09 poor off the line performance

[bilmar]

I have owned a new 09 for about a week now and the passing performance is great but accelerating from a standstill seems pretty lame.If I floor at a greenlight the engine never gets above 4krpm until about 40MPH so I don't get much power until it is really moving.If this was a normal transmission I would wonder if it is ever dropping down to 1st gear!

Is this kind of performance normal for this CVT or should it be gearing lower from a start?

Thanks

Bill

[Desert Rat]

It's normal. It's an SUV, not a sports car, and not all power is applied right off the line by the ECU.

[kerrton]

I don't know, if you put the throttle right to the floor I'd expect it to rev higher than 4000 rpms and give you some pretty wild acceleration. It really depends on your perspective, but I know when I drove an 09 when I floored it I felt like it sucked me back in my seat and the engine was screaming, I was really impressed. I ended up buying a Rogue, much smaller engine 2.5 4 cylinder but if you floor it you almost lose control in a hurry.

My advice would be to drive it for a few more weeks, see if there is any other signs of drivability issues. If there is a problem with the powertrain etc you'll notice in more than one driving situation. Then if you're still concerned take it in for service and explain the problem, they'll be able to diagnose it under warranty. Good luck.

[nafddur]

It's normal. It's an SUV, not a sports car.

I couldn't agree more. Anyone looking for performance certainly wouldn't be buying a car with a CVT. That's why manual transmissions are still available.

Our Mo's fun, practical, enjoyable and comfortable to drive - Yes. Performance cars - No!

[kerrton]

I dont' know, the Mo comes with a pretty beafy engine and it's promoted by Nissan as having fun performance, LOTS of power and great handling, I realize it won't win any races at the track, but I don't think bilmar is trying to win races, just get some decent acceleration of the line.

The one I drove seemed to have an abundance of power, more than I really needed.....everyone's impressions are different but I definately wouldn't call the Mo underpowered or slow, and if you are putting the throttle right to the floor it sucks you back in your seat, if bilmars isn't doing this I'd suspect a problem. Just trying to be sure we don't steer him the wrong way with general statements like "The Mo ain't designed to win races" when we all know this is true, but bilmar isn't at the races, he's just trying to accelerate quickly around town.

[Desert Rat]

It does have a lot of power, but the ECM restricts it off the line, perhaps to be easier on the transmission. The CVT is designed with economy in mind. AS you stated, the thing will get up an move when it comes to passing power, but it's no drag racer. Mine is the same way.

[GT-RMurano]

I read a thread to this affect and have to agree, the Mo is actually faster not going all the way to the floor. There seems to be a sweet spot above which more pedal actually makes it slower from a stop. You have to work with it a little and don't go fully to the floor. Hope that helps.

[Poyzinous]

At lower speeds you want torque, so thats why the engine stays at peak torque range. Either way, the Murano is faster than any competing SUV.