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When people talk about car transmission, they typically only mention manual or automatic transmission. Manual transmission had been the standard for many years, and then automatic came in as a simpler way to transition between gears that many drivers seem to prefer. Driving a manual transmission is fairly rare these days, and many drivers don't even know how to do it.

There is a third kind of transmission available, the CVT transmission, that most drivers aren't even aware of and certainly don't know how to distinguish it from an automatic transmission.

In the simplest terms a CVT transmission is what is known as a continuously variable transmission. It is in fact a kind of automatic transmission, meaning you don't actually have to manually shift between gears and the car handles that job itself. However, unlike a standard automatic transmission, the CVT is able to transition through the range of gear ratios seamlessly. There is no moment where your transmission switches from a lower gear to a higher gear or vice versa. The CVT is based on gear ratio so there is no first gear, second gear, third gear as you might understand them.

Let's take a look at exactly how a CVT transmission works, some of the pros and cons, and also what you want to do if you had one and there was a problem with it.

Is CVT Better Than Automatic Transmission?

It's hard to answer a question like this since better is certainly a subjective term at the best of times. But if you're comparing a CVT transmission to an automatic transmission there are definitely some notable differences that may make you prefer one to the other.

CVT transmission is designed to be a much more smooth and fuel-efficient kind of transmission than a standard automatic transmission. When they're working properly your car is able to transition between gears in a much more easy fashion that is less stressful to the transmission overall which in turn leads to that better fuel economy. So, in theory at least, using a CVT transmission could be less stressful to your car and save you money in the long run.

In reality, this depends entirely on the make and model of your vehicle and how you drive it. Just like any car, if you push too hard or don't take proper care of your vehicle then you can have problems with your CVT transmission just the same as you would with a manual or an automatic transmission.

Whether or not you consider it a better transmission simply because it's more fuel efficient and the transition between gears is done more smoothly is really a matter of taste. For instance some people very much prefer the feeling of a manual transmission and they want to have that control that comes with switching between gears. So, for people like that, manual transmission would be the best transmission. It really is a matter of taste. That said, a CVT transmission can definitely perform extremely well and be more cost-effective for you and if those are concerns, then you could definitely consider a CVT transmission better than standard automatic transmissions.

Pros and Cons of CVT Transmission

There are some clear benefits as we've seen to using the CVT transmission, but there may be some downsides as well. Let's compare the ups and downs of using a CVT.

PROS

Optimal Performance: One of the big upsides to using a CVT transmission is that it is able to best make use of the power that your engine produces when compared to other forms of transmission. Because it seamlessly transitions through gear ratios it makes optimal use of engine power without having those quick lurches or lags that occur in manual or automatic transmissions when you shift from one gear to another. That is part of the reason the fuel efficiency is so much better with the CVT as well, because you're never dropping performance when you try to shift for one gear to another, because you never actually have to shift from one gear to another.

Smoothness: If you ever tried to drive a manual transmission you probably had at least one experience when switching gears went pretty badly for you. You may have ended up grinding some gears and producing a terrible sound from your transmission. And even automatic transmissions, when they go bad, can slip gears and cause problems for you. A CVT transmission, because it doesn't actually have gears that it switches through, is always smooth and you'll never have that grinding problem.

Lightweight: CVT transmissions are smaller than standard automatic or manual transmissions. That means they're lighter, and able to fit into a more compact space in your engine compartment. This also contributes to your overall fuel economy and, because there are fewer parts involved, it makes it easier to maintain.

Efficiency: Many cars that are marketed as high fuel efficiency, and this includes hybrid vehicles, use a CVT transmission rather than a standard automatic transmission. That is again because of the efficiency that we mentioned. Word it is that your fuel economy can improve by about 5% by using one of these transmissions versus the old school automatic transmission that we're all used to.

CONS

The Adjustment Factor: When CVT transmissions were first introduced many drivers called their dealerships to complain that it wasn't working right. Since you aren't shifting from one gear to another, you're not getting that RPM boost that you're used to when you hit a new gear in a standard automatic or a manual transmission vehicle. Because of this, drivers were constantly under the impression that the gearbox had slipped in their CVT and it simply wasn't working right. That wasn't the case, but it was the impression. If you're not used to a CVT transmission, there's a good chance you'll think it's working incorrectly even though it's working fine. The fact is, even when working fine, a CVT transmission will often sound like your engine is struggling. That can be hard to get used to.

Noises: As we mentioned, it can sound like you're having trouble with your engine when you're using a CVT transmission. It's normal for a CVT transmission to produce what some drivers refer to as a wine or a moan while you're driving. Obviously no one wants a car that makes a lot of noise, and the sound has improved somewhat over the years, but you will still notice it when you're driving and that can be a problem for some drivers.

Boring: There's no real gentle way to say this, but CVT transmissions have a reputation for being boring. In a manual transmission vehicle, you have a moment where you can switch into a higher gear and put your foot down on the gas and really feel the car roar to life. Even in a standard automatic transmission vehicle when you put your foot down on the gas you get to experience that rev as your car gets up to speed and you really feel like you're going all out on the highway. The CVT transmission doesn't really give you that feeling. Many drivers describe it as feeling unresponsive and this is due to the fact that it doesn't have that staggered shifting through gears, it just goes slow and steady up to the speed you're trying to get to.

Price Point: While buying a car with a CVT transmission may not cost you more in terms of sticker price, it could end up costing you more in terms of repair bills. Even though there are fewer parts as we mentioned earlier, and the CVT is less likely to break down on average when compared with a standard automatic transmission, when it does break down on you it is going to cost you more to get repaired. But we'll get a little bit more into that in a moment.

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