Toyota CVT's are unique because they use a "launch gear". CVT's tend to experience the most slip and wear under hard acceleration from a dead stop. In a Toyota CVT a conventional gear is used to accelerates the car up to a certain speed and then the launch gear is disengaged and the continuously variable mechanism is engaged. This removes a major source of wear and significantly extends the life of the transmission.
That’s true, an Uber driver I know has the launch gear fitted Corolla…He says it’s solid…does the fluid changes regularly…he had a Corolla pre-launch gear fitted 2015 corolla that cvt finally took a dump at 325K…
@@alyx6427 The eCVT is only for the hybrid models. The electric motor takes over the role of the pulley and belt. Normal gas only models still have the pulley and belt CVT.
I have a 2010 Toyota Avensis Estate/Wagon with the 152hp 2.0 engine - and a CVT. I'm approaching 200K miles (315K km on the odometer) and the gearbox works beautifully. I can do hard accelerations without issues, and even have the flappy gear paddles. This naturally aspirated car gets 32.6 mpg in everyday use and 40mpg on highway. And this is a heavy car, fully laden weight tops out at 2150kg or 4700lbs.
Vast majority of the CVT failures are from lack of fluid changes. These things pump out a tremendous amount of metal shavings from the belt constantly rubbing against the drive pulleys. Nissan dealerships will pretty much just charge cost for the fluid and filters on their CVT transmissions since it actually saves them money to change fluid for no profit rather than replacing the entire transmission under warranty. I've got a Nissan Versa with about 150k miles on a CVT. So, they can last a good bit if you keep the fluid changed regularly.
I worked at a U.S. Honda dealer for a couple of years. Absolutely no issues with the CVT in any model. The electronics in my 2017 Accord are infuriating and buggy, but the drivetrain has been great.
I've seen a bunch on forums. They may be decent for CVTs but they will not measure up long term to a good automatic or manual. Not all automatics are good either though, the AT in a Pilot is trash, for example. Plus, they drive like a CVT.
I owned a 2013 Accord that I bought brand new and sold with 186,000 miles (300,000km). That car had a CVT and I had zero problems when I sold it. All I did to the car was regular oil changes and did a complete fluid exchange for every fluid in the car at around 120K Miles. Everything in that car (including the CVT) was stupid reliable.
I drove my previous Honda with CVT for 12 years with zero issue even though I never changed the transmission oil!! I guess Hondas and Toyotas know how to make a CVT last long!!
My Audi A6 has a CVT box. 208,000 miles on the clock and still going strong. It's all down to ensuring the oil is changed at the recommended service intervals. Something that's difficult when the main dealers don't even do them unless you tell them to (well mine over here in the UK didn't). I got the kit and do it myself. Love the cvt for everyday driving as its so smooth but it is boring if you like a "spirited drive" . That's what I have my track car for 😁
Yes, I have also strong feeling that Audi CVT can last a lot with proper maintenance. Mine A4 is getting new trany oil each 60k and soon is turning over 390k km. The CVT still runs well. Just the ECU went out recently, but that is fixable and not crazy expensive.
Changing lubricants in the engine and transmission of any vehicle at the recommended intervals is key to longevity. I just changed the transmission fluid in my Prius Prime at 25,000 miles. Probably could have waited to 60,000 miles, but I thought it would be a good idea to flush out any metal particles that might have gotten into the oil during the break-in period. $45 worth of oil is cheap insurance considering the cost of replacing a damaged transmission.
@@wazza33racer yes indeed. It is a huge gamble to buy used one and it is hard to find someone who knows how to rebuild them properly. So oil changes is really the cheapest variant:-D
It looks like you would have to split this particular one open to change the filter.... If that doesn't scream "non-serviceable" straight from the OEM, then I don't know what does. The way these rely on the oil condition for their operation.... Not being able to service these is just abysmal...
BULL!! the good old hydromantic transmission has been around for so many years, I see them go 200,000 miles with no service. That's why people don't service the CVT transmissions, they are use to the good old dependable hydromantic, witch have in both of my cars.
@@TOONMAN200 hydromantics are high quality planetary gear transmissions, comparing them to a cvt is almost as ridiculous as comparing a standard shift to an automatic with how they handle a lack of service.
My Subaru Outback H6 has 250,000 km on it’s CVT Fluid changed every 100,000 and it’s an absolute joy. Excellent transmission. My mother has a Forester TS with 180,000 on it and her CVT is flawless too
Toyota and Honda CVTs tend to last longer than other CVTs because of the launch gear. One thing many CVT vehicle owners do not realize is that no damage can occur if you change your CVT fluid more often (unlike regular transmissions with say over 200k miles on them). Additionally, changing CVT fluid more often (say 30k miles or so after the first change) can prolong their life. In the case of some Nissans, changing even after 15k can show a lot of worn material. Another thing to mention is that CVT transmissions work better when the transmission has reached operating temperature. So, in the winter your car may not need to warm up but your CVT does. I would wait till the car reaches normal operating temperature on a CVT car and be extremely gentle on it the first couple of miles (no hard acceleration or deceleration). Another thing is that driving very fast on a CVT can wear it out faster. I would say try to stick below 85mph or 75mph when you can with a CVT car. They can last if you take care of them and have some basic knowledge. Good luck.
Way too much trouble than it's worth. I wasn't born to maintain a CVT, life is not about how much you can maintain a CVT. I still drive a manual stick shift
@@salihbbasYes, this is not a negative. Undoubtedly the CVT should be matched to the engine output. There are two Subaru CVTs. Turbocharged vs. non turbocharged Subarus get the appropriate one.
In the U.S., I don’t know if all, but some of the FWD C5 and C6 A6’s came with a CVT too. I would also add that Toyota has been using a CVT in the Prius for the last 25 years or so and it’s been extremely reliable. They’re really the only ones.
I mentioned this in an above comment. I think it comes down to use case. IMO a well built CVT is great for a small, lower powered car. It's when weight and power is added that things start to fall apart. The robustness required for larger and/or more powerful applications is no longer viable in automotive use. Great for industrial use though.
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD So, let me ask what’s maybe a silly question…why don’t all auto manufacturers that want to utilize CVTs use those kinds? Is it because they need to be hybrids?
@@bradleykurtz5536 Toyota owns the e-CVT patent. No other manufacturer can use it without paying Toyota. Toyota also owns the d-CVT patent. Same idea. The standard belt driven CVT that Jatco/NISSAN uses is an old patent that expired decades ago. ✌️
Totally agree. I am here in Japan and having to put up with my mother in-law's Honda N-Box. It's a Kei car, which is a 700cc, lightweight car. Think of Kei cars as boxes with less power than even a scooter would get. No weight, no torque required. And on these, a CVT engine doesn't really show its flaws. But Japan has an unhealthy addiction to CVT engines that just won't stop. Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Suzuki, Nissan, Subaru.... looking at all of you. You're all guilty. There is on major exception to this Japanese rule: Mazda! Mazda are small, but behind the scenes they're very engineering focused with a lot of R&D going into things such as metallurgy (reason Mazda's crash so well is they lead the world in UHSS - ultra high tensile steel), crazy engine tech (only car maker to have low compression diesel, only one to attempt compression petrol). But one of the things I love them for is their human centric department (Kansei Engineering) run by Psychology Professor Kenta Kubo. The department studies everything from tweaking fonts and kernings of everything in the cars display to reduce eye strain, to the movement of a body around a bend. But one of the most important studies I think was, what I refer to as the "how long does it take to annoy a driver with a delay?". Turns out the answer is 300 milliseconds. To have a direct connection with the driver, every interaction needed to have a delay of no more than 300ms between cause and effect. Press an accelerator - needs to be faster than 300ms. Change a gear - needs to be 300ms. Use a start-stop system - needs to be 300ms*. (* Mazda was no doubt frustrated by the fact that although their start-stop was twice as fast as anything else on the market at the time they made it, it was 350ms..... But that's a heck lot faster than Subaru with an 800ms start/stop at the time, and a love of CVT's and Boxer engines). From the outset of completely throwing all the Ford garbage out when Ford divested in 2010 onwards (to save their own butts), Mazda knew they needed an auto transmission that was good with fuel, but was direct and quick to shift (but also had to be reliable). The immediately dismissed CVTs!!! They were considered the worst possible solution because they're slow, noisy and not anywhere near quick or direct enough to satisfy 300ms. The torque converter they used, was redesigned to move the clutch plate further into the transmission and have it lock up about 90% of the time, thereby also making it a "slush box" that had a direct feel. From Mazda: "The torque converter transfers engine power to the transmission through fluid, making a smooth start-up and gearshifts possible. The drawback is that fuel economy worsens due to the loss of power transfer through the fluid, and slippage during rapid acceleration, which causes vehicle speed to lag behind engine speed. Therefore, a torque converter with a lock-up clutch was developed, which locks the torque converter's turbine to the impeller to improve fuel economy and direct drive feel." While Japanese manufacturers continue to pump out CVT crap, I think Mazda should be congratulated for standing alone and giving the middle finger to the transmission.
Mazda also pumps out the it's direct injection engine tech without doing any longevity tests on it, causes valve carbon deposit issues that requires periodic engine head partial teardown for cleaning. Toyota already realized this that's why their direct injection engine took some time to be commercialized. Some even fitted with self cleaning like tacoma
@@terradrive sounds like a generic statement that cannot really be attributed to Mazda itself. All direct injection engines have this issue. That said, at least for 100,000km a good indicator for this has been the two Autobild Daurtests. Best if you can speak German, but you can get translations. Autobild is a German car manazine well known for their Daurtests (endurance tests). The most famous part is the fact the photo at the end, where the entire car is stripped into every nut and bolt for a photo.... The aim of test is two fold. 1. Determine reliability over 100,000km 2. Determine wear over 100,000km Both the 2012 CX-5 and the 2017 CX-5 were praised. The first was commented to be among the most reliable vehicles tested, and had it not been for a single recall the vehicle would have passed flawlessly. (For record, almost no vehicles have passed the German rigorous testing flaw free - however BMW and Mazda are the only two brands to have had more than one flaw free vehicle over the nearly 2 decades of testing). In the end, the Germans said that after 100,000km the amount of wear was similar to 50,000km. The carbon deposits on the engine were considered to be minimal for an engine of its age. Part of the reason is likely that Mazda have patented cylinder designs that include domes that cause vortices that attempt to more completely ignite the fuel, and the injector spray is designed to spray very fine. Mazda have always said this does lead to less carbon build up.... but it's impossible to escape. Obviously though, your comment isn't really backed up by any evidence. Conversely Autobild has a lot of experience behind their testing and it's not only published, but scrutinised by the German public. I'd take their word over yours in this case. Besides.... your comment is really just a troll at the end of the day.
@@inodesnetdude, Toyota makes bulletproof CVT transmissions, I do not know what you’re talking about. They have a 1+CVT which the first gear is a real one and after that the CVT takes over. They also have the eCVT for the hybrid versions, they are both bulletproof
Brother, the amount of time you took to write this comments are commendable… I drive a Mazda 3 with the 6 AT transmission so I know what you are referring to. 😊
@@sparcoraceseat thank you. I love their AT and I am glad Mazda went to the effort of designing one from a clean sheet to achieve everything they needed to, and nothing more. Looking forward to the new 8 speed though; not that the 6 speed is really wanting for extra gears unless you're doing more than 120km/h. Was able to visit a brand new Mazda showroom here in Japan the other day (their new style is classy and what they will roll out worldwide). Sat in the CX-60 and was seriously impressed with the build quality. They're on a home run lately. Particularly given how small they are compared to other Japanese brands.
It’s a personal choice. I love them. Put 255,000 km on our last Subaru and ZERO problems with it. Currently have 128,000 on another and zero problems as well. Change the fluids every 60,000.
It's not only about proper maintenance, unfortunately - just like DSG-like gearboxes (at least early models), CVT's life is mostly dependent on your driving style - drive it hard (not slow, hard - abrupt accelerations, in and out of traffic, first from the stop light, that kind of thing) and it will fail very quickly, and that's by design! Drive it calmly and you can get it to work forever with proper maintenance. How I know all this - I killed new Subaru CVT in no time :D As well as 6-speed DSG on my old Skoda. Now I drive only manuals or hybrids or regular autos (those are rare these days in Europe)
I've driven a few of the new Renault Clios in Turkey which have a CVT and I found those cars pretty nice to drive. Totally smooth acceleration and no gear changes. That said, those were all brand new cars with very low mileage.
After driving nothing but manuals for 40 years, I purchased my first Mazda in 2022 (CX-30 CE AWD 6-AT), with one of the biggest selling points being the modernized-design SkyActiv 6-spd automatic instead of a belt/chain design CVT. I'm 19 months into ownership & it has been a 100% problem/issue free ownership experience thus far. Great vehicle.
How about you get back to everyone when you pass 60k miles without a mortgage leveraged repair bill Mazda has enough problems with their wankel rotary...might as well further compufuck a situation Two fucks for the price of one
I have been driving MT all my life. I recently got a CVT Accord, and agree 100% with what this man is saying. Going back to MT asap. Giving my Accord back to Honda and getting an SI.
My mum had a manual constantly in the garage for repeairs, mostly related to the gearbox. They advised she get a cvt.. After research they decided to get a Jazz as they're known to be super reliable and my mum bless her was ready to give up.. She had instances where she was on a fast road and the "get me home safe" thing would send her down to 20 mph, it broke down allot too.. The jazz rebuilt her confidence and I got one as my first car after passing my test. We love them to bits. Really amazing cars
Also in the nearly 10ish years we've owned them combined we never failed a MOT (light bulbs don't count right? 😂) never had issues with them breaking down or not performing. Truly amazing cars - even if they don't have great street rep 😂
You're basically riding horse car. It can manage, doesn't mean you're using it %100. Put CVT transmission on car that can give you performance then it will show itself. Honda Jazz basically creating torque that %20 of that audio creates lol
My CVT has worked flawlessly for decades, is simple, reliable, insanely easy to maintain, and needs less than a quart of 90-weight gear oil to be happy. I admit that the 12 mph top speed is a tad slow on the freeway, but Yamaha says the G2 golf cart shouldn’t be driven any faster than that.
The thing I hear alot about with CVTs going bad is from them not getting serviced regularly. The Car Wizard has a few videos on them. He even compares new fluid to fluid that only has 20 or 30k miles on it.
No. Nothing to do with servicing. They are just plain sh*tboxes. Nissan CVTs regularly fail before 20,000ks, no servicing on earth can save a CVT from being a CVT.
BUT, Subaru put an extended warranty (10 yr/100,000 mi) on theirs so you would void the warranty if you change the fluid. SO, dump the car when it gets to 100,000 miles because you know the trans is on borrowed time if it makes it there. My brother's Forester CVT died within the warranty and was changed. My CrossTrek is 7 years old with 65,000 miles on it. It will go bye-bye at ten years old.
True. Manufacturers suspiciously don't make it any easier to service most of them. Guess the excuse is most people don't do the routine service on their vehicles and most importantly encourage the consumer to bring it to the dealership for all services.
I have one in my Honda, The key to CVT longevity is regular maintenance. You cannot ignore the CVT like a normal hydraulic transmission it will have an early death.. Fresh oil is constantly needed to sustain good transmission health.
I'm still stretching a bit far, but I've had the fluid changed in my Toyota-Aisin unit in my 11th Gen Corolla twice. It's been done every 90K miles. I'm at 195K right now. Car from brand new. At least when we drivers of Japanese cars state that it's only about maintenance being done, it's actually true unlike what the VW Fanbois like to claim!
My 13 Accord has a CVT and it’s perfectly fine for me. No problems because I don’t drive hard at all. I’ve exchanged the fluid once since I bought it at 80k miles
Automatic transmissions need fluid changes too,most people never do them and they wonder why they failed. I only have standard transmissions in my Hondas and they are virtually bulletproof.
@@stevejohnson1397 Mitsubishi has a transmission cooler on their INVECS-III CVT. Pretty bulletproof CVT. The guy who made this video doesn't really know what he's talking about.
I own a Daf 66 -75. One of the first cars to have a cvt transmission. The gearbox is one of the most reliabel things on the car. It uses big rubber belts and engine vacuum to shift gears. The only maintenanced you have to do is tension the belts once a year since they slowly wear out. Pretty fun to drive too, accelerates quite fast even though it only got 42 hp.
Not just 'one' of the first cars to have a CVT transmission, it was the first. DAF scaled up the system used on millions of 50cc mopeds and was also commonplace in factory equipment and agricultural machinery. Van Doorne built the DAF (odil) around it. Volvo bought DAF and made plenty of money from licensing the transmission design to other automakers. Unfortunately they got more and more complex to cope with ever bigger, heavier and more powerful cars the result being the abomination shown in the video which is a LONG way from the super simple and reliable system used in the 10s of millions of twist 'n go scooters manufactured every year.
@@stelleratorsuprise8185 When I bought the car 3 years ago it had belts from the -90s on, it had been standing still for 10 years too before I got it. I adjusted the tension and drove for a year with those belts before one broke, which was most likely due to rust on the cvt disks on that side. I bought new ones, put on a new cvt disk and those belts are still going strong.
@@terrycolley6482 The Daf 66 was "one" of the first ones, since Daf 600 -59 was the first car ever with an automatic cvt transmission. Dafodil was the successor of the 600. The transmission was never used in another car other than Daf technically, since Volvo 343 is actually a Daf 77. Van Doorne did cooperate with another car company to eventually make the Subaru Jutsy with a steel belted CVT which is most likely what other companies have copied or been licensed for their cvts.
The CVT used in the DAF and Volvo 343-340 cars powered the rear wheels, it is "simple" and very straightforward and reliable with very little maintenance, oil change and belt adjustment or change
I had an Audi A4 B6 Avant, that was lowered, chipped and running 18 inch wheels. I heard of, and expected grief from the CVT transmission. It never missed a beat in over 100,000km of frequently enthusiastic driving. Meticulous maintenance and fluid changes. Like I do with all my cars. One of the lucky ones, I suppose.
My Audi A4 has multitronic (dubbed multichronic) CVT also, is at 120k miles no issue. Change the oil, don't sit in traffic with foot on the brake for minutes, don't drive it too hard and don't park with the weight of the car on the trans.
@@ln5747 I live on a pretty steep street and 8 out of 10 Amazon delivery vans park on the parking gear.....and then I wait for the "BANG!" as they leave...no wonder they drive an ice-cream truck for a living.
Honda actually uses CVTs in most if not all of their current models (maybe not in the pilot/ridgeline). Its kind of the base trans they offer. As far as i know they are pretty reliable and efficient, even though an enthusiast would absolutely hate the feel.
Can verify, I have a Honda Civic with a CVT. Runs great and I've put almost 90,000 miles on it with no problems. People who don't like the way it performs are usually either mechanically ignorant or just unadaptable to new things. You can't drive a CVT car and expect to feel it shifting like a conventional automatic or manual. Some CVTs have added in the simulated feeling of a gear change so that morons don't bring the car to the shop saying it's not shifting right. In my mind, that is just stupid. Inform people about how it works instead of altering it to fool them that it works the way they expect it to.
@@jonniemactyler7929 Strange, I always thought that anybody who gets a sporty or smaller car, or truck with any kind of automatic transmission is mechanically ignorant and lazy like my wife. Especially people who buy cars with CVT transmissions. The last brand new vehicle we went to purchase back in 2010, she tried to convince me into buying an automatic. No f. way! Manual only or nothing. Thirteen years later and her Toyota Yaris still has the original clutch. I was just replacing two quarts of manual transmission fluid and brake fluid (which is used for the hydraulic clutch as well) every two years. You can have those "sophisticated" toys and I will stay primitive and mechanically ignorant!
@@MrCROBosanceros Make em last then, because even Toyota is offering only a couple of cars in manual gearboxes now. Even the Corolla now (2023 models) only comes in a CVT unless you get the GR which is $15k more than the base models. I agree that stick shifts are the most reliable but that isn't the gripe in this video. The implication is that CVTs are all worse than conventional automatic transmissions, and that just isn't true. Plenty of conventional automatics that crap out well before 100,000 miles. And my point of mechanically ignorant being the problem is based on people bringing a CVT to the shop complaining that it isn't shifting correctly. When you ask for more explanation you find out that they drive it from 0 all the way up to 50+ mph and it doesn't shift and barely changes in rpm. That driver is ignorant, because that transmission is functioning perfectly...they just know it doesn't feel like the last transmission they had. Don't hate the CVTs, just change the fluid every 20 to 30,000 miles and the ones made by Honda & Toyota will acually hold up quite well.
I do drain and refill on my CVT yearly and the fluid still looks brand new after 130k km and 7 years. It's on a 1.3L Toyota engine that makes 94HP. It's still going well. Being in Canada, there was no manual option when buying this car as I would've chosen it, but the CVT is good enough and reliable. My mom's Toyota has 200k and she never did any maintenance and it's all good still. I wouldn't touch that transmission though 🤣
I changed the transmission fluid in my 2019 Prius Prime (with the P-610 e-CVT transaxle), at 27,000 miles and the fluid that came out still looked new. No change in colr, no bad small. So I probably didn't "need" to change it that soon. Will do the next change at 60,000 though. $45 worth of oil is cheap insurance to keep that $8,000 transmission happy and healthy.
This was nice to see. Recently I got rid of a well-serviced 2005 B-Class with a CVT. Only thing that ever broke was the transmission control unit which caused a 1000€ repair bill. Brake lines needed replacement, done. Engine oil got changed earlier than recommended. The car drove well enough for me to not hate it, but the dread of a random 4-digit repair bill flying my way just ruined the fun and it started making suspicious noises I was sure I couldn't and didn't want to afford. Found a mechanic who specializes in transmission service, he took the car for a test drive, listened to it, and said nope, this one is going to need another big repair sometime soon. And he particularly stated that he doesn't work on these CVTs from Mercedes. Now I'm driving a manual Ford and it feels like an upgrade, even though many comfort features of the Benz are missing. It just feels like a car that can reliably take me from A to B and be cheap and fun (yay, manual!). That CVT felt like somebody was trying to justify their degree in engineering and why they absolutely deserved a promotion. An impressive piece of technology, but I'd rather row with the stick than rely on black magic and voodoo, maybe some day I'll find myself driving a CVT again. There is probably a certain appropriate use case, it just isn't my case yet.
They've got a place in shop machinery too. Built right they can hold a ton of torque, but get hot and noisy. I'd like to see a CVT as a gearbox for economy electric cars.
My Honda Civic has a CVT, works just fine and still going strong without a hiccup approaching 90,000 miles. Just change the fluid every 30,000 miles and don't drive like a complete A hole. Any equipment will break if abused hard enough for long enough.
I've had several cvt transmissions and have been happy with them all. To me it makes sense to have the engine maintain constant rpm and the vehicle accelerate
I'm a guy that likes to vroom vroom sometimes, and the cvt just ruins that. But for cruising around and for someone that never goes above 3k rpm I'm sure it's fine.
It’s a Dutch invention from the sixties and was used for the first time in the Dutch DAF automobile.The transmission in this video is a development of the original DAF transmission.
On the DAF you could change the belts in a blink of the eye without removing the transmission . Try that on todays high tech (ha what a joke) trannies.
The same concept with pulleys that open and close was used by Massey Fergusion 415 Combine Harvester, but had a normal 'rubber' belt that was more than 2inche across and over an inch thick. Opening and closing the main pulley wheel was done by hand, by winding a handle by the steering wheel. (Don't know if earlier models had them)
@@kez850 lol not gunna lie I have a heavy foot rpms are rarely under 4.5k I redline often, never had it slip or do anything weird. I feel people don’t drive their cars hard enough sometimes which in my opinion isn’t too good for the engine
But 99.9% of North American women only want an automatic transmission. They don't want to learn to drive a stick. Too complicated. So most North American vehicles sold are automatics.
I have 2018 Sentra with 43k miles on the clock, changed the transmission fluid at required time by the manual, great transmission for daily driving and great power for smooth driving experience
I had two Audi's with a CVT, one had a diesel engine and the other a petrol. Had both cars for 4 years doing over 100,000 miles. Absolutely loved the CVT in both cars - never failed me.
@@robbrownfield7677 It was called Multitronic. If you were looking for an automatic at the time (I had mine between 2007-2014), Audi offered DSG for transverse engines and Multitronic for other engines. The Multitronic outperformed a manual both in performance and economy.
It's all pretty much regional. For example I discovered that while VW uses 7-speed DSG in cars sold in Europe, they put 8-speed torque converter autos into the same cars sold in US/Australia.
Finally someone with good sense! CVTs are exceptionally good for gas mileage and comfort when paired with low powered NA cars like Corollas or something. Under the correct application CVTs are awesome!
I have a 2010 Maxima and despite all the reviews and stories Ive heard Ive never had an issue with the transmission. Love that car. Great acceleration, low top end.
CVTs are cool. I haven't finished the video yet, so I kinda hope he explains that the tech is awesome, but it's not really good for high powered things. Low end stuff, like a childs go cart, is where this tech shines in my opinion. So if you get a well designed CVT in a low end car, it can be really good and last a long time
Nissan's CVTs are the absolulte worse piles of krap worldwide. CVTs are good for one and two cylinder cars, and some 3-cylinder models in Europe use them, too. I would not get an I4 engine car with CVT, let alone a V6 Maxima or a V8 Audi. To each his or her own, I suppose.
I have never experienced a CVT failure. My first CVT was in a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport; the second one was in a 2015 Outlander Sport. My 2023 Outlander has one. I have noticed that my service manual keeps lowering the maintenance intervals. It went from 100,000 miles for the 2011 to 30,000 for the 2015 and 2023. There might be other factors that contributed to Audi's CVT failure.
I have a 2019 Subaru Crosstreck. I have usually owned cars with manual transmissions and swore I would never buy a car with a 4cyl engine and an automatic. I test drove several vehicles with 6-9 speed automatics. I hated them-whiplash shifts, jerking, feeling that the tranny needed to shift to a higher gear but wouldn’t, etc. it’s hard to find an AWD vehicle with a manual transmission. I test drove the Crosstrek with the 6speed and the CVT. I loved the CVT and opted for it over the 6speed. Its smooth, always in the right gear and I get excellent gas mileage (32-42.mpg; and I live in Pittsburgh PA where there are hills everywhere). I am extremely pleased. I have had no trouble after 62K mikes and it is covered by the dealers lifetime power train warranty. No regrets.
Drove a 2014 corolla with one. Still prefer my 92 Accord with the torque converter auto slushbox that slams into every single gear like its life depends on it.
I use 2003 Toyota yaris (1 .3L with CVT transmission) as my daily driver for more than 10yrs, its cvt transmission has never gone bad regardless of being used in area with high temperature.... (I change transmission fluid after every 35,000 km, now it has 300,000+km on the clock)
If they work as intended they are the best you could imagine for a 4 stroke engine, always the perfect torque to power ratio. Also the late cvts from toyota work like a charm, as most toyotas do.
I have used CVTs in many different cars, from small urban cars like Honda Brio or Daihatsu Sirion, to family SUVs such as the new Kia Carens, but most important on my former Nissan Gloria 3.0 V6 Turbo with 285hp. Under certain circumstances of use, it's the best transmission ever. And I say most relevant about the Nissan because the car was (at least) third hand, imported to Myanmar from Japan, and over 10 years old with unknown service. It worked perfectly and the car had huge power reserve.
CVTs work well with small engines, like ATVs, snow mobiles, scooters, small bikes. But I think what they do differently is they make the main belt and rollers a ware part that you replace. That really helps
small cvt run on a dry clutch system. there is no fluid seals to fail and leak. cars are hydrolic cvt often over engnerd as well like being paired to a gearbox.
When I test drove a new 4-cylinder (non-turbo) 2016 Accord I was extremely leery of the CVT. I'd heard all sorts of bad reports regarding CVTs in general. I really thought this would be a deal breaker but to my surprise, it performed quite well. The engine stayed at a much lower RPM than I expected. Acceleration was fine in drive and in sport mode, actually quite brisk. Yes, it surges a little when in drive and under hard acceleration but it's not a big deal to me. The car gets 32mpg overall and about 38mpg on the highway. I now have 95K miles on it with no transmission issues. But the drive belt is due to be changed at 100K miles. Gulp $$$
My sisters 16 Accord has 124k miles and runs strong. No belt replaced before, and just 1 transmission oil change. Don’t compare Honda to Nissan two different quality control people running the show
@@steeler1983 I'm pretty sure he means the belt inside the CVT, not the timing chain in the engine, which shouldn't need replacement ever unless you have some kind of issue.
I own a 2015 Subaru Forester, 94,000 miles. I’ve had no trouble with the cvt transmission. The Forester accelerates sluggishly when cold otherwise it accelerates fine for my driving. This Forester is the first new vehicle I have bought with an automatic transmission. All my other new vehicles had manual transmissions and were off-road capable vehicles. I like the smoothness of the cvt. If I wanted a high performance vehicle, I would get one with a manual transmission. I bought a Forester because it is so good driving on ice and snow.
I have a 2015 forester with 200k miles on it. I had a solenoid failure at 150k miles cost 1100 to replace the solenoid, replace the fluid and get back on the road. Was running in 2wd after it failed. I'll be honest. I don't mind the forester CVT it's torquey and doesn't operate like a friggin wind-up toy. I have no power delivery issues with mine. I wouldn't doubt if I get 300k out of it.
I have a 2010 outback with over 215k in it. Just had the solenoid replaced, car has been a workhorse. Likewise I had a 2008 Jetta with a manual transmission that blew after 94k, up to that point I had only driven manual transmissions from Chevy to Volkswagen, with the VW being the only one to pop. We have 3 Subarus now. The aforementioned outback, 2017 forester (115k), and a 23 wilderness. With the exception of the 2010 having its issue at 210k. The bottom line is anything can happen. Stop spreading fud. Unless talking about Nissan lol.
I have a new Forester Wilderness. I didn't know anything about CVT Transmissions when I got it, but it's to my understanding now that Subaru really worked to make it reliable
@@katefoyder506subaru has not worked to make it reliable. They had class action settlement warranties and started keeping parts on hand so they can do a swaonin about 6 hours. The modern Subaru other than the WRX also have the ats AWD system. It only drives the rear when there is slip. You wilderness is less capable off road than a '90s Forester. Those could lock the fluid coupling to be like a 4x4 and won't dig ruts going up dirt hills. Make sure you send it any time you think you need AWD like you would a fwd car. The ats system is great to help out and keep your momentum up, but won't help once you stop or slide back.
I had a Nissan Gloria with the extroid CVT. It was RWD 3L V6 turbo. The most silky smooth transmission I've ever driven. It had about 280,000km on the clock before I sold it. I did a full service at around 150k, the oil - KTF-1 was crazy expensive. The gearbox is quite unique in the cvt world.
I drive a 100 mile round trip to work and back 5 days a week. My car has a CVT tranny with a 2.5L engine. I've been through 2 CV joint axles, each side. I drive like a bat outa hell, and my front tires boil if I stomp it from a dead still. My car currently has 240,000 miles and the trans still feels flawless......and my car is a Godforsaken 2013 Nissan Rogue!! I think being aware of how a CVT works (in vivid detail) affects the way I drive my car. Kinda like when I was a teen most of us drove stick shifts and learned how to make a clutch go a long ways. It's got a lot to do with the do's and don'ts of driving any particular car. I stay away from mountains and you'll never see a trailer hitch on it. And I rarely have a passenger. I anticipate hitting 300K soon while I'm always seeing the negative vids about CVT's, I can only scratch my head and wonder why.
@@tooltime9260 how's that? Been driving since I was 15. No wrecks that were my fault....EVER in 46 years. Ergo, I've never had to make a claim. I'm an insurer's dream client. I pay them a shitload of money over the years, and it didn't cost them a penny. And that's why you pay more for insurance??? Do you understand how insurance works? How many claims have you made? If any, then YOU are why someone like ME has to pay more for insurance. That's how it works.
This. It's pretty much like how A/Ts were during its early days. With the advancement of technology, it's no surprising that CVTs work well nowadays. So far, Toyota and Honda CVTs have been bulletproof. Still wouldn't totally trust anything from Jatco, though, but I've heard they've made strides in improving their CVT.
But at the same time it's also difficult to justify when a traditional auto is just so much more reliable and proven, even DCT is a better option. I'd probably agree that in brand new cars the reliability may be there, but you're just beta testing a transmission in your car. New cars aren't made to last anyways..
I had to deal with this type of transmission but used for industrial purposes. Far simpler but equally a bag of shite! The amount of 'shrapnel' in the oil was incredible! I'd love to meet the inventor and congratulate him personally! Designers should have to spend time on 'the floor' with guys like us to fully appreciate the error of their ways! Rich.
Have a 2014 Honda Civic w CVT that’s going strong and running like a charm. Bought a second Civic w CVT for my wife and love it too. Also got a Toyota Corolla w CVT for kids. It’s awesome. I think the success of CVT depends very much on who builds it. Get a Honda or Toyota if you want a reliable well functioning CVT. Some companies just haven’t figured out how to build them yet.
Had two Subaru's with CVT's that have both been great. the 2011 is STILL being used by my son. The 2016 3.6r is still also going great as a daily driver. I love the smooth acceleration and lack of constant shifting on hills....
When you get a Mazda with AWD and off-roading like a CX-50 you will experience something like w new life thanks to the 20th century transmission. I forgot what's it like
@@Noypi54494 None. I leave it alone. My 3.6r outback has over 115k miles and is still smooth as silk, and my sons Legacy 2.5 has over 200k on it. I don't baby the cars but none of us are lead-foots. We're also in Colorado so not flat and not easy weather.
This reminds me of me at the pick a part junkyard. After 20 mins of ripping into something I inevitably get to an 'oops, I shouldn't have done that. Time to find a different car.'
I spoke with Honda dealership mechanics before I bought my Honda Accord Sport with a CVT. They all said there was no issue with the Honda CVT. I'm now at 168,000 miles and it's still going strong.
Bought a 2nd hand 2005 Ford Five Hundred with the ZF CVT and Haldex AWD as my winter beater here in the frozen wastes of Western Canada. Been driving it for 6 years now. It's got over 120K miles on it, and it's still going strong. Fact is, the Haldex unit has given me more grief then the CVT ever did. I cannot stress enough that a CVT demands regular preventative maintenance for long life. I believe they're susceptible to heat, and thus requires more periodic fluid servicing than a regular auto trans. Many companies claim they're "Sealed for Life", which is a load of crap. Best to change the fluid every 50K-70K just to be sure, especially if you live somewhere hot. Biggest gripes I had when I serviced mine was the cost of the fluid (approx. $15-20 per quart from Motorcraft, and you need 10 quarts for the service). Accessing the high-pressure filter is a bit of a pain too. You need to remove the driver side wheel, fender liner and trans mount to access it. The filter is also spring-loaded, so pressing it in while trying to bolt the cover plate on requires careful attention. Other than that the CVT has worked fine for me. It does drive a bit lazily, but other then that it's worked remarkably well. It's still odd to see the speedometer rise while the tachometer drops at the same time! CVT magic, hopefully without the magic smoke and fluid puddle!
I have a Toyota Vitz (JDM) 2012 that I got back in 2015 and I totally agree with you. It's now done almost 190k and the CVT is a godsend compared to the other automatic trannys I've driven. It's really smooth, feels like you're gliding on butter and I love the great fuel economy I get with car. They're a different type of transmissions which require a throttle control that might not be ones first nature. Overall I love the CVT for a cheap city car but when I'm in the mood to drive, manual cars are the way to go.
@@farqualeetali4022 - good point about the throttle control! I didn't add that in my comment because it was already long but that did enter my mind. You have to keep a constant throttle position and let the transmission do it's work. I feel if more people drove like that, then CVT life would be extended. As for the manual - I agree. My '84 VW Jetta GLi coupe with the 5-speed is a blast to drive, even though it's almost 40 years old! Cheers!
My daughter had a 500 that went to 275k miles and still worked fine yet til it got in a crash. The one she has now has 220k miles on it and works perfectly. The first thing I do is change the fluid and high pressure filter when she bought them.
We have a 2014 Honda Accord 2.4L with a CVT. Since getting it I’ve been doing maintenance on it every year (drain & fill). & it drives amazingly smooth & makes great use of the engine’s powerband. Lesson: don’t listen to manufacturers telling these transmissions don’t need maintenance. They’re doing that to force to buy a newer car down the road.
I had a 2000 Micra K11 1L with the old "N-CVT" transmission. It was an interesting technical implementation because it used an electromagnetic powder clutch to control the amount of coupling between the engine and transmission, unlike other autoboxes which used a torque converter. It had zero creep, so if you stopped the car and didn't use the footbrake or handbrake, the car would just sit still (or even roll backwards if on a hill). It had some reliability issues leading to juddering and slip when the carbon brushes inside the powder clutch (like alternator brushes, contacting a slip ring inside the clutch) would wear down. They were easily replaced (me and my wife replaced ours with alternator brushes for about €7), but eventually the powder needs replacing too and then it's probably not worth it anymore. In late 2000 they replaced the N-CVT with a newer H-CVT model, based on a more conventional torque converter. That said, I really miss that car. It was quite nippy up to about 30 km/h, then acceptable up to 50, then extremely slow up to 120 and beyond. It was really light and nimble, and I found the CVT great fun to drive. The high RPM whininess didn't bother me, but I can see why some people would dislike it.
the toyota e-cvt in my 2024 corolla hybrid is a dream coming from a manual transmission. i'm sure there's a lot of bad CVTs out there, but toyota's are not them, at least not in recent years. it's incredibly smooth and i love that my foot controls the revs directly the whole way.
@@subevo35 lol they are actually quite simple mechanically idk what you are smoking. Hearing the exhausts and how much noise asshats with smol dicks make to drive no faster than my 49 cc cvt goes, I have a hard time the CVT noise is an issue. Wasnt an issue in my friends ford 500
Happy owner of a Subaru Forester with a CVT - so far no transmission issues. My previous GM cars with ‘regular’ automatic transmissions usually developed transmission problems within few years of purchase.
My only experience with a CVT was with my Honda Motor Scooter. It ran just fine, and never gave any problem. Exselleration was great, and the bike ran smooth and fast.
Nice video! I was recently considering getting a Honda CRV to replace my old Accord which is on its last leg. After researching I found that not only do they have a terrible engine but they also use a CVT transmission. It pains me to spend so much money on a car but I'd rather upgrade to an Acura which has a better engine (no hybrid) and a traditional transmission (I'm guessing a normal planetary transmission. I keep my cars a very long time and the last thing I want is to have to either total my vehicle in the future or spend thousands repairing the drivetrain. Its a disgrace that many newer cars are nothing more than compliance vehicles designed to meet government standards. Thanks for the breakdown of a CVT transmission!
I would like to point out that yes CVT Transmissions suck but the ones on a Toyota Prius "unless they changed them in the last year or two" are some of the best transmissions that have ever been built and are truly rock solid.
The Prius uses a eCVT transmission which is not at all the same as this kind of CVT. The eCVT uses two motor/generators and a planetary differential gearset to simulate a CVT and yes it works very well and reliable too.
This is a good example of early days of CVT like late 2011.. but through the years engineers and manufacturers are improving cvt.. its the future of automobile whether you like it or not..
13 years ago I took out a Nissan with a CVT for a test drive and was unimpressed. Then I test drove and bought a Suzuki SX4 with a CVT. 310,000km later the only significant mechanical weakness in this car has been the alternator. The motor and drive train are flawless. I don't know if I'm just very luck, but I'd recommend a CVT for people who don't like standard transmissions.
I had a 2009 Nissan Altima with a CVT in it. I loved the shiftless acceleration and being able to coast down hill without increasing in speed. The transmission was still operating well with nearly 200,000 miles on it but the front suspension was worn and the cost to renew it on such an old car did make sense so I traded it in on a Kia with a non-CVT. The transmission on the Kia is very unrefined and the rough shifts are definitely annoying.
@@Aer0nfps 30,000 miles. If I remember correctly, that was less than recommended and it was fairly expensive because I insisted upon only using Nissan’s CVT fluid, but it was less expensive than a new transmission.
@@alanfan8941 I currently have the same 09 Altima (105k-miles) & it slips almost every time it reaches 15-20MPH. I'm debating if it's worth replacing the CVT, replacing the valve body, or just getting rid of it. Any thoughts & suggestions? Thx
@@Artillery-Vet Apparently I had very good luck with my Altima. I am not a mechanic but I am under the impression that you cannot purchase just a valve body or really any replacement parts for the Altima CVT transmissions. A new transmission installed will run upwards of $4000. Is your 09, a 15 year old car, worth $4000+ to you? In my opinion, save your money and drive it until it dies, and then get a new car.
I've never had the displeasure of experiencing a CVT but there's definitely a reason I've always liked manual transmissions. They are just simpler in every way.
Do yourself a favor and rent a Nissan Rouge. I’ve had two rentals and they drive like complete shit. I warned my wife. She said it’s not that bad and took the car for errands. She came back and said omg were you right. Lol
@@TheMlvswoll I'll definitely take the word of everyone else! I like to bang gears too much! I got my wife an Audi with the ZF 8 speed automatic, it's definitely a nice transmission but I still prefer a 3rd pedal!
@@gogereaver349 They are even changing semi Tractors over to auto-shifters. They are nice until you get to wanting to control the speed and traction of rhe semi. Manual shifting is possible to a point. But after a period of time, the truck will switch back to auto on its own. Almost everything is controlled by the computers on the newer figs.
I’ve had three Nissan CVT’s. One started to slip at 125,000 miles. Instead of letting it go until it failed, we replaced it immediately with a new CVT for $3,600. The other two are still running strong.
first mistake was getting a nissan cvt, those things are terrible. Your best bet it to change the fluid probably every 50k miles (could do 30k if you wanna be extra safe).
Honda has had some very good results. One of those being an 11th gen cvt civic with 250k miles within a year. Plenty other Hondas surpassing 400k miles with no issues
It's not a CVT problem, it is Audi problem. I normally only drive my Toyota/Lexus cars about 150k before I get another one but I have NEVER experienced or heard of other who ever experienced CVT problems.
@@kennethmoore1441 For me, 150k is 12-15 years. When I sell my Prius the Transmission, engline are always flawless. I guess i am just a rich guy who can afford a low millage trade in every 15 years.
I own a 15 Honda Fit with a CVT. The car isn't perfect but the trans has never been a problem (around 160k mi now). The upside of a CVY is mileage. This vehicle gets between 38 and 48 MPG (verifiable real mileage with a calculator and fill over the life of the car - I have the spreadsheet :)> The downside I realized before ever buying one is, as you stated, lack of torque transfer ability and much higher maintenance costs. I nearly doubled the factory spec by servicing every 40k mi. It IS a trade off but IMHO not a right off :). Anyway that's my .02 worth Thank you for the video. It is excellent to see just what's inside. Cheers
And to think years 40 years ago I hated traditional Autos that much on several cars I owned I converted from auto to manual because I couldn’t buy a manual variant. Been hearing worse and worse stories about CVTs and honestly I didn’t like them when the odd ones were put in scooters and mini bikes. Excellent video thanks so much for sharing. Very interesting seeing how complicated these things have become.
@@javajav3004 back when I did those conversions the cars I was working on didn’t have computers or sensors but saying that doing a conversion today on a modern car sourcing a second hand transmission would mean also you also get the sub wiring looms, control boxes plus any sensors and computers you may need or even building a wiring loom that bypasses the car’s computer systems.
I have a A6 2.0TDI chipped to 180hp. It has run nicely for over 335k km. The last 190k in my ownership. I have abused this car a lot. I use it almost daily on the freeway. 110- 140 km/h. Sometimes faster Have had zero problems with this CVT. I have served that car myself, and I change oil on the tranny every 50k km. So it looks like service is the key to a long life on this transmission 👍👍
They have been around since the late 1800's on various applications. The CVT really shines in industrial applications. Dozens of use cases for speed variation and in most of these cases they can be very reliable. I think it comes down to it's use. If built properly a CVT should be great for small, lower-powered cars. Constant changes with very high torque would require a much more robust CTV making it no longer a reasonable option when used in a heavy car or one with a higher output engine. For the average 100hp econobox they are really not bad if built properly.
I'd wager CVTs are successful in industry because they do not have to be small, and are made to be serviceable easily/without too much labor (which is hard to do in a car, when the first step it to take the transmisson out of the vehicle)
Always love the informative attention to detail tear-down videos. If ever I have to diagnose/repair a CVT this is the first place I’m going to come. Top work Paul, I bet if you smashed it back together it would be an improvement 😂
The real problem with CVTs is that they aren't serviced enough. I have one in my Lincoln MKZ, which probably is a Toyota design. They recommend a 150k fluid service which is nuts. I changed my fluid 3 times before the 150k service interval and have no issues with it. Overservice the vehicle.
Makes me really appreciate what Honda has done with their hybrid-car transmissions: Just 2 dog-tooth clutches and simple fixed gears, no torque convertors, no sliding chains (as in the video's transmission). Smooth power delivery only, and long term reliability.
I have a Subaru Impreza with a CVT. It is excellent and gives great performance and economy. I think it comes down to designing it properly. Maybe some car companies haven't mastered that?
I have a 2012 Nissan Murano with a CVT, and so far have had no issues with it. Took me a while to get used to not feeling a shift point, but overall I'm happy with mine. (160k miles).
I'm guessing you have changed the transmission fluid at the recommended intervals, and you don't hot-rod or abuse the car. Nissan uses JATCO CVT's, which have a horrible reputation, but you've been luckier than most owners. 160K is really good for a JATCO CVT. Hope it continues to hold up for you.
My wife has the same car as you. We take it to the dealership every 60,000 miles and have the trans flushed and changed, it costs around $210 and it's still good with over 150K miles. I heard about the bad reputation and hoping this will prolong the life. I don't normally use the dealership for service work but I watched some videos on servicing this transmission and it didn't look all that simple, so I wasn't going to trust the quick change oil place on that job. They charge over $100 anyway so I thought it was worth a little extra to have someone do it who is trained in that specific transmission.
@@laura-ann.0726 I had a 2010 Altima coupe with 130k+ miles with a CVT and I had no issues. Even though I hated it (it was my first car) so beggars can’t be choosers lol
@@Jcrash1 - From what I've seen on the comments, CVT's seem to be very sensitive to excessive loading (don't tow trailers with them), and quality and frequency of oil changes: owners who changed transmission oil every 3 years/36,000 miles generally got at least 150,000 miles out of Honda and Toyota CVT's. Nissan's JATCO transmissions had more problems, but without knowing the actual history of an individual car, and the driving habits of the owner(s), it's hard to say for sure why some transmissions fail sooner than others. The only kind of transmission I never worry about are manuals, like the 5-speed in my truck. There are no bands or clutch packs inside a manual gear box, no complex computer-controlled hydraulic systems, just the clutch and synchronizers, and as long as you don't abuse a manual transmission, and change the oil at 60,000 miles intervals, they generally last until the whole rest of the vehicle rusts out and falls apart.
I have today an Audi A4 with CVT transmission. 23 years old, certainly only 130.000 kms, but works lovely, no problem so far. It has a 2.0 petrol engine, 130 BHP.
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Toyota CVT's are unique because they use a "launch gear". CVT's tend to experience the most slip and wear under hard acceleration from a dead stop. In a Toyota CVT a conventional gear is used to accelerates the car up to a certain speed and then the launch gear is disengaged and the continuously variable mechanism is engaged. This removes a major source of wear and significantly extends the life of the transmission.
That’s true, an Uber driver I know has the launch gear fitted Corolla…He says it’s solid…does the fluid changes regularly…he had a Corolla pre-launch gear fitted 2015 corolla that cvt finally took a dump at 325K…
don't Toyota CVTs use eCVTs? as in there's no belts it's just a planetary gear set with two motors
@@alyx6427 yes, no belts, and its pure genius design
@@alyx6427 The eCVT is only for the hybrid models. The electric motor takes over the role of the pulley and belt. Normal gas only models still have the pulley and belt CVT.
I have a 2010 Toyota Avensis Estate/Wagon with the 152hp 2.0 engine - and a CVT. I'm approaching 200K miles (315K km on the odometer) and the gearbox works beautifully. I can do hard accelerations without issues, and even have the flappy gear paddles. This naturally aspirated car gets 32.6 mpg in everyday use and 40mpg on highway. And this is a heavy car, fully laden weight tops out at 2150kg or 4700lbs.
Vast majority of the CVT failures are from lack of fluid changes. These things pump out a tremendous amount of metal shavings from the belt constantly rubbing against the drive pulleys. Nissan dealerships will pretty much just charge cost for the fluid and filters on their CVT transmissions since it actually saves them money to change fluid for no profit rather than replacing the entire transmission under warranty. I've got a Nissan Versa with about 150k miles on a CVT. So, they can last a good bit if you keep the fluid changed regularly.
False…. All cvt are trash
This is what I tell my customers over and over and then it comes in on a flat bed and they’re all confused
You don't buy a Nissan if it's a CVT Trans, if you want CVT buy Toyota or Honda instead. Nissan CVT will crap out even if change fluid every 5K miles.
2011 sentra 190k miles no issues. Have a friend with a 2012 sentra 240k miles on theirs.
Biggest problem with todays cars is substandard parts, especially MB, BMW and VAG using recycled chinese material in their timing chains.
I really admire that you did this on the smallest cart you had in the shop.
I worked at a U.S. Honda dealer for a couple of years. Absolutely no issues with the CVT in any model. The electronics in my 2017 Accord are infuriating and buggy, but the drivetrain has been great.
They suck compared to regular transmissions.
Thanks I thought so my 2016 civic has been great east to do maintenance also
@@wandameadows5736 You mean like the 10AT which can't carry any weight and has stutter going from 3rd to 4th? Ok.
I've seen a bunch on forums. They may be decent for CVTs but they will not measure up long term to a good automatic or manual. Not all automatics are good either though, the AT in a Pilot is trash, for example. Plus, they drive like a CVT.
@@greggc.touftree5936 Not all ATs are bad but nearly every CVTs drives like shit.
I owned a 2013 Accord that I bought brand new and sold with 186,000 miles (300,000km). That car had a CVT and I had zero problems when I sold it. All I did to the car was regular oil changes and did a complete fluid exchange for every fluid in the car at around 120K Miles. Everything in that car (including the CVT) was stupid reliable.
Honda CVTs are good quality than Nissan.
So people still believe that a mechanic has more knowledge that engineers ? Lol,
@@diego2817TRUE
I drove my previous Honda with CVT for 12 years with zero issue even though I never changed the transmission oil!! I guess Hondas and Toyotas know how to make a CVT last long!!
what car is this?
@@JhayjhayGuimalan Honda City
I think you drive it in good road no mountain or you drive it genrly like average 60 km/h all the time
True
I own an Audi A4 and a Nissan Quashqai, both CVT.
Never had transmission problems and the ride is always smooth.
Nissan's CVT are complete garbage. You probably have them under 50k miles and pay dumb@ss costs to mechanics who rip you off. Nice comment
My Audi A6 has a CVT box. 208,000 miles on the clock and still going strong. It's all down to ensuring the oil is changed at the recommended service intervals. Something that's difficult when the main dealers don't even do them unless you tell them to (well mine over here in the UK didn't). I got the kit and do it myself. Love the cvt for everyday driving as its so smooth but it is boring if you like a "spirited drive" . That's what I have my track car for 😁
Yes, I have also strong feeling that Audi CVT can last a lot with proper maintenance. Mine A4 is getting new trany oil each 60k and soon is turning over 390k km. The CVT still runs well. Just the ECU went out recently, but that is fixable and not crazy expensive.
Changing lubricants in the engine and transmission of any vehicle at the recommended intervals is key to longevity. I just changed the transmission fluid in my Prius Prime at 25,000 miles. Probably could have waited to 60,000 miles, but I thought it would be a good idea to flush out any metal particles that might have gotten into the oil during the break-in period. $45 worth of oil is cheap insurance considering the cost of replacing a damaged transmission.
being an Audi transmission........a failure would really crater someones bank account. Its not like your going to find a good second unit anywhere LoL
@@wazza33racer yes indeed. It is a huge gamble to buy used one and it is hard to find someone who knows how to rebuild them properly. So oil changes is really the cheapest variant:-D
That or you were lucky?
I am not a cvt fan, but you can't blame the transmission for failing when it clearly was not serviced.
they make some of these that are 'non serviceable'. no fill port, no dip stick. many new cars tell you its life time as well. all bull shit.
@@beardedgaming1337 Oh, it's lifetme all right. xD
It looks like you would have to split this particular one open to change the filter.... If that doesn't scream "non-serviceable" straight from the OEM, then I don't know what does.
The way these rely on the oil condition for their operation.... Not being able to service these is just abysmal...
BULL!! the good old hydromantic transmission has been around for so many years, I see them go 200,000 miles with no service. That's why people don't service the CVT transmissions, they are use to the good old dependable hydromantic, witch have in both of my cars.
@@TOONMAN200 hydromantics are high quality planetary gear transmissions, comparing them to a cvt is almost as ridiculous as comparing a standard shift to an automatic with how they handle a lack of service.
My Subaru Outback H6 has 250,000 km on it’s CVT
Fluid changed every 100,000 and it’s an absolute joy. Excellent transmission.
My mother has a Forester TS with 180,000 on it and her CVT is flawless too
Subaru CVT transmission is light years ahead of the competition 👍
@@krupadrum Honda as well
Because Japan made it .
Except the Nissan one.
I never knew they hooked the six cylinder boxer engine to a CVT. That would be awesome.
I change my cvt fluid every 20.000 kms on my Honda, as recommended.
Toyota and Honda CVTs tend to last longer than other CVTs because of the launch gear. One thing many CVT vehicle owners do not realize is that no damage can occur if you change your CVT fluid more often (unlike regular transmissions with say over 200k miles on them). Additionally, changing CVT fluid more often (say 30k miles or so after the first change) can prolong their life. In the case of some Nissans, changing even after 15k can show a lot of worn material. Another thing to mention is that CVT transmissions work better when the transmission has reached operating temperature. So, in the winter your car may not need to warm up but your CVT does. I would wait till the car reaches normal operating temperature on a CVT car and be extremely gentle on it the first couple of miles (no hard acceleration or deceleration). Another thing is that driving very fast on a CVT can wear it out faster. I would say try to stick below 85mph or 75mph when you can with a CVT car. They can last if you take care of them and have some basic knowledge. Good luck.
Best comment, I have a Nissan, and now I know I’ve been mistreating it 😂
Way too much trouble than it's worth. I wasn't born to maintain a CVT, life is not about how much you can maintain a CVT. I still drive a manual stick shift
that's sad considering I'm taking my Honda civic CVT at 100+ mph every week
@@Techgod7848 Exactly.
@@LolimGennaro0o thats ticking time bomb right there for the transmission lmao!!
We have a Subaru Legacy with a CVT (Serviced regularly) that has no issues with 190k on it, no issues.
yeah because it doesnt get much torque over it anyway
@@salihbbasYes, this is not a negative. Undoubtedly the CVT should be matched to the engine output. There are two Subaru CVTs. Turbocharged vs. non turbocharged Subarus get the appropriate one.
In the U.S., I don’t know if all, but some of the FWD C5 and C6 A6’s came with a CVT too.
I would also add that Toyota has been using a CVT in the Prius for the last 25 years or so and it’s been extremely reliable. They’re really the only ones.
Toyota uses an ecvt not a cvt
I mentioned this in an above comment. I think it comes down to use case. IMO a well built CVT is great for a small, lower powered car. It's when weight and power is added that things start to fall apart. The robustness required for larger and/or more powerful applications is no longer viable in automotive use. Great for industrial use though.
toyota uses an eCVT with no steel belt. Their dCVT has a first gear so it also lasts forever
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD So, let me ask what’s maybe a silly question…why don’t all auto manufacturers that want to utilize CVTs use those kinds? Is it because they need to be hybrids?
@@bradleykurtz5536 Toyota owns the e-CVT patent. No other manufacturer can use it without paying Toyota. Toyota also owns the d-CVT patent. Same idea. The standard belt driven CVT that Jatco/NISSAN uses is an old patent that expired decades ago. ✌️
Totally agree.
I am here in Japan and having to put up with my mother in-law's Honda N-Box. It's a Kei car, which is a 700cc, lightweight car. Think of Kei cars as boxes with less power than even a scooter would get. No weight, no torque required. And on these, a CVT engine doesn't really show its flaws.
But Japan has an unhealthy addiction to CVT engines that just won't stop. Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Suzuki, Nissan, Subaru.... looking at all of you. You're all guilty.
There is on major exception to this Japanese rule: Mazda!
Mazda are small, but behind the scenes they're very engineering focused with a lot of R&D going into things such as metallurgy (reason Mazda's crash so well is they lead the world in UHSS - ultra high tensile steel), crazy engine tech (only car maker to have low compression diesel, only one to attempt compression petrol).
But one of the things I love them for is their human centric department (Kansei Engineering) run by Psychology Professor Kenta Kubo. The department studies everything from tweaking fonts and kernings of everything in the cars display to reduce eye strain, to the movement of a body around a bend.
But one of the most important studies I think was, what I refer to as the "how long does it take to annoy a driver with a delay?".
Turns out the answer is 300 milliseconds.
To have a direct connection with the driver, every interaction needed to have a delay of no more than 300ms between cause and effect. Press an accelerator - needs to be faster than 300ms. Change a gear - needs to be 300ms. Use a start-stop system - needs to be 300ms*. (* Mazda was no doubt frustrated by the fact that although their start-stop was twice as fast as anything else on the market at the time they made it, it was 350ms..... But that's a heck lot faster than Subaru with an 800ms start/stop at the time, and a love of CVT's and Boxer engines).
From the outset of completely throwing all the Ford garbage out when Ford divested in 2010 onwards (to save their own butts), Mazda knew they needed an auto transmission that was good with fuel, but was direct and quick to shift (but also had to be reliable).
The immediately dismissed CVTs!!! They were considered the worst possible solution because they're slow, noisy and not anywhere near quick or direct enough to satisfy 300ms.
The torque converter they used, was redesigned to move the clutch plate further into the transmission and have it lock up about 90% of the time, thereby also making it a "slush box" that had a direct feel.
From Mazda:
"The torque converter transfers engine power to the transmission through fluid, making a smooth start-up and gearshifts possible. The drawback is that fuel economy worsens due to the loss of power transfer through the fluid, and slippage during rapid acceleration, which causes vehicle speed to lag behind engine speed. Therefore, a torque converter with a lock-up clutch was developed, which locks the torque converter's turbine to the impeller to improve fuel economy and direct drive feel."
While Japanese manufacturers continue to pump out CVT crap, I think Mazda should be congratulated for standing alone and giving the middle finger to the transmission.
Mazda also pumps out the it's direct injection engine tech without doing any longevity tests on it, causes valve carbon deposit issues that requires periodic engine head partial teardown for cleaning. Toyota already realized this that's why their direct injection engine took some time to be commercialized. Some even fitted with self cleaning like tacoma
@@terradrive sounds like a generic statement that cannot really be attributed to Mazda itself. All direct injection engines have this issue.
That said, at least for 100,000km a good indicator for this has been the two Autobild Daurtests.
Best if you can speak German, but you can get translations.
Autobild is a German car manazine well known for their Daurtests (endurance tests).
The most famous part is the fact the photo at the end, where the entire car is stripped into every nut and bolt for a photo....
The aim of test is two fold.
1. Determine reliability over 100,000km
2. Determine wear over 100,000km
Both the 2012 CX-5 and the 2017 CX-5 were praised. The first was commented to be among the most reliable vehicles tested, and had it not been for a single recall the vehicle would have passed flawlessly.
(For record, almost no vehicles have passed the German rigorous testing flaw free - however BMW and Mazda are the only two brands to have had more than one flaw free vehicle over the nearly 2 decades of testing).
In the end, the Germans said that after 100,000km the amount of wear was similar to 50,000km.
The carbon deposits on the engine were considered to be minimal for an engine of its age.
Part of the reason is likely that Mazda have patented cylinder designs that include domes that cause vortices that attempt to more completely ignite the fuel, and the injector spray is designed to spray very fine.
Mazda have always said this does lead to less carbon build up.... but it's impossible to escape.
Obviously though, your comment isn't really backed up by any evidence.
Conversely Autobild has a lot of experience behind their testing and it's not only published, but scrutinised by the German public.
I'd take their word over yours in this case.
Besides.... your comment is really just a troll at the end of the day.
@@inodesnetdude, Toyota makes bulletproof CVT transmissions, I do not know what you’re talking about. They have a 1+CVT which the first gear is a real one and after that the CVT takes over. They also have the eCVT for the hybrid versions, they are both bulletproof
Brother, the amount of time you took to write this comments are commendable… I drive a Mazda 3 with the 6 AT transmission so I know what you are referring to. 😊
@@sparcoraceseat thank you. I love their AT and I am glad Mazda went to the effort of designing one from a clean sheet to achieve everything they needed to, and nothing more.
Looking forward to the new 8 speed though; not that the 6 speed is really wanting for extra gears unless you're doing more than 120km/h.
Was able to visit a brand new Mazda showroom here in Japan the other day (their new style is classy and what they will roll out worldwide). Sat in the CX-60 and was seriously impressed with the build quality.
They're on a home run lately. Particularly given how small they are compared to other Japanese brands.
It’s a personal choice. I love them. Put 255,000 km on our last Subaru and ZERO problems with it. Currently have 128,000 on another and zero problems as well. Change the fluids every 60,000.
It's not only about proper maintenance, unfortunately - just like DSG-like gearboxes (at least early models), CVT's life is mostly dependent on your driving style - drive it hard (not slow, hard - abrupt accelerations, in and out of traffic, first from the stop light, that kind of thing) and it will fail very quickly, and that's by design! Drive it calmly and you can get it to work forever with proper maintenance.
How I know all this - I killed new Subaru CVT in no time :D As well as 6-speed DSG on my old Skoda. Now I drive only manuals or hybrids or regular autos (those are rare these days in Europe)
My crosstrek had paddle shifters and six preset shift points and jumped off the line..I have to say it wasnt as bad as many say..
A transmission should last way past 158,000 miles. You're the first person I've read about that likes these things.
30,000 not 60
@@James-un2zj Yep......
The new small CVT Nissan also used by Renault was highly improved and nowadays it doesn't have any problem!
I've driven a few of the new Renault Clios in Turkey which have a CVT and I found those cars pretty nice to drive. Totally smooth acceleration and no gear changes. That said, those were all brand new cars with very low mileage.
Thanks Paul! Was looking everywhere for a guide to repair my CVT transmission and now I can safely say it’s being crushed at the scrap yard 💪
Kona car? Got a Honda..been good so far 60000 miles
Nobody repairs or rebuilds them anyways...
@Edubb 71k on a 2019 accord sport. No issues either.
@@edubb2491 wait till is got 100,000 miles on it...
Never gonna see 250000 miles on one twenty years from now.
After driving nothing but manuals for 40 years, I purchased my first Mazda in 2022 (CX-30 CE AWD 6-AT), with one of the biggest selling points being the modernized-design SkyActiv 6-spd automatic instead of a belt/chain design CVT. I'm 19 months into ownership & it has been a 100% problem/issue free ownership experience thus far. Great vehicle.
My son has a Mazda with more than 140000 miles on it with no problems at all with the tranny no cvt's in Mazda's
Yeah, well, I'm sure with that amount of experience you'd understand most cars tend to not blow up within the first 2 years of ownership.
How about you get back to everyone when you pass 60k miles without a mortgage leveraged repair bill
Mazda has enough problems with their wankel rotary...might as well further compufuck a situation
Two fucks for the price of one
😄@@bog4240
IIRC Mazda never jumped into CVT bandwagon, at least on their SkyActiv lineups. I had a Mazda 2 2017 and it had AT, and they were great.
I have been driving MT all my life. I recently got a CVT Accord, and agree 100% with what this man is saying. Going back to MT asap. Giving my Accord back to Honda and getting an SI.
Maybe not all CVT transmissions because I have 260780 miles on mine and only 1 fluid change and better gas mileage with this transmission
I have owned Honda Jazz cvt’s for years, never any problems at all. Very smooth and quiet transmission.
My mum had a manual constantly in the garage for repeairs, mostly related to the gearbox. They advised she get a cvt.. After research they decided to get a Jazz as they're known to be super reliable and my mum bless her was ready to give up.. She had instances where she was on a fast road and the "get me home safe" thing would send her down to 20 mph, it broke down allot too.. The jazz rebuilt her confidence and I got one as my first car after passing my test. We love them to bits. Really amazing cars
Also in the nearly 10ish years we've owned them combined we never failed a MOT (light bulbs don't count right? 😂) never had issues with them breaking down or not performing. Truly amazing cars - even if they don't have great street rep 😂
I have a Honda Accord with a CVT and I actually like it more much smoother ride.
@@claypyrotech7473 Same here!
You're basically riding horse car. It can manage, doesn't mean you're using it %100. Put CVT transmission on car that can give you performance then it will show itself.
Honda Jazz basically creating torque that %20 of that audio creates lol
My CVT has worked flawlessly for decades, is simple, reliable, insanely easy to maintain, and needs less than a quart of 90-weight gear oil to be happy. I admit that the 12 mph top speed is a tad slow on the freeway, but Yamaha says the G2 golf cart shouldn’t be driven any faster than that.
funny my cvt gy6 49cc cant get to 55 mph.
xD
Oh damn...that made me laugh! Shit
I get 112mph out of mine, cvt works fine 😂
The thing I hear alot about with CVTs going bad is from them not getting serviced regularly. The Car Wizard has a few videos on them. He even compares new fluid to fluid that only has 20 or 30k miles on it.
No. Nothing to do with servicing. They are just plain sh*tboxes. Nissan CVTs regularly fail before 20,000ks, no servicing on earth can save a CVT from being a CVT.
Non cvt's automatic transmission require fluid change once in 80k km, if you want.
Manual transmission: What's "Fluid change"? 🤣
Yep
BUT, Subaru put an extended warranty (10 yr/100,000 mi) on theirs so you would void the warranty if you change the fluid. SO, dump the car when it gets to 100,000 miles because you know the trans is on borrowed time if it makes it there. My brother's Forester CVT died within the warranty and was changed. My CrossTrek is 7 years old with 65,000 miles on it. It will go bye-bye at ten years old.
True. Manufacturers suspiciously don't make it any easier to service most of them. Guess the excuse is most people don't do the routine service on their vehicles and most importantly encourage the consumer to bring it to the dealership for all services.
Been driving my Honda Civic Hybrid since 2009 with CVT, and haven't had a single problem whatsoever with the transmission.
I absolutely love CVT!
wait till you pay 7000$ to fix your junk trans you will change your tune!! i hope not
@@jimthompson3030 At this point, I mean I wouldn't be surprised. It's been roughly 15 years now since I bought it. lol
Hi do you always get your car serviced and maintained ex. change engine oil, tans oil etc?
i always love watching Paul pretend to be a mechanic. This was a good start to the day.
Should I get a new uniform shirt that says Larper?
@@Deutscheautoparts you might be joking, however, that would be absolutely hilarious.
@@Deutscheautoparts HAHAHAHAHA. I wish you made more content Paul lol
He's a Certified TH-cam Mechanic
"I"
I have one in my Honda, The key to CVT longevity is regular maintenance. You cannot ignore the CVT like a normal hydraulic transmission it will have an early death..
Fresh oil is constantly needed to sustain good transmission health.
I'm still stretching a bit far, but I've had the fluid changed in my Toyota-Aisin unit in my 11th Gen Corolla twice. It's been done every 90K miles. I'm at 195K right now. Car from brand new. At least when we drivers of Japanese cars state that it's only about maintenance being done, it's actually true unlike what the VW Fanbois like to claim!
My 13 Accord has a CVT and it’s perfectly fine for me. No problems because I don’t drive hard at all. I’ve exchanged the fluid once since I bought it at 80k miles
Automatic transmissions need fluid changes too,most people never do them and they wonder why they failed. I only have standard transmissions in my Hondas and they are virtually bulletproof.
You want good transmission health design a transmission cooler to keep it cool
@@stevejohnson1397 Mitsubishi has a transmission cooler on their INVECS-III CVT. Pretty bulletproof CVT. The guy who made this video doesn't really know what he's talking about.
I own a Daf 66 -75. One of the first cars to have a cvt transmission. The gearbox is one of the most reliabel things on the car. It uses big rubber belts and engine vacuum to shift gears. The only maintenanced you have to do is tension the belts once a year since they slowly wear out. Pretty fun to drive too, accelerates quite fast even though it only got 42 hp.
The DAF is a legend of it's own, it's the only car I know that can go backwards as fast as forwards ....
Do you have to change the drive belt often?
Not just 'one' of the first cars to have a CVT transmission, it was the first. DAF scaled up the system used on millions of 50cc mopeds and was also commonplace in factory equipment and agricultural machinery. Van Doorne built the DAF (odil) around it. Volvo bought DAF and made plenty of money from licensing the transmission design to other automakers. Unfortunately they got more and more complex to cope with ever bigger, heavier and more powerful cars the result being the abomination shown in the video which is a LONG way from the super simple and reliable system used in the 10s of millions of twist 'n go scooters manufactured every year.
@@stelleratorsuprise8185 When I bought the car 3 years ago it had belts from the -90s on, it had been standing still for 10 years too before I got it. I adjusted the tension and drove for a year with those belts before one broke, which was most likely due to rust on the cvt disks on that side.
I bought new ones, put on a new cvt disk and those belts are still going strong.
@@terrycolley6482 The Daf 66 was "one" of the first ones, since Daf 600 -59 was the first car ever with an automatic cvt transmission. Dafodil was the successor of the 600. The transmission was never used in another car other than Daf technically, since Volvo 343 is actually a Daf 77.
Van Doorne did cooperate with another car company to eventually make the Subaru Jutsy with a steel belted CVT which is most likely what other companies have copied or been licensed for their cvts.
The CVT used in the DAF and Volvo 343-340 cars powered the rear wheels, it is "simple" and very straightforward and reliable with very little maintenance, oil change and belt adjustment or change
Been driving a Honda Fit with a CVT, its been an absolute blast to drive and its just super smooth even after 250000+ km
I had an Audi A4 B6 Avant, that was lowered, chipped and running 18 inch wheels. I heard of, and expected grief from the CVT transmission. It never missed a beat in over 100,000km of frequently enthusiastic driving. Meticulous maintenance and fluid changes. Like I do with all my cars. One of the lucky ones, I suppose.
My Audi A4 has multitronic (dubbed multichronic) CVT also, is at 120k miles no issue. Change the oil, don't sit in traffic with foot on the brake for minutes, don't drive it too hard and don't park with the weight of the car on the trans.
True that. I am still driving my 2004 B6 1.8T at 160000 kms with 0 issue on CVT with recommended services.
I also had a B6 A4 with a multitronic. Bought it from a friend with 300k km drove it until 350k km. Never had an issue with it.
@@ln5747 I live on a pretty steep street and 8 out of 10 Amazon delivery vans park on the parking gear.....and then I wait for the "BANG!" as they leave...no wonder they drive an ice-cream truck for a living.
Maintenance is the key 👍
Honda actually uses CVTs in most if not all of their current models (maybe not in the pilot/ridgeline). Its kind of the base trans they offer. As far as i know they are pretty reliable and efficient, even though an enthusiast would absolutely hate the feel.
Can verify, I have a Honda Civic with a CVT. Runs great and I've put almost 90,000 miles on it with no problems. People who don't like the way it performs are usually either mechanically ignorant or just unadaptable to new things. You can't drive a CVT car and expect to feel it shifting like a conventional automatic or manual. Some CVTs have added in the simulated feeling of a gear change so that morons don't bring the car to the shop saying it's not shifting right. In my mind, that is just stupid. Inform people about how it works instead of altering it to fool them that it works the way they expect it to.
That's why I want to buy used 5 speed automatic 2.0L civic.
@@jonniemactyler7929 Strange, I always thought that anybody who gets a sporty or smaller car, or truck with any kind of automatic transmission is mechanically ignorant and lazy like my wife. Especially people who buy cars with CVT transmissions.
The last brand new vehicle we went to purchase back in 2010, she tried to convince me into buying an automatic. No f. way! Manual only or nothing.
Thirteen years later and her Toyota Yaris still has the original clutch. I was just replacing two quarts of manual transmission fluid and brake fluid (which is used for the hydraulic clutch as well) every two years. You can have those "sophisticated" toys and I will stay primitive and mechanically ignorant!
@@MrCROBosanceros Make em last then, because even Toyota is offering only a couple of cars in manual gearboxes now. Even the Corolla now (2023 models) only comes in a CVT unless you get the GR which is $15k more than the base models. I agree that stick shifts are the most reliable but that isn't the gripe in this video. The implication is that CVTs are all worse than conventional automatic transmissions, and that just isn't true. Plenty of conventional automatics that crap out well before 100,000 miles.
And my point of mechanically ignorant being the problem is based on people bringing a CVT to the shop complaining that it isn't shifting correctly. When you ask for more explanation you find out that they drive it from 0 all the way up to 50+ mph and it doesn't shift and barely changes in rpm. That driver is ignorant, because that transmission is functioning perfectly...they just know it doesn't feel like the last transmission they had.
Don't hate the CVTs, just change the fluid every 20 to 30,000 miles and the ones made by Honda & Toyota will acually hold up quite well.
they have inproved the jdm cvt. but the dirst years of them are terrable and almost everyone was using them.
I do drain and refill on my CVT yearly and the fluid still looks brand new after 130k km and 7 years. It's on a 1.3L Toyota engine that makes 94HP. It's still going well. Being in Canada, there was no manual option when buying this car as I would've chosen it, but the CVT is good enough and reliable. My mom's Toyota has 200k and she never did any maintenance and it's all good still. I wouldn't touch that transmission though 🤣
I changed the transmission fluid in my 2019 Prius Prime (with the P-610 e-CVT transaxle), at 27,000 miles and the fluid that came out still looked new. No change in colr, no bad small. So I probably didn't "need" to change it that soon. Will do the next change at 60,000 though. $45 worth of oil is cheap insurance to keep that $8,000 transmission happy and healthy.
I owned a 2013 Subaru Outback with CVT. Absolutely no issues even after numerous trailer tows. Just followed the severe duty schedule maintenance.
Was it a hybrid? If so, Subaru license is Toyotas eCVT technology which uses a different operating principal and is extremely reliable as a result.
@@willkelly86 Not hybrid.
Yep. Audi just hasn't caught up with Japanese manufacturers like Subaru. Maybe God's punishment against "German Engineering" for the acts of Adolf?
Hi may i know what is the scheduled maintenance for each part like engine oil, trans oil etc.
This was nice to see. Recently I got rid of a well-serviced 2005 B-Class with a CVT. Only thing that ever broke was the transmission control unit which caused a 1000€ repair bill. Brake lines needed replacement, done. Engine oil got changed earlier than recommended. The car drove well enough for me to not hate it, but the dread of a random 4-digit repair bill flying my way just ruined the fun and it started making suspicious noises I was sure I couldn't and didn't want to afford. Found a mechanic who specializes in transmission service, he took the car for a test drive, listened to it, and said nope, this one is going to need another big repair sometime soon. And he particularly stated that he doesn't work on these CVTs from Mercedes.
Now I'm driving a manual Ford and it feels like an upgrade, even though many comfort features of the Benz are missing. It just feels like a car that can reliably take me from A to B and be cheap and fun (yay, manual!). That CVT felt like somebody was trying to justify their degree in engineering and why they absolutely deserved a promotion. An impressive piece of technology, but I'd rather row with the stick than rely on black magic and voodoo, maybe some day I'll find myself driving a CVT again. There is probably a certain appropriate use case, it just isn't my case yet.
Exactly! The cvt feels like someone's "achievement" for their engineering degree.
As a concept, CVT's are great. They should never have left the concept phase for use in a car. They seem to work well in mopeds, but that's about it.
Just about every snowmobile ever made runs on a CVT. So they're great for that.
They’d work well in a small 80hp econobox (ford festiva)
They work just fine in cars. Here to stay.
They've got a place in shop machinery too. Built right they can hold a ton of torque, but get hot and noisy. I'd like to see a CVT as a gearbox for economy electric cars.
My Honda Civic has a CVT, works just fine and still going strong without a hiccup approaching 90,000 miles. Just change the fluid every 30,000 miles and don't drive like a complete A hole. Any equipment will break if abused hard enough for long enough.
I've had several cvt transmissions and have been happy with them all. To me it makes sense to have the engine maintain constant rpm and the vehicle accelerate
Oh, you're the one.
My Mitsubishi outlander has 157k, and my cvt transmission works just fine. The secret is to not abuse it and keep clean fluid in it.
@@jimb3457 That or you got the unicorn in a sea of lemons. Face it, CVTs are generally crap.
I'm a guy that likes to vroom vroom sometimes, and the cvt just ruins that. But for cruising around and for someone that never goes above 3k rpm I'm sure it's fine.
Great for your wallet, but when you say you've had several, given that they're a relative novelty, it makes us wonder why you don't still have them.
It’s a Dutch invention from the sixties and was used for the first time in the Dutch DAF automobile.The transmission in this video is a development of the original DAF transmission.
The first CVT patent is from the late 1800's, and been used in snowmobiles well before the DAF.
On the DAF you could change the belts in a blink of the eye without removing the transmission . Try that on todays high tech (ha what a joke) trannies.
The same concept with pulleys that open and close was used by Massey Fergusion 415 Combine Harvester, but had a normal 'rubber' belt that was more than 2inche across and over an inch thick. Opening and closing the main pulley wheel was done by hand, by winding a handle by the steering wheel. (Don't know if earlier models had them)
My honda civic has 120k miles and ive never had any problems with the cvt, I actually like how it stays in the powerband
Yeah Honda does it right.
@@kez850 lol not gunna lie I have a heavy foot rpms are rarely under 4.5k I redline often, never had it slip or do anything weird. I feel people don’t drive their cars hard enough sometimes which in my opinion isn’t too good for the engine
@@madcannagrow2833 let me guess you drive it around in S mode too? Lol
@@kez850 no I actually use s mode to help me with engine braking that way my brake pads don’t over heat lmao
@@kez850 like downshifting a manual transmission 😂 tbh idk how much longer its going to last but damn it I have faith in my little civic
The beauty/simplicity of manual transmission can hardly be overstated.
That, and these days they act as anti theft devices since many thieves can't drive a stick.
Amen to that
But 99.9% of North American women only want an automatic transmission. They don't want to learn to drive a stick. Too complicated. So most North American vehicles sold are automatics.
Absolutly.
It's the clutch pedal that's the pain.
I have 2018 Sentra with 43k miles on the clock, changed the transmission fluid at required time by the manual, great transmission for daily driving and great power for smooth driving experience
I had two Audi's with a CVT, one had a diesel engine and the other a petrol. Had both cars for 4 years doing over 100,000 miles. Absolutely loved the CVT in both cars - never failed me.
I had no idea Audi was using CVTs. Learn something new every day.
@@robbrownfield7677 It was called Multitronic. If you were looking for an automatic at the time (I had mine between 2007-2014), Audi offered DSG for transverse engines and Multitronic for other engines. The Multitronic outperformed a manual both in performance and economy.
It's all pretty much regional. For example I discovered that while VW uses 7-speed DSG in cars sold in Europe, they put 8-speed torque converter autos into the same cars sold in US/Australia.
Don't forget about the doomed clutch pack. Those were the involved in most failures that I saw. The V6 even got an extra friction plate upon rebuild.
Toyota's dCVT will last forever, it has a physical first gear. Their hybrid eCVT has no steel belt and is ingenious...
Ford uses the the same design as Toyota for their hybrid models using eCVTs. I'm excited to get a new Maverick hybrid :)
@RDubs lol I'm sorry. Good luck with that. You should never trust Ford.
Finally someone with good sense! CVTs are exceptionally good for gas mileage and comfort when paired with low powered NA cars like Corollas or something. Under the correct application CVTs are awesome!
@@rdubs1705 that's false 🤣
@@rdubs1705 no actually Ford uses jatco units in some of their vehicles... And they also use GM CVT transmissions... They are all equally horrible..
I have a 2010 Maxima and despite all the reviews and stories Ive heard Ive never had an issue with the transmission. Love that car. Great acceleration, low top end.
CVTs are cool. I haven't finished the video yet, so I kinda hope he explains that the tech is awesome, but it's not really good for high powered things. Low end stuff, like a childs go cart, is where this tech shines in my opinion.
So if you get a well designed CVT in a low end car, it can be really good and last a long time
Nissan's CVTs are the absolulte worse piles of krap worldwide. CVTs are good for one and two cylinder cars, and some 3-cylinder models in Europe use them, too. I would not get an I4 engine car with CVT, let alone a V6 Maxima or a V8 Audi. To each his or her own, I suppose.
You are the exception, not the rule.
You could walk through a minefield and come out OK, but that does that mean it's smart to do so?
Hmm.. I think the problem is most people drive like shii.
I have 2011 Nissan Altima Hybrid, 150000 miles, no problem with CVT too. My Altima CVT still run very smooth.
I have never experienced a CVT failure. My first CVT was in a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport; the second one was in a 2015 Outlander Sport. My 2023 Outlander has one. I have noticed that my service manual keeps lowering the maintenance intervals. It went from 100,000 miles for the 2011 to 30,000 for the 2015 and 2023. There might be other factors that contributed to Audi's CVT failure.
Being an Audi would be the first clue.
Am a mitsubishi outlander lover too can you sell the old one to me?
I have a 2019 Subaru Crosstreck. I have usually owned cars with manual transmissions and swore I would never buy a car with a 4cyl engine and an automatic. I test drove several vehicles with 6-9 speed automatics. I hated them-whiplash shifts, jerking, feeling that the tranny needed to shift to a higher gear but wouldn’t, etc. it’s hard to find an AWD vehicle with a manual transmission. I test drove the Crosstrek with the 6speed and the CVT. I loved the CVT and opted for it over the 6speed. Its smooth, always in the right gear and I get excellent gas mileage (32-42.mpg; and I live in Pittsburgh PA where there are hills everywhere). I am extremely pleased. I have had no trouble after 62K mikes and it is covered by the dealers lifetime power train warranty. No regrets.
Subaru has a lifetime powertrain warranty???
I hate cvt’s
CVTs*
😜
I like them for stop and go and City driving. But for anything fun, yeah, no.
I too hate CVT's
Garbage. Have yet to drive one that feels like it operates well.
Drove a 2014 corolla with one. Still prefer my 92 Accord with the torque converter auto slushbox that slams into every single gear like its life depends on it.
The 8 speed and 10 speed automatics now shift lightning fast and in terms of lap times it's faster than a standard transmission.
I use 2003 Toyota yaris (1 .3L with CVT transmission) as my daily driver for more than 10yrs, its cvt transmission has never gone bad regardless of being used in area with high temperature.... (I change transmission fluid after every 35,000 km, now it has 300,000+km on the clock)
did you buy it brand new or used? its obviously used car from Japan or US I guess. Tanzania has always handful of used cars from foreign markets.
@@montesa35 i imported it used from Japan.
I have a CVT transmission in my Nissan Altima. 152,000 miles and ZERO problems.
If they work as intended they are the best you could imagine for a 4 stroke engine, always the perfect torque to power ratio. Also the late cvts from toyota work like a charm, as most toyotas do.
agreed Toyota cvts work well...they know how to make them right!
I'm happy you said that as I have a Lexus and love it
@@sizzler2462 scotty kilmer would bless you
😆👍🏿
@@fidelcatsro6948 rev up your engines
@@fidelcatsro6948 And they developed their current CVT with the assistance of Subaru. Not a surprise, since Toyota owns 19% of Subaru......
I have used CVTs in many different cars, from small urban cars like Honda Brio or Daihatsu Sirion, to family SUVs such as the new Kia Carens, but most important on my former Nissan Gloria 3.0 V6 Turbo with 285hp. Under certain circumstances of use, it's the best transmission ever. And I say most relevant about the Nissan because the car was (at least) third hand, imported to Myanmar from Japan, and over 10 years old with unknown service. It worked perfectly and the car had huge power reserve.
i agree CVT transmissions were ass in 1st gen similar to EV. Manufacturer's improved them by a mile over time.
CVTs work well with small engines, like ATVs, snow mobiles, scooters, small bikes. But I think what they do differently is they make the main belt and rollers a ware part that you replace. That really helps
I think if they make it easily replaceable will be fine.
@@GF-mf7ml It's still an expensive piece of machinery. They simply don't cope well with high torque.
small cvt run on a dry clutch system. there is no fluid seals to fail and leak. cars are hydrolic cvt often over engnerd as well like being paired to a gearbox.
And they work well with cars..or else..they wouldnt of thought to do it..they are still trial and error but..they are getting it down
Some snowmobiles are in the 150 hp range, and they still get by with a belt.
I had a Nissan Sentra with CVT for 10 years, zero issues, the best car I ever had, I loved the comfort of the shifless.
When I test drove a new 4-cylinder (non-turbo) 2016 Accord I was extremely leery of the CVT. I'd heard all sorts of bad reports regarding CVTs in general. I really thought this would be a deal breaker but to my surprise, it performed quite well. The engine stayed at a much lower RPM than I expected. Acceleration was fine in drive and in sport mode, actually quite brisk. Yes, it surges a little when in drive and under hard acceleration but it's not a big deal to me. The car gets 32mpg overall and about 38mpg on the highway. I now have 95K miles on it with no transmission issues. But the drive belt is due to be changed at 100K miles. Gulp $$$
It works fine until it comes apart.
Trade it off when it hits 99K miles. 😂
What do you mean the drive belt needs changed? I think the 4 cylinder has a timing chain.
Do you mean changing the serpentine belt?
My sisters 16 Accord has 124k miles and runs strong. No belt replaced before, and just 1 transmission oil change. Don’t compare Honda to Nissan two different quality control people running the show
@@steeler1983 I'm pretty sure he means the belt inside the CVT, not the timing chain in the engine, which shouldn't need replacement ever unless you have some kind of issue.
I own a 2015 Subaru Forester, 94,000 miles. I’ve had no trouble with the cvt transmission. The Forester accelerates sluggishly when cold otherwise it accelerates fine for my driving. This Forester is the first new vehicle I have bought with an automatic transmission. All my other new vehicles had manual transmissions and were off-road capable vehicles. I like the smoothness of the cvt. If I wanted a high performance vehicle, I would get one with a manual transmission. I bought a Forester because it is so good driving on ice and snow.
I have a 2015 forester with 200k miles on it. I had a solenoid failure at 150k miles cost 1100 to replace the solenoid, replace the fluid and get back on the road. Was running in 2wd after it failed.
I'll be honest. I don't mind the forester CVT it's torquey and doesn't operate like a friggin wind-up toy. I have no power delivery issues with mine. I wouldn't doubt if I get 300k out of it.
I have a 2010 outback with over 215k in it. Just had the solenoid replaced, car has been a workhorse. Likewise I had a 2008 Jetta with a manual transmission that blew after 94k, up to that point I had only driven manual transmissions from Chevy to Volkswagen, with the VW being the only one to pop. We have 3 Subarus now. The aforementioned outback, 2017 forester (115k), and a 23 wilderness. With the exception of the 2010 having its issue at 210k. The bottom line is anything can happen. Stop spreading fud. Unless talking about Nissan lol.
Cvt are zombie transmisión dual clutch are a lot better.
I have a new Forester Wilderness. I didn't know anything about CVT Transmissions when I got it, but it's to my understanding now that Subaru really worked to make it reliable
@@katefoyder506subaru has not worked to make it reliable. They had class action settlement warranties and started keeping parts on hand so they can do a swaonin about 6 hours.
The modern Subaru other than the WRX also have the ats AWD system. It only drives the rear when there is slip. You wilderness is less capable off road than a '90s Forester. Those could lock the fluid coupling to be like a 4x4 and won't dig ruts going up dirt hills.
Make sure you send it any time you think you need AWD like you would a fwd car. The ats system is great to help out and keep your momentum up, but won't help once you stop or slide back.
I had a Nissan Gloria with the extroid CVT.
It was RWD 3L V6 turbo.
The most silky smooth transmission I've ever driven.
It had about 280,000km on the clock before I sold it.
I did a full service at around 150k, the oil - KTF-1 was crazy expensive.
The gearbox is quite unique in the cvt world.
it drives and sounds like a boat transmission
@@whoawoahh and they are an absolute nightmare to work on. just a complete messs
The toroidal one? Wish they would use that more.
Nope
I drive a 100 mile round trip to work and back 5 days a week. My car has a CVT tranny with a 2.5L engine. I've been through 2 CV joint axles, each side. I drive like a bat outa hell, and my front tires boil if I stomp it from a dead still. My car currently has 240,000 miles and the trans still feels flawless......and my car is a Godforsaken 2013 Nissan Rogue!! I think being aware of how a CVT works (in vivid detail) affects the way I drive my car. Kinda like when I was a teen most of us drove stick shifts and learned how to make a clutch go a long ways. It's got a lot to do with the do's and don'ts of driving any particular car. I stay away from mountains and you'll never see a trailer hitch on it. And I rarely have a passenger. I anticipate hitting 300K soon while I'm always seeing the negative vids about CVT's, I can only scratch my head and wonder why.
@@tooltime9260 how's that? Been driving since I was 15. No wrecks that were my fault....EVER in 46 years. Ergo, I've never had to make a claim. I'm an insurer's dream client. I pay them a shitload of money over the years, and it didn't cost them a penny. And that's why you pay more for insurance??? Do you understand how insurance works? How many claims have you made? If any, then YOU are why someone like ME has to pay more for insurance. That's how it works.
2009 was 14 years ago and a lot of improvements have been made, not just in design, but metallurgy as well.
This. It's pretty much like how A/Ts were during its early days. With the advancement of technology, it's no surprising that CVTs work well nowadays. So far, Toyota and Honda CVTs have been bulletproof. Still wouldn't totally trust anything from Jatco, though, but I've heard they've made strides in improving their CVT.
My 2007 Nissan with CVT never had an issue. Maybe because I have the car serviced properly?
@@poruatokin probably. Driving habits and conditions also matter, I guess.
But at the same time it's also difficult to justify when a traditional auto is just so much more reliable and proven, even DCT is a better option.
I'd probably agree that in brand new cars the reliability may be there, but you're just beta testing a transmission in your car.
New cars aren't made to last anyways..
there still awful dsg is the only viable box
I had to deal with this type of transmission but used for industrial purposes. Far simpler but equally a bag of shite! The amount of 'shrapnel' in the oil was incredible! I'd love to meet the inventor and congratulate him personally! Designers should have to spend time on 'the floor' with guys like us to fully appreciate the error of their ways!
Rich.
Have a 2014 Honda Civic w CVT that’s going strong and running like a charm. Bought a second Civic w CVT for my wife and love it too. Also got a Toyota Corolla w CVT for kids. It’s awesome. I think the success of CVT depends very much on who builds it. Get a Honda or Toyota if you want a reliable well functioning CVT. Some companies just haven’t figured out how to build them yet.
All of this is very true. Fluid services are also VERY important to cvts.
never thought i’d see a cvt fanboy. what’s wrong with you bro, you allergic to fun?
They’re shit. Maybe learn to drive a proper car instead of a toy.
5:46 The Car Talk guys used to say that a significant portion of car repair was knowing which things you could safely hit with a hammer.
Had two Subaru's with CVT's that have both been great. the 2011 is STILL being used by my son. The 2016 3.6r is still also going great as a daily driver. I love the smooth acceleration and lack of constant shifting on hills....
My 2017 cvt Subaru broke and the shop pretty much paid for 80% of the cost
When you get a Mazda with AWD and off-roading like a CX-50 you will experience something like w new life thanks to the 20th century transmission. I forgot what's it like
What maintenance do you do in Subaru CVT?
@@Noypi54494 None. I leave it alone. My 3.6r outback has over 115k miles and is still smooth as silk, and my sons Legacy 2.5 has over 200k on it. I don't baby the cars but none of us are lead-foots. We're also in Colorado so not flat and not easy weather.
@@Mike80528 impressive!
Have had CVT transmissions in both Hondas I've had since 2006 without any trouble at all. They have been good as gold but I don't abuse them.
This reminds me of me at the pick a part junkyard. After 20 mins of ripping into something I inevitably get to an 'oops, I shouldn't have done that. Time to find a different car.'
I spoke with Honda dealership mechanics before I bought my Honda Accord Sport with a CVT. They all said there was no issue with the Honda CVT. I'm now at 168,000 miles and it's still going strong.
Bought a 2nd hand 2005 Ford Five Hundred with the ZF CVT and Haldex AWD as my winter beater here in the frozen wastes of Western Canada. Been driving it for 6 years now. It's got over 120K miles on it, and it's still going strong. Fact is, the Haldex unit has given me more grief then the CVT ever did.
I cannot stress enough that a CVT demands regular preventative maintenance for long life. I believe they're susceptible to heat, and thus requires more periodic fluid servicing than a regular auto trans. Many companies claim they're "Sealed for Life", which is a load of crap. Best to change the fluid every 50K-70K just to be sure, especially if you live somewhere hot.
Biggest gripes I had when I serviced mine was the cost of the fluid (approx. $15-20 per quart from Motorcraft, and you need 10 quarts for the service). Accessing the high-pressure filter is a bit of a pain too. You need to remove the driver side wheel, fender liner and trans mount to access it. The filter is also spring-loaded, so pressing it in while trying to bolt the cover plate on requires careful attention.
Other than that the CVT has worked fine for me. It does drive a bit lazily, but other then that it's worked remarkably well. It's still odd to see the speedometer rise while the tachometer drops at the same time! CVT magic, hopefully without the magic smoke and fluid puddle!
The key is regular maintenance.
I have a Toyota Vitz (JDM) 2012 that I got back in 2015 and I totally agree with you. It's now done almost 190k and the CVT is a godsend compared to the other automatic trannys I've driven. It's really smooth, feels like you're gliding on butter and I love the great fuel economy I get with car. They're a different type of transmissions which require a throttle control that might not be ones first nature. Overall I love the CVT for a cheap city car but when I'm in the mood to drive, manual cars are the way to go.
@@farqualeetali4022 - good point about the throttle control! I didn't add that in my comment because it was already long but that did enter my mind. You have to keep a constant throttle position and let the transmission do it's work. I feel if more people drove like that, then CVT life would be extended. As for the manual - I agree. My '84 VW Jetta GLi coupe with the 5-speed is a blast to drive, even though it's almost 40 years old! Cheers!
My daughter had a 500 that went to 275k miles and still worked fine yet til it got in a crash. The one she has now has 220k miles on it and works perfectly. The first thing I do is change the fluid and high pressure filter when she bought them.
We have a 2014 Honda Accord 2.4L with a CVT. Since getting it I’ve been doing maintenance on it every year (drain & fill). & it drives amazingly smooth & makes great use of the engine’s powerband.
Lesson: don’t listen to manufacturers telling these transmissions don’t need maintenance. They’re doing that to force to buy a newer car down the road.
How many miles..my honda is great with the cvt
I’m looking into buying a 2916 honda accord sport. I presume it’s a reliable car?
@@Jon-kp7ko It should be.
I have 2016 Accord it ok ..Honda cvt is great
@@dwdhb9905 exactly
I had a 2000 Micra K11 1L with the old "N-CVT" transmission. It was an interesting technical implementation because it used an electromagnetic powder clutch to control the amount of coupling between the engine and transmission, unlike other autoboxes which used a torque converter. It had zero creep, so if you stopped the car and didn't use the footbrake or handbrake, the car would just sit still (or even roll backwards if on a hill).
It had some reliability issues leading to juddering and slip when the carbon brushes inside the powder clutch (like alternator brushes, contacting a slip ring inside the clutch) would wear down. They were easily replaced (me and my wife replaced ours with alternator brushes for about €7), but eventually the powder needs replacing too and then it's probably not worth it anymore.
In late 2000 they replaced the N-CVT with a newer H-CVT model, based on a more conventional torque converter.
That said, I really miss that car. It was quite nippy up to about 30 km/h, then acceptable up to 50, then extremely slow up to 120 and beyond. It was really light and nimble, and I found the CVT great fun to drive. The high RPM whininess didn't bother me, but I can see why some people would dislike it.
the toyota e-cvt in my 2024 corolla hybrid is a dream coming from a manual transmission. i'm sure there's a lot of bad CVTs out there, but toyota's are not them, at least not in recent years. it's incredibly smooth and i love that my foot controls the revs directly the whole way.
depends on how you drive and maintain your fluids. my 2015 nissan sentra with cvt transmission has 232,000 miles on the stock transmission.
You are the luckiest chap I have come across. Nissan and CVT are two words I avoid like the plague
@@nobleametorwogo7420 Nissan vehicles are the total krap, and their CVT trannys are the krapola. Did we miss anything?
This was a really fun video to watch, but by the end of it, I didn’t understand why CVTs are bad.
because they are new and less maintainance id think.
Because they are unpleasant to the ear when driving constantly whining and far too complicated.
Horrible to drive and if it start to slip (due to bad maintenance for instance), you trash it...
@@subevo35 a normal 8 speed automatic (but a 6 speed too) is far more complex than one of these... Still atrocious to drive...
@@subevo35 lol they are actually quite simple mechanically idk what you are smoking. Hearing the exhausts and how much noise asshats with smol dicks make to drive no faster than my 49 cc cvt goes, I have a hard time the CVT noise is an issue. Wasnt an issue in my friends ford 500
Happy owner of a Subaru Forester with a CVT - so far no transmission issues. My previous GM cars with ‘regular’ automatic transmissions usually developed transmission problems within few years of purchase.
Had a 07 ford escape hybrid. Lasted 250k miles with no drive train issues.
"...trying to take this apart the right way, now I'm trying to take this apart *A* way." Awesome line.
My only experience with a CVT was with my Honda Motor Scooter. It ran just fine, and never gave any problem. Exselleration was great, and the bike ran smooth and fast.
Not even remotely the same.
Lol
The CVT is unique in it’s ability to convert the power output of an engine into debilitating sadness.
lol
I thought that's what the clutch is for xD
Nice video! I was recently considering getting a Honda CRV to replace my old Accord which is on its last leg. After researching I found that not only do they have a terrible engine but they also use a CVT transmission. It pains me to spend so much money on a car but I'd rather upgrade to an Acura which has a better engine (no hybrid) and a traditional transmission (I'm guessing a normal planetary transmission. I keep my cars a very long time and the last thing I want is to have to either total my vehicle in the future or spend thousands repairing the drivetrain. Its a disgrace that many newer cars are nothing more than compliance vehicles designed to meet government standards. Thanks for the breakdown of a CVT transmission!
I would like to point out that yes CVT Transmissions suck but the ones on a Toyota Prius "unless they changed them in the last year or two" are some of the best transmissions that have ever been built and are truly rock solid.
The Prius uses a eCVT transmission which is not at all the same as this kind of CVT. The eCVT uses two motor/generators and a planetary differential gearset to simulate a CVT and yes it works very well and reliable too.
It uses a differential driven by an electric motor to give the effect of gears.
There is no belt.
This is a good example of early days of CVT like late 2011.. but through the years engineers and manufacturers are improving cvt.. its the future of automobile whether you like it or not..
13 years ago I took out a Nissan with a CVT for a test drive and was unimpressed. Then I test drove and bought a Suzuki SX4 with a CVT. 310,000km later the only significant mechanical weakness in this car has been the alternator. The motor and drive train are flawless. I don't know if I'm just very luck, but I'd recommend a CVT for people who don't like standard transmissions.
I had a 2009 Nissan Altima with a CVT in it. I loved the shiftless acceleration and being able to coast down hill without increasing in speed. The transmission was still operating well with nearly 200,000 miles on it but the front suspension was worn and the cost to renew it on such an old car did make sense so I traded it in on a Kia with a non-CVT. The transmission on the Kia is very unrefined and the rough shifts are definitely annoying.
200k miles with CVT? how many times you had to change the CVT Fluid? Please respond soon! Thanks!
@@Aer0nfps 30,000 miles. If I remember correctly, that was less than recommended and it was fairly expensive because I insisted upon only using Nissan’s CVT fluid, but it was less expensive than a new transmission.
@@alanfan8941 I currently have the same 09 Altima (105k-miles) & it slips almost every time it reaches 15-20MPH. I'm debating if it's worth replacing the CVT, replacing the valve body, or just getting rid of it. Any thoughts & suggestions? Thx
@@Artillery-Vet Apparently I had very good luck with my Altima. I am not a mechanic but I am under the impression that you cannot purchase just a valve body or really any replacement parts for the Altima CVT transmissions. A new transmission installed will run upwards of $4000. Is your 09, a 15 year old car, worth $4000+ to you? In my opinion, save your money and drive it until it dies, and then get a new car.
I've never had the displeasure of experiencing a CVT but there's definitely a reason I've always liked manual transmissions. They are just simpler in every way.
Do yourself a favor and rent a Nissan Rouge. I’ve had two rentals and they drive like complete shit. I warned my wife. She said it’s not that bad and took the car for errands. She came back and said omg were you right. Lol
@@TheMlvswoll I'll definitely take the word of everyone else! I like to bang gears too much! I got my wife an Audi with the ZF 8 speed automatic, it's definitely a nice transmission but I still prefer a 3rd pedal!
Totally agree
For the mechanical sympathy in us I just couldn’t deal with it
It’s just WRONG
becouse with a manual you are in total controle of the car. you cant change the felling with any other transmission.
@@gogereaver349 They are even changing semi Tractors over to auto-shifters. They are nice until you get to wanting to control the speed and traction of rhe semi. Manual shifting is possible to a point. But after a period of time, the truck will switch back to auto on its own. Almost everything is controlled by the computers on the newer figs.
I’ve had three Nissan CVT’s. One started to slip at 125,000 miles. Instead of letting it go until it failed, we replaced it immediately with a new CVT for $3,600. The other two are still running strong.
first mistake was getting a nissan cvt, those things are terrible. Your best bet it to change the fluid probably every 50k miles (could do 30k if you wanna be extra safe).
Alan, do you drive an Altimañ
@@QuincyStick30k is my trans plan.
Honda has had some very good results. One of those being an 11th gen cvt civic with 250k miles within a year. Plenty other Hondas surpassing 400k miles with no issues
Probably a 10th gen
@@alabaster4263 it was an 11th gen that did 250k+ miles in a year
@@chrismcclure6438 They were also highway miles. Not stop and go traffic that stresses the cvt.
@@raze_6474 very likely it saw stop and go bumper to bumper traffic in the highways and interstates
It's not a CVT problem, it is Audi problem. I normally only drive my Toyota/Lexus cars about 150k before I get another one but I have NEVER experienced or heard of other who ever experienced CVT problems.
Most Americans can’t afford to buy a new car every 150k miles. That being said you are among the privileged Americans
@@kennethmoore1441 For me, 150k is 12-15 years. When I sell my Prius the Transmission, engline are always flawless. I guess i am just a rich guy who can afford a low millage trade in every 15 years.
@@BenCabelllol you might just be an old guy that doesn’t get around much but either way
0:03 Truer words have never been spoken
I own a 15 Honda Fit with a CVT. The car isn't perfect but the trans has never been a problem (around 160k mi now). The upside of a CVY is mileage. This vehicle gets between 38 and 48 MPG (verifiable real mileage with a calculator and fill over the life of the car - I have the spreadsheet :)> The downside I realized before ever buying one is, as you stated, lack of torque transfer ability and much higher maintenance costs. I nearly doubled the factory spec by servicing every 40k mi. It IS a trade off but IMHO not a right off :). Anyway that's my .02 worth Thank you for the video. It is excellent to see just what's inside. Cheers
Do you mean doing it at 40k rather than 30k?
Paul ridding the world of CVT one crappy transmission at a time😂
meanwhile honda’s cvt running smooth till infinity 😂
please wake me up at the part of the video where it's explained why i shouldn't get a CVT, thank you.
This guy’s persistence in the disassembly by any means necessary: he keeps it real with cvt’s.
Ya gunna take your wheels to his shop?
@@annpeerkat2020 Not if it a cvt.
@@kiwiforever3604 when engineer don't know what they are doing. They say its rubbish haha
And to think years 40 years ago I hated traditional Autos that much on several cars I owned I converted from auto to manual because I couldn’t buy a manual variant. Been hearing worse and worse stories about CVTs and honestly I didn’t like them when the odd ones were put in scooters and mini bikes. Excellent video thanks so much for sharing. Very interesting seeing how complicated these things have become.
that kind of conversion is really cool, how did you deal with the sensors and computers?
@@javajav3004 back when I did those conversions the cars I was working on didn’t have computers or sensors but saying that doing a conversion today on a modern car sourcing a second hand transmission would mean also you also get the sub wiring looms, control boxes plus any sensors and computers you may need or even building a wiring loom that bypasses the car’s computer systems.
@@davegoldspink5354 what a hassle lol. Sounds like a hell of a time
@@javajav3004 😂🤣😂 Marriage is far more of a hassle that and dealing with in laws. 😂🤣😂
@@davegoldspink5354 mate don’t scare me now 😂 at least the in laws dad is a gear head too
I have a A6 2.0TDI chipped to 180hp. It has run nicely for over 335k km. The last 190k in my ownership. I have abused this car a lot. I use it almost daily on the freeway. 110- 140 km/h. Sometimes faster Have had zero problems with this CVT. I have served that car myself, and I change oil on the tranny every 50k km. So it looks like service is the key to a long life on this transmission 👍👍
They have been around since the late 1800's on various applications. The CVT really shines in industrial applications. Dozens of use cases for speed variation and in most of these cases they can be very reliable. I think it comes down to it's use. If built properly a CVT should be great for small, lower-powered cars. Constant changes with very high torque would require a much more robust CTV making it no longer a reasonable option when used in a heavy car or one with a higher output engine. For the average 100hp econobox they are really not bad if built properly.
I'd wager CVTs are successful in industry because they do not have to be small, and are made to be serviceable easily/without too much labor (which is hard to do in a car, when the first step it to take the transmisson out of the vehicle)
Always love the informative attention to detail tear-down videos. If ever I have to diagnose/repair a CVT this is the first place I’m going to come. Top work Paul, I bet if you smashed it back together it would be an improvement 😂
Don t go there, this guy Poul is very uncontested and ignorant.The CVT is the greatest transmission in the world.
Cvts due make great boat anchors.
The real problem with CVTs is that they aren't serviced enough. I have one in my Lincoln MKZ, which probably is a Toyota design. They recommend a 150k fluid service which is nuts. I changed my fluid 3 times before the 150k service interval and have no issues with it.
Overservice the vehicle.
Makes me really appreciate what Honda has done with their hybrid-car transmissions: Just 2 dog-tooth clutches and simple fixed gears, no torque convertors, no sliding chains (as in the video's transmission). Smooth power delivery only, and long term reliability.
I have a Subaru Impreza with a CVT. It is excellent and gives great performance and economy. I think it comes down to designing it properly. Maybe some car companies haven't mastered that?
I have a 2012 Nissan Murano with a CVT, and so far have had no issues with it. Took me a while to get used to not feeling a shift point, but overall I'm happy with mine. (160k miles).
I'm guessing you have changed the transmission fluid at the recommended intervals, and you don't hot-rod or abuse the car. Nissan uses JATCO CVT's, which have a horrible reputation, but you've been luckier than most owners. 160K is really good for a JATCO CVT. Hope it continues to hold up for you.
We own a 2009 Nissan Rogue with a CVT. Going on 14 years, no problems.
My wife has the same car as you. We take it to the dealership every 60,000 miles and have the trans flushed and changed, it costs around $210 and it's still good with over 150K miles. I heard about the bad reputation and hoping this will prolong the life. I don't normally use the dealership for service work but I watched some videos on servicing this transmission and it didn't look all that simple, so I wasn't going to trust the quick change oil place on that job. They charge over $100 anyway so I thought it was worth a little extra to have someone do it who is trained in that specific transmission.
@@laura-ann.0726 I had a 2010 Altima coupe with 130k+ miles with a CVT and I had no issues. Even though I hated it (it was my first car) so beggars can’t be choosers lol
@@Jcrash1 - From what I've seen on the comments, CVT's seem to be very sensitive to excessive loading (don't tow trailers with them), and quality and frequency of oil changes: owners who changed transmission oil every 3 years/36,000 miles generally got at least 150,000 miles out of Honda and Toyota CVT's. Nissan's JATCO transmissions had more problems, but without knowing the actual history of an individual car, and the driving habits of the owner(s), it's hard to say for sure why some transmissions fail sooner than others. The only kind of transmission I never worry about are manuals, like the 5-speed in my truck. There are no bands or clutch packs inside a manual gear box, no complex computer-controlled hydraulic systems, just the clutch and synchronizers, and as long as you don't abuse a manual transmission, and change the oil at 60,000 miles intervals, they generally last until the whole rest of the vehicle rusts out and falls apart.
Thank you, I'll stick with my manual. It doubles as an anti theft device these days too.
Yes, it does!
How?
I have today an Audi A4 with CVT transmission. 23 years old, certainly only 130.000 kms, but works lovely, no problem so far. It has a 2.0 petrol engine, 130 BHP.