CVT 2014 Rogue Impressed with MPG

[Kurtatron]

I just took our 2014 Nissan Rogue on a 1500 mile road trip. This time I paid attention to MPG. It got 34 mpg. That’s very impressive to me for a non-hybrid SUV. It has 94k miles on it and isn’t taken care of particularly well. I attribute this to the CVT keeping the RPMs down low for most of the trip.

As much as I hate CVTs, I have to admit, they have their merits.

 

[dishdude]

I've had more than my fair share of Nissan CVT rentals and they do drive well, return great mileage and don't have any weird speeds where you're between gears like traditional autos. Transmission aside, I recently had an Altima and I enjoyed it a lot more than the 2025 Camry I had the week before.

 

[CharBaby]

I like CVT's!
Under normal driving I don't even know it's a CVT. It just feels like an ultra smooth transmission
People say CVT's make the engine drone. They do but only upon WOT and holding the pedal to the metal for freaking ever!
When you're driving normally, they're even quieter than most and just go about their business.
Really, the only thing that I don't like about CVT's is their reputation of failing early and costing a bundle to replace.
The e-CVT's that are in Hybrid vehicles(Honda & Toyota) may be the most reliable "NEW" transmission on the market.

 

[Gus_Mahn]

Unfortunately the $4000 it will eventually cost to have it replaced will buy a lot of fuel.

 

[CharBaby]

^^^ I hear, $6000-$7000.
Our success with CVT's has been good and we know lots of folks who have tons of miles on them. However, this early failure is always on my mind and the cost associated with it after warranty.

 

[Kira]

My friends with the 3 Outlanders, who I've mentioned several times in CVT threads, had CVTs on the first two, not the third.
This fear of CVT breakdown dovetailed perfectly with their tendency to trade cars in early.

Is "CVT Breakdown" data by manufacturer available year by year? Are they making them better?

 

[KrisZ]

CVT troubles are real and not imagined. They certainly have more failures than traditional automatics, but that doesn’t mean everyone will experience a failure or that every CVT will fail prematurely. It’s just a higher percentage of them that do.

As far as their operation, I like them as well. Very smooth in normal driving conditions, no weird shift points, gear hunting or delayed downshifts. They respond instantly and smoothly to throttle input.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Some are better than others. For example, Honda has no widespread CVT problems like you hear with Nissan and Subaru.

 

[GSCJR]

The CVT in my Maxima was flawless, lots of power when needed and very smooth. I agree with @dishdude , there's no grey area. The engine braking with a fully loaded trunk and family on board, was spot on, to and from SoFlo. This was evident most, when driving through the mountains with steep grades. I always felt in control, unlike with a step shift, plus plenty of power on acceleration for overtaking. I wish I still had it, but it was time to let it go:

Also, as an FYI, my parents are on their second Rogue, no issues with either CVT.
EDIT: The CVT in my Legacy however, leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[IndyIan]

CVT troubles are real and not imagined. They certainly have more failures than traditional automatics, but that doesn’t mean everyone will experience a failure or that every CVT will fail prematurely. It’s just a higher percentage of them that do.

As far as their operation, I like them as well. Very smooth in normal driving conditions, no weird shift points, gear hunting or delayed downshifts. They respond instantly and smoothly to throttle input.

Look up used transmission prices, you will find a few surprises! So far, a used low mile replacement trans for my Outback is much less that a Camry 8spd camry one... A RAV4 6spd is about the same as an Outback. Toyota hybrid planetary CVT's are not much above scrap price which tells me they don't need replacing often!
I was impressed the V6 maxima CVT seems to last very well too, given its relatively low demand for used ones.
10spd pickup transmissions are pretty expensive... A few Acura ones I looked up are very cheap too.

I do think CVT can be a bit more fragile than a good conventional one, but there are lots of fragile conventional ones too.

 

[dishdude]

The CVT in my Maxima was flawless, lots of power when needed and very smooth. I agree with @dishdude , there's no grey area. The engine braking with a fully loaded trunk and family on board, was spot on, to and from SoFlo. This was evident most, when driving through the mountains with steep grades. I always felt in control, unlike with a step shift, and plenty of power on acceleration for overtaking. I wish I still had it, but it was time to let it go:View attachment 241186
Also, as an FYI, my parents are on their second Rogue, no issues with either CVT.

My parents had that generation Maxima, a 2004 with the 5 speed auto. The transmission grenaded around 75k so the CVT might have been an improvement!

 

[troymcclure]

Count me in as a huge fan of the CVT. Older Nissan no less. I realize I’m one of the lucky ones now going on 100k+ miles and 14 years trouble free. I wouldn’t be a Bitoger if I didn’t change the fluid with some frequency. But when they work, I like the smoothness and efficiency. And my other car is a manual transmission so I guess I’m not looking for it to be super engaging. Just really appreciate it for what it is.

 

[svtrit]

I don’t mind the CVT in Nissans either and our family having 4 Rogues in it currently with mine being the most meticulously maintained, we’ve had no issues. I had one Rogue that went 150k miles on the original CVT until it was T-boned and taken out of circulation.

However, I no longer drive my current Rogue but 200 miles a month and will be trading it on a fun car, as I worry about the long term trade in value of a low mileage CVT car, especially a no fun car like a Rogue. Time for a fun vehicle like a Jeep to sit around instead.

 

[andrew_j]

My take is modern transmissions that are CVT or at least 8 speeds get excellent MPG as your engine loafs around 1200 RPM at high way speeds.

My brother and sis in law have a 2017 Rogue with 212k mile since new. Transmission is a little rough however they never serviced it. They get around 30 mpg with country back 55 mph roads western ma.