Nice review and I totally agree with everything you said. I've had my 2008 B7 model Audi A4 2.0T Multitronic from new with 160,000km (100,000 miles) on the clock. I had some doubts at first but the CVT box has been faultless so far touch wood. It's my wife's daily and I drive it occasionally, in the past I've mostly owned manual transmission cars and currently also own a conventional 5 speed auto Toyota SUV as well as a 6 speed VW Golf R32 with DSG. CVT certainly feels/sounds different in the way the engine revs spool up quickly shortly followed by speed catching up, best part is the power delivery is super smooth. If you want to drive it in a sporting way just use the paddle shifters or put it in sport mode and it feels like a DSG. Off topic but I think the late B7 models are the best looking of all Audi A4 variants:)
My dad owns one from new, 2.7 tdi with a CVT...the transmission has been without a single fault for over 450.000 km. Basically the only problems that car had are related to the exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGR valve, particle filter, intake manifold valves). The rest has been normal wear and tear. The transmission is a joy to drive. It is not a fast car by any stretch of the imagination.....but it is so so smooth....
my 2004 A4 B6 1.9 TDI has it too. Even though it´s a weird feeling to drive the first few times when you come from a manual or a conventional automatic like the tiptronic, it´s soo relaxing and fun to drive....if I want gears, switch to manual. If I just want to cruise with minimum rpm....D-Mode....and the fuel economy is insane! around 5-6 Liter/100km
You drove through RAINHILL . The place were i was born and the church were i was christened 44 years ago lol, my grandfather was the local bobby during the 60's & 70's . I live in Lincolnshire now , but I always love hearing my true tongue as i no longer have the accent as dad joined the RAF in 1980 . I don't get back as often as I should, but i do get home sick when i hear the accent. Sorry this isn't car related , but i had to let you know lol, great video and ive always been a fan of the A4&A6 , don't worry about having an SE model, i pfrefre the more executive comfort than a hard sports seat and feel . Keep upthe good work my fellow scally . All the best .
Very good insight on the multitronic gearbox you did there, it really is an under rated gearbox, performance wise. Its got fuel economy equivalent to the manual gearbox, but better acceleration than all other types of gearboxes, especially when coupled with a turbo engine. It really gives a feeling of being connected directly to the engine, and requesting as much revs and power as you want at that moment. It is important to change the multitronic oil, every 40.000 miles at most, preferably at 20.000 miles for the ones with a lot of miles, like 150.000 +). Also, v6 tdi's can wear this boxes faster, especially if driven a lot in town, because of the low end torque of the engine. Just as an info, all multitronic gearboxes (including A6 C5 from 1999 on, and A4 B6 from 2000 on) have the sequential mode standard on the gearbox lever pattern (tiptronic mode manual shifting), and as an option, buttons on the steering wheel, for changing the gears in sequential mode. Also, the sport mode was added to them in 2003, middle year (to the A4 B6 and A6 C5). The A8 D3 3,0 petrol (multitronic) had the sport mode from the beginning. My dad has an A6 2,5 TDi multitronic, its from early 2003, its the one without sport mode, it is still running fine, 295000 km, on the original box, clutches, control unit. Never had a problem with it. Multitronic really suits that engine. I had an '00 A4 B5 fwd tiptronic and now an '07 A6 C6 quattro tiptronic. The tiptronic may have the advantage of better reliability at high miles (200.000+), but it is nowhere near as fuel efficient, and not as fast as the multitronic, even though modern tiptronics are pretty fast.
Great insight. Thanks for sharing the details. Interesting about the sequential mode on the B6, I didn’t know it had it. It’s great to hear that your dad’s a6 is running fine with that kind of mileage.
Thanks Luke for this video really in depth I didn’t have a clue about these gearbox’s that’s a lot of knowledge for me personally I think I’ll always be a manual guy but never say never 👍🏻
I've always been a manual guy too and it wouldn't have been a car I would have chosen in the classifieds. I just knew the car and that it didn't have any problems. I'll probably go back to a manual on my next car as I want a two seater sports car and an auto just wouldn't feel right. Definitely suits this type of car though in my opinion.
@@markvroomen I'd say your view that a CVT is not perfect is because your view of what perfect is is not perfect. They're designed for smoothness - so fail on a switchback hill climb where you are frequently accelerating and slowing down - unless it'll hold a particular ratio.
My B6 1.8T multitronic has sports & sequential mode, plus I fitted a B6 S4 steering wheel with paddles to use it sequentially... the origional steering wheel had sequential buttons on the front of wheel.
My b6 we Avant has sport mode multi too.so he wrong there.good vid apart from that and the s makes a lot of difference to acceleration.but fuel consumption a lot higher.
Well, a while ago I drove a Suzuki Burgman 650 with CVT - so a big scooter. After I understood how to use it right, that thing was amazingly fast for 270kg and only about 60hp. At least up to about 150km/h, when it starts to run out of power. Yes, my "real" bike theoreticly is faster, but with the Burgman, you didn't have to thing about gears or revs or whatever, just turn the throttle - so it was fast in real live, not on paper. Bottom line - I like CVT. Too bad the market never realy accepted them, By the way: in farm tractors CVTs are the way to go, these days. So you can build them to handle torque...a lot of torque.
My A4 you can actually increase or decrease the the rpm range from paddles on the steering wheel giving it a more sporty feel. Also goes faster but you sacrifice the fuel economy
Torque Steer I have a Nissan Maxima, 3.5L, 300hp/300 torque with a CVT. I bought my first one new in 2011 and drove the shit out of it. Mostly in New York City, but also drove it cross country to LA and back a few times. No reliability issues at all. I enjoyed it so much I bought another one new in 2017. Modern CVTs are awesome!
That's great to hear, especially since Nissan seems to have had a hard time with CVT's in the past. It's nice to hear a positive comment on them for once. Even though mine is 'old' I still love the way it drives.
I always enjoy your videos and your never negative to the cars your driving and unlike other car reviews you don't say well I'd try this car or that car Brilliant video Danny Liverpool
The widespread use of CVTs are the stimulus I've needed to stop driving automatics. I have respect for manufacturers like Honda , Toyota, Mazda that still make manuals and cater to the purists.
Simulated prefixed gears on CVT is dumbest thing ever. Point of CVT is to NOT have PRESET gears. If you want preset gears buy Manual/auto/DCT. Putting preset modes on CVT just raises the price tag of the transmission, lowers performance and raises fuel consumption.
Hi everyone. I had an Audi A6 v6 2.5 tdi with CVT transmission, it was perfect in city traffic but I didn’t enjoy it on motorway. All depends about your driving style. I sold it with 135k on board and didn’t have any issues with it.
I have a 2008 Audi A6 2.0 TDI (120k miles) and have no problems. Got the CVT fluid changed (for the 1st time ever) by Audi at a cost of £245 BUT it was worth it
I have a B7 a4 2.0 turbo CVT, its tuned so about 290tq 250hp, i launch it aggressively (at a full stop hold rpms to 3k then let off the brake) and its been holding up the beating from me for 3 years!!! can't complain I've abused it more than most manual drivers would. but still would rather have a quattro, only for tuning purposes though.
I had a 2004 b6 2.5TDI CVT (with sports and tip). At around 80k reverse stopped engaging fully (somehow partially worked). Audi wanted 2.5k to replace the entire trans. Turns out a common issue (which audi won’t tell you) is that the solder points in the trans ECU burn out. Paid a bloke £200 to remove the ECU from the trans and repair. Viewing a 2008 b7 cab tomorrow with CVT. Not concerned about the trans, just don’t go to Audi!
Have an Audi A6 avant B5 Diesel from ‘04. Just driven it over 300 k km and had to revise the 2 sensors that always malfunction in the cvt. But love it for its smooth ride and want to add another 200k km on it
Uh ha yeah I thought my Audi turbo had a fairly bad clutch slip, but now I know it's the CVT I can appreciate the beautiful smooth acceleration. Cheers man 😜🤙
Nice video Mr. Steer. My daughter had a Fiat punto with CVT and i thought it was great to drive. Either dead smooth like a milk float or you could manually select the shift for fun. Or if you wanted to speed up you could in normal mode . So from milk float to sports car all in one!
I let the Cvt flush every two years flush preventively. Flush under high pressure and then replace filters and replace oil after 10 years still as new cost 300€ about 250£
The Audi CVT internal filter cannot be pressurized without damage, nor replaced without removing gearbox. The external fitler is replaceable. Oil needs replacing ~40K miles.
I love my CVT in my Honda Fit. It improves the acceleration from the already appallingly slow 1.5 L, and it gets me 45 MPG on the highway. I cannot say much about long-term reliability, but I need not worry. The dealership from which I bought the car gave me a lifetime limited powertrain warranty.
It all depends on the CVT. The CVT in this Audi seems quite nice, however the CVT in my work car Hyundai is absolute garbage. Sluggish on the take off, good luck taking off up hill (I put it in 1 with the manual selector). Bogs down all the time which causes you to put your foot down more, thinks about it for a moment, slips and revs the nuts off the engine, and eventually you are back in gear and gaining speed. The kickback is horrible, not to mention the horrible whining noise every time u drive it hard. I find if I shift manually it is OK but still pretty spongey, so obviously whoever programmed the shift points did a woeful job.
Seeing as your engine’s longitudinal mounted, I bet it’s the only one you can put in a rear wheel drive layout. I wouldn’t mind one in something like a Mk1 Cortina or a 1940 Ford, especially if it’s a disability adaptation.
This transmission is wonderful and those who complain about it are insane I've had both the b6 1.9tdi cvt with s and manual and the b8.5 2.0 tdi cvt and they both drive wonderful along as you keep on top of things it shouldn't go wrong I've beaten the he'll out of the b6 and it took the punishment all I ever did to that car was the timing rebuilt the original alternator brakes n tyres and I've raced it believe it or not after a wedding it didn't win but it kept up and they love high speed 120 130 mph for a couple of hours is piss easy the b8.5 was totally smooth just what you want when your driving long distance it doesn't beat you up but I a manual is nice to bang shift 😀👍 especially the 5 speed manual 1.9 tdi with limited slip from factory and yes I've tested it on tarmac it span both of the 18 inch wheels easily its the only car I've spent money on and had a big grin where 1st and 2nd gear are in a standard H pattern and reverse is behind 5th makes shifting much simple and fun
I have A6 C7 Avant CVT 2014 and I got no problems. You can drive slow or fast just dont launch it like a rocked and suffer it. Do not change your transmission oil especially in older cars.
Hope you get your CVT 7 litres oil fluid sorted soon from your local Audi under the fixed price service costs it’s currently £199 including VAT btw you meant to change this fluid every 40,000 miles so I guess if your car might be overdue otherwise it cost you £££ so get it sort you been warned lad..
I don't mind CVTs as long as they last long and performed similar or better than conventional transmission. I really prefer the smooth ride of a CVT over automatic transmission. Just wished they engage quicker from a full stop.
I have an Audi A4 b8.5 with cvt transmission. I have to say it’s rubbish, the acceleration is slow and fuel consumption is high. When you floor it or reverse, the car barely move. I took it to the dealer, they found something wrong with the transmission control unit as well as the belts. It’s really wise for Audi to abandon the cvt
Hey friend I have a 2014 Nissan Altima 2.5 with a CVT . I can’t complain it’s a hit or miss with these things I haven’t had any issues . I 90,000 on it and , I am the second owner .. CVTS !!!!! 🤣
Hello! I see that your car is getting off real quick after you stop to 0 km/h , i have a multitronic but my car it takes a bit of power to get off and if i dont accelerate just take my foot off the break my car bearly moves.... is a transmision problem or something wrong with engine?
Its the transmission. The clutch is slow to engage. Mine even roll back on a slope sometimes. I had to do left foot braking, build up some rev and release brake like a manual. Check out my comments for the trouble i face with this gearbox
Hi, great video, very informative. I’ve got an 05 Jazz with a cvt and with only a 1.2 petrol engine find it difficult to progress quickly. Was interesting as this doesn’t seem an issue with larger engine cars. Maybe they are not well suited to older tech small engines? I also find it needs fairly regular fluid changes as well (2 years 20000 miles). Cheers
From what I can see, the 1.2 has 75hp and 81 ft-lb of torque. The engine is probably limiting the car. I kind of view it as the transmission allows the full potential of the engine to be extracted. The 2.0 in my car is by no means powerful but still gives an extra 55hp for about an extra 300kg in weight.
I purchases a Audi A4 2014 with a CVT after watching this video, and frankly I've been so impressed by it that I decided this will be the car I keep and maintain for as long as we both may live. I've found it to be incredibly responsive, deeply enjoyable to drive, and overall has made any other automatic feel arcane in it's shifting of gears and RPM. I have taken the CVT pill, and I am deeply happy I have :)
Annoying part of my b8 A4 2014 cvt is slow to engage sometimes from a standstill especially on a slope. I had to drive it like a manual left foot on brake, right foot on accelerator lightly. Build rev slightly and release brake. The auto park brake release sometimes doesnt work so i had to rely on my left foot braking. I once tried to reverse on an up slope tryin to get out from a parking lot but the car wldnt move, kept building rev but the car is stuck, brake pedals got very stiff. Had to put to D n creep forward nearly hitting the car in front and tried reverse again and it works. Stupid tech in my opinion, juz put in a torque converter with a lock up clutch and save drivers the trouble.
Just noticed you're driving around St Helens and Prescot (Cables retail park) - Funny, don't live too far from there! Interesting hearing about your ownership with one of these!
Annoying part of my b8 A4 2014 cvt is slow to engage from a standstill especially on a slope. I had to drive it like a manual left foot on brake, right foot on accelerator lightly. Build rev slightly and release brake. The auto park brake release sometimes doesnt work so i had to rely on my left foot braking. I once tried to reverse on an up slope tryin to get out from a parking lot but the car wldnt move, kept building rev but the car is stuck, brake pedals got very stiff. Had to put to D n creep forward nearly hitting the car in front and tried reverse again and it works. Stupid tech in my opinion, juz put in a torque converter with a lock up clutch and save drivers the trouble.
Hi mate! I know this is kinda late but do you ever get the feeling when reversing uphill the car just lags and wont reverse quickly until you actually go a but hard on the gas pedal?
Me too..Annoying part of my b8 A4 2014 cvt is slow to engage from a standstill especially on a slope. I had to drive it like a manual left foot on brake, right foot on accelerator lightly. Build rev slightly and release brake. The auto park brake release sometimes doesnt work so i had to rely on my left foot braking. I once tried to reverse on an up slope tryin to get out from a parking lot but the car wldnt move, kept building rev but the car is stuck, brake pedals got very stiff. Had to put to D n creep forward nearly hitting the car in front and tried reverse again and it works. Stupid tech in my opinion, juz put in a torque converter with a lock up clutch and save drivers the trouble.
I love my CVT in my Saturn. Just had the CVT Fluid changed a month ago that fluid had 30,000 miles and it needed changing. I don’t get the rubber banding effect. I was going about 35mph behind someone in a 45 zone decided to overtake them and put the pedal down and there was 4,500 RPM and 60 or 65 mph. 2.2L Ecotec(btw)
...TBH with you, I'd rather have that gearbox do its real job of "slip clutch" feel, so one can have either max power or max torque... would be much more economic then emulating gears...
I have just bought a similar car with 2.0 tfsi bgb and cvt. I have a faulty abs sensor, some bushings ruined and some other stuff. i have no idea why, but at low speed it enters like a swing mode.. it keeps in swinging and rocking back and forth.. if i let go of throttle and press it again, then it clears ... can it be the transmission or some motor mount/bushing?
Found your channel by accident! Good stuff and very good review of a CVT transmission. I have a 2017 Honda Jazz with this having come from a manual and I'm gradually getting used to it. Interested in what you do at the lights. I have auto idle stop on mine so you need to keep your foot on the brake to operate it. Can be wearing at times for longer stops. What do you do on the Audi?
Thank you. My car doesn’t have any type of stop/start technology on it. I can either keep my foot on the brake to stop it creeping forward or stick it into park if I am stopped for a long time. Pretty much the same as a conventional Auto in those situations. I could also stick it into neutral and stick the handbrake on too.
Hello ive a audi a6c6 2.7 tdi cvt and when i pas form p to r it gives s little shake to the car , what to do my car has 270000 km , never changed transmission fluid since i buy it from 210000 km
I'm really loving the driving feeling taken by the CVT transmission of my 2012 SEAT EXEO(same as AUDI A4), it always works prefectly, smoothly,silently and most effectively,it have all the features of an ideal transmission should have,except one day ,the coolant leaked into the transmission. it is a stupid design from AUDI that didn't physically seperate the radiator of coolant and ATF. besides changing ATF every 40K miles or even sooner, I strongly recommend every owner replacing your coolant radiator before 120K miles!!!
haha mines from 2003 with 120k miles, has no issues. though it has no sport mode neither it simulates the gear changes guess cause its a v6 love flooring it and and staying on the red line all the way to 120 lol
Hi I think you may be one person that can help me ,basically my car is cvt 2006 a6 in d mode when I put foot down it just keeps rising in revs as in doesnt dip and change to higher gear, in s mode it changes gears and is obvious to the ear and dash revs dips is this all normal feels to me like in drive mode it should be switching up through gears
No, the normal drive mode is intended to stay in the same gear. The sport mode is, yeah, more like for a sporty feeling. CVT is designed for fuel economy and comfort :) Your transmission is fine
I may have a stupid question, but can I shift from D to S or Manual while the car is moving or do I have to stop first? Just got my own A4 B6 and don't want to break it.
There's no stupid questions :) You can shift to whatever you want when the car is moving. You won't cause any damage. The only thing I wouldn't recommend is coasting down a hill in neutral and then whacking it into drive or sport since that can put an unexpected stress on the box.
Thanks CVT mysteries explained in an honest way have been looking for an A6 avant but the negatives of some reviews were off putting as Audi have dropped the CVT. The oil change video helpful as well Just looking for a value large relaxed motorway cruiser which will do relatively low miles visiting south coast.
Great video, bad design. You cannot drain all the oil only 50% and you cannot change the oil filter without a full teardown. So every 40 000km you change half the oil? Great job schaeffler/VAG
Thank you :) Yeah it's a law of diminishing returns. If I replaced the oil again, I'd still have 25% old oil left in. At £200 a pop, I'm not going any more in depth with a car this old. I'll change it again, of course, if the car does another 40,000 but I probably would never keep the car that long (5 years with the milage I put on it).
I'm aware that older CVT's had a lot of problems in Audi engines. Does anyone know whether CVT's actually got better and when this was the case? E.g. were they revised on b7 and b8 models onwards??
Nah.. mine's a b8 a4 2014. Still laggy from a standstill sometimes. Utter rubbish. Wld give inexperienced drivers a heart attack coz it will roll back on a slope
Can you explain in the video what you did exactly. Step by step. I have A6 2005 2.4 CVT and I need to do an oil change in CVT so I want to know more about how to do it properly. Thank you :) :)
Audi b7 cvt's love to tear up inner driveshaft joints. Make the car feel like the clutch is slipping really bad from a dead stop. Anyway, CVT is rubbish. I'm glad Audi has abandoned it.
Thank you so much. I had my cvt a4 b6 last modol so it game with cvt and sport mode. All that time I never understood the slip gear and how it drove until now. Thanks
