Classic Cars Nissan

I have to admit, I’m just a little bit behind the times.

You see, I’m not really in the market for a new car. My 2006 Alitma is running just fine, so I’ve got no reason to start thinking about trading it in already.

At least, I didn’t until I saw the specs on the 2009 Maxima.

As a father of two, I’ve settled in for a long time on the fact that I have to have a sedan. There’s just no getting around it; four doors are a necessity. Unfortunately, they don’t really make sports cars with 4 doors.

Until now.

The 2009 Maxima is sharp, fast and, according to the folks at Popular Mechanics, the closest that any auto manufacturer has ever come to creating a 4-door sports car.

Believe it or not, the 2009 Maxima even gets reasonable gas mileage, coming in at around 26 MPG on the freeway. This is decent for a car of it’s size, and it’s decent for a sports car. Part of the reason for the great mileage has to be that CVT – Continuously Variable Transmission – which maximizes engine effeciency.

I can’t say I’m surprised to see this come from Nissan. I’ve always thought that Nissan cars were some of the most versatile on the market today, and this one proves it.

Now, if I can just convince my spouse that it’s time for a trade.

Many Nissan cars and cars of other makes utilize CVT technology. CVT is short for continuous variable transmission. While each manufacturer may have their own take on the CVT, the way the CVT works is essentially the same.

The concept of the CVT transmission is this: the CVT changes the diameter of the two primary pulleys that are used in the transmission system on an ongoing basis, allowing the engine to run in a more efficient manner.

A CVT transmission has pulleys. Those pulleys have grooves shaped like a “V.” A connecting belt sits in these grooves. A hydraulic cylinder can move one side of the pulley, while the other side is fixed. When the CVT actuates, the cylinder is reduces or increases the space between each side of the pulley. Thus, the belt can ride low or high on the pulley walls, which in turn changes the ration of the gears. It does this with a near-infinite variety of ratios, and doesn’t therefore have any steps in between the ratios. A traditional transmission will have four or five steps, depending on how many gears it has. The lack of steps allows the engine to stay optimized, in terms of power. This makes the engine much more efficient.

More and more manufacturers will look to CVT technology as a solution the high price of gas. While the CVT transmission doesn’t solve the problem of gas consumption completely, it is one step along the way to finding a good solution. When used along with hybrid technology, CVT can make a significant difference in fuel efficiency.

If you’re interested in test-driving a Nissan car with a CVT transmission, come on in to our Nissan dealer today and see what we’ve got in the way of fuel-efficient CVT vehicles. Nissan has been at the forefront of CVT technology, and over one million CVT vehicles are sold at Nissan dealers every year.

One of the hallmarks of some of the Nissan cars , from the perspective of technology, is the CVT, or continuously variable transmission. The CVT has been used for more than half a century, but wasn’t in wide use in the U.S. until the 1990s.

What is the CVT? Essentially, the CVT is a transmission that does what a regular transmission does, but it accomplishes this task with fewer moving parts and more fuel economy. It differs from a traditional transmission in that there aren’t a set number of gears. A conventional transmission usually has a set of gears, and only powers those gears based on the gear ratio. A CVT, instead, uses pulleys and belts to create an almost limitless number of gear ratios. This means that the transmission will constantly adjust, using the right ratio for the needs of the engine at that particular time. Because of the way the CVT interacts with the engine, a car equipped with the CVT will use less gas than a car with a traditional transmission.

One of the most noticeable differences between a traditional transmission and the CVT is that you can feel it in the vehicle when a traditional transmission changes gears. There will be a bit of a lurch during acceleration, and the engine will change note. The CVT provides a constant engine note, on the other hand, and you can’t feel it change gears.

The CVT is best used with a front wheel drive vehicle with low or moderate horsepower. Many Nissan cars use the CVT, while Nissan trucks will continue to use traditional transmissions.

Why not come out to our New Jersey Nissan dealer today and test drive one of our CVT-equipped cars. Feel the difference that this technology makes.