We have a 500 with AWD & the CVT. I find that the car has decent power...and I drive a V10 SD!

 

We have an Freestyle and love it. Yes it does take getting used to with the CVT but it gets you going quicker than you think since you don't feel the shift points cycling through.

 

Audi also has a CVT, but I haven't seen any news about it.
Dono

 

How's the economy for the Five Hundred - average, highway and around the city?

 

I averaged 20.8 with a Freestyle Limited AWD over 5000 miles, per the little trip computer thingie. Most of that was a combination stop-and-go, along with rural 2-lane driving. I'd imagine a FWD 500 would do 1-2 mpg better than that.

 

My 76 year old dad just bought a 500 and loves it. The ride is smooth and quiet. There's a ton of leg room in the backseat and the trunk space is generous.

Too bad it's an old man's car

 

You might not say that if you looked at a black SEL or Limited with leather.

 

I just bought a 2006 Freestyle SEl, AWD I traded in my 2005 Audi A4 Quattro, I must admit I have never owned a car that I enjoy driving as much as my new Freestyle. I also have 2 F350's (I knda a FORD nut) Anyway I just drove my new Freestyle back to my home in Montana for the weekend, and we had some snow and rain and the Freestyle went through the mud and the bad dirt roads like butter. I avg 26.4 MPG and that ain't bad for a new car, and one this big. I now have 2,800 miles on it and it seems to get more power. I also really like the CVT trans. I cannot say enough about the car, it really is the most awsome car, not truck I have biught in years. It beats my Audi in every catagorie.

 

The wife and I stopped and looked at some of the fivehundred's on a local dealer's lot. I hadn't really heard about the CVT trans, so I asked the saleman. He of course said it was the constant variable trans, but he then went on to talk about the valve timing being variable.... I just HAD to correct him in saying the trans was constant variation, not the valve timing in regards to the trans... variable valve timing is the engine....

 

hehehe. Thats funny.
Its actually Continously Variable Transmission - but I don't think thats correct.
John Deere (being typical John Deere, HAVE to be different) have a better name, being Ininite Variable Transmission (IVT)