do you like or dislike CVT?
 

just curious, and im guessing most of you will say you dont like it. personally, i love it. no shift shock, consistant acceleration.. however, i find that if you want it to go fast, you have to commit to it and dont let up. otherwise, the rpm's drop and it "lags". but it gives you the get up and go when you want it from a stop or at any speed. i have a '11 maxima, and have driven a few altimas with cvt. dont think i could ever go bak lol. i know a lot of you strictly stick guys are polar opposite, and i can appreciate that, since my first 3 cars were sticks and i haf a lot of fun in them. but its just not practical for me with the traffic we have here in lafayette, louisiana. anyhow, just wondering how you felt. apologies if this has been discussed before

In theory I believe it's an interesting idea. Unfortunately, all I ever read about is about belt failure that needs to be replaced within 100,000 miles.

The Z doesn't have CVT, right?

Nope, CVT has no gears, it's a belt that simulates gears by changing the slack in the belt. If you floor it the car will accelerate to max speed without ever shifting. Almost like having 1 gear.

A good cvt would be great, as the technology currently exists, the durability is a bit lacking.

For a daily driver or beater. Not for my sports car/ fun car.

Agree with this, right now I think it causes a few too many headaches to make it worth it. I know the Murano has had documented issues related to the CVT and transfer case.

It depends on the car & the driver's expectations.

My other car (wife's DD) is a 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5. It has a CVT. It's fine. Good fuel economy and makes for a smooth & extremely uneventful ride. 60k miles on it now, but perfectly reliable thus far. If you've never driven a CVT, it's like an amusement-park go-kart or a golf cart; just revs & increasing speed, no shifting. It also kind of feels like driving a manual with a completely shot clutch. I'd encourage you to go test drive something with a CVT, as it's definitely a different experience than driving anything with gears. It's fine and good in an obviously non-sporty family car like an Outback.

But for any car that has sporty intentions, I think it's a mistake. CVT's aren't meant for performance, they're designed to maximize MPG. So that's at odds with anything that's trying to be sporty. When you floor it, the rev's meander up near redline and the car gradually accelerates. There is no 'kick-down'. There's no rev-matching. There's no downshifting for the perfect gear for a perfect corner exit. There's no emotion. It takes the term 'slushbox' to a whole new level.

Im personally not a fan at all... I think it takes away the feel/act of driving

I have had the CVT in both my altimas. They work extremely well. I like them. Power is seamless and op is right about terrible lag if not used properly. Sometimes you try to change gears for aggressive accel and nothing happens. That's a downfall because the computer must be able to predict your desires on the fly. And it always doesn't know what you want. With CVT you are either driving docile or aggressive. When you switch styles it gets confused. This is the downfall.
CVT has gotten a bad rap but Nissan has done with CVT that others can't. But at the end of the day Nissan has done more with the 5 and 7AT's. They are still more responsive, feel like true manuals without a clutch and the only thing that let's you know that its an auto aside from no clutch is a little bit of torque converter drone depending on you you accel and change gears.
Under normal driving conditions its extremely hard to tell the difference between the 2. Drive aggressive and you can tell. Its not that CVT is bad. Its actually a great tranny. Its just the7at is outstandingly brilliant in a sports car where the CVT has a couple weaknesses.

It was fun when I had it on my 2010 Maxima, but I definitely like the 7AT in the Z much better.

so the 370's 7AT is NOT a version of the cvt? i must have misunderstood the specs page. augustus, i laugh everytime i hear the term slushbox lol! unknown, you are exactly right, it gets confused if you change on the fly. but i do like the way it eliminates the loss of acceleration with the absence of shifting. however, get in a car with enough HP, and of course that becomes irrelevant. im so looking forward to getting my Z this summer.

I have driven a number of Altimas with the CVT and it works fine.
Makes for a fairly smooth drive, but the reliability from what I have been told is below standard for what you expect from a high mileage car. Would I get a DD with one? Yes, current tech? Maybe.

For a DD non-sports car, yes.

If I'm in a sports car I want to be jolted lol

As mentioned above, with CVT its a build up....where as with a manual tranmission, you can manipulate and get that power a bit faster when needed.

It is cool technology and has its place for sure

Yes, my 09 has CVT and it is fun/enjoyable.