Originally posted by: 95sport400
Three points.

1) CVT stands for continuously variable transmission not constant

2) To understand how you get an infinite number of ratios, you have to realize that there are no defined "steps" as the pulley moves in and out. It's not that you have an infinite range, but you have an infinite number of ratios within the range. Every billionth of an inch (and even less) that the belt moves up or down in either the drive or driven clutch creates a ratio that is technically different from where the belt just was. Just as the volume control on your stereo might have 10 clicks or it might just rotate smoothly through it's range creating an infinite number of possible positions that it ends up in when you stop turning it.

3) The big benefit of a properly tuned cvt (check out some snowmobile drags) is that it can be set up to allow the engine to maintain a specific rpm while the clutch shifts seamlessly. Rather than have the rpm's rise and fall as you're shifting through gears. In a properly setup drag machine, nailing the gas causes the engine to almost immediately rev to it's max hp rpm and then hang right there throughout the run while the cvt does all the work of accelerating the machine. On a street vehicle like the Nissan Murano, the cvt allows the engine to spend more time at it's most efficient rpm while the transmission responds to changing load and speed requirements.