I have CVT on my Jazz and I just love it. I've tried traditional AT but you can in most of them both feel and hear the shifting between the gears. In CVT there is no "shifting" since it is continous. Therefor it is a much smoother ride.

Here is a small video of how it works:
http://videos.streetfire.net/search/cvt/0/b99f4c8a-5110-45f9-afd2-984800d611a6.htm

And here is a Wiki about that topic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission

And back to the question of "Why is America Last?" I don't have the answer but can only speculate. Americans alway want things BIG, anyway that is the impression we European have of the Americans.

You should think that with the pricetag we here in Norway have on fuel that we all are using only small cars, but the SUV is selling big time. The fuel cost 12-13NOK/L that is about 2-2.25US$/L...
But the "modding" part of the cars has not hit Norway very big, it is a bit hard to get modding parts to new cars like the Jazz.

 

We should learn from europeans and how much they are paying for gas. We need to realize that it is going to happen here and if we are the only smart ones so be it. My stupid neighbor bought a Hummer H3 just to drive to work 20 miles a day, I am getting a new Honda Fit soon and just laugh at him everyday when I leave for Class.

 

No, they [europe] have huge taxes on petrol that pay for public services. We [usa] have our big taxes worked in elsewhere.

 

I rather have it that way. We have income tax, sales tax, property tax, anything else you can think of tax.