2007 Nissan Altima: Stick with the CVT

I've never actually liked any of Nissan's manual transmissions. It's just not something they do well, so it's a good thing that CVTs are.
 
imo, few companies get manual transmissions right and that's been a significant part of stickshift's demise.

I drove a 1988 Maxima with manual gearbox a long time ago -- that was such as sweet car. Next Maxima I tried in 1994 was much worse -- although I don't remember anything negative about its gearbox in particular.
 
If Nissan keeps using poor shifting gearboxes, they WILL lose customers. There are other choices.

I disagree about the combination of the CVT 4cyl engine. I had been test driving the 4cyl. CVT Altima and the Mazda6 automatic V6 and honestly the Nissan was more responsive. I am sure that the Mazda would beat the heck out of the Altima on the highway but in city/ suburban/curvy driving the CVT is amazing even in the 2.4lt engine

I've never understood the reason behind having a man-u-matic feature with a CVT, as there are no gears involved?
 
Can anyone answer that? Is there any benefit to that feature on a CVT?

It's a bummer, especially given that Nissan is trying to be the "sporty alternative", and ironic since their marketing tagline is "shift_"... You'd think they would have pretty good shifters.

Rsholland: There may be no gears, but the manumatic mode engages pre-selected ratios that mimic traditional gears. In this application it works very, very well.

banhugh -- Although I personally haven't driven it, I've been told that the Altima 4-cyl is one of the few four banger Nissans that work reasonably well with the CVT. Tis why I pointed out the Sentra and the Rogue. Along those lines, the Rogue definitely benefits from its manumatic feature and accompanying shift paddles. You can take things over when you get tired of the CVT's elastic band, yo-yo throttle response.

Car and Driver loved the 2.5-liter CVT Altima.
There is no problem with CVTs and 4-cylinders;
only certain design teams have more difficulty getting it right than the Altima team.

smalone - actually CVT's have been around longer than conventional transmissions (the first of which was design by da vinci)
 
you can do research on the past cars that had CVT's, wikipedia it

That's true. Da Vinci's CVT can actually be found in the Jeep Compass.

Shame on you, James. Leave the poor compass alone!

lol jriz, good one

I have a CVT Altima Hybrid & let me tell you - as someone who loves manual transmissions and thinks most automatic transmissions are dimwitted and dumb, the CVT in that car is awesome. There's no gear hunting on hills, no herky-jerky gear changes, and never that awkward feeling of "there-should-be-a-gear-here." Maybe the weed-eater 4-bangers feel a bit measly with the CVT, but good grief, they'd be even weedier with an automatic.

My 1990 240SX had a fantastic shifter. So did my friend's '71 240Z. Nissan used to know how to do manuals with the best of them.

I had the chance to drive an Altima 2.5 with CVT, and while it was no sports car, I found it to be reasonably responsive to throttle inputs. Overall, it just felt like driving a normal automatic. When you accelerate, the transmission "shifts" into a lower gear to allow higher revs, but when you find a constant speed, it "upshifts" to allow better fuel mileage. At no point did I get slipping-clutch sensation. The manual mode also did a great job of mimicking six preset gears. Like James said though, I'd just go for the Accord Manual and call it a day.

Thats apparently true to recent Nissan introductions. The manual shifters are poor (Versa, Sentra, Altima). We are talking about a company who focus is on performance and pleasing the drivers. It's offputting to hear their sticks are now less desirable to be driven. Automatics are for those who can't compensate with shifting their own gears or those who have changed over for cruising. Nissan really needs to further test these gearboxes and ensure its precise usability. Their approach to putting almost all of their passenger cars with CVT do have a good ring to it, but the benefits have not been proven worthy. Above all, the Altima with the CVT rates highest. Lets just hope they get their acts together.

I get what all the manual drivers are saying, but really, there are some pretty nice automatics out there, so it would be good to give them a chance and believe that some might actually be better than some manuals before denouncing all automatics.

I wouldn't discount autos. There are certain vehicles that I only take with an auto (ie, trucks). But when I want driving excitement, I want a manual. The only thing I can sort of relate it to is the mouse vs. trackball argument. Yes, the trackball takes up far less room, but I feel a lot more comfortable with a mouse.

I can't say I agree with your assessment. I haven't driven the 6 sp. Coupe, but I can't imagine it is much different from my 6sp. V6 Sedan.
 
The shifter is definitely on the notchy / clunky side of the spectrum and will not be confused for the rifle-boat precision of a Honda shifter, but it is far from "unholy" and far from the worst out there. I'l take notchiness every time over the limp, lifeless overcooked pasta feel of some shifters (VW comes to mind here). I find the throws reasonably short and very precise - it's pretty much impossible to miss a gate with this thing.
 
I have no idea whatsoever what complaint could be levied against the clutch. The effort is pretty light, and the engagement as easy as falling off a log. Ihave no problem driving the car smoothly, whether the going is slow or fast, and if you stall this car, you are REALLY not paying attention.
 
In comparison, the Mazdaspeed 6 that I very nearly bought instead had a much better shift feel, but a clucth that was more finicky than a spoiled super-model. Lurching and jerking were the rule, not the exception (and I have been driving stickshifts since my '91 240SX).
 
I for one choose to applaud Nissan for making the 6 sp. manual available with the big motor. Precious few cars in this segment (at least the ones that don't hail from Germany) still give the 4-door driver three pedals and gears that shift only if and when you shift them.
 
I have driven the CVT (6 and 4 cylinders) and think it an excellent choice for those that want an auto. But there is no way on earth I would choose it over my stick.
 
Jaeger

Since when is a V6 a big engine? And I don't think it is right to compare an Infinity's transmission, shifter, and clutch with those from VW or Mazda. You expect way more from Infinity, as the price for admission is way higher.

Infiniti.
 
Infinity's the stereo and the mathematical concept.

darn it where is that edit button when you need it? Stupid glitch.

Speaking of the CVT on the Jeep Compass and the Nissan. They are both "off the shelf units" from Jatco. What I want to know is why each one is so different?

3.5 liters is a pretty big engine. and we're talking about sedans here.
 
i also know that jaeger has an altima SE, not an infiniti

Langjie, as far as I'm concerned anything under 5 liters is a small engine (Actually, anything under 302 cubic inches is small, and even that is pushing it).