[intelarms]

I love the CVT. It seems to produce good power regardless of the speed and there is no noticeable "lurching" where a gear shift would normally occur. Gas mileage is great. However, there are two apparent abnormalities from someone who is only used to a regular automatic transmission. Are these normal?

1) After getting up to highway speed (say 70 mph), I change to cruise control. The engine RPM revs up to @3,000 rpm then goes back to normal. There seems to be no change in car speed.

2) While traveling in hilly country, while using cruise control, I start descending a steep hill. The engine RPM revs up to @4,000 rpm then goes back to normal. There seems to be no change in car speed.

I imagine these are related. Is this expected behavior? Thanks.

 

[subiesailor]

CVT - means continuous variable transmission - in more generic words it continually varies the gear ratio - so yes what you describe is what a CVT does. This is what makes a CVT particularly good with smaller engines it keeps the engine running at a RPM where power is available vs say your classic 4spd or 5spd AT where they lock into a pre set gear and at that gear there is a slower speed where the engine is right on the edge of ie low rpm where power is very low. CVT manages the power of the 2.5 exceptionally well.

It took me a month or two to get use to the CVT after living with two 5spd MT cars for nearly 11yrs before the CVT. VERY different - but by far exceptional when it comes to getting every drop of power out of the 2.5.

Something else you will notice steep hill climbs the CVT will hold a low gear ratio all the way till your nearly stopped - and when the torque converter releases its almost the same sensation you would have from driving a MT car.