Pros and Cons of CVT

Listed below are some of the top CVT pros and cons you must know before choosing a car that has CVT fitted in it.

Pros of CVT

Enhanced fuel efficiency

Most of the automobile markets in the world are quite price-sensitive, and due to the rising fuel costs, fuel efficiency is a major deciding factor when you plan to purchase a car. It is widely known that vehicles with CVT fitted in them have enhanced fuel efficiency.

Most of the PHEVs and hybrid cars come with CVT, which helps in increasing the efficiency of fuels of these mid-size cars. Honda Amaze is one of the top cars in the Indian market that comes with CVT and has one of the best mileages. Thus, when it comes to the CVT engine pros and cons, this is one of the top pros.

Hassle-free seamless long-distance drives

The CVT has a belt-driven system that leads to the rotation of the rotor disc or pulley located in the CVT unit according to the input of power and momentum of the car. The mechanism sounds incredibly seamless, but it is very subtle, and there are no sudden lurches or jerks that you might experience when you drive a vehicle that has a manual transmission.

Thus, CVT enhances the quality of your drive and makes it sophisticated. This can especially be experienced over long distances when the engine of your car remains completely calm and relaxed.

Desired power all the time

The gear ratios are fixed in a traditional gearbox, but that is not the case with CVT. In a CVT, the gear ratios are infinite; thus, there is a very positive and responsive reaction when the accelerator of the car is pressed when the car is treading uphill.

You also do not need to be worried about shifting to the accurate gear, you gain the correct amount of pace and power when you are treading down an inclined pathway.

This is one of the top advantages when you take your car for drives on the highway when the car can breach the cruising speed with ease. Thus, in the list of pros and cons of continuously variable transmission, this is one of the top pros.

Fewer parts and lighter weight

The CVT simplifies the whole shifting process, which translates to fewer parts required to manufacture CVT. This also reduces the chances of mechanical failure as there are lesser parts. Thus, in the long run, this can be quite helpful.

Also, the CVT unit has no requirement for car gears to maintain the right ratio, which reduces the engine's weight. This also leads to a reduction in the size of the engine, which is great. And as all know, weight reduction is directly proportional to enhanced fuel efficiency, one of the top pros of a car with CVT.

Cons of CVT

High expenses of maintenance

The expenses of maintaining a CVT engine is a bit higher because the engine needs a different kind of oil that cannot be mixed with the fluids used for normal transmission engines. In conventional car engines, the oil is added to lubricate the parts, whereas, in the CVT engine, the oil is used to grab the parts so that there is no occurrence of slippage.

Unusual tone at acceleration

If you have ever driven a car with CVT, you will notice that at the time of accelerating, you can hear a peculiar sound. This is known as the rubber band effect. The contraction and expansion of the belts in the CVT unit might not affect the power delivery very noticeably. Still, it leads to some non-linear accelerating sound, which is not quite the case with other transmissions.

Repair is costly

As per most noticeable incidents, the chances of a CVT failing are higher than a normal conventional transmission. It has been noticed that the CVT is good for 80,000 to 90,000 kilometres. After this, the belt of the CVT starts to decay and wear out. Thus, car manufacturers tend to replace the whole transmission system of the car, which immensely increases the repair expenses. Thus, in the list of pros-cons of CVT transmission, this is a con you need to add.

**Issue at higher levels of RPM **

Although having a car with CVT is quite beneficial when it comes to uphill situations, there is a need to check the revs so that these do not cause the vehicle to enter the danger zone. There are instances when the CVT unit recognises the input wrongly, and it revs the car’s engine to a higher gear which is not required. So, although having an infinite number of gear ratios is great, it needs to be kept in check. Thus, when it comes to the CVT transmission pros and cons, this is one of the cons that you need to remember.

Thus, now you are aware of all the pros and cons of continuously variable transmission, you must keep them in mind when you buy a car for yourself. Buying a car is a huge investment and needs to be done after careful research. If you think that CVT is something that you can handle, you can opt for a car that has it.

The most common car options in the Indian market with CVT are MG Astor, Honda Amaze, Nissan Kicks, Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger, etc. You can choose the car after comprehending your budget and requirements.

Also, while you go and buy a car, do not miss out on the right car insurance plan, as that will keep your car secure on the roads in India. You can choose from one of the Tata AIG four-wheeler insurance plans after comparing the plans online.