Are There Any Good CVT's? | Different CVT Transmissions Explained

[@kiefershanks4172]

eCVTs are fantastic. And this is coming from someone who drives a manual. Not a fan of other types of CVTs but eCVTs are actually good for their intended purpose. Robust, simple and very efficient. Not to mention they feel direct and responsive thanks to the electric motor torque and not having a torque converter. They may be a bit of a driving "appliance" but they are damn good at doing just that.

[@chiefdenis]

I agree totally and I'm also a manual head, they are the only cvts I've driven that feel good, might have to do with the fact that they are not really cvts

[@gettingthemgot]

Agreed. CVTs do have their place in the automotive world as an efficient, simple way to transfer power through ratios, and there's nothing wrong with that. It just feels wrong when companies like Subaru put a CVT in a car supposed to be sporty like the WRX and try to market it as such, when it is very much not that

[@kenhoward3512]

@@gettingthemgot Yes, Subaru seems permanently committed to the CVT to compensate for their "flat-four" engines' inherently, relatively-poor fuel economy.

[@PoulStaugaard]

At 52 mpg, there is no arguing against my 2008 Prius. Some find it to rev excessibly when accellerating, but they could not have done better with a manual. It’s just a matter of perception. The Engine was designed for efficiency, not for low end torque.

[@k4piii]

Yup, I got a prius c and it's surprisingly nice but it's very different from traditional cvt since it doesn't have parts that wear out as the belt

[@waynemansfield1527]

In my 50 years of driving both automatic and manual cars, replacing them with new cars on average every 5 years, I never had a transmission fail, until I purchased a cvt.

[@batsonelectronics]

must be you. My recently bought 2015 Honda Fit with 120K miles runs great with the cvt. Had the fluid replaced to check for metal material, and there was none. Unless you bought a Nissan, and they have been crap for many years. Most other makers have not had those problems.

[@mrgarrison3516]

He must have had a Nissan/Jatco CVT transmission 😬 My CVT fluid was just changed at 95k miles in my 2017 Subaru Crosstrek and the dealership service manager said 'we think u just wasted your money, your fluid was clean & no metal particles were noticed' (under their special viewing light).

[@pliedtka]

Better to be safe than sorry. The early Versa and Subaru was a disaster 100-150k km if you're lucky. I think Toyota/Siding are the most reliable ones.

[@TotalRookie_LV]

I had a manual fail - stuck in the 1st gear. But that was on a 27 years old "Golf" with a GTI engine. Looks like a common issue, since I found out those gearboxes are nowhere to be found for past 10 years and are in high demand. So... had to replace it with a regular gearbox (plus regular, not GTI, axles and flywheel).

[@m3rdpwr]

​@@pliedtkaI heard the earlier Subaru CVTs did have some issues. The solenoid pack also was one of those things that had to be replaced at 100,000 mi. Toyotas CVT seems to be the best on the market at this time, I don't know about Honda, but Subaru is not too far behind Toyota. Nissan CVTs are horrible.

[@ceasartan6041]

For all the nay sayers here in the comments. I hope you have driven one. Our Subaru has one, it’s probably the smoothest and most relaxing car I have driven, mostly due to the CVT. Torque at low revs and smooth transitions to higher-revs is almost electric like. I’m aware of the problems and failures that they have but i have had failures in all the automatic transmissions i have ever owned. They arent meant to beat on and neither are most planetary geared automatics. They take a little to use to. They award smooth inputs of the throttle. Im a fan and it makes our commute so much better. This is coming from a die-hard manual driver by the way.

[@brandonbrandon749]

Exactly no annoying gear changes, especially up and down hills it’s a much better and quieter ride

[@dancapell6643]

You may have experienced this, but the downside of the manual gear shift transmission, is when in bumper to bumper traffic.

[@dundonrl]

​@brandonbrandon749 If it's setup properly, an automatic equipped vehicle you won't notice a gear shift except the tachometer will move quickly as the engine revs up or down.

[@rlan3677]

They require fluid changes every 40 to 60k, they are slow to accelerate and fast to break if you drive your car hard.

[@shadowopsairman1583]

Yeah and the 10L90 is smooth as heck and isnt a cvt, so cut the bullshit

[@hebijirik]

I only have experience with the e-cvt in a Toyota Yaris. I like it. Obviously it will not make happy someone who drives because they like driving. But if your car is purely a tool of transportation this system is pretty good. Your accelerator pedal has nothing to do directly with the engine. You use it to tell the car how much power you want. The car then decides how much rpm is best to give you what you asked for and until the engine reaches that output the car will do its best to use the electric motor/generators to supplement it. Some people don't like it when the engine is keeping constant rpm while the car is accelerating. But as an engineer I like it. It just makes sense to have the engine rpm proportional to the power output and not tied to wheel speed. When I hear the engine in that car I am hearing how much power I am asking it to make and it is proportional to all the things like slope of the hill, speed, current acceleration etc. It just makes sense to me that the engine sound changes the way it does rather than linearly with just speed.

[@alan6832]

Electronic controllers have been unreliable in some years as have some Prius engines, especially the 1.8, which can hydro-lock and then be destroyed by the powerful starter, but the ECVT itself has been shown to be able to tow more than the frame, and stand up to urban taxi service, unlike most belt type CVTs especially Nissan's.

[@kenhoward3512]

I don't believe the Toyota Yaris has ever been built as a hybrid, which is the only application of the e-CVT. Your Yaris has a standard CVT. Yes, I know how it works - and I simply don't like it.

[@tjroelsma]

You can destroy them easily though: Yamaha T-Max riders have been known to "pre-load" the CVT by keeping the brakes applied while opening the throttle. The automatic clutch, which normally ensures smooth acceleration of the line, slips and locks up, causing the CVT to slip and then launch when the brakes are released. This practice is bl**dy murder on both the clutch pack and the CVT belt, but supposedly it gives the rider that little bit of faster response. I wouldn't be surprised at all if people who want to drive their CVT equipped car "sporty", use the same trick and therefore destroy their CVT's in mere thousands of km's/miles instead of hundred or even two hundred thousand km's/miles.

[@readtherealanthonyfaucibyr6444]

@@tjroelsma Toyota's eCVT doesn't have a belt. It shouldn't even be called a CVT (eCVT) because it confuses people and makes them think it has parts that it doesn't have.

[@tjroelsma]

@@readtherealanthonyfaucibyr6444 That's a problem, because if that Toyota eCVT fails, people ARE going to use it as "proof" that CVT's are bad.

[@jacquesw3086]

eCVT is soooo much different compared to the other CVTs out there that it's mind-boggling Toyota even calls it an eCVT due to stigma of a CVT! It doesn't have a belt or a clutch, so essentially nothing can break - brilliant engineering and should be more widespread.

[@fredericrike5974]

Really? Then why does it have both a motor and a generator? Both can become the other through simple switching systems. A traditional auto generator will become a motor if you rewire the commutator, something we can do today with a simple chip controlled wiring change. It's like the auto trans of the '50s- still a work in progress, and I hate being the unasked guinea pig for that "development research".

[@markandelliesanner8258]

Honda uses it too on their hybrids.

[@Pk-yz2lw]

Its a Hybrid only CVT that prob is made only to work on Hybrid's and a Hybrid isn't a budget system(well on fuel economy but the mechanical complexity makes them kinda more expensive than a non hybrid). So because of the niche of a hybrid its not really something that needs to be more widespread, aside Toyota has patents on it witch would make it hard to copy by other companies. CVT is just a acronym for contentiously variable transmission so anything that can vary could be one. A auto and manual aren't one because they don't vary, they have set gears. On paper CTV's are the ideal transmission because manual's require alot from the driver and autos waste energy as heat shifting and just idling far more than any transmission. Thats why CTV's exist. They can break too it uses gears witch have friction...

[@jacquesw3086]

@@Pk-yz2lw I know technically an eCVT is a CVT. But CVT has been associated with droning and reliability issues not present in an eCVT, so rather just call it something else. And yeah it can only be used on hybrids and has to have two notor/generators to work, so it's expensive, but people should be aware that the eCVT will easily last 500 000km+ as it's just gears whereas you're lucky to get 200 000km out of a traditional CVT. This negates at least some of the extra cost of a hybrid, which most people are not aware of.

[@gbriank1]

And it doesn't hurt that the design is over 25 years old

[@vincentkosik403]

Just change fluid regularly, clean the pan and filters and don't drive like a racer...you'll be fine The CVT fluid not only lubes but cools and cleans its important

[@geoffh784]

Some manufacturers claim lifetime, no fluid change needed for their CVT… not a good idea IMHO.

[@mrgarrison3516]

A mechanical engineer said to me CVT fluid is high friction fluid & excessive heat (from alot of towing & driving hard all the time) will break down the fluid, requiring fluid changes. ....but in normal driving the CVT fluid last much longer (even upto 200k miles). Compared to automatic transmission fluid in a normal automatic which uses a low friction fluid, will degrade much faster (hence the 30-60k mile fluid replacement intervals) from the lubrication of all the gear cogs/sprockets all of the time.

[@TotalRookie_LV]

@@geoffh784 Because they got a different definition of "lifetime" than customers do, it could be as short as "when the warranty is over", while a customer approaches it more like "as long as the whole body of a car doesn't fall apart due to corrosion'.

[@jimfarmer7811]

​​@@mrgarrison3516I've purchased a dozen new cars in the last 30 years and never changed the transmission fluid. I've never had a transmission failure and I put over 200,000 miles on several of my cars. I've worked with hydraulic systems my whole life and found the typical failure was caused by contaminants. Every time you crack a seal you introduce contaminants.

[@vincentkosik403]

@@mrgarrison3516 maybe so, but I do it myself, so cheap and easy like an oil drain..why take the chance?

[@asxphxss]

I have a CVT and i don't like CVTs, but I absolutely enjoy driving my Corolla with the direct shift CVT. The move to include a direct drive gear for launch and getting up to speed is ingenious and really protects the belt from wear and tear. I get great gas milage and still be able to get up to a decent speed when I need to. I wouldn't buy a regular CVT, but if it's a toyota and its direct shit or eCVT I'd have no complaints

[@tehguitarque]

Just got a 24 Corolla (ICE) and I agree. It can either be very sporty or efficient.

[@Afrocanuk]

@asophxs Try operating your eCVT vehicle in countries where its normal to be driving up steep roads & see what happens. Just make sure you have at least USD 10k to spend because you will need it!

[@OG_MuttDog]

Stupid is , what stupid does. You could never replace gears.

[@N20Joe]

@@OG_MuttDog eCVT is nothing but gears.

[@georgemorley1029]

Direct shit sounds interesting.

[@greeneyesms]

I had to call my local Nissan dealer’s parts dept on a business issue and learned they had 6 CVTs in stock, waiting to be put in. That says it all…

[@TonytheGr8]

Nissan CVTs are garbage. They are the worst. Toyota and Honda CVTs are 10 times more reliable and long lasting.

[@Usersf134ssk]

It is a nissan, they have the reputation with their cvts

[@dpasek1]

That's all you need to know about Nissan and their transmissions.

[@kenhoward3512]

And broken CVTs are always replaced with rebuilt units, not new.

[@amdstrollo3074]

The knowledge of Nissan having a range of years with bad CVTs is very common. That is that particular brand.

[@MrSamPhoenix]

We have a CVT in our 2014 Honda Accord with the 2.4L engine. It’s been super smooth and reliable since the day we bought the car. One thing I enjoy is how it keeps the engine quiet 99% of the time.

[@lisamoss3146]

I have a 2013 Accord and I honestly don't like it. I miss the conventional automatics that I had in my previous Hondas. The CVT just feels so numb and mine gets exactly the same MPG as my 2002 Accord. Only reason I still have mine is because it's paid off and the car market is a disaster right now. I'm curious how many miles your 2014 has? Mine has 104k and I agree it has been reliable. But I'm always worried it won't last much longer. Even my dad's neighbor, who works at a local Honda service dept, has urged me to get rid of it before too much longer.

[@gooddeed972]

​@@lisamoss3146144k miles on my 2014 accord. I'm definitely nervous and car shopping as I type this. I'm looking to get into an E-CVT

[@jfv65]

IMO the Toyota e-CVT is superior to all other cvt's. It uses no belt drive and is very reliable. Another aspect of the HSD e-CVT is it's simplicity, there is not much that could go wrong. And looking at the entire Toyota/Lexus hybrid car it does away with some traditional components like a separate alternator + belt drive. It has no separate startermotor. Both functions are integrated in the HSD. No clutch or torque convertor either. (no need for it because the e-moter has torque from 0rpm onward) From an engineering point of view it's brilliant and arguably the BEST product Toyota ever made.

[@johnkeepin7527]

True. The transmission side of it is reliable, but the main snag I’ve had with a Yaris is that they have squeezed in a small 12V battery under the back seat, which can easily end up being discharged in cold weather. They recommend a minimum number of hours run per week to mitigate it, but the base load for odds & ends like alarms, and communication with keys, or their MyT app on the phone etc is enough to catch you out in a cold winter. It is not used to start the engine directly, though, so it can be overcome with another 12V gadget if you know what you are doing (shown in the manual). There is a degree of interlocking between the brake unit (which uses a 12V supply) and the rest of it to allow the power to be switched on, and as long as that works, the high voltage dc kicks in and the 12V battery is on charge.

[@jimbeaver3443]

I have a Sears riding lawnmower that has a CVT with a rubber belt. After 45 years of use it still works. (Sorry, couldn't help myself. )

[@reelreeler8778]

Ahhhh Yes, the Craftsman Vari-Drive riders!

[@SteveEddy-od7fb]

Hmmm you must have a very small lawn with Short grass?😅😅😅

[@jethrot100]

In Australia we have The Deutcher range of industrial strength rideo on mowers and slashers. They have been built (like a Tiger Tank?) by a business wing of the Lutheren Church, for the last 60 years, with a simple CVT transmission. The best lawn mower and transmission I have ever seen. I worked in the industry for years but regretably have never seen a Craftsman Vari-Drive. The Craftsman name brand was sold in Australia.

[@mazato6405]

😂

[@burninsound]

I have a Ford Kuga PHEV with a eCVT and I never seen a gearbox as comfortable as this one, responds very well to the throttle and without the torque drops. Love!

[@AmandaPandaPowell]

eCVT is really reliable. A electric motor controls the speed instead of a belt. That is the only cvt I would buy. Normal cvt are not nearly as durable as a manual or automatic transmission. They are also not serviceable. Any issues and you have to replace it.

[@Johnsmith-zi9pu]

ecvt has a battery and that's a ticking time bomb that will determine the life of your car.

[@theholt2ic219]

Yeah Ecvts are pretty much bulletproof especially Toyota ones. Know someone with a 08 Prius and never done a transmission fluid change with over 350k

[@pliedtka]

We replace the cells inside older Toyota hybrids and they are very reliable. My friend from the shop has Camry and Prius, both with 200k miles on the clock. For fun nothing beats manual gearbox and tuned engine, say 160hp+ TDI with massive torque

[@katzicael]

@@Johnsmith-zi9pu there is PLENTY of prius and other toyota hybrids who's battery have lasted more than a decade and hundreds of thousands of miles before needing service/replacement.

[@rowerwet]

The traction battery in a hybrid is heavily protected to give it extremely long life. In use the battery is only charged to 80%, and only discharged to 20% at either extreme. It is discharged and charged at a controlled rate, so that it is not stressed by heat. The prius design has proven the hybrid battery will last just about as long as the vehicle itself, and if it requires replacement, it will cost two thousand to 5 thousand dollars depending on if the replacement is an overhauled battery or brand new. An engine replacement typically costs more

[@rolandlickert2904]

A I'm 75 years old and had 26 cars during my Life I have had all types of transmissions and now CVT which is pleasing, particularly in traffic jams for 3 years so far no problems.

[@MrWombatty]

Before buying a newer 2013 Subaru Forester to replace my 2009 model, I did a fair bit of research. While I already knew Subaru had made considerable changes to improve the reliability & performance of their engines, I was pleasantly surprised to rread a number of revues praising the design of their CVT as being among the best and most reliable in the industry! Even though my preference is for a manual gearbox, I absolutely love driving my CVT Forester, especially on longer trips where the cruise-control and flappy-paddles make driving very stress-free (as long as you steer clear of the idiot-drivers on the road)!

[@salmonella4u]

I bought a 2011 Legacy. I've had it for 10 years. In the past year, the dreaded head gasket trait showed up. After being at the dealer this past September for a full service, you'd think they could have spotted something with their so called 150 point check or whatever it is. They must have not seen any signs of the issue starting. Less than 3 months after the service, the engine started to over heat and the cooling system gurgling. After it really overheated easily after a point, it had to sit. It has for over a half a year, till I found someone to help. I was not going to see about the head gasket being replaced, but buying a rebuilt engine. I bought one and only now, have I found someone to do it, after so many jerk arounds and garages refusing to touch another subaru head gasket issue. After nearly $9000 later, I still don't have it to drive yet. I'll never buy another subaru. Subaru knew they had the problem. i didn't know, till just a few years ago. They should have fixed it before I even bought it then.

[@danielfair4675]

​@hoozerob the gasket issues with the 2.5 was simply a crappy gasket. The gaskets in the WRX & sti's were much better quality. Thus you never heard much about them failing.

[@Definitelynotacelebrity]

I love the E-CVT in my Toyota. Nearing 300k and still a reliable daily. What I like is the lack of gear shifting, when we are on hilly roads it isn’t constantly slamming into lower gears to climb the hills. When we visit family in the mountains it is such a smooth ride, and there’s an engine braking mode that varies the engine speed to maintain the vehicle speed going down the hills.

[@autofixation]

I had a 2014 Outback that I drove very very aggressively to 158k miles and never changed the fluid. Only got rid of it due to rust. Sure it was slow, but I would regularly run it at redline to climb mountains here in the northeast, even fully loaded with luggage and a cargo topper, it never gave me trouble.

[@thfmlymn4498]

I had a 1999 Nissan Gloria with the extroid CVT, it was the smoothest and nicest transmission i have ever driven. Being 3.0L V6 turbo rwd, it was a very nice car.

[@quantumss]

1999 Nissan Gloria. Oh dear.

[@corradobertorelli2314]

Fiat and Ford were the early adopters of metal belt CVT. Also , Metal belt driven CVT works in compression. The DAF variomatic works in tension.

[@drmoss_ca]

When it worked at all! I had a DAF 66 in the early 80's, and the belts would snap as soon as I went over 50mph. A shame as it was otherwise quite reliable and cheap to run.

[@timbrown9305]

No your wrong.... NON of the work(s). 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@BrinJay-s4v]

I worked with Dan transmission in the 60's. I liked them a lot and can still set them up

[@BlackhawkPilot]

Growing up in Switzerland (1960s) I had a small Puch motorcycle with a CVT that opened the output pulley against springs. Rode it for several years without any issues.

[@mikyl-fo8rh]

Rokon motorcycles used snowmobile engines with CVTs. They were raced and ridden hard under severe conditions by owners and were known for their performance and durability. I always thought that car makers who were considering CVTs would do well to take a good, hard look at Rokons and snowmobiles before making decisions.

[@georgemorley1029]

Test drove a Toyota ecvt a week ago. Bought one five days later. Now waiting for it to turn up in the next few days. BRILLIANT.

[@andrewoh1663]

As a teenager I once drive a DAF variomatic. It was very easy to drive and the belts lasted as long as the tyres and could changed at the same time. The engine was actually a BMW motorcycle engine made under licence - a flat twin 600cc.

[@elliotnaess8020]

I owned a DAF when I was young in Europe and I loved it. As mentioned above, periodic belt replacement was no big deal.

[@patrickpafarnis5798]

You can also safely say for that reason that v.Doorne is THE inventor of the CVT, and if it were so bad, it has not been used in millions of cars.

[@geoffbuck6890]

DAF variomatic was used for a time in the Gemini Formula Junior tracing car in the UK. It was strange to hear the car’s engine note being almost constant as the other cars revved up and down.

[@user-zh9kc7tw4n]

I got my first CVT in my new car last year and I love it BUT I did research the various CVTs as I noticed that some version fail with very low milage and made sure to get the E CVT with the additional of the superb Toyota Hybrid system. The only thing to get used to is the engine rpm which often is higher compared to my previous Manual car.

[@world_still_spins]

A few things that should be better noted are that: (Most of) the cvt's with metal belts push the belt around the pulleys typically. Vs. (most of) the cvt's with rubber belts pull the belt around the pulleys typically. (There are possible exceptions, and new manufacturing designs are made almost every year, but that may be helpful info to some.)

[@aurynaichi7030]

No, actually, push belt is only a term for the belt's orientation due to the tooth construction. While it seems to "push" it grips the pulley and it pulls the driven pully down via pressure/grip, and the same applies to the driving pully in that it too is gripped. The belt is so tight that it looks like push, but it isn't.

[@mark_r49]

Which is better and which have better longevity?

[@schizy]

@@aurynaichi7030 You're incorrect! Forget about 'looks', it IS pushing. The segmented steel "belts" are incapable of pulling, they can only push.

[@derekcockburn820]

I owned a Subaru XV with the pulley type CVT. I sold the car after one year due to the hesitation of the gearbox while overtaking on the motorway. I swore I'd never buy another car with a CVT gearbox. That was until I researched the Toyota eCVT. After watching the professor on the Weber channel explain the eCVT which uses gearing rather than pulleys, I purchased a RAV4 with an eCVT box to achieve the variability I love it!!

[@readtherealanthonyfaucibyr6444]

"The car care nut" is a very experienced Toyota mechanic who has also done comprehensive videos on the eCVT.

[@shawn576]

When I saw Weber do that, I knew I would buy that as my next vehicle. No slushy fluid couplings, no rubber bands. It's all directly connected gears. It's as bulletproof as a manual transmission.

[@michaelprice3785]

They should not call e-CVTs, CVTs. They are really hybrid planetary drives with engine, motor and output the three connections to the planetary gear set.

[@readtherealanthonyfaucibyr6444]

@@michaelprice3785 Absolutely true, I've made some people bigger fans of the Prius by explaining it's not "that kind" of CVT. It's _effectively_ a CVT but really does need a more distinctly different name. With the Prius there is also a 2nd electric motor that is only used as a generator. Most people say hybrids charge with regenerative braking which is truth but that's really the secondary way that they charge. The primary way is through the eCVT, where one of the connections to the planetary gear set is to that 2nd electric motor which only serves as a generator. The other electric motor serves both as electric assist when spinning one way and regen braking when turning backwards.

[@Грандбісер-СупермаркетРукоділл]

Ye, e-CVT doesn't have any common part with CVT besides its name. Unfortunately very few people know it. Subaru's CVT hesitation is rather to programming, not hardware itself.

[@barrylong9701]

I drove manual and automatic transmissioned vehicles for 45 years, and all was well in the world. 11 years ago, I purchased a Toyota Prius with the eCVT tranny. It took a bit of getting used to it, but it is a good system. I'm on my second Prius now, and although the tranny is very non responsive or goes through the 25-35 MPH range slower than other speeds I still like it. 234,000 miles (combined both cars) and no CVT repairs at all. I do flush and refill with Toyota fluids every 75,000 miles.

[@age4638]

I have a 2020 toyota with e-cvt, amazing technology and great to live with.

[@tancar2004]

Brilliant design. There's no valve's, solenoid's, or electronics. With just the planetary gears It's mechanically simpler than a stick shift. There's nothing in there to go wrong.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

my manual transmission says its going to last forever!

[@makemineapint]

@@fidelcatsro6948 unlikely, too many small slow moving parts interacting with bigger fast moving parts at a 90% angle.

[@quantumss]

@age4638- Says a person that bought a toyota, says it all.

[@rowerwet]

I drive a hybrid maverick with the eCVT, it's awesome! Super smooth, good acceleration, incredible MPG. I really like that it's the proven design from the Prius that Toyota perfected

[@Robert--cm2nf]

A good friend of mine bought a Suzuki Scross with the belt and it went Kaput with only 80.000 km the good thing was the Suzuki importer in the Netherlands took over the guaranty and gave a new automatic for zero cost, so thatch the good thing but he sold the car shortly after and bought an Suzuki Scross with an conventional automatic gear box much to his satisfaction

[@pliedtka]

Just like earlier Nissan Versa... ;)

[@theauldscientist]

I’ve driven most of the big brands CVTs and Honda CVTs are by far the best. Yes, they aren’t very exciting but the Hondas are silky smooth and reliable.

[@samueladitya1729]

how much have you driven?

[@EfrahaimMasocol]

as someone who drives both manual and automatic, i can say that cvt is very convenient in heavy traffic and in climbing. and they are now very reliable.

[@1tarras]

The e-CVT is the better option:it uses the two electric motors for driving Hybrid (HOnda and Toyota)

[@theairaccumulator7144]

@@1tarras because its not even a cvt. Its closer to diesel electric trains than a regular transmission.

[@dnegel9546]

Wth

[@joes7166]

I have a 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander with CVT. After 14 years on the road and no problems. I has a way to 'shift' the gears -6 speeds- with paddle shifts on the column or on the gear shift, but I rarely use it. No real need.

[@ez_556]

14 years and no problems? Now I know you are capping. Those CVT’s that Mitsubishi are Nissans. You do know that right? They don’t last whatsoever and I owned cars that have CvT’s and they are not good whatsoever

[@moistjohn]

"Gears" I hate cvts faking gear changes. It's so weird. I do not understand the focus group that decided people wanted to "feel gear shifts".

[@ElAnciano92071]

For efficiency and durability, I will take an e-CVT hands down. I have driven them since 2007, lastly, a 2017 Prius Prime. Not mentioned is the Waterburry speed gear. A hydraulic variable transmission used to control the bow and stearn planes and the rudder of some (all?) WWII subs. It had pistons on a ti;lted swash plate. The tilt of the swash plate contolled the effectve "gear ratio" (stroke on the pistons). Normally this controlled powered hydraulics, but had a mode the actually proveded the power to move the planes if the powered pumps failed.

[@truckercowboyed2638]

This is for cars not planes or boats.....

[@pliedtka]

You don't 10-15yr Subaru or Versa with CVT - ticking bomb on 4wheels

[@VictorIndiaDeltaAlfa]

This system is widely used in heavy equipment today. Its also used with dual pumps and motors for tracked vehicle steering, eg. excavtors. The beauty of this system is symetrical operation in both directions and inherent braking function. Con is of course low efficiency and oil heating.

[@gregsims5156]

The problem is the belt or chain. They will wear out and fail causing major failure, long before a maintained automatic transmission would fail and there will only be the replacement of the transmission at a high price!

[@quickcinema8031]

I recommend an easier replacement for cvt belt that can be opened from the car floor and an opening the cranckase of the transmission. Motorcycle cvt is very easy to replace. i hope car can be like that too.

[@Oyashiro_Chama]

Ignoring pure hybrid technology.

[@davidpowell3347]

Also the control and actuator systems. Are they organized into modules that can be diagnosed and easily replaced in real world repair facilities? Also what kind of free wheeling/declutching system is used during stopping (functioning neutral such that engine can continue to run with vehicle stopped) I understand that some of these allow the "belt" to loosen and slip for this function and that is not satisfactory because of the inevitable rapid degradation of the belt. Some sort of dedicated clutch system must be provided (unless the vehicle has hybrid/electric propulsion capability in which case the gasoline engine can be stopped but that still requires that the drivetrain to disconnect the gasoline engine propulsion during a stop)

[@denniss1211]

Simply not true!

[@aspecreviews]

eCVTs don't have belts.

[@jimjohnstone5257]

I’ve got a Ford Mondeo Hybrid Titanium Edition that’s an automatic CVT but I don’t know what type of CVT it is but I’ll tell you what it’s so easy to drive & comfortable, practically drives itself,had it 3 years now & my wife and I just love it, it’s a 19 reg plate.

[@twinkieerella]

I think it’s an ecvt… similar design as toyota

[@davidmattice3752]

Combine harvesters for years and years used a manual ctv transmission and it worked flawless! Durable, only new modern Combines have switched to hydrostatic

[@lakyAMT]

corrugated paper cutoff knifes are variable speed driven , Large diameter . I was "there" when one broke. made one hec of a bang and bent some metal. job for the MillRite ...

[@ElAnciano92071]

The advantage of any CVT is that the engine is always at the optimal RPM for what you are asking of it, acceleration or economy. If you have seen HP or torque curves you shift after the peak and the new gear is below the peak. That is why there are now 6 speed manual as CVTs and 10 speed automatics... less time off peak. Note: I learned in '59 on '49 Merc with a 4 on the tree with OD. Thereafter Ifavored manuals untilk I bought a sailboat in 72, and got an auto for towing. the 2nd fastest Toyota has an eCVT. (RAV4 Prime)

[@frequentlycynical642]

The only "four on the tree" I've ever seen was on English imports. American cars, three on the tree. See? It rhymes. Your Mercury OD was activated by an on/off switch but wouldn't kick in until you backed off of the gas for a second.

[@jamesgeorge4874]

Scooters, snowmobiles and SXS / ATV's are well suited for CVT use. Ford, GM, and VW/Audi learned their lesson in the early 2000's Nissan and Subaru (and some Honda models) want to die on the CVT hill.

[@shadowopsairman1583]

Yeah the 10L90 is awesome

[@MrSamPhoenix]

We have a CVT in our 2014 Honda Accord with the 2.4L engine. It’s been super smooth and reliable since the day we bought the car. One thing I enjoy is how it keeps the engine quiet 99% of the time. Some auto makers just don’t know to build reliable parts.

[@truckercowboyed2638]

Correction majority of Honda models are CVT now.....the civic, the accord the HRV AND CRV, YOU HAVE GO TO THE PASSPORT OR EXPENSIVE PILOT TO GET A TRADITIONAL AUTO...

[@the_kombinator]

Even in a 51 HP 3 cyl Daewoo engine, the CVT will break after 60k. Kilometers. Not even miles.

[@mclovin6629]

From what I'm hearing and noticing, The CVTs on the Hondas and Toyotas are good, The only thing that was fvcking up Honda were those 1.5 turbo engines but now they moving on to hybrids and even the civic is becoming a hybrid, No more 1.5, 2.0 liter engines and manuals.

[@Hemond1]

My Suzuki Kizashi has the infamous Jatco CVT. It is still in daily service and works flawlessly. Fluid is clear, clean, looks new, and never been changed. Well over 100,000 miles now. The smoothest transmission I've ever used. Wish my current Genesis G80 shifted as smooth as the CVT in the Kizashi.

[@berniebergen8653]

1956 Chevy Belair with a special CVT: When I was 11, I rode many times with, and later, after I had my license, I drove my Grandfather and Grandma in their 1956 Light green chevy Belair 4 door hardtop with a CVT transmission. He was a senior machinist at Convair Aircraft and had somehow acquired this "one of a very few" car. I was too young at the time to care to press him for details on its history. I remember he kept the car until he passed of old age, and I don't recall any CVT problems. He loved motoring up into the San Diego foothills and pointing out how the engine RPM stayed almost constant. I now have a Honda CR-V with a CVT and it brings back many fond memories. I believe my cousin inherited that Chevy in the late 70's, ran it until it quit, then junked it with none of us having any appreciation for just how special it was.

[@melhudson6832]

How interesting, General Motors wasn't really known for building one off cars.

[@richsarchet9762]

Sounds very much like Turboglide, which I thought was first available in 1957. A very complicated torque converter produced a continuously variable effect. It was among GM's first aluminum case transmissions and had some durability issues, at least at first. The cast-iron Powerglide was less expensive and less trouble prone, even if it was crude by comparison.

[@arafathossain1603]

Basically I am using a CVT transmission car for a while. It's very fun to drive. It's a JDM car called Toyota Allion. It uses direct shift CVT. I have 1st gear after reaching 20kmph it switches to CVT. You won't believe japanese are using this kind of CVT from 2007

[@pliedtka]

Americans are too conservative and while there are so many Honda and Toyota models in Asia and Europe, only fraction of them reaches North America and with yrs of delay

[@Douglasddr8]

I have a 2015 Nissan Sentra with the same strategy, after 30km/h it switches to the CVT and runs at an incredibly low rev. 1100 RPM 90% of the time

[@arafathossain1603]

@@pliedtka yes that's true.

[@arafathossain1603]

@@Douglasddr8 CVTs are really fun to drive. Yes it has an elastic effect yet if you want to save fuel you will face some drawbacks.

[@matthewparkin2189]

The sliding pulley arrangements are used pretty extensively in agricultural machinery. Older combine harvesters have a (kind of) cvt transmission, but also use a similar set up for the drum and grain fan. Good informative video 😁

[@bavelnaard]

I had multiple DAFs some years ago, a 55 pseudo-Marathon, a diarhoea colored 46 SL, a totally rotten 66 SL and two Volvo 66s. Brilliant cars they are, strangely comfortable and so easy to maintain and tune, if you're into that. Back in 2008 they were not that expensive to buy, ranging from €300 to around a thousand. They all proved to be pretty reliable too, I used them as a daily and not very mildly, I have to admit. I remember having to change balljoints on my orange Volvo 66 and I could not get original ones but then someone told me balljoints for a 340 should fit as well. Well, they did fit alright, wit an added bonus of now having big negative camber on the front wheels, brilliant! That car taught me how to go round the roundabout properly. Sideways all the way, yeah, haha. I loved that car so much

[@tedf1471]

I had a 'Volvo' 66, it's party trick was climbing hills covered in packed snow, the noise from the transmissions to the two rear wheels was hypnotic!

[@williamjames9515]

In our 1914 Toyota Prius C with 110 kms - the CVT transmission is the perfect choice. I also own a Manual shifter and and automatic.

[@michaelmartin2276]

Excellent explanation of CVT's. Thank you.

[@productxtreme4732]

I personally have a 2015 honda fit and it has been really good to me and very reliable. A little over 200k miles later it still runs great just regular fluid changes every 3 years because I tow and get to high speeds because I'm in the medical field.

[@andremontmartin7207]

It’s a shame that the operation of eCVTs is not detailed. It is quite complex and deserves a detailed explanatory video on its own.

[@ghenry85]

Weber auto has an awesome video on them

[@MrWilliam.Stewart]

Enjoyed watching this. Some people like Continuously Vulnerable Transmissions. They are great in theory, and also in practice, while working as they should. The only CVT that will get my money is the Toyota eCVT, a remarkably durable drivetrain.

[@phillm156]

Toyota CVTs has a dedicated launch gear before the CVT takes over. This greatly reduces wear for the CVT. A reliable assessment is needed for these.

[@mihaisuciu]

My momțs RAV4 2017 Hybrid has a CVT and it sounds sooo good when you punch it cuz it stays at the consistent good sounding RPM's

[@seekingelite]

Having a manual transmission really makes you connect with the car and be more engaged in the driving experience. I am grateful to have learned. CVTs have a numb feeling but the technology is pretty cool.

[@vincentkosik403]

How many cars makers offer manual transmissions now? How many buyers ask for them? Not many..Nissan Versa...hah, And that's being discontinued

[@666DomSathanas666]

You connect with te car... I preffer to let my eCVT car drive alone when I'm in a traffic jam and never bother to schift gears. I've driven a manual car for over 18 years.

[@FranciscoHernandez-dq7rf]

It all depends on your needs yeah traffic jams and manual yeah no but more fun to drive I have both one for race and just have fun the other for commute

[@phillipzx3754]

"Having a manual transmission really makes you connect with the car and be more engaged in the driving experience." Ya. Especially in stop-and-go 5 mph traffic. 🤣

[@Dougie1969]

"The technology is pretty cool " ??? Bahahahahahahaha These systems have been used on snowmobiles and ATVs since 1962. Now all the sudden some clown engineers slap one on a car, and it's "new technology" WOW

[@joshausterlitz3798]

As someone who works on cars for 27 years now, eCVT's are great in Honda and Toyota hybrid cars, not so great in Ford and VW ECT.... cars. Regular CVT's with a metal belt or chain are all bad, the tiny little bit of savings you'll get in MPGs driving a CVT vs a regular automatic (just look at any videos comparing the Honda accord with the smaller 91 4cyl engine CVT beside the bigger 122 engine with the 10 speed trans and you'll see exactly what i mean) car will instantly be lost when you have to replace them over and over again, from the metal belt breaking in most all Nissan's, Honda's and Toyota's, from slipping issues that will happen in your Subaru's, GM's and Kia's (i think it's really funny they brought up the WRX because the CVT's in those lost as long as some tire changes, we replaced one one time when the local Subaru dealer couldn't get to it and had a wait time of 4 months, so we got the job and it only had 18K miles, Yes you heard that right, just 18 thousand miles and it needed a transmission, alot of Subaru Ascent and outbacks don't make it past 60K without some kinda CVT issue, oh and you can't rebuild them either ((some Nissan ones you can get parts for but it's all made in china with no certification on parts, so we're not taking that risk)) so you have to buy a new one period) I see they're making this vid about CVT's in general and it's history, but there is no rubber belts in car CVT transmissions today, only in like golf carts, snowmobiles, mopeds ECT.... It's also funny starting it 0:42, that VW sedan was available as a hybrid, but it came with a 6 speed DCT with electric motor assist on the outside, not a D-CVT or plain CVT, and the Volvo SUV in 0:44 was only available in EV form, no CVT at all xD xD xD. I also really love how this vid goes over the belt type CVT alot but nothing over the better chain CVT like in Subaru's, the belt type is the worst one of them all, why you hear so much about Nissan and Honda CVT's going out so often (also side note, Nissan CVT's have only 3 metal bands in them, Honda was using just 7 for a while, then switched to 9 by like 2017 i think, so they didn't break as often, never seen any belt type CVT using over 10 bands before) in 3:42 when they say "with the introduction of new materials makes CVT's even more reliable) what they meant to say was "with the new efforts in cost cutting, they found ways to make the CVT even more unreliable than before" When has a regular metal belt or chain CVT been reliable??? oh right NEVER!!!! regular CVT cars only exist because they're CHEAP!!! that's it, no real MPG savings, my wifes 2013 camry gets better MPG than our neighbors 2018 Altima, and my daughters 2010 Mazda3 gets better MPG than my coworks 2015 Nissan sentra auto, they exist to get you down the road and after the warranties up (which they keep them low miles for a reason) than it's your problem. If you want a CVT car, get a eCVT in a Toyota or Honda, other wise stay away from them like the plague.

[@BobRichards-s8i]

I have a friend who wholesales cars for a living-about 3,000 a year. Many of them have problems. Resolving those problems is partly how he makes his living. He has owned hundreds of cars with ECVTs, mostly Toyota's and a few Fords. A few weeks ago I asked him if he knew how the Toyota Hybrid Synergy system worked, particularly the transmission. He had no idea. He never had an issue with one. For those who do not know, a Toyota Hybrid EVCT uses a planetary gear set to produce different gear ratios, simply by controlling the difference in speed between the traction motor (MG2) and another motor (MG1) that serves as a high voltage generator and starter for the internal combustion engine. This device is arguably the most elegant drivetrain component to ever be implemented in an automobile. This transmission has no need of clutches, valve bodies, or a torque converter etc. because it never actually shifts. Although the device itself is very simple with very few moving parts, the way it distributes and blends torque is actually quite complicated. Toyota is now in a position to totally dominate the automobile industry for decades to come.

[@dnegel9546]

Let me borrow your knee pads

[@dskebo]

Obviously a paid toyota shill here folks with a total line of BS about that planetary gear set.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

Wow so many breeds of different CVT's, im sticking to my manual transmission! except for that Toroidal CVT innovation that i find ingenious!

[@romannasuti25]

The Toyota E-CVT is nifty too. It’s actually quite a bit more efficient at transmitting power than an automatic and is reliable to boot (it’s basically just a single huge planetary gear with electric motors).

[@robertvanderlinden2813]

Pretty much all modern tractors have a CVT transmission version called a vario, first used by fent it is now the most used gearbox in the agricultiral sector

[@ghenry85]

Different cvt again. But awesome piece of kit.

[@rovert1284]

Disliked my original CVT. Went back to a conventional auto but latest is again CVT. A very quiet drive and it responds really well.

[@michaelw6277]

I like my Toyota CVT. It’s better than any other subcompact economy car transmission I’ve used.

[@markim2545]

The e cvt in our 2024 honda CR V hybrid is one of the greatest technological advances in any transmission design. It is flawless!

[@JerryHalverson]

I've got an '08 Altima. Bought it with 88,000 mi. Now it has 290,000 mi. That's never been replaced. I think they work pretty well if you know how to drive them

[@mrgarrison3516]

That's really great 👍..... considering the reputation Nissan/Jatco has with CVT's

[@SStarlight9614]

my '17 sentra is at 152k mi on her original CVT and besides the weird noises and rubber band effect going from 30-40mph (which is just from it not liking to be driven like a grandma) it's very smooth. I love it! Plan on trading her in for a '24 sentra soon, want something with a warranty so if something major breaks I'm not covering it out of pocket.

[@johnkeepin7527]

A comprehensive description. I run a Toyota with an eCVT, and it’s been improved since the first one I had in my previous one. Note that in the Yaris there is no conventional reverse gear in it’s eCVT. In reverse, it uses the traction motor (MG2) alone, which can rotate in either direction.

[@cliffweinan3907]

CVT may be good enough for throw away light duty vehicles, but not for expensive or heavy duty vehicles. The fuel costs saved will go into a future complete CVT replacement. Metal to metal belt pulley friction without friction materials wears out metal hard parts. CVT just failure explode, nobody rebuilds them, you have to get an OEM replacement. Special.CVT fluid remains expensive and not a DYI replacement job. You might even have to reset the ECM.

[@frequentlycynical642]

And yet......

[@AFRetPA]

Just purchased a 2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime, with an e-CVT. Have been driving for about a month. So far, I am very impressed with its responsiveness, smooth delivery of power. First road trip should be this coming weekend, so we'll see how the vehicle ranks after that.

[@clwomble]

2017 Honda CVT AWD. Zero problems for 180K miles. Gave it away and she is still driving it, 210K now.

[@TheSleepychicken]

I have a Ford PHEV. This uses the Toyota eCVT under license. It's very quiet, very quick and extremely smooth. I came from an 8 speed auto. The CVT is smoother. I like it very much. It also seamlessly brings in and stops the petrol motor as required.

[@greekpapi]

Ive owned 4 cars with CVT's and never had any issues. They dont like sudden or hard starts so take it easy and you'll be alright.

[@KolyanKolyanitch]

What the point of a car if you can't launch it? I would take a bus instead.

[@Oldvehicle19]

​@@KolyanKolyanitch because it's a normal car it's not supposed fast

[@HarleySLA]

Greekpapi people don't understand that cvts are really suited for, and typically mated to, low power engines. They're for economy, not speed. But everybody has to have a race car... nobody likes to just cruise. (Sarcasm, I'm a cruiser) Thats a lot of the issue, people want to launch and give it hell and cvts just cant take that repeatedly. Its unfortunate that not everyone gets something suited to their needs and then they end up having problems. Is what it is I guess.

[@hmpeter]

​@@HarleySLA I have one in my Forester XT, which is not a race car for sure, but at least 'zippy'. But that transmission paired with the low end torque of the turbocharged engine is so nice to drive and esp. to cruise in. Besides maybe on-ramp acceleration, it will very seldomly revs above 2.5k. Often it stays below 2k even at highway speeds. Smooth but agile enough all the time as long as you 'roll' into the acceleration and just not step on it. I thought I would hate it, but it turned out that powertrain combo is the best about that car. Not if feels just primitive when I drive a car where you can feel the shifts etc. ^^

[@AricRoy]

Personally I absolutely love my '12 Altima SR Jatco 011 cvt and aside from just recently getting an OSS error code I haven't had any problems with it whatsoever. The only things I've done to it is install a secondary oil cooler, filter/oil change & output shaft seals @65k miles. It's by far the fastest trans I've ever run and it's holding together great behind a boosted (12lb e-supercharger) VQ35DE w/395hp at the wheels running low 11's consistently. I've owned manuals, traditional autos, double clutch, etc and this cvt by far outperforms them all. I think once they've had a few decades to develop innovative enhancements like the other trans types they will undoubtedly hold the title as the best.

[@rogervondach1238]

Great video and great explanation how those CVT'S work. However, I would never buy a car that has this kind of transmission.

[@rasklaat2]

Me neither, just as I would never buy a car that has a tablet instead of knobs and buttons on the dash. Unfortunately, that's what they want us to buy these days...

[@waynejackson169]

​@rasklaat2 That's where the world is going. We have to get use to it or do without it. I don't like the idea but that's just the way it is. It hurt my heart these days when I have to do a more detailed search just to get a manual transmission.

[@denniss1211]

Well ... in a few years you may not own a car. Sorry!

[@BrianMcdowell-vz1it]

Same here,I would never buy cars with CVT transmission

[@okindamichael9526]

@@waynejackson169 CVT 's drool and whine alot along the road. i hate them. we have an isuzu dmax fitted with a cvt gear....oh nooo....it a horrible drive

[@48VAC]

I had a 2006 Ford Freestyle with all wheel drive that had a Haldex CVT. Sold it at 189k and it was still going strong. I know a couple of people that still have theirs with well north of 250k without problems. Just keep the fluid changed and serviced. Absolutely not thrilling or engaging to drive, but it did the job.

[@dougsheldon5560]

All I see are warnings to stay away from Nissans.

[@eskieman3948]

Correct.

[@randyault]

The JATCO cvt never fails to fail

[@jamiedriscoll9781]

My 2017 civic turbo coup has a CVT. It pulls until I let off and I put 2,000 miles a month on it. Cars been awesome. When I'm not stomping on it, it'll Driving Miss Daisy around town smooth.

[@kurtmundt2736]

I traded up to a CVT from a manual. I've owned automatics and manual cars and the CVT is the best of the bunch. It is always in "the right gear". 15 years and 195000 miles with one filters/fluid change and no problems. (2009 Dodge Caliber) I love my CVT.

[@randyriegel8553]

I didn't own an automatic trans until about 15 years ago. Manual just feels like you have more control over your car. I started buying trucks. You can hardly find any ford truck with a manual anymore. Still have "Manual Mode" where you press button up or down to shift gears... not the same. I've still had some "fun" cars besides my truck that had real manual and I love driving them. I have a quad that has CVT (utility quad) and every year I have to change the belt on it. Have a manual sport quad with regular change to the back axle. Hardly have any trouble with it... just normal things like brakes and oil. I'll go manual any day :)

[@doodskie999]

Not sure why CVT gets a lot of hate, my 2014 forester is 10 years old now, never had any issues with its CVT. I always change the CVT fluid every 40k km and my forester has 150k kms. Only major issue I had with my car was replacing the AC compressor and O2 sensor

[@mrgarrison3516]

Nissan owned Jatco CVT's are what gave CVT's a bad name 🤦. Subaru, Honda, Toyota all make their own 👍

[@DiscoFang]

@@mrgarrison3516 Mitsubishi use the Jatco in all the non-hybrid Outlanders, Lancers, Delicas and they are incredible strong and reliable. It's odd.

[@loveisall5520]

I have a Nissan CVT equipped SUV. I came from a 5-speed manual. I have found it to be completely reliable and giving great fuel efficiency. At first I had to get used to the lack of feeling gear changes. I'm a fan. These will just keep improving. We have to remember the development of the automatic transmission in cars, starting here with Oldsmobile in 1939. The teething pains for the early Hydra-Matics were handled by the military in WW II.

[@billdagoe7371]

Great video. I may be wrong but it looks like the toroidal graphs are backwards and show low gear when it's actually high gear. In indicated low gear the rollers are about the same diameter as the outer part of the DRIVING DISC so about 1:1 ratio. The DRIVEN DISC at its inner diameter is maybe 1/4 the diameter of the outer part. Therefor, when the driven disc and roller are both rotating 1 RPM the smaller driven disc would rotate maybe 4RPM indicating a high gear. Am I missing something?? Either that or I'm getting senile.

[@oldcynic6964]

Maybe I'm getting senile too, because I think you're right.

[@Mark_Bridges]

@@oldcynic6964 Nope you're not senile. This part of the video was wrong.

[@bryanhill3041]

I’m sticking with the old skool ways, it’s less complicated! I grew up shifting gears and plan on doing the same until the end! 3 pedals on the floor is a great way to keep people out of your car!

[@cjkarlstafford]

I like the CTV the biggest problem i see are the people who don't know how to drive with one or complain because they dont understand what a CTV is Owned one driven a few and love them really fun when you let it wind up just not fast but with a proper handling car unstoppable and fun

[@truckercowboyed2638]

It's a. CVT not CTV. LEARN WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

[@larryg6865]

I have a Kia Seltos. The IVT(CVT) is smooth and responsive. No complaints.

[@dnbkb]

Interesting and simple! Thanks!

[@murmur3966]

Hello Hello From Canada!!! This episode was an incredible CVT presentation, because it is clear, informative and really detailed. I don't usually subscribe on a first video episode, but I got so much from all the pictures and videos shown, I had to subscribe to make sure I don't miss anything new. There were two CVTs that I didn't even know existed. Thanks for sharing this with us and I can't wait to see more from your channel. 🤘😁👍

[@raveenperera9027]

LIke to know more about eCVT.

[@CheapBastard1988]

Me too! The "How it works" bit didn't really explain how it works. Just a few modes that any owner would know about by looking at the display on the instrument cluster.

[@supersnot4]

Think of it like an open differential operating in reverse. Gas engine on one side, electric motor A on the other side. Electric motor B on the output shaft. Electric motor A controls the engine RPM by generating electricity. That electricity goes to either the battery or electric motor B depending on what the computer needs. The rest of the mechanical energy goes straight to the output shaft. In EV mode, electric motor B does all the work. Electric motor A does nothing and spins freely, allowing all of the rotating energy to bypass the gas engine. Electric motor A starts the engine as well.

[@baseder514]

In the Netherlands we have things called "snor/bromfietsen" which are basically mopeds with no pedals and use gasoline to move around. Most of them use cvt's as their transmission and a centrifugal clutch. Even though these things weight like, 200 kg (including the rider) at most you still have to replace them every once in a while. But since it is so easy to repair, cheap and drives perfectly fine, it has stuck around better then the actual gearbox found in some niche mopeds which look just like 50 cc dirtbikes. In cars, you really only have two good options, make it easy and cheap to repair, or make it last for a very long time. Or incase you are Kia, make it expensive and hard to repair, while also making it expensive.

[@GunBChevyNUT83]

As someone that works on cars every day, CVT is junk. I would never buy a car with one and if you happen to think otherwise, I'll see you soon.

[@dennisberghorn9512]

Lol 😊

[@zlvirag]

Obviously the designers, or developers, of the 'belt drive' CVTs have never driven snowmobiles in the 60's and 70's. We used to blow belts almost weekly on them. On my early 70's Ski Do TNT, I installed an extra 'belt guard' so that the next blown belt would not destroy my cowl totally or blow my head off while racing. The exact same drive principle as the belt drive CVT's now being used in cars. The Toyota E-CVT is pure genius. Bravo to the designers.

[@MrRoaster69]

Complete guide on CVT ❤️

[@alfredomarquez9777]

MORE LIKE A PAID AD... The truth is that CVTs are CHEAP, so that the car maker maked more money, PERIOD!

[@TwentyNinerR]

My parents' car, a local-made Toyota city car named Agya came with a D-CVT. Paired to a 1.2 L triple that produced 86 bhp and 113 Nm, it's quite a delight. The planetary gear reduced that rubberbanding effect that plagued conventional CVTs, and it delivered excellent fuel economy, managing around 12 kilometers per liter for urban cycles under heavy traffic and up to 24 kilometers per liter for highway cycles at up to 100 km/h, all while using standard 92 RON petrol available in most petrol stations in Indonesia.

[@Walkercolt1]

General Motors two-stroke diesel city buses used CVT's for 70+ years with NO ISSUES. IF you do the normal recommended maintenance on them, CVT's will last 2.5 MILLION trouble-free miles (or MUCH longer), a late friend of mine's widow testify. Billy had the chain-belt adjusted every 50K miles on his Nissan Altima ($50) and his daughter is using it at college now. GM Power-Glides had to have the bands adjusted at about 50K too-the absolutely most bullet-proof auto ever made.

[@JalopyTechnology]

They used Allison automatic transmissions not CVT's

[@JalopyTechnology]

And they certainly did not make busses for 70 years...two stroke Detroit's first used 4 speed manual transmissions then switched during the 70's to Allison's.

[@stephenarbon2227]

@@JalopyTechnology or used Spicer crash-box [but not for city buses].

[@cliffweinan3907]

No city buses used very reliable, robust 2 speed power glide transmissions.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

I love the CVT in my car. Just go with the flow and try not to rev above 2000 is also a very engageing way to drive. Added bonus, fuel efficient and seamless "gear" shifts.

[@monteiro5306]

Amazing vídeo. Awesome job. Greetings from Brazil.

[@joecalabria3472]

We've had a total of nine Nissan CVTs (Four 3.5l Maximas, one 3.5l Altima and four 2.5l Altimas) with mileage on them between 95k and 170k when sold, and not one of them ever had the slightest hint of transmission issues. In fact, the only non-maintenance work performed on any of them was a new vacuum brake booster on the 3.5l Altima. All were purchased as low mileage used cars except for the '07 Maxima, which was leased new then bought-out, for a total of 8+years and 95k miles.

[@DwightHutto]

would rather just have a manual gearbox

[@kamaldaruwalla6172]

Great explanation, even as a sedentary female worker with zero engineering background, I could understand the contents, the drawings made the functioning and the manner in which the gears shift clear.

[@truth959]

E-CVTs work nothing like CVTs even tho they do something similar. E-CVTs are far superior. They are more robust, longer lasting, more reliable, much better performance, and far more engaging to drive. I would never even consider buying a CVT because they are just garbage, but I would buy an E-CVT in a heartbeat.

[@omnimoeish]

My 2023 Lexus RX hybrid has an eCVT and it's buttery smooth (especially combined with brake by wire and steer by wire). It combines the instant torque of the electric motor with the gas engine and revs to your desired output. It gets 35 mpg in a family sized mid size SUV. While its no race car, it's fast enough and going back to my other car with a regular automatic transmission - feeling and hearing it shift all the time feels like you're driving old technology especially when it's cold at lower speeds.

[@Jagshemasher]

What I want to see are statistics on transmission life - how many make it 10, 15, 20 years or 200,000, 300,000, 500,000 miles and if they failed early what were the reasons (crappy quality or poor maintenance). There are no end of people saying CVT's are great who's cars are fairly new but this to me is about as useless as winning a JD Power award for "initial quality". I don't care how nice it looks when you take delivery - I want to know if it is still running well 10 years later with 300,000 miles on the clock. A key issue with these transmissions when they go wrong is they seem to be throwaway items - fixing takes a whole new transmission - you can't simply replace a valve body or a clutch pack. As a mechanical engineer, the idea of a metal belt sliding or relying on the friction between itself and two conical metal pulleys seems like a recipe for rapid wearing of parts. That may be planned and is probably why the transmission fluid should be changed quite frequently but to me I'd rather have a conventional automatic or a stick shift. I may get slightly worse fuel consumption but at least I won't have an untimely breakdown requiring a $5000 transmission replacement.

[@trickoflight1]

I have no regrets from buying the two Toyota Prius's I have owned. The 4th generation is a big step up from the 2nd, but the CVT's have been great in both. Before the Prius's I had a couple of Mazda RX-7's, which I also loved, they were both 5 speed manuals. I love the way a manual transmission really connects you and the car to the road. This isn't really true of the CVT, but we're talking about 30 years of cars, my needs have changed.

[@efgeebe]

I think the toroidal diagram is wrong. Oposite to what he was saying .when the rollers are touching the rim of the driving disc, the speed is same as larger pulley. large pulley driving small pulley means high speed but less torque . . Opposite of what is stared in the vid

[@Duffer71MN]

I noticed the same. Low and high gear diagrams are reversed.

[@broadwayn9320]

@efgeebe , - You are absolutely right.

[@timkern462]

My thoughts as well.

[@lancekidwell5729]

Had 2 Toyota / Lexus cvt’s, great. Will get a GS450h ecvt next.

[@joshreynolds729]

This is great and all but they look like the same rubber v belts used on the front of your engine which is decent but how long do you think it’s going to last 100k 60k 120 max then it snaps. Now make a performance car out of it see that mileage drop. Seems like a way to pass emissions test before a better performer.

[@xroda_]

Yeah ask any person “imagine a rubber belt running a transmission” it’s a stupid idea

[@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD]

e-CVT used on Toyotas has no belt at all. All gears.

[@malcolmwhite6588]

I have a small Honda hybrid with CVT. My understanding is it is a metal tooth fibre belt. Obviously not good in a performance car but inasmuch performance as my car has It certainly regularly get thrashed. It has 220,000 miles (340,000 km ) on it in touchwood LOL has had no mechanical faults I am regular with CVT oil change though

[@michaelmartin2276]

I have 213,000 miles on my 2012 Subaru Impreza CVT. No issues whatsoever. I do change the CVT fluid every 40,000 miles.

[@abbysecured]

E-CVT are beltless and works on Orbital gears concept. so less mechanical friction smooth transition, almost zero rubber band effect and more durable. However, it's very complex setup.

[@h2opower]

As a Automotive Technician since 1986 I can say with confidence that all need to go back to the drawing board as they truly have longevity problems when compared to the old ways of doing things. Most CVT's simply will not make it too 100k miles no matter how well they are taken care of, some don't even make it too 60k miles. The problem as I see it is they oil used and the cooling system for the transmission oil needs to be redone as the oil breaks down as these type of transmissions get a lot hotter than a standard automatic type transmission and once the oil breaks down it no longer does it's job for the transmission and failure is all but guarantied.

[@SoMuchTwoSay]

Every CVT equipped vehicle absolutely should have a transmission fluid cooler mounted standard.