I did a search and a lot of results came up in the Versa forum but I'm still not very clear. In the manual they recommend shifting based on speed. I've always read that you shift based on RPM. Can someone pls teach me how to shift properly so I dont screw it up? How to get it to go from a stop to 80 faster? Also how do you pass on the freeway? If I'm in CVT and switch to Manual it shows 1st gear? kinda weird.

To get your car up to 80 the fastest? Redline that badboy!!

yea, at what RPM do i shift in gear 1,2,3,4,5 on the 2.5 to get the best performance?

just like a M/T red line it and if you can "power shift" (keep on gas as much as possible, well I guess its an auto so that's easy!)<---not real good for the car (manual) but hey once in while right.

GREAT QUESTION!!!!!

I Just had the same thought yesterday while getting a bite to eat. I Asked my B/F and he just confused me even more so I dropped it. haha. I would like to get more educated on the topic, Something about not knowing how to work something in my new car just has me a little uncomfortable. I want to be able to shift gears but the "right" way I guess?

if you're in manual mode and your RPMs get to redline or near redline (i think i a little before redline) the car will automatically shift it into the next gear for you. from a stop to 80? what i do when i race my friend is step on the brake and then give it gas so the RPMs go to like 2500 and then take your foot off the brake and floor the gas pedal all the way and it will hit redline pretty quick and CVT never shifts so it will just stay there.... what i do when i want to pass is put it in manual mode to where the RPMs are at like 4000 and floor the gas pedal, it moves pretty quick. also something else i've done that i'm not sure is good for the car or not (i don't think it would hurt the car since i hear no knocks or anything and it goes smooth) is put it in manual to about 4000 RPMS and then floor the gas pedal and well my foot is all the way on the gas pedal, hit it back in "D" (CVT), and it will just go from 4000 RPM to redline and just stay at redline. if you do it past 4500 RPM, it will shift a gear when putting is back into "D" and sorta defeats the purpose of doing it. so to pass you could just put it in manual mode to about 4000 RPM and when it gets close to redline it will shift on its own

I have no manual experience so i'm just kinda shifting based on the speed in the manual but it doesnt seem to be faster than leaving it in CVT

I usually drop out of auto into manual and then down shift one gear. From there I just leave it in manual and hit the gas. I let the transmission shift by itself when it gets close to redline. Don't do this if you don't intend to stay on it or put it back into drive before letting off the gas otherwise you will feel nasty thump as your head slams forward into the steering wheel when you let off the gas at about 5500 rpms.

Yea i usually shift down one gear also when i put it from D to Manual mode. And when your red lining it make sure you shift just before 6k or the car will do it for you, as previously mentioned, and you will end up shifting 2 gears at a time. Happened to me a few times shift from 1rst to 2nd at 6100 rpms and the car has already shifted into second so now i actually just put it in 3rd bogging it down quite and bit and if your in a close race then you just probably lost due to a mis shift.

what's the point of shifting in a CVT? you don't actually have ANY gears, putting it in manual is just Simulating gear change, but no gear change is actually happening.

Go drive one and give the throttle about 35% in D at 60 mph and give it 35% in 2nd at 60 mph You'll feel the difference. It's about having the power immediately available and not having to wait for the engine shaft power to sync with the drive shaft. and for conventions sake the cvt does have 2 gears. High and Low.

I've never driven a car with a CVT, i think i should go test one out. Just hope the sales man doesn't say anything if i start flooring it and playing around with the stick. I better act as if iam going to buy the car.

Why didn't you guys just get the 6-speed the manual mode on the CVT still doesn't come close to the feel of a real manual.

Dexion wrote:Why didn't you guys just get the 6-speed the manual mode on the CVT still doesn't come close to the feel of a real manual.

... just get a 6mt.

Hussain wrote:if you're in manual mode and your RPMs get to redline or near redline (i think i a little before redline) the car will automatically shift it into the next gear for you. from a stop to 80? what i do when i race my friend is step on the brake and then give it gas so the RPMs go to like 2500 and then take your foot off the brake and floor the gas pedal all the way and it will hit redline pretty quick and CVT never shifts so it will just stay there.... what i do when i want to pass is put it in manual mode to where the RPMs are at like 4000 and floor the gas pedal, it moves pretty quick. also something else i've done that i'm not sure is good for the car or not (i don't think it would hurt the car since i hear no knocks or anything and it goes smooth) is put it in manual to about 4000 RPMS and then floor the gas pedal and well my foot is all the way on the gas pedal, hit it back in "D" (CVT), and it will just go from 4000 RPM to redline and just stay at redline. if you do it past 4500 RPM, it will shift a gear when putting is back into "D" and sorta defeats the purpose of doing it. so to pass you could just put it in manual mode to about 4000 RPM and when it gets close to redline it will shift on its own.

way to ruin ur car buddy. stepping on the gas and brakes? wow.. thats great to do to ur car.. if u really want put it in neutral.. rev and just throw it into drive and thatll work better.. and what do u mean u dont hear rattling or knocking so it prob isnt bad.. ofcourse ur not gonna hear it even if ur killing ur car. learn to drive before u ruin a nice car..

Dexion wrote:Why didn't you guys just get the 6-speed the manual mode on the CVT still doesn't come close to the feel of a real manual.

move to LA and find out why

Shift_Perfection wrote:
... just get a 6mt.

way to ruin ur car buddy. stepping on the gas and brakes? wow.. thats great to do to ur car.. if u really want put it in neutral.. rev and just throw it into drive and thatll work better.. and what do u mean u dont hear rattling or knocking so it prob isnt bad.. ofcourse ur not gonna hear it even if ur killing ur car. learn to drive before u ruin a nice car..

THAT'S EVEN WORSE!!! anyone who knows anything about automatic will tell you NEVER rev it in neutral and then put it in drive! 1 of my friend's tried that in a benz and messed it up and one of my brother's did it in a jeep and the drive shaft fell off! that is the stupidest thing you could ever do with an automatic. stepping on the brakes and giving it a little gas isn't the best thing but if anything happens, it'll just be your brake pads getting worn out a little faster then usual. it gets your RPMs up a little higher from the launch so you take off quicker (like stick shift). i don't know why anyone would do that on a daily bases.... that's why i said that's what i did when i raced my friend! if you take it to the track or somethin, you want to get the best possible time and it wont screw up your car.... the part about putting it back into "D", i said i've only done that a couple times and i'm not sure if it's the best thing to do. i'm no expert but isn't triptonic and CVT's manual mode made to be put back in "D" we'll the car is moving (you don't stop and put it back in "D" and then go) so how is that any different? it's just at a slightly higher RPM then doing it normally. does anyone know like for sure that will mess up your car (not thinks it might, but KNOWS it will)?

Shift_Perfection wrote:.. if u really want put it in neutral.. rev and just throw it into drive and thatll work better....

DO NOT do that. I repeat DO NOT do that. That will wreck your transmission.

SHIFT_COUPE wrote:


DO NOT do that. I repeat DO NOT do that. That will wreck your transmission.

Let him do that and then come crying to these forums about how his new Altima is at the dealers and how he has to pay some insane amount of money.

Quote ».. if u really want put it in neutral.. rev and just throw it into drive and thatll work better....[/quote]This thread should be renamed to "How to NOT use the CVT manual mode." Whoever gives advice like that should get an automatic ban from the boards.

You also shouldn't press the gas and brake pedals at the same time unless you want to wear out your brake pads and tires while straining the engine.

too bad i have a 6mt but ok.. i dont need to worry about fake manual tranny cvt garbage.

Shift_Perfection wrote:too bad i have a 6mt but ok.. i dont need to worry about fake manual tranny cvt garbage.

You just told someone to do a neutral drop. Don't get your panties in a bunch now, ya hear?

theyre not

Shift_Perfection wrote:too bad i have a 6mt but ok.. i dont need to worry about fake manual tranny cvt garbage.

defense mechanism

alrite. i made a mistake sry guys. no need to get so offended.. i figured it was the same as mt since u rev a bit then let off the clutch for a good take off.. my falut relax..

Shift_Perfection wrote:
if u really want put it in neutral.. rev and just throw it into drive and thatll work better..

i alredy tried that and nothing happens, it wont engage in drive until RPMS drop back to 750-1200 RPM.

And BTW i noticed that it is alot quicker if you use manual mode. but in theory isnt the regular mode suposed to be faster???!! i think someone should race another car with cvt. one guy does manual mode and another does regular. and i also want to see a 6mt race a cvt

Shift_Perfection wrote:too bad i have a 6mt but ok.. i dont need to worry about fake manual tranny cvt garbage.

sorry, some of us like to drink coffee, smoke, talk on our cell phones, and eat cheerios while driving. SO much easier with that fake cvt garbage.
Modified by mikemart at 9:41 PM 11/12/2007

mikemart wrote:
sorry, some of us like to drink coffee, smoke, talk on our cell phones, and eat cheerios while driving. SO much easier with that fake cvt garbage.

WOW sounds like the CVT makes you very unhealthy, remind me to stay away.

mikemart wrote:
sorry, some of us like to drink coffee, smoke, talk on our cell phones, and eat cheerios while driving. SO much easier with that fake cvt garbage.

Modified by mikemart at 9:41 PM 11/12/2007

Sry, but I think all of us would like to ask you to kindly not drive anywhere near us, while you so easily drink coffee, smoke, talk on your cell phone, and eat your cheerios, and drive your CVT

Shift_Perfection wrote:alrite. i made a mistake sry guys. no need to get so offended.. i figured it was the same as mt since u rev a bit then let off the clutch for a good take off.. my falut relax..

Haha. If you don't know what you're talking about, it's best not to talk at all. Assume less, learn more.

probably the best thing to do is just put it in 1st and from then on let the car do the shifts at redline. trying to shift yourself will probably end in a mis-shift if you try to do it very near redline. then again if you want to do that just leave it on DRIVE. jajajaaj

TheBourneAltimatum wrote:
And BTW i noticed that it is alot quicker if you use manual mode. but in theory isnt the regular mode suposed to be faster???!! i think someone should race another car with cvt. one guy does manual mode and another does regular. and i also want to see a 6mt race a cvt

the manual would beat the cvt hands down.