[armadillo]

Tranny: The CVT has no real shift points, but with regular automatics, you can get kits that move the shift points up and also firm up the shifts. I read that the Cube's CVT tries to keep RPM down. Any way yet to defeat that? Don't have a Cube yet (waiting for 2010, hoping for center console, nav system, and moon roof), so to you owners, what does the Low range do, just keep it in the lowest setting, or does it drop the whole range? The salesman didn't know.

Suspension: I've seen springs and braces, but no aftermarket swaybars. Anyone making those? I like the smooth ride and these don't affect that. About to be beat to death by my modified Eclipse GS-T, don't need that level of handling mods anymore, just some basics to firm it up. I hate slowing down for corners!

 

[[email protected]]

The CVT does have the option to turn overdrive off, thereby keeping the RPM's at 3000-3500 under normal conditions, but the manua STRONGLY recommends that you do not leave the overdrive off, as it will damage some part of the drivetrain. The entire point of the CVT is fuel efficiency and lower RPM's, so no there is not a techniqe for keeping the RPM's up. At least not yet. The other thing is that nobody wants t mess with the CVT itself, not even the dealers. Your talking two to three times as many moving parts in a CVT, any one of which can mess up the whole operation.

CVT tries to keep the engine at about 2500 RPM when cruising at a steady speed. This has apparently been determined to be the optimum RPM for this particular engine.

NOTE: Nissan has recently publicised that they are working on a new CVT that will have better fel efficiency. It will probably be coming out in two or three years.

Another note: I talked to a Nissan dealer about the nav systems in the car. Due to the rise in popularity of portable GPS systems (TomTom, Garmin, etc.) there was not enough intrest in paying twice as much for a nav system that was limited to a single car. He said there was only one Nissan east of the Mississippi with a nav system included and it had apparently been sitting there for a while. Don't expect the nav system to become an option.

 

[armadillo]

Thanks, KeyChainDan. I was thinking more about stop-and-go driving, where you want more response and speed control. At steady speed you indeed want the overdrive. IAE, sounds like the overdrive kind of does what I want.

The Japanese sneak 2010 photos showed a nav system (and moon roof and center console!), appeared to be integrated with the radio like a lot of cars these days. Don't really need it, not a make-or-break deal. BUT, if the 2010 does not have a center console with a nice arm rest and a moon roof like the Japanese Cubes do, that will cause me to at least look at a Scion and Hyundai Soul. Not as cute, but a LOT more options and bigger engines. Hope Nissan doesn't mess up a good thing.

Too bad the new tranny is so far off, but the current one is pretty good.

 

[L]

The Japanese sneak 2010 photos showed a nav system (and moon roof and center console!), appeared to be integrated with the radio like a lot of cars these days. Don't really need it, not a make-or-break deal. BUT, if the 2010 does not have a center console with a nice arm rest and a moon roof like the Japanese Cubes do, that will cause me to at least look at a Scion and Hyundai Soul. Not as cute, but a LOT more options and bigger engines. Hope Nissan doesn't mess up a good thing.

By all means, look at the other offerings in the segment. The Cube isn't for everyone. To each, his own.

 

[Pejay66]

Drop it to "L"

Pejay66

 

[none]

Not sure I'd want to do that on an economy car...

 

[Square1]

Your talking two to three times as many moving parts in a CVT, any one of which can mess up the whole operation.

Not true, a conventional automatic and manual trans have many more moving parts than a CVT, they're also larger and heavier. - Dan

Quote from Consumer Guide: CVTs are not new--they first appeared on European cars in the 1950s and came into wider use in the U.S. during the 1990s. Nissan is not the only automaker to offer them, but no other car company has a deeper devotion to the CVT, which basically does the job of a conventional automatic transmission but with fewer moving parts and better-claimed fuel economy.

 

[fotomoto]

They've also been used on literally millions and millions of scooters and automatic motorcycles over that same time span.

 

[Square1]

They've also been used on literally millions and millions of scooters and automatic motorcycles over that same time span.

True, they're actually only relatively new to automotive use. They've even been used in large heavy things like fork lifts. But automotive use has greater demands because of the way they're used. But like most anything. They'll eventually have them perfected and with that the reiliability / repair / replacement cost will come down to earth. I actually think the concept is great, just to early tecnologically. - Dan