I don't think CVTs have any reliability problems, in general. Nissan's CVTs were less reliable a few years ago, not sure about today. However, Honda, Toyota and Subaru CVTs have been very reliable overall. I've been following Subaru forums for a while and there is definitely no widespread issues with CVTs, even past 100K.
Regarding the video and efficiency of CVTs, what the video does not cover are common implementation losses associated with CVTs. Any mechanical system has some type of loss, which reduces its efficiency. In CVTs which use a belt and pulleys (there are other types!) the pulleys clamp hard on the steel belt. They do this using an oil pump. Losses are incurred with driving this pump and by the increase in friction because of the clamping. In particular, the friction losses increase with the increase in speed of the belt through the pulleys. So, as long as you drive in low RPMs, which is most of the time for normal driving, friction losses are minimal.
Modern CVTs typically use variable pressure oil pump, which is controlled by the ECU. For example, when starting from a stop, much more force is required vs. when cruising in constant speed. They do this by constantly monitoring "micro slips" of the belt and adjusting clamping pressure. I believe (but don't know for sure) that Subaru vehicles reduce engine torque as well to prevent slip and thus can be 1.5 sec slower 0-60 from a manual, though launch procedure for the 2 transmissions is very different, so not a fair comparison.
CVTs have essentially infinite gears and, as such, could save you gas by constantly varying gear ratio for optimal fuel consumption.
Audi used to sell CVT in the A4 and A6 but stopped few years ago. Their CVTs were not reliable, however, Audi claimed they were faster 0-60 than standard automatic on the same car.
CVTs are know to suffer from rubber-band effect, where there is a delay between increase in engine RPM and vehicle speed. Some of this is due to naive CVT programming. Honda CVTs are known to be very responsive and Subaru is pretty good as well. Another complaint is droning, i.e. the engine is at constant high RPM, making a lot of noise. This is where you'd get the best acceleration, as explained in the video. Many manufacturers started mimicking stepped gears to eliminate the complaint, sometimes except when you floor it, where it will give you best acceleration and droning noise.
Nissan and Subaru have high torque CVTs for 3.5/3.6/Turbo applications even in mid-size Pathfinder SUV.
It is debatable if 8 and 9 speed traditional transmissions are any better in terms of driving experience compared with a CVT. The latter are definitely simpler and more compact, though still don't reach the ratio spread of the former.
Regarding the video and efficiency of CVTs, what the video does not cover are common implementation losses associated with CVTs. Any mechanical system has some type of loss, which reduces its efficiency. In CVTs which use a belt and pulleys (there are other types!) the pulleys clamp hard on the steel belt. They do this using an oil pump. Losses are incurred with driving this pump and by the increase in friction because of the clamping. In particular, the friction losses increase with the increase in speed of the belt through the pulleys. So, as long as you drive in low RPMs, which is most of the time for normal driving, friction losses are minimal.
Modern CVTs typically use variable pressure oil pump, which is controlled by the ECU. For example, when starting from a stop, much more force is required vs. when cruising in constant speed. They do this by constantly monitoring "micro slips" of the belt and adjusting clamping pressure. I believe (but don't know for sure) that Subaru vehicles reduce engine torque as well to prevent slip and thus can be 1.5 sec slower 0-60 from a manual, though launch procedure for the 2 transmissions is very different, so not a fair comparison.
CVTs have essentially infinite gears and, as such, could save you gas by constantly varying gear ratio for optimal fuel consumption.
Audi used to sell CVT in the A4 and A6 but stopped few years ago. Their CVTs were not reliable, however, Audi claimed they were faster 0-60 than standard automatic on the same car.
CVTs are know to suffer from rubber-band effect, where there is a delay between increase in engine RPM and vehicle speed. Some of this is due to naive CVT programming. Honda CVTs are known to be very responsive and Subaru is pretty good as well. Another complaint is droning, i.e. the engine is at constant high RPM, making a lot of noise. This is where you'd get the best acceleration, as explained in the video. Many manufacturers started mimicking stepped gears to eliminate the complaint, sometimes except when you floor it, where it will give you best acceleration and droning noise.
Nissan and Subaru have high torque CVTs for 3.5/3.6/Turbo applications even in mid-size Pathfinder SUV.
It is debatable if 8 and 9 speed traditional transmissions are any better in terms of driving experience compared with a CVT. The latter are definitely simpler and more compact, though still don't reach the ratio spread of the former.
