Quote:
Originally Posted by Baltothewolf
Tbh I will always protest that CVT's are vastly superior to traditional auto's. I can accelerate with a light foot at 1700rpm in my civic, at a constant rate, all the way up to 65 when the ratio runs out, and cruise at 1900rpm at 70. Or, I can stomp on it and accelerate at 5500rpm all the way to 70, or mild throttle and accelerate at 2000rpm. They gotta be lighter than a 7-9 speed transmission autos, and are more efficient if memory serves me right.
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True on all counts. The only problem is their longevity - most CVTs from the early 2000's die before 200k miles, and a lot of them die before 150k. Their lifespan is less than the autos they replaced, but the improved efficiency is worth it - you save enough fuel, it pays for your transmission, which
will eventually need replacement. I can't speak for the CVTs they're making now, because they're not old enough yet for us to know, but with previous cars it gets significantly worse as you increase the amount of torque they need to deal with.