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- Location
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- Elgrand
- E51
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- Wales
Mainly it's better fuel efficiency and cheaper production. Car makers love that combo!Why are CVTs used at all in general, is it a cost thing?
Fuel efficiency is because the engine can be kept around the RPM in which it's most efficient - revs stay the same and it smoothly adjusts the gearing instead.
Cheaper production is because it's fewer parts and less material, with less machining and quicker assembly.
CVTs suffer from three things:
- high torque, such as accelerating hard in first gear, put a lot of strain on them. This means they'll wear out more quickly (especially in a car that is heavy or is towing).
- good lubrication is essential. Overheating destroys the lubricant, and some early CVTs had insufficient cooling. Many owners, especially those towing, will fit more powerful cooling solutions. Also, changing the fluid is a very good idea but put in the wrong fluid and you may massively increase wear, destroying your CVT in short order.
CVTs also have a reputation for not being easily repairable - presumably a new metal belt is totally different to slapping in some new/donor cogs.


