I wouldn't purchase a CVT Nissan, ever... but the Rogue was a darn good car when brand new. The engine didn't pull from low RPMs like a turbodiesel but it more than met my expectations for a car that was designed for good fuel economy - it felt responsive partly because if I stabbed the gas pedal, it would only gradually raise the RPMs, putting a lot of the energy into the wheels instead of first spinning up the engine and making me wait for acceleration. Earlier iterations of Nissan & other CVTs didn't have this down, though. The CVT I had included fake "gear shifts" but those were never applied to "economical" driving where low acceleration kept the engine under ~3000rpm, just for when the engine was pushed to higher power levels. Fuel economy wasn't good driving like that, but I attributed it to the harder acceleration and braking more so than the CVT not working as expected. My next car was a Prius, and like a lot of people I've been very happy with the Toyota E-CVT. The problem of trying to get power from low RPM is mitigated somewhat by the ability to draw on the electric motors- you can stab the gas pedal and the car will give some torque instantly (because battery-electric drive) , but also allow the gas engine to spin up, giving acceptable torque after the engine is up to speed.
@@julianbrelsford I guess I'm curious why CVTs couldn't be designed to have a similar shift response to automatics when high throttle is requested. Press down hard enough, the car has a short delay as it drops a gear before going. A CVT could let the engine go up 1K RPM or so and then lock the ratio until it hits a max RPM level, then upshift the ratio as necessary.
@@Appletank8the bar is on the floor here....
The VAG DSG is a highly problematic transmission. Especially when the transmission fluid isnt attended to and they need that changed regularly. The GM 6 Speed is shit. Im guessing the CVT cars were Toyotas. Those are fairly decent. With a CVT its about the overall drivetrain, in econoboxes not meant to be driven like a Ferrari and thus not pumping a lot of hp into the transmission or towing god forbid, a CVT can be ok. I would say the overall best automatics in cars are the ZF Transmissions, the Mercedes in house transmissions and the Aisin Transmissions but NOT the obsolete 5 Speed that they replaced in 2005 with the TF80SC 6 Speed. The 5 speed was weak, underspeced and especially in Volvo cars that became apparent their 5 cylinders and especially the high output turbocharged versions and especially the Diesel were too much for it and the 6 Speed cured all the issues of the 5 Speed. The 6 Speed actually lasts very long.
I like the weird planetary gearset engine-generator CVTs in some hybrid systems, where the engine drives the sun gear, a motor/generator controls the ring speed, and the output is the planets. the sound is still weird as it can keep the engine at a constant speed but the acceleration is great because of the 2nd electric motor and they don't have the belt issues. you're not really expecting a great engine noise anyways, given they're mostly marketed as Eco-friendly hybrids
Toyota's E-CVT system is pretty brilliant. Even though it is continuously variable, they should have named it something else simply because it's a completely different than a belt and pulley CVT.
I had a 2020 Ford Escape hybrid with a planetary gear and motor type CVT and it drove very well and had spirited acceleration. A very good car.
@@normang3668 I couldn't agree more. I don't like Priuses but I have to admit their transmission works extremely well, seamlessly and responsively - quite UNlike a belt CVT in fact. I wish they wouldn't muddy the waters and sell themselves short by calling it a "eCVT", they do themselves no favours by that.
One of the (many) reasons I love Mazda is the fact that they refuse to yield to the CVT nonsense. Their automatic (and particularly their manual) gearboxes are wonderful and fun to drive.
That’s why I got a Mazda 3 hatch last year instead of the subaru Impreza or Outback . No cvt.
You're right. I looked at Mazda at the end of last year before I settled on an Acura.
Nissan/Renault say the technology is weak, however the real reason is Renault technology is crap.
This video feels very under-researched to me. The basis of it seems to be "the Nissan one is crap so they all are" - but on that basis, the Nissan everything is crap, so cars are just crap. Disclaimer: I love a good GT-R as much as anyone, those are magnificent, this just applies to the kind of cars they'd put a CVT in, which are generally crap, like a Cashcow or Joke.
There's a reason the Renault logo is a jackstand
Redbull be like
@@ApothecaryTerry the issue is a nissan altima is as plentiful as corollas and accords. so when a non car person hears why their maxima broke down, they simply condemn the technology as look at a another car brand without it. Remember is not for stuff like the holy trinity, we would still hate the prius and every single hybrid
@@Olabruh I agree 100% with what you said there. Public perception is often horrifically flawed - my neighbour once told me my Lexus was nice, but clearly my Dad's Audi was faster "because it's an Audi" - yeah, I'm sure that A6 2.0 TDi with a belt CVT is a monster. It's also actually surprising that I've not punched anyone for mistaking "German engineering" for "reliability" - great engineering, but the aforementioned Audi A6 was statistically the least reliable
*Seems like one of the best transmissions might be the eCVT, which has zero to do with CVT. But they're only available on hybrids.*
Not a bad video but the article you cite for being THE WORST TRANSMISSION EVER was for Nissan specifically. I will never buy a CVT unless they're the only option but stop misquoting sources.
And Nissan CVTs were the worst CVTs ever. Ones made by Honda are much more reliable. Now, cars are made with eCVTs which take away much of the unreliability.
And specifically the Jatco CVTs that are used in other cars.
Had CVT in my a4 b8 and it was so smooth and had 400nm and i drove it for 156k km without a single issue.
Same here, I loved the combination.
156 km is not all that far.
I drive a Subaru Levorg from 2015 equipped with a CVT and a 170 bhp 1.6 litre Motor and honestly for normal day driving it is a very good transmission. Never had an issue with it with 130.000 km of driving it and it only does fake shifitng if you accelerate hard, but with normal driving its incredible smooth and i never wished i would need something else.
lol cope harder.
@@v4skunk739 let the man enjoy his car lol
@@v4skunk739🙄
I have the 2018 2.0 litre 296 hp; 300 PS and the CVT transmission is fantastic. I've driven NIssan/Renault CVT cars and hated them. Not all CVTs are equal.
Toyota CVTs are actually decent though
But that's because Toyota CVTs, or eCVT as they call it, are actually planetary gear boxes. Different system, but also constant variability.
that's not 100% accurate. Toyota has a steel belt CVT in regular petrol cars but E-CVT in hybrids that uses two electric motors and a planetary gearset to change gear ratios and direction of the output shaft@@CerberusTenshi
planetary gear boxes actually use in toyota and daihatsu D-cvt it use torque converter on 1st gear and use normal cvt for the remaining gear
ECVTs are so good, the CVT name on it feels almost like a bad marketing.
Also if I recall, Toyota has a CVT that still has a separate first gear, taking some of the load off of the CVT.
From my experience with my wife's 2013 Nissan Altima that has 200k+ miles. Haven't had any issues with it. Took it to the dealer when it had between 130k - 150k miles on it and had the transmission serviced. This one guy I know is always saying the same ole 💩. That transmission is just garbage! It's the worst transmission ever...blah blah blah! As far as how it feels when driving, I didn't care about it not feeling like a regular transmission. To me it reminds me of driving a go kart. The more you press the accelerator, the faster it goes.
Funny the more I press the accelerator on my V8 the faster it goes
It's all about the manufacturing of the cvt and the application.
I'm fairly certain you could say this about literally any engineered product to ever exist.... lol
Complaining about the sound or feel of CVT is like demanding manual transmission for you daily car because "real driver".
real drives shift for themselves
Just want to say I really appreciate these explaining videos. There're far too many people doing crazy car project and science channels dont usually talk about cars. It's to have nice someone in the know explaining the engineering behind cars
Thanks for watching! A lot of people love learning about cars (like us!), so we're gonna keep doing what we're doing.
Had one on my previous Audi - on a clear road day, the car once returned 70 MPG.
I am a CVT enjoyer. The engine note is just right at peak power. Staying in there is so nice when pulling onto the motorway.
I'm outboard enjoyer as well, just let it spin the boat will accelerate faster.
Very boring transmission and will just slip if you throw any amount of torque at it. I am sure whatever you are enjoying it in does not have much "peak" power to speak of.
@@Sh3rr1ffMy Evo VII is tuned at around 500HP and I have 2 resonators on the damn thing. People who yap about sound never had a racecar as a daily.
@@JABelms wtf are you talking about? My comment was about cvt transmissions not exhausts.
@@Sh3rr1ff It's not that bad. Majority of the complaints about CVTs is about the sound it makes, not the slipping. The slipping is dependent on the CVT I rebuild CVTs for cheap during my free times
Agree that CVTs are for people with small cars and mild driving habits. High-power applications of CVTs are likely to be short-life. However, I grow weary of hearing people bash the "driving experience" of CVTs because they "sound wrong". The different sound of the CVT is the sound of better power and better efficiency from the same engine. Let's just get over it. The practice of emulating fixed-gear shifts in a CVT is worse than just sacrificing power and economy. It also puts the belts in a few fixed places on the pulleys, and I have to believe that those few places wear out much more quickly than they would if the belt positions were random. Finally, the "worst transmission ever" label has been used incorrectly here. That label applies specifically to the Nissan CVTs of several years ago, and NOT broadly to 30% of the vehicles in service, as you suggest. (Read the article attached to the headlines you've highlighted: JatCo transmissions specifically, horrible problems 2003-2010, significant problems 2011-2017, no mention of anything after that.)
I have a 2010 Nissan Cube and it's scheduled for a CVT fluid change next week. The CVT is fine in the low powered Cube application and supposedly a fluid change will prolong the transmission. I hope so since the Cube is a great 'round town grocery getter.
I had a Jeep patriot with a CVT. Transmission was completely destroyed, car was done after only 130 000 KM. Acceleration was painfully slow, the transmission could barely propel the weight of its own car, and it broke prematurely.
When driving with automatic gearboxes I like the CVT the most. ❤ Only manual gearboxes I prefer over the CVT
Have a cvt in my civic and love it, sure it's not a manual but you can go from chill driving under 2k to redline whenever you want and it definitely PULLS, especially with a tune. No issues with reliability and I really enjoy it. You have to learn how it works and it definitely has it's things it doesn't like but overall I wouldn't trade it out for any other type of automatic
glad to see you back mate
could you do a video on torque converters? keep up the good content scott
good video! I remember reading that well-built cars with CVT transmissions have a "launch gear" to start the vehicle moving before switching to the CVT.
At our house, we're pushing 300,000 miles on a Honda Civic Hybrid with a CVT. The engine and transmission have never been opened. Just maintenance. Dunno how this transmission can be the worst ever!?? If you could determine the number of 3-4 gear clutch failures in GM's most common transmission, the 4L60E, I suspect it would make such a claim about CVTs simply laughable. It was definitely weird getting used to the shifting style of the CVT, but after 150,000 miles, I'm accustomed to it and it doesn't bother me at all. That said, I have a nearly identical Honda Civic without the hybrid gear train. It gets 45 MG highway, while the Hybrid gets 46. The standard model also feels like a hot rod in comparison to the hybrid. I'm not convinced that the hybrid is any better at anything. But the CVT is not a problem at all.
Hi, could you tell me what specific model Civic do you have ? Does its transmission also simulate gear changes or is it a "true" CVT ? I've always been curious about CVT's way of transmiting torque but never found a model interesting enough to consider buying...
IIRC, Honda's hybrid system are actually Series hybrids, meaning they're effectively an electric transmission. The engine runs at whatever speed needed to top the battery up, the motors do all the actual car moving. Only at highway speeds do the engine and wheels connect with a single overdrive gear.
@@Appletank8 Oh ok so definitly not the setup I'm after... Thanks for your answer !
@@ericb1316 FYI there's probably very few hybrid cvts that use a pulley system. You have the electric power to just use Toyota's eCVT style, and they're more reliable. Performance hybrids (trucks, sports cars) need all the torque they can get, and so are going to use geared transmissions
@@Appletank8 Yeah makes sense for a hybrid powertrain nowadays to take advantage of the wide torque output of its electric motor(s), leaving its ICE counterpart acting as a range extender, charger or just for combined power. Personnally I would just like to drive a small lightweight car powered by something like a K20 engine mated to a CVT just for the fun of it.
A few mentions of Nissan, what about the Boxer CVT from Subaru, with turbo. How would the turbo impact CVT performance? Is there a sweet spot for the CVT?
They are fragile in the Levorg and overheat if driven in anger for anything other than short bursts so no track days
There's a sweet spot, although it's not Subaru. Toyota's eCVT is a great bit of tech. Even though this video lists Toyota in the description, the eCVT is a CVT (it's a transmission and it's continuously variable...) but it doesn't use belts and is nothing like what Scott describes. It also doesn't have half the issues, although it does have some relating to dynamics. Personally, I went from a torque converter, to an eCVT, to a PDK and now a manual. While the PDK and manual win for fun, the eCVT impressed me the most, it was just effective. It wasn't the quickest to respond, but nothing else makes as much use of the power the engine has. Either that, or the 345hp figure is a complete lie and it's putting out 500+ but I'm assuming it's not that!
My friend had the CVT in her non-turbo Crosstrek blow up so I don't have much hope for one living behind a turbocharged motor.
@@madmatt2024 While I can't say Subaru CVTs are any good, a sample size of one isn't relevant data: I drove a 90s Peugeot for 4 years without fault, then replaced it with a Lexus which broke so much they swapped it...Lexus are still the most reliable brand, while Pugs are average now but a bit worse in the 90s.
toyota planetary gearset CVT with hybrid system fix all reliability problems, recently they said their physicals first gear is allowing quicker torque output which is probably part of why their prius is much quicker to speed up now . besides matter of CVT, toyota real world fuel effeincy is better because bfsc chart , epa testing drives cars slowly so small engines are more effceint in that testing but in real world, over tubro bossting small engine is common in average driver behavior . i want gordon murray auto them to collborate on prius , or at leasta version of prius thats more of a handling car because preserving momentum arounds turns to a extent is less usage of materials , less emissions, than relying on decreasing battery life of regenrative braking system, and account for tire wear dust emission and brake dust (for soem brake types) too. for example, imagine prius with no trunk and had peopel sitting lower by shorter structure height, light cheap slippery areo kit protecting weight focused structure perportioning of glass etc a front wheel drive hybrid and a midrear engine rear wheel drive for better non powered momentum preservation , because battery recycling cannot fully happen and currently has been not happening much, hybrids use less materials than any other setup, that means less emissiosn too. also factor in that weight rmakes crash safety, road wear repair rates, materials usage , all emissions including tire emissions (emissions analytics website, endocrine disruptor microplastic, etc) , driving fun (light weight allows easier traction control and traction loss control and allows less powered steering which allows feeling how close to grip limit car is like mclaren/lotus elise/emira etc) . factor in corbrett report, vocational science of freedom, etc, realizations about th climate crisis issues, CAFE laws and europes equal being nonsense supporting "suv" and electric cars (almost the worst car type and the most popular among these "environmentalist") , ani nuclear nergy sentiment among these "enviromentalist", etc... situation for electic cars gets worse. we dont have a already mass scale solution , at best there maybe the "electric universe nikola tesla" theories , if you like. they could make a compact 4 seater that is liek coupe with practical rear seat (not as is usually done) ,, and they can have recycled forged carbon fiber and suspesnion that angles and heightens the car to have it lower crash absorbing stuff hit that of tall suvs . if it doesnt hit lower sitting cars well, at least it doesnt get hit in its weaker parts by the other cars stronger parts. driving fun is mostly about the challengeing game of often being near danger because everyone values not crashing, so its exciting. quickness (liek go forces) doesnt really matter. but a more commonly enjoyable driving fun is speeding more at optimal power and RPM level according to bfsc chart (similar deal also in electric power motors) on more rather downhill roads and even very temporarily beyond areodynamicly effceint speed before rather uphills roads, and steering braking minimally and smoothly... this is driving effciently, and you could be obsessed over the greater amount of pursuit of perfection that could be had compared to proper h pattern manual clutch experince, because you could get excited similarly as much about such goals as you would care about not crashing. maybe you can combine both by simulated version of such manual in effceint drivetrain that isnt too non dramatic, as a real h pattern clutch would, or maybe even better if your open minded to having high quality speakers at headrest give a sense of sound communicating how close to grip limit you are to acompany the rather non power steering sort of driving experience , or hearing the limited slip differential torque vectoring so you can feel precisely how its distributing torque and wheel rpm even when you dont have traction to feel it. ..............................all this stuff is good for everything that makes driving fun (except louder driving sounds and more danger by quicker paced driving at race track, where stuff like 0-60 mile per hour in 2 seconds isnt disappointingly boring for the costs because the fun doesnt last long enough) and everyone average crash saftey, and less usage of materials for longer lasting 1st world living standard (sustainability and chemicals toxicity) : light weight, showing the driver how close to grip imit he is at, relativly higher grip for making risky effceint driving safe , easy to own cheap reliable car, hybrids instead of electric car for weight and recyclability and materials usage economy sustainability, mid rear engine weight distribution, some non hybrids, limited slip differential (presumably a effceint one that probably disengages when not used, for less tire wear , stability when making speed on curving downhill roads for effiency) .
Once I understood what to expect from a CVT, i got used to it very quickly. Never gonna get used to engine start-stop systems at red lights though. I always get the immediate panic that I somehow stalled an automatic engine.
Video about the "worst transmission ever" -> no mention of the DSG -> I feel clickbaited
There’s a CVT in my 300 hp Maxima with 215,000 miles running strong. Also has paddle shifters to simulate a 6 speed quite well. 👍
I’ve got a fbo 350z with the hr and a non-cvt automatic and it’s even more fun than the paddles! You’d have to look into it, Nissan makes good automatic transmissions tho I will vouch
Greetings fellow maxima driver, mine is 100,000 miles and still embarrassing so called "tuned diesel" on highway
The pulley-based CVT is not the only CVT available out there. While not all types are in common use, at least the toroidal version is.
The only toroidal CVT I know of in a car was discontinued in 2004 ("Extroid" CVT in the Nissan Cedric). I'd love to be corrected on that because it was specifically designed for high-torque, and it's a shame the technology hasn't seen more adoption. There is another toroidal CVT which is not used as a vehicle transmission, instead designed for use with a supercharger to vary its rotation from the engine speed. It's pretty ingenious!
@@OVERDRIVE.studios It seems I "merged" two types of cvts in my head - toroidal ones which are indeed not used outside Nissan (patent issues?) and roller/tilting ball ones which have some use but in completely different scenarios (like bicycle hubs).
@@OVERDRIVE.studios next time try not bringing hate to cvt , people are dnumber than youd think, the tumbnail alone does numbers also shouldve mentioned: toyota planetary gearset CVT with hybrid system fix all reliability problems, recently they said their physicals first gear is allowing quicker torque output which is probably part of why their prius is much quicker to speed up now . toyota real world fuel effeincy is better because bfsc chart , epa testing drives cars slowly so small engines are more effceint in that testing but in real world, over tubro bossting small engine is common in average driver behavior . i want gordon murray auto them to collborate on prius , or at leasta version of prius thats more of a handling car because preserving momentum arounds turns to a extent is less usage of materials , less emissions, than relying on decreasing battery life of regenrative braking system, and account for tire wear dust emission and brake dust (for soem brake types) too. for example, imagine prius with no trunk and had peopel sitting lower by shorter structure height, light cheap slippery areo kit protecting weight focused structure perportioning of glass etc a front wheel drive hybrid and a midrear engine rear wheel drive for better non powered momentum preservation , because battery recycling cannot fully happen and currently has been not happening much, hybrids use less materials than any other setup, that means less emissiosn too. also factor in that weight rmakes crash safety, road wear repair rates, materials usage , all emissions including tire emissions (emissions analytics website, endocrine disruptor microplastic, etc) , driving fun (light weight allows easier traction control and traction loss control and allows less powered steering which allows feeling how close to grip limit car is like mclaren/lotus elise/emira etc) . factor in corbrett report, vocational science of freedom, etc, realizations about th climate crisis issues, CAFE laws and europes equal being nonsense supporting "suv" and electric cars (almost the worst car type and the most popular among these "environmentalist") , ani nuclear nergy sentiment among these "enviromentalist", etc... situation for electic cars gets worse. we dont have a already mass scale solution , at best there maybe the "electric universe nikola tesla" theories , if you like. they could make a compact 4 seater that is liek coupe with practical rear seat (not as is usually done) ,, and they can have recycled forged carbon fiber and suspesnion that angles and heightens the car to have it lower crash absorbing stuff hit that of tall suvs . if it doesnt hit lower sitting cars well, at least it doesnt get hit in its weaker parts by the other cars stronger parts. driving fun is mostly about the challengeing game of often being near danger because everyone values not crashing, so its exciting. quickness (liek go forces) doesnt really matter. but a more commonly enjoyable driving fun is speeding more at optimal power and RPM level according to bfsc chart (similar deal also in electric power motors) on more rather downhill roads and even very temporarily beyond areodynamicly effceint speed before rather uphills roads, and steering braking minimally and smoothly... this is driving effciently, and you could be obsessed over the greater amount of pursuit of perfection that could be had compared to proper h pattern manual clutch experince, because you could get excited similarly as much about such goals as you would care about not crashing. maybe you can combine both by simulated version of such manual in effceint drivetrain that isnt too non dramatic, as a real h pattern clutch would, or maybe even better if your open minded to having high quality speakers at headrest give a sense of sound communicating how close to grip limit you are to acompany the rather non power steering sort of driving experience , or hearing the limited slip differential torque vectoring so you can feel precisely how its distributing torque and wheel rpm even when you dont have traction to feel it. ..............................all this stuff is good for everything that makes driving fun (except louder driving sounds and more danger by quicker paced driving at race track, where stuff like 0-60 mile per hour in 2 seconds isnt disappointingly boring for the costs because the fun doesnt last long enough) and everyone average crash saftey, and less usage of materials for longer lasting 1st world living standard (sustainability and chemicals toxicity) : light weight, showing the driver how close to grip imit he is at, relativly higher grip for making risky effceint driving safe , easy to own cheap reliable car, hybrids instead of electric car for weight and recyclability and materials usage economy sustainability, mid rear engine weight distribution, some non hybrids, limited slip differential (presumably a effceint one that probably disengages when not used, for less tire wear , stability when making speed on curving downhill roads for effiency) .
I got a Honda Jazz 1.3L from 2014. It's got a CVT and it's excellent. Love that car. No clunky gear shifting like an normal auto. Smooth acceleration all the way. It's fun smoking new hatchbacks with the old machine.
I have a Lexus hybrid with CVT, not a moment's trouble in 86,000 miles, many, many of them in town. The sound takes some getting used to, more engine revs equates to higher acceleration, not speed, you put your foot down and the engine revs up and the car just gets faster. 8s 0-60 for a 2 tonne 4x4 SUV is not hanging around. I chose the RX over a Range Rover, because I wanted reliability and lower petrol consumption.
The accelerating sound or revving is pure stereotype of the geared transmissions. CVT cars don't do that (they rev up and never goes down) and neither do the electric motor cars. The torque limit of Honda's big CVT gearbox is also 250NM. Not very high capacity but good enough for its 1.5 turbo engine. This displacement isn't even attractive to Americans but it's good enough for Asians or Europeans. Emulating gears on a CVT is utterly idiotic. True.
People who say acceleration should sound like what's actually a consequence of old tech remind me of fools who say movies look better at 24fps.
This really isn't an equivalent. Frame rates actually have consequences, a lot of them. Higher frame rates, for example, require more lighting during filming, which leads to day shots looking like they were shot on a TV sound stage from the 80s, everything lit flatly with no shadows; and night shooting to be nearly impossible. New techniques are being developed for these alternative frame rates, but I don't think there's a movie made yet that's overcome these issues. 24 fps, either because its been well developed or because its an actual sweet spot, is preferred at this time for a good reason.
Top notch, thanks.
I have a Nissan CVT which runs fine so thanks for this video.
So these are the types of cheap videos we'll get on this channel now that the on camera talent has all left and the owners said no more car builds huh
Where did they leave to?
It was CarThrottle who’s owners said no more car builds.
The f1 usd project probably drained the finances 😅
You’re thinking of CarThrottle mate.
Forgot I was still subbed here after Scott let everyone go. Ah well, good excuse to unsub.
Every video about cvts makes me think the problem is mostly users.
CAFE law and europes equal and influencers, all go agaisnt the type of car that is actually good, in favor of the opposite. car companies pretty much neer try to influence things, they just take the beating and obey. ironicly, these people pretend to care about emissions, saftey , actualy enjoying cars instead of using them overpay for cheap quality social status... much of the world is like this nowdays. corbett report, vocational science of freedom how your assets are stolen from birth, divine speech by nouman ali khan and sharif randhawa (the only attempt to see rationality in "religion" )
In the Netherlands we had DAF cars with their variomatics, they were great for reverse races as they would go the same speed backward as forward. I drove a Lexus hybrid with CVT and I absolutely loved it. you will start loving the comfort that comes with it.
I get the impression that the sound was a major reason why the Williams CVT was banned
What if the CVT is used as a variable ratio rear or center differential? It can change the final drive ratio on the fly for acceleration or high top speed
You could probably just get by with a 2 or 3 speed, especially if you don't need its ratio switching feature often. There's still some frictional losses between the belt and pulleys, so there's a bit of an efficiency lost there.
toyota planetary gearset CVT with hybrid system fix all reliability problems, recently they said their physicals first gear is allowing quicker torque output which is probably part of why their prius is much quicker to speed up now .
@@ouch9326 While I don't deny Toyota's eCVT is great, what you're talking about is something else. That first gear is only used on non-hybrid CVTs, which cannot use an e CVT as that requires electricity. Also, the eCVT doesn't provide true torque multiplication, so long periods of low speed extended power usage risks overheating, which is why Toyota's heavy haulers are still geared transmissions, if with an electric motor booster.
@@Appletank8 more energy flowing into battery and out reduces battery longveity , toyota makes battery not work even in low speeds sometimes by software guessing how battery will be most effceint over its lifetime according to stuff like average driver behavior , tempurature etc this is why electric cars were(and many still are) loosing their usability quickly , deprecceation of economic value of these cars was going down a lot , yet toyotas have been getting it right long ago as hybrids
@@ouch9326 I'm not sure what you're responding to, the car will let you slowly roll around in EV mode for as long as the battery holds and the engine is warmed. It can't operate at all without electricity.
CVTs arent terrible. Many people love Subnaru wrx CVTS and toyota 2 motor planetary CVTs are pretty satisfying to drive. Cheap Belt driven CVTs are garbage.
That's all a bunch of nice theory. In practice, a CVT with a torquey engine is about as close as you can get to a thrust pedal. Ultra-smooth, doesn't drone, plenty fast. Transmissions with gears feel antediluvian by comparison.
Very informative video. A few points to note though (I've lived with one for over two years now): 1. Cooling - True, CVTs can run hot, but outside of regular automatics, heat on most transmissions has always been the enemy. Just ask dual clutch gang how many clutches they might run through because of lack of adequate cooling. 2. Feel - yes the feel is definitely weird (the perfect analogy was the way we would fake-shift as kids) but outside of that, a well designed/programmed CVT (Subaru) can behave like a regular auto in normal traffic conditions based on throttle modulation, AND give you the benefit of sitting at the ideal RPM when you want to keep up with someone running 15-20% more power on paper. Thankfully also, the feel argument was negated to some degree by the $3m Regera's design (are you trying to say your $50,000 car feels better than it? 😅) 3. Reliability - I would refute this claim because outside of Nissan CVTs there are few other transmissions that are as easy to maintain as them. Just keep up with the fluid changes and you'll probably never have to break the factory seals to replace anything. Which can't be said for clutch replacements on most manuals and DCTs 4. Performance - the CVT's biggest downside is in it's inability to launch off the line. Most are set up to be very ginger with power delivery and don't handle shock very well, which is also why acceleration out of corners can sometimes be laggy as it rebuilds tension in the drive belt. This is not to say they are outright slow; just less than ideal in some scenarios. Other aspects such as towing capacity can be increased by running better cooling, something that would actually benefit all transmissions. 5. Compactness - most manufacturers have gotten around the problem of the need to stay in the power band and also have longer final gears by simply adding more gears (think Mustang 10-speed). However, extra gears add to transmission's overall weight, which can sometimes be the enemy when you're going for a compact, efficient design running a small turbocharged engine. CVTs offer this benefit without the bulk. Conclusion: what the CVT ultimately needs is much more robust RnD from one of the larger performance manufacturers for the design to be improved, probably borrowing from the Williams F1's earlier designs. There's definitely potential in the concept, just needs a little more TLC like every other transmission design has enjoyed over the years. And don't discount all CVTs, you just might get gapped by one 😁
Normally, before I bought my 2020 Honda Accord Sport, I would agree with you. However, you should do your research on Honda CVT. I LOVE mine! It has 3 different drive modes and the car responds differently per mode. Eco mode, it keeps rpms as low as possible and waits to make sure that is where you want the throttle. Normal gives you good acceleration and cruising rpms. Then sport mode raises rpms and, if you choose to, you can "shift" gears. Mind you, in each mode, it will take advantage of keeping optimal rpms based on the mode you are in until you full throttle. Then it will simulate gears while keeping the rpms in the optimal power band for maximum acceleration with a close gear ratio setting. To me it feels like the best of all worlds and transmission types. I could not be happier!
Just because Nissan CVTs are shit, doesn't mean they ALL are. 200k+ miles on my Subaru and I tow a boat almost every weekend.
I had an early Murano with CVT, and it was not set to sound like gears. That thing was awesome, revs were nearly instantly to high power, and then it stayed there as you accelerated, really pushed you along. It had basically the same engine and weighted about the same as my previous Pathfinder, but accelerated much faster. I can't speak to reliability, I sold it for something that towed more
I have a cvt Subaru and I think it's great. You can "play" with it in the winter, but it doesn't make a huge fuel consumption when driving normally. I takes about 6-7 liters/100km. Not bad for a 4-wheel drive wagon.
I wonder if electric cars and their lack of gearing might give CVTs another chance to be used as intended as more people become accustomed to shiftless acceleration.
Yeah, let's get people used to not hearing the engine like in a Rolls Royce .. or basically any US V8 car besides the kiddy toy named Mustang.
the thing people hate about CVT is it give the feeling it is on the verge of breaking at any moment, you have gonna baby it always and even that don't guarantee it won't break that way worse of all, its supposed to be the cheapest transmission to produce but the saving never went to consumer
I wonder if the fake shifting has something to do with that, it's putting shock loads on the belt that wouldn't be there if it operated smoothly like it's supposed to.
Or the price is a myth. For example for valve trains or motorbikes BA would count a chain as a single part. But in reality it is made of 100 moving parts, all of which can wear. Then some engineer needs to prove a weight advantage over a shaft or gears and soon the chain is to weak.
Dude! you are a pro!
I love the CVT driving experience, don't use at all the fake gears and it lasts a lot if you drive lightly and respect all maintenance intervals. But I know that even this way they'll eventually wear out and require expensive repairs.
There’s nothing wrong with cvts and nobody should dislike them. The fact that they break on new cars is the fault of the manufacturers
Stop and have a think about what you have written
In my country, there's a lot of japanese cheap cars with CVT and they're reliable, also they're cheaper to maintain compared to DSG cars.
99% of why CVTs have a bad reputation is because Nissan can’t built a reliable CVT lol. There are hundreds of thousands of Toyotas that uses CVTs here in Brazil and they last longer than most normal automatic transmissions. They are on simple cars that are small and have low HP engines tho.
@@farnarkleboy all I’m thinking about is how your response could be appropriate
toyota uses hybrid cvt to keep it from grenading, not a plain cvt. for a family car, i would prefer the torque converter at@@LuizHartkopf
So basically CVT is cheaper, saves fuel but is hated because drivers think that day-by-day commuting has to be a simulation of racing...
I drive a CVT at the lowest end of the food chain, in a 2 liter made in japan, mitsubishi Lancer, since 2016. It's quite decent, gives adequate punch and superb mileage. All with no jerks and head nods of Torque Converters. Very linear and smooth, and after 100k kms hasn't given any issues. The video seems to push the usual misgivings without adding anything new. I mean, it's bad because a magazine said so, and the engine sounds different? Oh boy 😬
I did a lot of research before buying my nissan nv200 for a camper build. Knowing it has a cvt you can be proactive by changing the fluid frequently and driving it gently. Ive heard many getting over 200k miles by doing this.
I remember an old friends DAF 55 Marathon. All DAF Cars were equipped with variomatic, which is the same cvt peinciple. The car sounded like a tram and despite only producing 55hp it was quite quick because the engine was always running in the higher rpms.
The DAF CVT has a fascinating history. It was developed for use in trucks and was implemented in their cars as well, but when they tried to come up with a way to better advertise and market the transmission, they decided to enter F1. This was in the 1960s. At one point, the DAF F1 team managed to win a grand prix with their car which had the frightening ability to achieve its 130+mph top speed in reverse, but only due to attenuating factors such as racing incidents and mechanical failure elsewhere.
Wait I just realized this is on overdrive and not Driver 61 -- Dude are you the reason the trio broke up? Where even is Callum?
This was covered a while back. There was not enough return on what was invested into the videos. It was financially irresponsible to continue making the content they were making.
I got 315K miles on my 2008 Prius. It uses a CVT, but doesn't have a belt since it is a hybrid. It uses a planetary gear with electric motors to mimic different gear ratios. It also doesn't mimic shifting like other CVT's. That is a totally different thing and proved to be damn near bullet proof. My other car is a Subaru Forester and I bought it specifically because it has a manual transmission. I don't get the mileage of the same car with the CVT, but it is much more reliable and cheaper. Some automatics have 10 or more gears which more closely approximates the efficiency of a CVT but without the reliability issues of a belt CVT.
When I was just starting, I was driving up a hill in the ice, with the rear wheels spinning. At the top, I took my foot off the accelerator... and slewed all round the road! The car was doing 20mph but the rear wheels were up to 70mph!!!
Sounds like it's not that CVTs are terrible. The people who complained are terrible.
The design is okay but material science doesnt allow for the ammount of rubbing these require
@@everettstormyyet.
No. Just no.
Getting rid of Will (and probably Callum) like that was an awful idea. I know you probably don't call the shots, but I've lost my respect for Scott. Theres nothing left on this channel for me anymore.
This is his channel no?
My ford 500 had a CVT and it was extremely expensive to replace , that was a hard lesson. I love CVTs when they are working but hate to pay for them when they eventually fail.
Good article! Im not sure why people dislike the feel or sound. I have a history of motorsports and owned multiple high power/ revving sports cars and bikes and raced them on tracks many times. CVT is simply a different way to deliver power and it will look and sound different. I love the feel of a CVT and the way it delivers power. In fact it is closest to how drag cars deliver their revs and power!. I think the CVT is a great transmission for domestic street use. Nonetheless, ill also agree with the reliability and other associated challenges that come with CVTs. FIngers crossed this can be sorted!
People's hatred of CVT is due to ingorance of what they are and what they do, and inability to change their mind away from gears. They're excellent for daily drivers that aren't powerhouses or hauling. Simulated shifts are freaking stupid.
CVT in f1 was a terrible idea. Fans want revving engines, not just a monotonous constant pitch drone. F1 is a marketing platform that needs to attract attention and exposure. It isnt just about going even faster. Theres a lot more to it than that. I'll never understand why they got to a prototype stage with f1 cvt
I had a couple of DAFs years ago, back in the 1980s, a 33 and a 66 with Volvo badges-rubber vee belt CVT under the car, front pully sucked together by the vacuum from the inlet manifold to reduce the ratio with the rear one.. less vacuum when you floored it made it shift downwards. Magic, very quick off the line. My boys used to run around the house sounding like one... no gear changes. It took us some time to suss it out.!! Best ever. I can't work out why gearboxes were ever invented and certainly why we're still bothering with them. As for fluid flywheel autos..why?
Hondas CVT was nice with their little 1.6 turbo engine. No elastic torque feeling, no fake shifts, and still managed to keep a feeling of connection between the throttle position and the RPM
CVTs just don't feel right. Which is weird, because electric cars do feel right, even though they both don't have traditional gears or shift points. Give me three pedals, or give me death.
EVs get around the issue simply bo not having any sound at all 😊. Also they have instant throttle response, CVTs not so much.
welp this is the nail in the coffin. More low quality content now
What's so low quality about this?
@@1992jamo He's watching in 144p
@@John_3_16 lmao
@@1992jamocompare it to the old content and you'll find your answer
toyota planetary gearset CVT with hybrid system fix all reliability problems, recently they said their physicals first gear is allowing quicker torque output which is probably part of why their prius is much quicker to speed up now .
I like the eCVT in my 2002 Prius. No belt and pulleys. INSTANTANEOUS power delivery at city speeds because it has a big torquey electric motor. Maximum engine speed is 4500 rpm (which can only be reached above ~74 mph) so the engine never sounds like it's struggling.
Toyota/Lexus have an eCVT that uses a planetary gear and not a belt; it's incredibly reliable and removes much of the criticism levelled at CVTs in this video. It can also emulate a fixed ratio box if desired. Yes, everybody knows what an accelerating car should sound like and that's why nobody buys CVTs or electric cars. Oh, wait a minute..........
they really aint that bad tho, i dont get the hate.
Go drive a Honda HRV and tell me that they aren’t that bad
@@ozsarpkaya6843 my wife's Honda Civic is pretty good. Keeps it in boost when accelerating. It does do small fake shifts though but it's way better than the crap Nissan was making
Try an old Nissan rogue they are absolutely trash
@@Vex22778haha to prove a technology is bad you have to look at the worst example. “Oh internal combustion engines suck look at the model T with its 20 hp how could that ever be good?”
@@Panin2001oca Exactly this. The worst ones are bad, the best ones are good. The video seems to be saying "because Nissan CVTs are bad, CVTs are bad" - well, Nissan cars are bad, so cars are bad, on that basis (GT-R excepted).
Thanks for uploading this, it reminded me to unsubscribe 👍
The CVT of my Prius 3 worked very well with the hybrid drive train. One gets used to the engine noise.
coming from a background in having go-karts when i was young, first starting out with a basic cenerfugal clutch and eveuntally going to a CVT, i dont hate them, just dont particularly want it in a car cause it makes it feel even more souless than a regular automatic, HOWEVER i do see the benifit of it and would love to see manufacturers do it right personally, figuring out some way to make it easy to get to to replace it super easy would make the most sense, like in a minibike or go-kart, just a couple of bolts, a nut and maybe a few wacks of a hammer and you get the belt out and a new one in, half hour job if things go right.
Well this was informative, will still be buying a CVT for the MPG factor, but at least now I know that it'll be a different beast to maintain and that I need to drop my expectations for how my car should sound when accelerating
Bought my first CVT equipped car nearly 3 years ago... Took some getting used to after a "standard" auto but it's smooth and suits the car it's fitted to (A 2006 Audi A4 2.0T cabriolet). Still picks its heel up well enough if you boot it but I'm not sure I'd want to be using it for drag racing!
In a conventional automatic, the bands and clutch plates wear ONLY during the fraction of a second during gear change. The rest of the time they are running on static friction, which means no additional wear when hill climbing or towing. CVSs are continuously engaging and disengaging with every revolution. And if you're hill climbing or towing, you need the band even tighter to prevent slippage, which means even more wear. [I would also suspect that banning had a safety component. A transmission suddenly blowing up during a race can present a serious danger for the other cars]
The issue is that they’re not as reliable over the lifespan of a car. When you have pit crews, teams of mechanics constantly working on/modding the car, and millions of dollars, that’s not such an issue.
My first car was a Daf 66. A worn Centrifugal clutch meant I could only pull off at about 3000 revs... and it was scary fast is reverse. good times.
The cvt in my Lexus sedan is quite nice. I was apprehensive at first but I’ve come to enjoy it more than I thought I would. It’s so smooth and the vehicle is very fast. The one complaint I have is rev hanging, when you give it the beans on the highway it pegs the engine near or at redline and it stays there until you let off, that has caused the valve cover seal to fail at 113k miles I just replaced after finding oil on the plugs.
My only CVT experience was in a car rental a few years ago, mostly a drive from Denver to the Springs and back. It seems that it was always hunting for the right ratio with the engine RPM going up and down. Extremely annoying.
I'm disappointed that CVTs got such a bad rep based mostly on perception. However, there is the real issue of them not coping with higher power outputs. I wonder if the new e-CVT concept that only simulates the CVT like behaviour would do any better.
Nah I absolutely love them No jerkiness and it just keeps pulling like crazy Definitely a bit slower off the line but the non stop constant acceleration is so fun
In the 1950's my dad owned three consecutive Buick cars that had CVT transmissions of a different type. It did not use belts and did not simulate gear shifts. It provided excellent performance and was at least as reliable as any automatic transmission. It was based on German technology obtained by the USA after WWII. It was called Dynaflow and was based on variable pitch hydraulic turbines. It acted like a variable pitch torque converter. When Chevy was using two speed automatic transmissions, Buick had continuously variable speed Dynaflow. Of course, it would not deliver as much efficiency as obtained later when automatic transmissions were made with lockup torque converters. The Nissan CVT is probably a very weak transmission. My wife's Infiniti Q50 uses a regular auto transmission, not the CVT. New tech is called "bleeding edge" for a reason.
I've found that in the rental cars that I've driven with CVT's, that the endless ratios mean that there are thousands of wrong options as opposed to the single right option -- or so it seems. For example, when driving down the highway, I want to pull-out and pass another car. If I dip in a bit on the throttle it always seemed liked the engine revs increased but my speed didn't change much, or else I need to completely mash the throttle to convince the CVT to jump to the max power setting, which it holds for a few seconds before immediately trying to reduce the revs again. If I had been driving a car with a manual transmission I most likely wouldn't have even changed gears, but instead would just use the engine's flexibility to make the pass. I often feel like I'm fighting the transmission's logic. In an F1 car where the engine can be tuned for maximum HP over a narrow range, a CVT might work (if it can hold together). But in real world driving I always seemed to struggle getting the transmission to do what I want it to do.
You should mention that, unlike a moped's automatic gearbox, the CVT of a car does not work with a (rubber)pull belt but with the help of a push belt. A push belt consists of a large number of metal plates, which are strung together with steel strings to form a flexible belt. The driving force is then transmitted by these plates that are pushed forward within these 2 steel rings.