Max2013

I have become accustomed to the smoothness of the cvt and have actually come to like it. Others obviously have different opinions. The programming of a cvt is complex enough, I hope this tweaking for the 2016 Maxima cvt doesn't become one more thing that can go wrong with the transmission. It should be well tested by then though.

"A software change that makes a continuously variable transmission sound and feel less like a CVT will go into every CVT-equipped Nissan model.... The feature was already offered on the 2013 four-cylinder Altima and the redesigned 2014 Rogue and will be added to other models in 2016."

http://www.autonews.com/article/2014...-less-cvt-like

Richard66

Really brilliant. A piece of (now I feel good about my CVT) software that adds neither form, fit or function.

lightonthehill

Based on my theoretical mechanics physics class of around sixty years ago, I was very enthusiastic about the potential of the CVT when I first heard about it in the 1980s. In theory, once perfected, the CVT should be more fuel-efficient and accelerate better than any shifting tranny.

I test-drove several CVT-equipped vehicles during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and did not like them. But I do like the CVT Nissan redesigned for the 7th gen Maxima, even though they sort of muted the acceleration when moving out from a standstill. Having driven manuals and automatics since the late 1940s, it took me some time to acclimate to the distinct nuances of the CVT. But I have gradually come to like it very much.

I am a little concerned with this latest Nissan tampering. If a driver does not understand how a CVT works, either the driver has not bothered to learn anything about his vehicle, or the salesperson has done a very poor job of explaining things.

I think it may be counterproductive to change the operation of the CVT in order to reasure drivers who haven't bothered to understand how the CVT works. If it is going to simulate an automatic, why not just throw a 7 or 8 speed automatic in the car to start with?

Maximam

One of my complaints with the CVT is it seems like my car is always wanting to get to 1500 rpm. So even as I am accelerating in speed the rpms can at times be decelerating which I can not stand. It makes the VQ feel so sluggish compared to my prior Maximas with a conventional transmission.

The reality is the CVT is a cheap tranny designed for economy that most people do not like. If the CVT was popular, it would show up in other makes and models and be a majority in the market.

Conventional transmissions are becoming more efficient making the advantage the CVT has a mute point.

Jam_Roc

sport shift or paddle if gear change is desired. I definitely don't want shift lag.

Max2013

I totally agree! Why turn it into a Rube Goldberg contraption--- it is just fine the way it is.

Shipwreck

Seriously, but it is awesome being able to cruise at 60-70mph while your RPMs are just shy of 2000. That's the strength and selling point regarding fuel economy.

Driving around the island here, though, is pretty much all city driving, killing that efficiency selling point. I still average about 18mpgs.

lightonthehill makes great points though. You really have to learn how to drive CVT differently, when to give it gas, when to let off. It's all pedal play to me. The computer is also constantly adjusting settings to our driving styles - If there were any complaint I would have, it would be to lock in settings and make the car more predictable.

It's not fun when you want the car the hit that that on-ramp and it kind of lags into it. But then, other times, it does! Quite finicky.

Oh well, that said, I've rarely ever pushed the pedal past the 50% mark. Most of my driving, I barely tap the gas (maybe 10-15% down if anything).

lightonthehill

Well, someone I won't name has not been keeping up with recent automotive developments. We are now seeing CVTs in an ever-increasing number of vehicles from an ever increasing number of manufacturers.

Whether folks like CVTs or not, rapidly increasing government fuel requirements require manufacturers to improve their fleet fuel efficiency. Believe me, the worst is yet to come.

Yes, convential automatics are becomming more efficient. But that is by adding umteen gears. The future potential of the CVT is greater than the potential of shifting trannies. If that were not true, the current movement would be away from CVTs, not toward them.

Also, adding gears to sutomatic trannies not only makes them more complicated, but also makes them larger and heavier at a time when manufacturers are trying in every way to reduce the weight of every component in the vehicle.

The CVT may SEEM sluggish (and I agree that it can seem sluggish off the line), but, even though heavier than previous Maximas, this 7th gen can zip to 60 in around 6 seconds, and can move from 35 MPH to 85 MPH faster than any stock Maxima ever built. And, even with a more powerful engine, it gets better fuel efficiency than any Maxima I have ever owned (and I have owned every generation but the first, and two of some).

I might give the acceleration edge at speeds over 100 MPH to the older non-CVT Maximas, but there is nowhere on public roads we can drive at such speeds.

As to the CVT wanting to get the RPMs down to 1500 where possible, again you are exactly correct. That is not a function of the CVT per se, but simply the way Nissan set the software up in this particular instance, and you are correct that the purpose is to improve fuel efficiency. This can be overridden by floorboarding the accelerator, but, unless there is an emergency, I am happy with simply letting the CVT do its thing and saving gas.

I think that, with long-term usage, you might grow more tolerant of the CVT. It will never be the fun thing of those old manuals, but times have changed, and I am determined to stay up with the flow, even though I sometimes have to grit my teeth and force a smile.

I must admit that, even though it took me quite some time to adjust, I have actually come to prefer the CVT to shifting trannies, even though it was like learning to drive all over again, which is not always easy for an octogenarian.

KGMtech

My first experience with the CVT was in a 4 cyl Altima, it did not impress me at all. However the Maxima seemed such a fine combo, the reason, IMHO is engine torque.

The Maxima V6 has sufficient torque to allow a linear feeling launch compared to a 4cyl that needs to shoot to high engine revs and work the mechanical advantage of the cones and pulley CVT. Most don't notice the CVT in the Maxima, but the CVT is really, really apparent in the lower torque 4cyl engine.

From my view, if all the OEM's are going to 6, 8, 9+ speed transmissions, these things are shifting up & down all the time...is that not approaching the model of a Continously variable transmission? me thinks yes.

vball_max

iTrader: (5)

Yes....it is approaching it, but it will never get there. The more gears you have in an automatic transmission, the more you can stay in the "efficient" RPM range of the engine. However, when a car changes gears, there is an instant where the car is not in gear and you lose some energy with each shift.

The CVT is a more efficient transmission than a standard or automatic. Its the software programming of the maxima CVT that I don't like. That lag when its trying to keep you in the 1500-2000 rpm range is quite annoying. I feel like I have to stomp the pedal to get any decent acceleration our of the car.

silberma

Despite the efficiency of the CVT, the Maxima does not impress me with its fuel economy. There are larger heavier cars that get better gas mileage. Hopefully the new Maxima arriving 2016 will cure this technology lag along with the other technology innovation that the Maxima lacks.

Ghozt

i kinda agree with that, my buddies V8 mustang gets the same mileage as me. oh well for the CVT and efficiency I think..

honestly i think updating the software to give it fake shift points is kinda lame, Ds mode is already pretty weird they're just making D mode the same now.

ishariff

I have the redesigned 2014 Rogue as well as a 2012 Maxima. Let me assure you that the Rogue feels much more natural and linear when accelerating. The fuel economy is also excellent.

I still haven't gotten used to the lag my Maxima experiences when accelerating slowly. No such lag on the Rogue.

This is a positive change.

vball_max

iTrader: (5)

Agreed 100%. My friend just bought a brand new Dodge Ram 1500 4-door with a 5.7L Hemi (395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque) and it gets very similar mileage to my maxima (within 1 or 2 mpg). Thats just embarassing.

assiduous

I have exact complaints like you and have been scorned for expressing them. It creeps me out when my speed is increasing but RPM is dropping. RPM should not be dropping until I stop acceleration.
However I actually blame the marketing team rather than the engineers or the transmission itself. I think I would rather prefer a well designed CVT than manual or automatic. I don't need to deal with the clutch any more and don't need the jerking between the gears of the automatics. IF Marketing didn't press so hard for MPG, I am sure the engineers know how to design a good CVT.
I am just hoping that this new 'software' for the CVT can be flushed somehow into the 7th gen as well (fingers crossed). I would like even worse fuel economy (don't care much to be honest) but more pleasant and responsive transmission. Ideally I would like the CVT to work exactly like automatic, but to smooth out the shifting.

Max2013

ishariff-
Is your Rogue a 170 HP I-4? If so, that could help explain the great gas mileage. My concern is that the 'new' cvt operated much differently in the 2.5 I-4 Altima vs. the 3.5 V6 Altima. Different implementations, but problems in both, and much more severe operating with the larger engine. Your experience in the new Rogue is a positive sign though. How would you describe the shifting sensation in the D-Step? Any hesitation at all when it simulates a gear shift, or (gulp) subtle shudder at low speed? I'm guessing (hoping!) those issues are fixed.

Ghozt

you do know the CVT in the 4 cylinders and 6 cylinders are different transmission revisions right? also the new Nissan lineup has a different CVT than the ones we have; thats why the new Altimas are having lots of breakdowns cause they tried to make it faster

Max2013

Sure do know that! Maybe not stated well enough, but that was my point. We haven't yet seen or heard how the D-Step version works with the V6. We do know the new (but non d-step) had severe problems in the 3.5 Altima.

Albert

I haven't played with the DS mode yet. Is the shifting suppose to be more aggressive? And does that drop MPG?

vball_max

iTrader: (5)

yes and yes.

ishariff

Hi, yes the Rogue is an I-4.

Honestly I have never noticed shifting. That's probably because d-step is only supposed to kick in after 4000 RPM, and I don't normally drive a car that hard (especially when I am breaking it in).

In every day driving, the new Rogue's cvt acts really well. No shifting, never felt a shudder, very quiet and always in the right RPM range (for my needs anyways).

You won't notice any shifting in every day driving, since d-step only kicks in after 4000 RPM, and if you're accelerating that hard then you will probably appreciate exhilaration of the extra RPM before the downshift anyways.

Ghozt

i still prefer D. all the fake shifting is weird and interferes with my turbo spooling