Regular CVT vs eCVT

[Texas Proud]

I have driven a car with a CVT before... I did not like them... have read many horror stories about them over the years... so do not want to get a vehicle with one...

BUT, have read here that an eCVT is completely different... I did look it up one but did not get what the difference is and why it would be better..

So, anybody that actually knows what the difference is and can explain it to the proverbial '5th grader'? Heck, I will take a high school explanation if needed..

 

[Qs Laptop]

 

[Qs Laptop]

My knowledge only goes so far as the conventional CVT uses belts and pulleys whereas the eCVT uses gears. My DW had a Nissan Altima with a CVT and I derisively called it the snowmobile transmission, because it feels like it only has one gear, there is no shifting at all. The eCVT's I've driven lately have felt like they were shifting, but I've been told they're not.

Bottom line is that I can appreciate an eCVT because it feels more "normal" while the CVT just buzzes and drones as it gains speed.

 

[pb4uski]

Our 2016 Subaru Outback has a CVT. I don't notice that it drives any differently than a conventional automatic transmission. It has paddle shifters and I enjoy using the paddle shifters to downshift for deceleration. From Perplexity:

The 2016 Subaru Outback uses a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), not an eCVT. Specifically, it employs Subaru's Lineartronic® CVT. This transmission is standard on both the 2.5-liter four-cylinder and 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine options. The Lineartronic CVT features a manual mode with paddle shifters, allowing drivers to simulate gear changes if desired. ...

 

[perinova]

My Nissan Altima Hybrid has eCVT and it not only works great but has no maintenance required. It works smoothly and seamlessly. It now has 160k miles. Even if not required by the book, I think I will change the fluid at 200k miles. I have heard some reliability issues with Nissan (and others) CVT, eCVT doesn't have those issues.

 

[Koolau]

I had to rent a car while my car was being repaired after an accident. The rental had a CVT and, I agree, I hated it. I could "feel" what it was doing - especially under hard acceleration (I had to try it). The car really revved to get to the torque peak which was "good" I suppose, but then nothing. Everything the car had to give was over with no build up of more torque. The initial impression was that the car had some real "oomph" but it actually didn't.

 

[CO-guy]

I have driven a car with a CVT before... I did not like them... have read many horror stories about them over the years... so do not want to get a vehicle with one...

BUT, have read here that an eCVT is completely different... I did look it up one but did not get what the difference is and why it would be better..

So, anybody that actually knows what the difference is and can explain it to the proverbial '5th grader'? Heck, I will take a high school explanation if needed..

As best as I can tell, car manufacturers have realized that modern automatic transmissions are too reliable and (relatively) inexpensive to replace. To address this issue, they've designed a transmission that ensures your vehicle will die within 80-100k. It might feel a bit clunky, but it gets the job done.

Not sure about eCVTs.

 

[Al18]

eCVT are fairly common with hybrid vehicles. The ones that Toyota builds are very reliable - not sure they need any maintenance. Hit the accelerator and you go - no shifting needed. Electric motors don’t need rpm to make torque. They provide instant torque from 0 rpm.

 

[pb4uski]

Our 2016 Subaru Outback has a CVT. I don't notice that it drives any differently than a conventional automatic transmission. It has paddle shifters and I enjoy using the paddle shifters to downshift for deceleration. ...

OTOH, my Ford Maverick Hybrid has an eCVT. FWIW, I don't notice any difference. They're both just automatic transmissions in normal driving to me.

I think OP just needs to test drive.

 

[Telly]

A CVT uses a multi-segmented steel belt running between two pulleys with conical sheaves. Hydraulics are used to push closer together one set of sheaves, such that the belt starts to ride further OUT on the pulley (larger effective diameter). While the other pulley that is on the other end of the belt simultaneously has its sheaves moved further APART, which allows the belt there to run further IN on that pulley (smaller effective diameter).

A eCVT is usually built from a planetary gearset, with ring gear, multiple planet gears in a carrier, and a sun gear in the center. A planetary gearset is all gears, no belts. The true class name for planetary gearsets is Epicyclic, but Planetary is a good visual description of it.

The Ford Model T had a planetary transmission.
Multiple planetary gearsets are also used inside of the typical automatic transmission, with wet friction clutches and bands stopping or allowing the rotation of different parts of planetary gearsets.

I was never a proverbial 5th grader, I liked to take things apart and see how they worked. I drew the line at people, though.

 

[Out of Steam]

As best as I can tell, car manufacturers have realized that modern automatic transmissions are too reliable and (relatively) inexpensive to replace. To address this issue, they've designed a transmission that ensures your vehicle will die within 80-100k. It might feel a bit clunky, but it gets the job done.

Not sure about eCVTs.

I've had two CVT vehicles, sold one at 185K with no transmission problems, the other went to over 160K before needing a valve body, a component common to geared transmissions and CVTs.

The problem is not that CVTs (other than Nissan's) are more likely to fail within 150-200K miles, it's that the economics of replacing one are poor. There is no independent rebuilding industry as there is for conventional automatics, leaving used transmissions the only realistic choice for an out-of-warranty failure.

This is one of the reasons I chose to buy a non-CVT car last year.

 

[JoeWras]

Our 2016 Subaru Outback has a CVT. I don't notice that it drives any differently than a conventional automatic transmission. It has paddle shifters and I enjoy using the paddle shifters to downshift for deceleration. From Perplexity:

From what I've read, Subaru employs "fake shifts" in their more recent CVTs. On my 2010 Legacy, not so. It is just smooth the whole way. No gear feel except when I use the paddle shifters in mountain driving, then it finds fake gears. In normal mode, there is a certain disconnectedness to this, but once I got used to it, I like it. It is always in the perfect power band.

But customers complained, so they made the fake jumps.

BTW: 161k miles and going strong. Now that I have written that, it will blow up tomorrow.

Here's a little discussion about the change: https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/why-have-fake-shifting-on-a-cvt.520485/