The Cartercar was given a warm reception in the press, largely due to the friction drive transmission, which was a sort of forerunner of the CVT of today, as both offered an infinite number of engine speeds. At 4,000 miles, the paper fiber rims that were part of the friction-drive could be replaced for no more than  US$5 ($ in  dollars ), which was less than half the price that would be expended on grease packing in a regular geared transmission.
The Cartercar was favorably reviewed by the media mainly because of its pioneering friction drive transmission, which foreshadowed the modern CVT's capability to deliver an infinite number of engine speeds. Furthermore, the paper fiber rims that comprised this system could be replaced at 4,000 miles for a mere US$5, which was substantially less than the cost of grease packing in traditional geared vehicles.