I I've been using Manual/Sport Mode pretty consistently for about two weeks now and driving the **** out of the thing to be honest....downshifting, jumping it to 4500-5000 RPMs before clicking up etc.

So I finally noticed last night in hitting some country roads that I was shifting and as soon as I flipped to standard D Mode and floored it to "the button" the RPMs went straight to redlining as quickly as they could and would stay there until I let off....this and the throttle response was insane! Upon further playing I noticed that when flooring it would go to redlining but when I let off and reapply gas it mimics a hard shift to the next "gear". The response and rev on the car now seems crazy....almost too crazy though. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

Yes, i have definitely noticed that the CVT learns your driving style but its short term memory and you have to retrain it constantly. Try this... Just cruise at around 30mph and press the gas pedal 3/4 of the way down. Then let go and repeat. I've noticed that the first time i do this, i don't get much of a response and its laggy, the next time, it improves and the rpm's shoot up faster, and by the third time its almost instant throttle response. BTW... have you noticed any CVT whining noise when driving it hard? I feel like when i use manual or sport mode and my rpm's are consistently 4-5k, i hear the whining noise within a minute or two. I've had this happen when the car was new and i thought this was normal but i may just bring this up with the dealer.

 

I don't get too much whining unless I floor it as mentioned above and don't let off.....as soon as I come off even the slightest but it simulates a downshift and returns back to I'd say around 3000rpm or so.

 

yea, i guess this whining is normal then.... i don't really get much whining below 4.5-5k but once i go over, the whine noise increases with increasing RPM's

 

Yes I'd say that's normal for sure....I get that too!

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the transmission learned your driving style. My old Buick had it, although not a CVT, but it would respond and behave differently just as you described after driving aggressively or passively and that was from a Buick. I'm actually disappointed if the transmission has to be relearned constantly, considering that it should have a linear learning curve per say after a hundred miles to adjust to how you been driving.

 

I feel like the CVT has a fuel efficiency bias so given the opportunity it will try its best to be more fuel efficient. If you don't drive it hard consistently the CVT will quickly revert back to a more fuel efficient setting and reduce RPM's and throttle response.

 

My car is not fully broken in yet, but I have no doubt that the CVT is set in economy mode to increase fuel efficiency. If the car needs consistent training (WOT here and there) to retain the setting, then is it abruptly returning back to its default setting of fuel efficiency mode or is it a gradual decline? Sorry if that didn't make any sense, but I'm trying to see if it is linear and smooth versus abruptly turning off.

I think Nissan should have put a separate Sport mode button that enabled quicker response, holding of higher revs, increase engine braking, etc. All of that without the faux gear shifts from moving the shifter to DS or Manual mode. Just a separate good old button, in conjunction with the manual shifter.

On the same note, nice find! I've been actively monitoring my driving and fuel efficiency and how the car responds since this is my first CVT car.

 

yes, the car definitely learns your driving habits.

 

I bet the next gen has a button to change between an economy mode/normal mode/sport mode. So many other cars have that, and I've wished from day 1 that ours did. It'd be easy to add, and should be a no-brainier for Nissan next time around IMO.

 

This is true and I have definitely learned certain things with my driving style that also helps!

 

I must drive slow as hell then lmao

 

you and me both