[Mav-trunklet]

I have never had CVT trans in a vehicle. I have 6 speed DCT in Kia Niro and when needed, such as going down steep hills or mountain roads I can use the trans as manual …so as to slow the car down w/out riding the brakes. It can be driven auto or manual.
Is that even possible with eCVT? Is there a way to gear down in Maverick or do I have to just ride the brakes all the way down hill? I don’t like the sound of doing that so this might influence me to forget Mav and keep my Kia Niro w/ DCT. I live in High Sierra foothills w/ lots of mountainous terrain.
I know this is probably dumb question but I am ignorant of knowing the answer. No where do I EVER hear anyone discuss this so there’s got to be a logic,a answer.
Please advise …and thank you.
If you only have a smart ass answer, please don’t waste anyone’s time reading. 🙄

 

[bentley72]

I’m guessing the regenerative braking will do a good job at slowing you down on downhills.
This article has a good explanation about it

 

[Mav-trunklet]

I’m guessing the regenerative braking will do a good job at slowing you down on downhills.
This article has a good explanation about it

Bently, I read the article but it only spoke od EV cars….no mention of gas/electric. Wondering if same answer for a hybrid?

 

[bentley72]

It should be, the electric motor will regenerate power to recharge the high voltage battery and also slow the car in the process.

 

[mav-fan]

I have never had CVT trans in a vehicle. I have 6 speed DCT in Kia Niro and when needed, such as going down steep hills or mountain roads I can use the trans as manual …so as to slow the car down w/out riding the brakes. It can be driven auto or manual.
Is that even possible with eCVT? Is there a way to gear down in Maverick or do I have to just ride the brakes all the way down hill? I don’t like the sound of doing that so this might influence me to forget Mav and keep my Kia Niro w/ DCT. I live in High Sierra foothills w/ lots of mountainous terrain.
I know this is probably dumb question but I am ignorant of knowing the answer. No where do I EVER hear anyone discuss this so there’s got to be a logic,a answer.
Please advise …and thank you.
If you only have a smart ass answer, please don’t waste anyone’s time reading. 🙄

Gearing down should be no issue, I believe that’s what the L gear is for. With 4K tow that could add a tow/haul mode that is also more optimized for downhill descents. However, if you’re talking about having paddle shifters then the Maverick definitely won’t. A few CVT cars have paddle shifters but they’re usually implemented pretty poorly, since ultimately it’s trying to “fake” the feeing of a traditional transmission, and I’m not sure if any eCVT cars have them.

 

[Mcnato]

Also, to know how much the regenerative breaking affects the car wont really be known until people can get behind the wheel and drive. Theoretically, and depending on factory settings, letting off the gas while going down hill will engage automatic regeneration, slowing the vehicle a bit. As for how much, that cant be answered until we find just how ford tuned the Maverick.

 

[Ethan]

I test drove a Ford Escape with the 2.5 hybrid before ordering the Maverick, since the two have very similar powertrains. The regen braking on escape was quite strong and easily slowed down the vehicle on a ~10% (or more) grade hill in Colorado. The feature can be turned on/off via the button in the center of the gear selector.

 

[ThisWas]

I haven't driven a Maverick yet however I believe the Maverick's eCVT is similar to the eCVT in our Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
Our RAV4 has multiple selectable "gears" (they simulate the gears in a traditional transmission) which the Maverick does not, but I don't use that feature.
I drive our hybrid the same way I'd drive any automatic, using the accelerator to go faster or the brake pedal to go slower.

When I go down a hill I take my foot off the accelerator and the hybrid system slows the car slightly and generates electricity.
If the hill is steep, I use the brake pedal, which generates more electricity but doesn't engage the brake calipers/pads unless I really stomp on the brake pedal.
My clue to what's happening is the power gauge, which shows how much electricity is being generated (not very precisely).

I'll attach a Ford stock photo of the Maverick's instrument panel to show you the power gauge from an XL (the large dial to the left).
Here's how the gauge is described in the Ford Escape owner's manual (remember that the Maverick and Escape are similar):

The power gauge displays power to the
wheels when accelerating or maintaining
speed. When slowing down by lifting your
foot off the accelerator pedal or pressing
the brake, the gauge displays the power
captured by the regenerative braking
system and returned to the high voltage
battery.

 

[Darnon]

Eventually you get a feel for how much you can push on the brake pedal to stop with mostly regen. Unfortunately Ford doesn't provide a brake force gauge or a separate regen-only paddle like some (H)EVs have. The instrument cluster can be set to score your stop after the fact in how much energy it recaptured. Cruise control on downslopes also automatically uses regen to moderate speed.

 

[Truck2]

Good question, I have not a clue what the Mav has in way of gear settings to slow the truck down. My prior gen highlander hybrid 2007 think it was had if I recall a B setting (for brake) all it did was enhance the regen braking if I recall with more effect.

My new 2020 highlander does not have a B mode option on the shifter and I think Toyota just figures they have refined it to the point that regen breaking does it own thing and works best as is. I can change to ‘manual’ model and shift gears down which is a different way of slowing the suv down though thinking that is gear related (engine braking effect) not regen braking effect. Course I could be wrong on some or most of these points.

Honestly I had not stopped to notice that my ACC on down hills slows the suv down if I have cruise set to a given speed. Infer it does though. As we know the base XT would not offer that feature as it does not have ACC, only top trims have it I think.
One would hope the Mav allows you to down shift from an Auto mode. I don‘t know Ford Escapes so cannot say really.

 

[Toddio12]

Bently, I read the article but it only spoke od EV cars….no mention of gas/electric. Wondering if same answer for a hybrid?

As mentioned before, the regen works better and puts less strain on the engine and drivetrain than on a conventional vehicle. It also puts very little wear on brakes. For example, I had 95,000 miles on my MKZ hybrid when I traded it in and the original brake pads were still good.
You get a feel for how regen works quickly. Just press the brakes lightly, the system knows you do not need the mechanical brakes and only varies the amount of revenue depending on brake pedal position until it senses you need mechanical braking. It's seemless. The only thing to relearn is that lightly riding the brakes down hill and long, light braking is a good thing! You're generating power and not using up your brakes.

 

[Toddio12]

Good question, I have not a clue what the Mav has in way of gear settings to slow the truck down. My prior gen highlander hybrid 2007 think it was had if I recall a B setting (for brake) all it did was enhance the regen braking if I recall with more effect.

My new 2020 highlander does not have a B mode option on the shifter and I think Toyota just figures they have refined it to the point that regen breaking does it own thing and works best as is. I can change to ‘manual’ model and shift gears down which is a different way of slowing the suv down though thinking that is gear related (engine braking effect) not regen braking effect. Course I could be wrong on some or most of these points.

Honestly I had not stopped to notice that my ACC on down hills slows the suv down if I have cruise set to a given speed. Infer it does though. As we know the base XT would not offer that feature as it does not have ACC, only top trims have it I think.
One would hope the Mav allows you to down shift from an Auto mode. I don‘t know Ford Escapes so cannot say really.

I can only comment as to how other Ford hybrids I have had behave, but none of the ones I have owned in the past have sped up going down long hills with the standard cruise control engaged. Adaptive cruise control was not a thing on a couple of them, and the other was not equipped. It's hard to think about if you're not used to it, but the system does not rely on engine braking or Trans downshifting whatsoever.

 

[Maverick Time]

I have never had CVT trans in a vehicle. I have 6 speed DCT in Kia Niro and when needed, such as going down steep hills or mountain roads I can use the trans as manual …so as to slow the car down w/out riding the brakes. It can be driven auto or manual.
Is that even possible with eCVT? Is there a way to gear down in Maverick or do I have to just ride the brakes all the way down hill? I don’t like the sound of doing that so this might influence me to forget Mav and keep my Kia Niro w/ DCT. I live in High Sierra foothills w/ lots of mountainous terrain.
I know this is probably dumb question but I am ignorant of knowing the answer. No where do I EVER hear anyone discuss this so there’s got to be a logic,a answer.
Please advise …and thank you.
If you only have a smart ass answer, please don’t waste anyone’s time reading. 🙄

I have a cvt in my Honda, not really thrilled with the way it functions, delay on acceleration picks up speed on downhill and results in riding the brake. One of the reasons I opted for the gas engine over the hybrid and opted for AWD. I live in the mountains of PA and took this into consideration in my build.

 

[October]

I have a cvt in my Honda, not really thrilled with the way it functions, delay on acceleration picks up speed on downhill and results in riding the brake. One of the reasons I opted for the gas engine over the hybrid and opted for AWD. I live in the mountains of PA and took this into consideration in my build.

that’s not an ecvt. Totally different system.

 

[JASmith]

It should be, the electric motor will regenerate power to recharge the high voltage battery and also slow the car in the process.

I wonder what happens on very long downhill stretches like coming down a mountain, as at some point that 1.1kwh battery is going to be fully charged.

 

[null]

I wonder what happens on very long downhill stretches like coming down a mountain, as at some point that 1.1kwh battery is going to be fully charged.

On most hybrids I've driven (like my current one), once the battery is full regen will turn off. Braking will solely be mechanical from that point forward.

 

[Truck2]

Long story short…
the only time I have found the CVT to be unhappy is due to the sound it makes if I am giving it a lot of gas due to going up a large hill when pulling a travel trailer. It is a 4 banger so it makes more noise then a v6 would. Others can advise how a Ford Escape hybrid handles the hills in the part of the county you live in.

Bottom Line
For me, having a CVT gives me 36mpg all day long no matter how i drive is worth the trade off vs a standard transmission. Note - I live in Florida not a cold climate that could lower the mpg in a hybrid during wintertime. It is the hybrid and CVT that lets me have a 3 row suv that is not too small nor too large yet gets 36mpg.

I think the Mav hybrid is the not too small not too large pickup of choice if one wants a hybrid and a CVT transmission is the right match for it.

Long answer
So random thoughts after driving home today in my highlander hybrid. I have a 2019 honda goldwing motorcycle. It has a DCT believe it or not…well plus an airbag…believe it or not. Thus this bike is the only experience I have with a DCT and have to say I like it. Granted Honda, for bike purposes, did not hit it out of the park on the DCT part as it is not always perfectly smooth and sure does not compare to a car dct. Still, I can appreciate a DCT and if your Kia DCT functions as you like and the Kia forums indicate it is solid and no issues down the road that is great indeed.

Speaking only about my highlander hybrid. A CVT is a different animal. Seems Toyota is making them better each generation (2020 highlander hybrid is the new/next gen for that CVT I believe). I accept the short comings of a CVT which is mainly that to a degree one can feel the engine wants to stay in the sweet spot most all the time (meaning it wants to rev/turn at an rpm that is most efficient and gives the most power (at least that is my take).

This can result in more engine noise though only as it is go up through the rpm range. Plus I feel to a small degree this results in what I call the rubber band effect. It is sort of like the engine spins up to rpm it wants then you feel wheels are catching up to it (I know I am explaining this feeling all wrong).

In an ICE (normal gas only engine) there is a 1 to 1 relationship between pressing the gas peddle and the engine sound and power. With a CVT it is, to me, more a press peddle then engine revs then you feel the car then match what the engine is doing. Realize this is more a sound effect type of thing not a ‘the car is not moving thing’. And don’t get me wrong, due to the hybrid battery you got lots of instance power from a dead stop compared to the same engine in gas only model. In fact, with last years model, the v6 hybrid would have a faster start from a stop then the gas only v6 model. This year’s model is only a 4 banger though.

Above sounds really bad I figure but is is about prospective.

A normal, not DCT, transmission has set gears. In the older days, and even many cars today, one normally can feel to a degree each gear change even though it is an automatic. And with the goal of getting higher mpg many car models might either change up thru the gears quickly or the opposite, hold a higher gear longer, before auto down shifting.

That is why a lot, I think, Toyota Highlander gas model owners of the pre 2020 models were not happy with Toyota’s transmissions. They were not really smooth and did not change gears the way one would like. A CVT removes that ‘hunting for gear’ feel (the thing that happens when your driving and you would want the auto to down shift or up shift sooner then it does or it sort of gets lost sorting out if it wants to up/down shift which mostly happens when your are quickly changing how much gas you are giving the car. You have to experience to know what it is like and you may already know this. Figure you know how sweet a DCT is, when it is a good one. A CVT is not as good as a DCT..well at least it is a different animal for certain. Then again they do different things. The DCT auto select the next gear up or down and is just waiting on the side line ready to feed it to you so you don’t have any lost of power per say as you change gears plus you probably don’t feel lag. Though too, it is not designed to hold the engine sweet spot all the time which is what a CVT is designed to do.

Many would not do a CVT due to what I call the rubber band effect. Myself, I accept it as being a better alternative then the standard gas transmissions toyota offers presently and recently. I would prefer a CVT that knows it mission (keep the rpm range in the sweet spot) then an automatic with some screwed up manufactor determining that the trans must ‘get the best mpg’ be dam if it behaves badly for the customer.

Last, I would guess the Ford Escape CVT is probably pretty sweet (never drove one) and I would not be concerned about the ‘auto stop’ feature when used with a hybrid. It to me is a non-issue driving my highlander hybrid due to the hybrid battery. In a ICE (aka gas only engine) I can see how some would want to turn it off though with a hybrid we have the hybrid battery to begin to move the car from a stop thus you don’t really notice the engine starring up (kicking in).

 

[Grumps]

This is one off the most tested vehicles that Ford ever offered next to the all electric Lightning. Trucks are their bread and butter and nobody at Ford wants any part to fail with their name attached to the part.

As a Toyota buyer since 1979, this is a big leap of faith for me and I wouldn't make it if I didn't feel comfortable.

 

[Maverick Time]

I have never had CVT trans in a vehicle. I have 6 speed DCT in Kia Niro and when needed, such as going down steep hills or mountain roads I can use the trans as manual …so as to slow the car down w/out riding the brakes. It can be driven auto or manual.
Is that even possible with eCVT? Is there a way to gear down in Maverick or do I have to just ride the brakes all the way down hill? I don’t like the sound of doing that so this might influence me to forget Mav and keep my Kia Niro w/ DCT. I live in High Sierra foothills w/ lots of mountainous terrain.
I know this is probably dumb question but I am ignorant of knowing the answer. No where do I EVER hear anyone discuss this so there’s got to be a logic,a answer.
Please advise …and thank you.
If you only have a smart ass answer, please don’t waste anyone’s time reading. 🙄

My 2016 Honda Civic Is a CVT transmission. Thought that was your original question from what you wrote in forum

 

[Ed Thierbach]

The only thing to relearn is that lightly riding the brakes down hill and long, light braking is a good thing! You're generating power and not using up your brakes.

LOL - that's going to take quite a bit of relearning for me. But I like what you've described about how the system will probably work.

My '15 Forester has a CVT and gas engine. The gas pedal seems much more like a "set engine RPM" pedal, which I like.