I've been looking around here and I see that there is alot of hate for the CVT tranny.

I love mine, its smooth, and quiet.

whats with all the people complaining? When I floor mine, she gets and goes. just as I would expect from a 3000+ lbs car with only 174 hp and automatic tranny.

You are not alone. It took a little getting use to, but now I love the CVT.

I like mine. I also like the mechanical simplicity of it, and (knock on wood) its longevity.

+1 ! :smiley_thumbs_up::smiley_thumbs_up:

cool! guess I'm not alone

I think its just diff.... floor it, and stay at peak HP the whole way. what better way to speed up? it might use some software tuning, but oh well!

I mean its awesome how you have this one transmission that can be improved at what it does via tuning the computer.

I've been looking around here and I see that there is alot of hate for the CVT tranny.

I love mine, its smooth, and quiet.

whats with all the people complaining? When I floor mine, she gets and goes. just as I would expect from a 3000+ lbs car with only 174 hp and automatic tranny.

Some people just like to complain. Some of them grow up to become auto reviewers, and eventually, grouchy old farts.

I quite like mine, especially augmented with the AutoStick feature. (I haven't actually used the AutoStick all that much, but I do like the fact that it is there.)

You are not alone. :smiley_thumbs_up:

I like the smooth acceleration. The power is there, you just have to drive it differently (most people don't like change). Instead of mashing the pedal to go fast, start to push moderately and continue to increase pressure as speed increases. I have yet to be left behind or run over in traffic, so I must be able to keep up.

The engine braking is nice as well. I have gotten used to what speed(s) will result in braking or coasting. I am getting pretty good at judging how long I need to keep on the gas before letting go to coast to a stop at stop lights.


My only "complaint" is that it would be great if there were programmable modes for the the CVT. Then we could really take advantage of the CVT.

Some people just like to complain... ...grouchy old farts.

Hey! I resemble that remark!! :mad:

Oh yes, and I happen to enjoy my CVT2L very much. Not happy about the MPG due to the 2L, but c'est la vie. It did take a little getting used to. Then the snows came. Lovin' it!

Then the snows came. Lovin' it!

The broadcast "meteorologists" keep threating us with the "white death" but it keeps sputtering out. I wish I could have a job where I could be wrong 99% of the time and still be employed. Sorry, off topic.

The Patriot (mine is just FWD) has handled the little snow and ice that we have received this year very well. The engine braking and ESP is very useful in these conditions especially.

GO CVT!

I like the CVT too. I am not a "mash the pedal to the floor" guy, so I have always found it just fine. I think a lot of the complaints are from people whose driving style is to floor it, which immediately causes the engine to zoom to the peak of the power band at 6000 RPM and stay there. Under those conditions it's kind of noisy.

Makes me think of the old "Doctor, it hurts when I do this" joke.

Yep, love mine. Took a bit of getting used to, and I found that "sweet spot" for when I need that little extra passing power. Surprisingly, it's NOT mashing the pedal to the floor... it's mashing it to about halfway. Don't know why, but I can chirp the tires from a dead stop, or pass someone quickly, when I need to. (Not that I need to that often). I prefer watching the EVIC gas mileage display climb!

I also like the CVT. I prefer manual transmissions but went with the auto as my wife dislikes standards. In previous automatics (with small engines) I have found that I often pushed the throttle to get it to shift on a hill and that the hunting for the right gear effect often drove me crazy. With the CVT neither of these happen. I do not mash the throttle so the high revving problem does not happen. I also have the autostick and I use it whenever I feel that I want more direct control over the trans- especially if I am off road.

Some people just like to complain. Some of them grow up to become auto reviewers, and eventually, grouchy old farts.

Boy you hit the nail on the head with that auto reviewer comment. I can't believe the junk that I've read in some of the reviews on the Patriot. I kept telling myself that these are guys who probably jump all over themselves to test drive the latest Beamer or Lexus, so there perspective is a little more than skewed. After buying my Patriot I've come to realize just how right I was about them. I often wonder if they have to check for peas under their pillows before they go to sleep at night. Go to Truthaboutcars.com to find out the truth about prissy auto reviews. (To tell you the truth though, they were a bit easy on the Patriot as compared to others)

cool!

and what is it about this engine brake? haven't heard of that one really.

I don't really floor my Jeeps, so I don't know about the halfway, then full acceleration deal. how do I perform that?

I share the thoughts on this thread about the CVT, and I'm glad it was started. I do like the CVT and am happy to see that there are plenty of others who like it too. I think the main issue is that it can take some getting used to.

The "engine braking" is basically describing how the CVT provides a more "direct" connection between the wheels and engine while coasting, so that engine cylinder compression provides some braking energy - more than a traditional automatic transmission allows. Kinda like letting off the gas in a manual tranny car while leaving it in gear. In most situations, to me, its a definite plus. It makes it easier to drive smoothly, and probably saves wear on brake pads and rotors too. One downside is if you dont have to use as much brake pedal when in traffic, your brake lights aren't flashing as much to signal the driver behind you, so in those situations I try to lightly tap the brake pedal sometimes even when I don't have to.

ahhh I see now

I thought the car slowed fast because this thing isn't very aerodynamic :D

I thought the car slowed fast because this thing isn't very aerodynamic :D

The "rolling brick" factor comes into play as well. :D

I like it too. My cars go when I push the gas pedal thingy on the floor. That is all I ask.

Love my AutoStick! :Racing:

I like the CVT too. I am not a "mash the pedal to the floor" guy, so I have always found it just fine. I think a lot of the complaints are from people whose driving style is to floor it, which immediately causes the engine to zoom to the peak of the power band at 6000 RPM and stay there. Under those conditions it's kind of noisy.

Makes me think of the old "Doctor, it hurts when I do this" joke.

I completely agree. I love the CVT--but when my husband drives it (Mr. Mash it to the floor) that poor little truck whines very loudly...so my guess is if you drove that way all the time, you wouldn't like the CVT.

Once you learn the characteristics (idiosyncrasy's?) it performs well. I have no complaints about it's performance.

I completely agree. I love the CVT--but when my husband drives it (Mr. Mash it to the floor) that poor little truck whines very loudly...so my guess is if you drove that way all the time, you wouldn't like the CVT.

yeah. I drive the car very 'calm' so it never gets loud. i'm sure if I had a heavy foot, it would be purdy loud.

one thing I did notice (and kinda annoying) is that it doesn't really kick down the gear ratios until like 45-50. so unless u are doing that speed, you need to be in 6th in autostick if you want the lowest RPMs.

so if i'm doing 30-45 I need to put the car in 6th gear instead of D if I want the lowest RPMs for best fuel consumption.

This is something that can be fixed via software updates though,which is cool. I hope they get this figured out soon though (which I dbout will happen :()

I've been looking around here and I see that there is alot of hate for the CVT tranny.

I love mine, its smooth, and quiet.

whats with all the people complaining? When I floor mine, she gets and goes. just as I would expect from a 3000+ lbs car with only 174 hp and automatic tranny.

hey,lots of people love the CTV,I'm sure,my neighbour loves for instance driving a streetcar

My wife has a Compass, I have a Chevy HHR (to be traded for a Patriot next week) Today I drove both. The Jeep CVT is so far superior to the Chevy 4 speed automatic it isn't even funny. When the Jeep comes to a hill the transmission slowly increases rpm to deal with the hill. The Chevy gears down once, which is fine, but if the hill is long and/or steep then it gears down again and revs way up and makes a lot of noise as it lurches foreword in a rush of power. (always seconds before the crest of the hill) I ordered my Patriot with the manual transmission, but I'm glad I have access to my wife's Compass because it is really a great car to drive with the CVT.

I have only had my Pat for about a week now but love the CVT. I have driven them all. 71 Ford F250 with 4 on the floor and 7'6" plow for a brake. To a 77 Chevy Caprice Wagon w/ a 3 speed auto. I also had an econbox 82 Mercury LN7 with a 4 speed and an 85 Ford Bronco II with 5 a speed OD. My most current cars are a 05 Chevy Equinox and an 01 VW Cabrio. Every single one of these has their own little quirks that made them fun/a bitch to drive but I got use to them. Were the newest cars better, heck yeah, but the CVT has them all beat. The only times I feel the shifting is in the autostick or the goofy driving I do to test the sytem.

I am an IT person so I constantly deal with change, some good, some bad, but all needed.

I had 2 buddies of mine (engineers, and big car people) take a ride in the patriot. I floored it with them to show them what happens at WOT. it was 1st for me too.... car went to 6K RPMS and just stayed there. they were amazed. what else can you ask for? peak HP at all times.

one weird thing was when I floored it off the line, car was like not going at all, then it kicked and went. so next try I gave it half gas, and then floored it, then it worked lol

I completely agree. I love the CVT--but when my husband drives it (Mr. Mash it to the floor) that poor little truck whines very loudly...so my guess is if you drove that way all the time, you wouldn't like the CVT.

I'm not quite sure if you are commenting on driving more aggressively (perhaps not the best phrase but best I can come up right now) or just that particular driving technique. Personally, I do crank up the rpm's if the situation calls for it, utilizing as fully as I can the power available in the engine. I do agree that the sound of the engine with very high rpm's is not very "nice", but oh well... I at least can live with it. (For me at least, it's not like I need to accelerate aggressively all the time.) Mashing the gas pedal to the floor, on the other hand, is usually not the best way to go in utilizing all the power available in the engine though, I do agree with that. Stepping on it firmly, as opposed to kicking it down, is better. (Or using the AutoStick, for example right before passing another vehicle popping it into the proper "gear" so your rpm's are high enough for immediate response when you accelerate.)

Err. What I am trying to say with all this babbling is that it is possible to get performance out of the CVT, too, if you know how to drive it. At least I think that's what I was trying to say... :o

The broadcast "meteorologists" keep threating us with the "white death" but it keeps sputtering out. I wish I could have a job where I could be wrong 99% of the time and still be employed.

Have you looked at IT consulting yet? :rolleyes:

I love my CVT.

Tony,

IT Consultants are not always "wrong", they just recommend things that will take months (years) to implement and it is from a shop that his buddy owns that he has a 49% stake in so he gets the kick back. They need to put food on their table too (while going through the McD's drive thru in a Lexus) Think of it like a Haliburton no-bid contract.

As an IT person, I can say some con(in)sultants are good, but there are a vast number that are not and those are the ones that ruin it for everyone else.

But back to topic, yes the CVT does rock. As I said before, I do like it and it took me two days to get used to it. Still find it odd/amusing (even though I know via physics it is correct) that I can accelerate while the RPMs are reducing.

Heck, I'm still learning it! It is so much different that a conventional automatic.......... Just getting in another (automatic)vehicle know feels foreign. My preference in driving and wheeling is to attune engine rpm to feel, rather than looking at the tach. With this CVT, I have found three approximate rpm ranges that I run the engine to. 2k,3k & 4k to do what the circumstance calls for. Don't ask me why, but I tend to try to maintain those rpms in that circumstance. For instance, revving to 5 or 6 k does not feel like the acceleration is much quicker than just holding it around 4k. So, for quick acceleration I just roll into the throttle from a dead stop and hold it around 4k until I'm just about to the speed I want to be and slowly back off the throttle.No need to even look at the tach now, just fells like that rpm and sure enough, it's close! VERY SMOOTH AND VERY ELECTRIC! I've heard that term before in describing big torque engines and in marine applications. In which this little power plant reminds me of,actually.(Just don't call it an OUTBOARD engine,alright!) As for the 2k range, thats just for maintaining speed and the 3k works for maintaining speeds on hills.

Remarkable as it may be, that the engine sound and vibration association with rpm and the "just enough road feel as not to be excessive"" allow materialistic auto reviewers to be desensitized to the point of comparing apples to oranges.

All in all, my opinion is that the programing is sync'd more to the torque curve of this engine and not the horsepower curve. That suites me perfect as it is one less thing to be focused on when driving and wheeling. Kinda comes on as a second nature in a fluid way rather than a series of mechanical inputs from my eyes,arms and legs. Just ride that torque curve and enjoy the view baby !!!!!!!!!!!!!O.K. Tony911,,,,,,,,,,,,,,you got me ramblin' too.
Later,
hvac59

I found an interesting response to why CVT's may be slow in adoption: (from a Toyota forum)

"It is not the technical limitations that prevent the mass introduction of the CVT transmission in the US and Europa. In Japan almost all new models have (only) a CVT transmission. CVT is much more efficient than any other automatic or manual transmission.

The reason is marketing and customer expectations.
1) US and European customers are much more sensitive to advertisement phrases as 'now with a 5 stage automatic transmission'. CVT is unknown to the large public and therefore people are feeling safer buying a car with something they know than something they don't know and sounds strange (which brings me to point 2).

2) CVT transmission can keep the engine around the same rpm while accelerating, using the rpm on which the engine is the most efficient. But people are used to the sound of revving engines. The monotone sound is something people can't identify with. Althrough modern CVT will slightly rev the engine (even when this is less efficient) just to break the constant sound to enjoy the driver. But this non-revving concept is something US and European customers are not yet willing to settle with. As example there was the Nissan Primera. Excellent car, bit 'different' design, but very high-tech. It came with a manual or a CVT. The CVT was perfect, but did not ended up the driveway of many people."

I love the CVT. You just need to know how to drive it!

Folks, what's to get used to? Driving with the CVT isn't rocket science. You put it in "D" and step on the gas, but not too hard. The tranny does the rest, and does it well. I think it took an hour to stop listening for shifting gears.

I'm concerned that some of these posts might put a potential buyer off the CVT, just because they're "different". Keep in mind that some of those differences include mechanical simplicity, reliability, and excellent "engine braking".

AbqPatriot has the right idea... "just push the gas pedal thingy on the floor."

Aw, now your lettin' the air out of our over-analytical baloons. It's fun having something differant. As a matter of fact, I would love to get my hands on a CVT in a conventional layout to build an offroad/fullsize rig. Imagine that in a J-20 or a M-715 with a 440 ci in front of it and a Dana 70 out back! Pure fun, thats what I say...............

On the mpg/emissions note, I don't see how OEM's will meet the CAFE standards without them regardless off "customer expectations". Grandma(soccer moms too) ain't gonna go for a 5 speed you know. It will only be held back for so long.
hvac59

I just got back from another 400-mile road trip (averaged 29.1 MPG at 70 MPH with lots of hills and stop-and-go) in my 2.4 4x2 Limited.

I'll never stop being amused watching the tach needle swim all over the dial for no discernable reason while the Jeep stays nailed right on speed with cruise control.

The fact that, up and down hills, the vehicle never loses or gains a single MPH, never apparently shifts gears and the engine never changes note or pitch is testament to the basic efficiency of the Patriot's drivetrain.

Love it!!

Given the choice, I'd buy a 3-speed automatic with overdrive. I bought my first car in 1954, and driving has always been more than getting from point A to point B. I want to enjoy driving, and a car that's too smart takes the fun out.

I think the CVT is fine for those who want it, but I'd like an option.

Given the choice, I'd buy a 3-speed automatic with overdrive. I bought my first car in 1954, and driving has always been more than getting from point A to point B. I want to enjoy driving, and a car that's too smart takes the fun out.

I think the CVT is fine for those who want it, but I'd like an option.

GaryS: I hear you and empathize. However in this day and age, I am having to look out for the other guy, keep my road rage in check, watch my speed, signal, talk on the phone, touch up my makeup [um, but. that's another story], eat breakfast and look at my GPS without running a red light [I really hate that part]. With the CVT, I can concentrate more on being a menace on the roads. :)

I like it.

I got my Pat last June before the lifetime powertrain warranty was offered. Since the CVT was new and many auto reviews complained of the noise and droning of the engine I was unsure about getting the CVT. Jeep helped me make that decision by not offering the FDII with a manual trans. Sooo I got the CVT. My wife and I love it. I fail to differentiate the noise/droning of the CVT from any other vehicle at wide open throttle. The CVT is great on the road and on the trail.

I've been a life long Manual kind of person, and if they had one on the lot at the time, I would be driving that. That said...
In my day to day driving, I am liking the CVT. But, I have some reservations...

1) When flooring it, the engine goes to ~6000rpm's. Max Hp. Got that. But, is the engine management system limiting the engine artificially to ~6000, or is the tranny "loading" the engine sufficiently to hold rpm in check? Sometimes I wonder because like many other folks here, I can get great acceleration when only using part throttle.

2) ~6000rpm is too high IMHO. I've also been driving diesels so I'm use to driving with torque. Give me torque any day. Mitsubishi posted a Hp/Tq curve for their version of the 2.4 and it shows max Tq around 4200-4500. I would rather the CVT be re-programmed to load the engine to maintain this rpm during hard acceleration.

I only have 1800mi and currently avg high 23mpg lifetime(pen and paper)

Isn't it ironic that the same people who complain about the lack of engine revving are generally the same people who will complain that they can hear engine noise from the Patriot? Me, I like the CVT. I had almost no adjustment period in terms of getting used to it. I also like and appreciate the efficiency and the reduction of moving parts it has as compared to conventional transmissions. Less to wear out or go wrong in my opinion. It is light years beyond the clunky automatic my old Dakota had. Zero complaints from on this issue.

I have had my Pat since September 07 ..At first I hated it .. Now I don't think much about it. :)

I prefer manual transmissions. My Jeep has more than proven itself over the last couple of months. Once I learned how to drive the CVT2, I decided that I actually like it for my commute, especially when it has been a long day.

Would I want a CVT in a sports car. Nope.

I bought my first car in 1988 and have owned nothing but manual transmissions until my 2008 Patriot. But my wife convinced me to get the CVT for those bumper-to-bumper traffic jams I end up in often. She was so right -- and the CVT is actually a lot of fun on the open road. Surprisingly I don't miss manual and I rarely use the autostick feature --occasionally when starting up a steep hill from a standstill.

oops... I mean I bought my first car in 1983 and have had nothing but manuals until now.....the CVT is, theoretically, a much more durable and lightweight assembly than a standard automatic transmission. I expect it to be long-lived or easily and inexpensively replaced if needed. That's significant.

The first few trips are a learning experience. Watch the rpm's and like any other transmission (if you want it to last) no jack rabbit starts. I love the CVT and have no problems with the performance both in city and express way traffic.