New York 2012: Nissan Altima, Now With More CVT, 38 MPG

by Derek Kreindler

Published: April 3rd, 2012

new york 2012 nissan altima now with more cvt 38 mpg

Finally, we can dispense with the dumb teasers and show you the face of the 2013 Nissan Altima. Bad news – a CVT is standard across the board.A 2.5L 4-cylinder makes 182 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. A 270 horsepower 3.5L V6 is also available – but if it’s anything like the engine in the Infiniti JX, the CVT and VQ35 combo should prove adequate. The 4-banger is supposedly good for 38 mpg on the highway. We’ll have live shots shortly. Thanks to VWVortex for blowing the embargo!

#JapaneseCars #NewYork2012 #NewYorkAutoShow #Nissan #NissanAltima #NYIAS #Nyias2012 #Sedans

Derek Kreindler

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Robert.Walter on Apr 06, 2012

If Daimler had any brains, they would have put a cvt in the smart car!

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CelticPete on Apr 09, 2012

CVT's are much hated by enthusiasts. I asked some Car and Driver readers why..and they told me. #1. They are slow off the line - due to the CVT's inability to handle high torque. If you notice (and I researched this a bit) the 'lowest' gear in a CVT is higher the lowest gear in the new 8 and 9 speed autos. So effectively they don't put as much power to the road when you really want it - off the line. CVTs are like taking off in 2nd gear on a manual transmisson.. #2. They are programmed for efficency and seem unwilling to shift down as aggressively in passing situations. For example the new ZF eight speed will do an 8-2 downshift. The CVT doesn't seem keen on that idea.. So its not as repsonsive.. This is the 'other' time you want to go fast. No one really cares about top speed IMHO.. #3. Many people seem to think they can't be rebuilt. They simply die and give very little warnings as to when. And the cost of a full replacement is often pretty high. #4. The constant droning that you get from them many people find annoying.. Anyway its not at all certain that CVTs will beat out conventional autos or the more efficent DSG style transmissions. From an enthusiast standpont these thing seems to be the most hated. Being slow off the line and slow to respond in passing situations isn't worth a few extra MPG for alot of enthusiasts. For the focus crazed about gas mileage numbers and who just want smooth ride they probably worth it..

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