Extra HP worthless with CVT for accident avoidance

[srellim234]

An incident happened today that got me thinking. Sitting at a red light, car barrelling down on me. Slam on the gas to get out of the way. At the last second the other car managed to swerve around me, so no accident. My Versa revved up high but with the CVT that's pretty much all it did, not moving out of the way quickly at all.

So what I'm thinking is: What's the point of the additional horsepower as opposed to the other "economy" cars if the Versa with CVT doesn't accelerate any quicker. I see the importance of the extra horsepower with a stick shift or the regular automatic transmission, but from my observation it sure doesn't help the CVT accelerate any quicker when that horsepower is needed.

Just thinking out loud.

[KimberKenobi]

If you play with it... you'll find you get better starts from the CVT if you don't throw the rpms up really high while starting out... really, the high rpms only give you the moving power when you're already well up to speed... for starting low, you've got to keep the rpms low... even keel and I bet your CVT may surprise you... I get some pretty nice starts out of ol' Camel.

Lucky for you the other car managed to avoid you!!

[Vahagn23]

My regualr auto Trans gets me up and running in a sec, lol my cars tire got stuck in a pot hole on a parking space lol, i put it in reverse and it wouldnt go back on its own, lol I tapped the gas paddle it flew back i got **** scared cuz there was a lot of cars in the back and I didnt expect it to fly back like that.

[Clipsed]

it is not horsepower you are looking for in this instance, it is torque.

[kc5f]

If you have time to think about it in a situation like that, push the button on the shifter to turn the Overdrive off (until you're out of the way). It makes quite a difference, although I've managed to chirp the tires with or without it turned off on my V without meaning to.

[Vahagn23]

wiat i dont get it? its turn off the override? i thought it was to turn on the override to get that boost.

If you have time to think about it in a situation like that, push the button on the shifter to turn the Overdrive off (until you're out of the way). It makes quite a difference, although I've managed to chirp the tires with or without it turned off on my V without meaning to.

[Clipsed]

nope it turns off the overdrive so you dont overdrive the car, with it on, it limits the engine so you don't mess it up. But I don't see how in the heck you were not able to move quick enough, because I have never had a problem with torque in my V with CVT. I used to spin out from a stop quite often by accident.

[Ever Victorious]

The V is a gutless slug off the line, it doesn't matter what transmission you have. Well, at least when you compare them to my Subarus, which make peak torque @ 2400 rpm and have a REALLY flat torque curve.

It is EXTREMELY hard in any car to accelerate from a stop to avoid an accident, mainly because by the time you realize it is going to hit, it's way too late to get out of the way. Best you can do is pop off the brakes to reduce your delta-V.

[matt_a]

This is slightly off topic, but I thought I'd share. This morning on my way out of our development, I came around a slight bend in the road to an intersection with a stop sign. There was a car in front of me already stopped there. She was waiting on a school bus that was loading kids at the opposit side of the intersection, so me and her are just sitting there waiting. That's when I noticed that her reverse lights were on! She must have overshot the stop sign when she got there and backed up slightly. But instead of putting the car back in "Drive" she was still in "Reverse". And there I was, only a few feet behind her. I quickly made sure nobody was behind me, and then I backed up about 20 feet away from her. Sure enough...as soon as the bus moved, she hit the gas and her car lunged backwards about 10 feet! If I had stayed where I was she would have smashed right into me. That was a close one.
Modified by matt_a at 4:51 AM 8/31/2007

[Jojo Versa]

The V is a gutless slug off the line, it doesn't matter what transmission you have. Well, at least when you compare them to my Subarus, which make peak torque @ 2400 rpm and have a REALLY flat torque curve.

It is EXTREMELY hard in any car to accelerate from a stop to avoid an accident, mainly because by the time you realize it is going to hit, it's way too late to get out of the way. Best you can do is pop off the brakes to reduce your delta-V.

90% of the engine torque is delivered starting at 2400 or 2600 R.P.M.'s

[vpnavy]

This is slightly off topic, but I thought I'd share. This morning on my way out of our development, I came around a slight bend in the road to an intersection with a stop sign. There was a car in front of me already stopped there. She was waiting on a school bus that was loading kids at the opposit side of the intersection, so me and her are just sitting there waiting. That's when I noticed that her reverse lights were on! She must have overshot the stop sign when she got there and backed up slightly. But instead of putting the car back in "Drive" she was still in "Reverse". And there I was, only a few feet behind her. I quickly made sure nobody was behind me, and then I backed up about 20 feet away from her. Sure enough...as soon as the bus moved, she hit the gas and her car lunged backwards about 10 feet! If I had stayed where I was she would have smashed right into me. That was a close one.

Modified by matt_a at 4:51 AM 8/31/2007

I'd love to say the same thing happened to me a while back - HOWEVER, I was the one who left it in reverse! Thank God no one was behind me.

[matt_a]

I'd love to say the same thing happened to me a while back - HOWEVER, I was the one who left it in reverse! Thank God no one was behind me.

That had to feel weird when you're expecting to go forward!

[lain]

i would have honked at here...i never use it but its so fun when i do

[OKVersa]

I dunno. I just know that I love the look on young guy's faces when this 48-year old grandma beats them off the line at a traffic stop.

The only one I've lost is with a Mustang Mach 1.

The surprise factor is huge, I suppose.