A CVT might not actually end up being the very worst of the bunch
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by Stephen Rivers
1 hour ago
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by Stephen Rivers
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Almost every car that we see on the road today has at least one thing in common, a transmission that delivers power from the engine to the wheels. Many cars are in fact praised for the excellence of those gearboxes but today we’re considering the other end of the spectrum. What’s the worst transmission on the market today?
There are three main types of transmission that could all deserve their own share of consideration. Manual transmissions are widely appreciated for their high level of engagement. Automatic transmissions, especially of the dual-clutch type, can be incredibly fast. Continuously variable transmissions emphasize fuel efficiency over all else. Each type might have one or two within the subset worthy of this title.
CVTs are probably the easy target here. Not only are they at times notoriously unreliable but they’re well known for lackluster responsiveness and droning too. As we’ve covered recently though, not all are as terrible as their reputation might indicate.
Automatic transmissions were long considered the most frustrating on the market. Long bemoaned as ‘slushboxes’, automatic transmissions can be very slow to shift. Put simply, when one puts their foot down they want the car to respond in kind, not take a few seconds to decide what gear it should be in before anything of note happens.
Still, we wonder if the real “worst transmission on the market today” title should go to something with gears that one must row on their own. We say that because quite frankly, a manual transmission holds out a bit of promise that it might be more engaging, more enjoyable, and maybe even a little fun to use.
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When we dig down deep into each variant there are a number of less-desirable options to choose from. Nissan’s CVT in the Versa, Nissan’s conventional automatic in the Z, and er… Nissan’s manual in the Versa also isn’t garnering any awards anytime soon. Are there transmissions that deserve more derision though?
What’s the worst transmission on the market today? Let us know in the comments below.
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