To date Nissan has had the most success with producing their CVTs in high volume and on a wide range of vehicles. The CVT found in Nissanā€™s Maxima, Murano and the V6 version of Altima is considered to be the worlds first "3.5L class" belt CVT and can hold much higher torque loads than other belt CVTs.
JATCOExcept that these vehicles are available only in cold temperate country, not hot and humid weather like here. Cars tend to wear out faster here and in Arabs if not reliable and durable enough. If compared to old tech conventional gearbox, yes CVT better.
But now conventional gearbox already developed further into jerkless and assisted with new mechanism preventing power loss when shifting. Yet, it could now have even more gears than CVT.
CVT is just like Wankel engine, not meant to replace conventional internal combustion engine that could be upgraded to have valve timing and GDI.
Comes to reliability and durability, the conventional gearbox is more mechanical with ATF fluid to lubricate the gears. Unlike CVT, it is half mechanical and the other half rely much on the high density ATF to assist the pulleys to shift its size. Maintenance cost wise, the much densed and larger volume ATF for CVT cost more than double the cost of normal ATF.
Even labor cost for changing ATF in CVT alone cost double normal gearbox with reason given, higher technical expertise required.
Car with CVT gearbox if driven up and down and then up and down few times around Cameron Highlands to deliver sayur. vegetables and buah-buahan, you might get CVT temperature warning indicator.
Hi Yeong,
Thanks for elevating my status to fighter jet. It could carry bombs and cause bigger headache to marketing staffs. I'll take that as my new nickname.
