CVT vs gears

[Granbygirl]

Looking for a tow vehicle, a salesman said that CVT is not good for towing. Any thoughts? I'm considering a Nissan Murano which has CVT. Thanks. Christie

[jjorgensen]

Most current CVT transmissions top out at 1500lbs, because they use a belt between to pinch rollers and the rollers adjust to different pinch sizes to provide forward movement and variable ratios. The long and short of it is that you can cause the belt in a CVT to slip if the friction to create forward movement is greater than what the belt can generate causing it to brake and then the transmission is officially broken until a new belt is installed.

[Jon in AZ]

Nissan rates the 2017 Pathfinder to tow up to 6000 pounds with a CVT transmission. It has a metal belt. The 2017 Murano, same engine, is only rated to tow 1500 pounds. Different CVT?

Subaru also uses CVT transmissions and has tow ratings up to around 2700 pounds. However, they cut the rating by half when climbing a long grade in high ambient temperatures.

CVT technology is evolving. It's hard to make blanket statements, but long-term durability in towing duty is unproven. Not sure if you're shopping new or used, but I would definitely avoid an older CVT in a used vehicle.

I believe (from an earlier thread) you are looking to tow a 16' trailer. For that I would want a vehicle rated for a minimum 3500/350 pounds towing.

[Granbygirl]

Thanks. Looks like I'm still looking! No CVTs. Christie

[Radar1]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Subaru also uses CVT transmissions and has tow ratings up to around 2700 pounds. However, they cut the rating by half when climbing a long grade in high ambient temperatures.

CVT technology is evolving. It's hard to make blanket statements, but long-term durability in towing duty is unproven. Not sure if you're shopping new or used, but I would definitely avoid an older CVT in a used vehicle.

I believe (from an earlier thread) you are looking to tow a 16' trailer. For that I would want a vehicle rated for a minimum 3500/350 pounds towing.

The Subaru rating is cut for all transmission combinations, not just the CVT. The CVT on the Outback is rated the same as the old automatic and the no longer available in USA manual transmission. It's a practical consideration that may be more in consideration of preventing overheating the engine.
I know even in our V-8 Dodge Dakota we had to pull over a couple times to cool down the engine while climbing out of Death Valley in the summer (don't ask why I was in Death Valley in the summer).

Subaru does have 2 different CVT transmissions on the Outback, the CVT in the 4 cyl is rated for 2700 lbs, and the HCVT (high torque CVT) in the 6 is rated at 3000 lbs. They both have paddle shifters available.

[steve dunham]

My two daughters have both had CVT transmission failures. ( Kia , Nissan) from towing relatively small pop up trailers.
Luckily both repairs were under warranty , unluckily the KIA's transmission is going again.

[Granbygirl]

Thanks, Dave. I'm staying away from CVTs!

[Granbygirl]

Wow, now I'm running away from CVTs!

[Jon in AZ]

Even some conventional automatics can have issues. There has been a rush in recent years to roll out new automatics with lots of gears to improve fuel economy. In the rush, some new designs have higher-than-average failure rates. In general, I try to avoid a new engine or transmission for at least 3-4 years.

It pays to do some online research. Whatever vehicle you're considering, it's good to check out the owner's forum. If it's a tow-rated vehicle, it probably has a section for towing. You can also listen for chatter about emerging issues with new drivetrain designs. Obviously, you have to discern between a few isolated failures and a pattern of failures.

In the end, you pays your money and takes your chances... Whatever you decide, adding an auxiliary transmission cooler (if it doesn't already have one intended for towing duty) increases the odds in your favor.

[The Minimalist]

There are several very good videos on Youtube demonstrating the operation of CVTs. Also, Google, 'CVT on heavy equipment'.

"because they use a belt between to pinch rollers and the rollers adjust to different pinch sizes to provide forward movement and variable ratios."

The casual use of the word 'belt' here can be misleading. The belt is a linked steel belt, not a rubber belt as referenced below.

Though similar, some folks equate the CVT to the torque converter drives on ATVs and such. These torque converter drives use corded rubber belts between spring loaded variable pitch pulleys. The pulleys automatically adjust based solely on mechanical sensing of demand. The CVTs use a steel belt and the pulley pitch is hydraulically controlled by a computer based on a variety of inputs. Both work in their respective applications, but the CVT is a much more sophisticated design.

As you can see to the left, I am involved in a long term test of the CVT in towing. In my application the CVT is performing very well. I am about to turn 50K miles 20% of which has been towing, about half of that in moderate mountain travel.

[jennykatz]

We were looking at the 2013 pathfinder years ago and thank Goodness we did not buy it .They had numerous problems I think Nissan then gave a longer CVT warranty for 2013-2014 pathfinders .
Talking to the Honda rep for South Florida He did not recommend CVT for towing . I've heard from a votec teacher that now Nissan can rebuild the CVT transmissions .
We have a Sequoia 4.7 with a 5 speed tranny so far so good with 108000 Maybe next year start looking again ?

[Granbygirl]

Jon, thanks again for great advice. I still have a lot of homework to do! Christie

[Granbygirl]

Cliff, I'll have to look at the Little Joe. Thanks.

[Granbygirl]

Jim, thanks, I'll look at the Sequoia.

[Wayne Collins]

Just pick the right one,
We towed our 16 ft DLX Scamp (2800 lb) with a 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid,
It worked like a charm. No Problems.
The CVT with dynamic braking can be downshifted on long downhill runs to afford more braking action.

[Gail H]

So far the transmission on our 2013 Nissan Murano is doing well with the towing of our Escape 17, which weighs in at around 3000 when loaded. In the past year we've towed up and down 5000 ft mountains several times. My husband says it tows like a dream. We've heard the controversy on CVT and asked our Nissan mechanic several times, and he has said it is rated for 3500 lbs and shouldn't be a problem.
When we bought the 2013 Murano, we were towing a 13 ft Trillium which probably weighed 1000 less than the Escape. Had we known we were going to upgrade our camper, we might have looked at cars a bit differently. But we were replacing a 2005 Murano which we loved and just wanted another one.
By the way, the old 2005 Murano, also with CVT, took us all over the West twice towing the Trillium. Up and down Rockies several times, Canadian Rockies, Sierra Nevadas, deserts, etc! Never had any transmission or towing issues! Guess we were lucky.
Good luck with your decision and purchase!

[Granbygirl]

Thanks, Gail. That makes me feel better.

[Mike Magee]

FWIW, I put 140,000 towing miles (185K total miles) on a 2008 Highlander with V6 and automatic transmission. It was very reliable, mostly just scheduled maintenance.

[Granbygirl]

Thanks, Highlander is at the top of my list.

[Granbygirl]

Thanks Wayne. I'm still learning.