Quote:
Originally Posted by johnmyster
Yup. A rental AWD Compass. Slow as turd. 26 mpg highway.
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I recently rented a Caliber 2.0 CVT that was probably the same drive train as the Compass. It wasn't a hot rod but it was adequately quick to feel safe pulling out into traffic. I didn't baby it, but I did do some neutral-coasting (the engine braking programmed into that CVT was WAY too excessive) and tried to modulate throttle to hold no more than 2500 rpm accelerating when I could (without impeding traffic). Mostly highway trip with some small around town while on business. I wasn't able to accurately calculate mileage because the dang rental place let me pick it up with a half tank so I had to return it with a half tank, which is impossible to do. I filled before heading out and topped it up before returning and guesstimating how much fuel it actually used I had to have gotten at least 30mpg.
I found that if you began accelerating in a sane fashion but then decided it wasn't quick enough it was *really* slow to pick up. You could floor it at 30mph and for like 2 seconds the engine wound-out to red line and then the car took off. If you knew you were pulling out in front of a semi and gave it the boot from the get-go that thing would take off in a much more urgent manner. Basically, drive it like a golf cart. It's pretty much the same response (for those who haven't driven golf carts, either the brake or the gas is on the floor at all times unless you want to maintain a steady speed below the governed max speed, at which point the CVT shifts-out and engine rpms drop).
That said, I bet it would still be better with a 5spd. Automotive CVTs do require obscene hydraulic pressure to work and golf cart/snowmobile CVTs use rubber belts that are equally inefficient.