What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control?

   / What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control? #21  
I'd be surprised if any of you use your cruise control more than, or even as much as, I do. We even have some places here in town with a 30 mph speed limit where I nearly always just use the cruise control. And naturally, I use it on the highway. Heavy traffic and wet or icy pavement are about the only things that keep me from using it.

I am one who does that. My left thumb is very educated on punching the 'cancel, resume, set, decrease' buttons. Foot hardly ever touches the gas pedeal out on the open road.
 
   / What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control? #22  
Dunno where you are but I am in very hilly country and haven't seen a hill on a highway yet that a CC wouldn't hold speed.

You don't have any hills, or maybe you drive something with a 426 hemi in it. We have "hills" here. None of the cars and trucks I have owned will maintain speed on our "hills" more like mountains. I use it anyway, but have to take it off sometimes until I get to Ozark, where the landscape levels out to "rolling" and then the speed controls can keep up. Many of our hills, most truckers turn on their flashers and do the best they can to stay in the right hand lane. My 300 Plus horsepower Chevrolet will do a lot better than my minivan, but even it will not keep speed on a couple of them.
 
   / What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control? #23  
I'd be surprised if any of you use your cruise control more than, or even as much as, I do. We even have some places here in town with a 30 mph speed limit where I nearly always just use the cruise control. And naturally, I use it on the highway. Heavy traffic and wet or icy pavement are about the only things that keep me from using it.

Same here Bird.
 
   / What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control? #24  
You don't have any hills, or maybe you drive something with a 426 hemi in it. We have "hills" here. None of the cars and trucks I have owned will maintain speed on our "hills" more like mountains. I use it anyway, but have to take it off sometimes until I get to Ozark, where the landscape levels out to "rolling" and then the speed controls can keep up. Many of our hills, most truckers turn on their flashers and do the best they can to stay in the right hand lane. My 300 Plus horsepower Chevrolet will do a lot better than my minivan, but even it will not keep speed on a couple of them.

Just came down through your area a few weeks ago. Wouldnt want to use cruise through that area unless it's the middle of the night ;) Got trucks and motor homes doing 80mph plus down the hills, and 45 to 50 mph back up the other side :rolleyes: You spend to much time dodging rigs and trying not to get run over. Gorgeous area though :)
 
   / What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control? #25  
You don't have any hills, or maybe you drive something with a 426 hemi in it. We have "hills" here. None of the cars and trucks I have owned will maintain speed on our "hills" more like mountains. I use it anyway, but have to take it off sometimes until I get to Ozark, where the landscape levels out to "rolling" and then the speed controls can keep up. Many of our hills, most truckers turn on their flashers and do the best they can to stay in the right hand lane. My 300 Plus horsepower Chevrolet will do a lot better than my minivan, but even it will not keep speed on a couple of them.

I'm up here in the Palouse and just came up from Lewiston, ID. The climb is about 2,000 ft, 6 miles with 6 and 7% grade. Yes the car, 2005 Ford 500 with a small engine, climbs it at 60mph but has to down shift to do it. If you are driving an automatic, it is going to downshift on that grade whether you are using CC or not. I also drive the mountain grades in N, Idaho, I seriously doubt you have anydthing at all to compare with either those or the Lewiston grade. Also have steep hills up here on the "plateau". Your claim for not using is extremely weak.

DFTodd has a very good reason for not using it. Yours is a failure.
 
   / What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control? #26  
I'm with Bird & turnkey; I drive with cruise control when its available. Mine only works above 25mph which is adequate here. But when I lived in Texas and our school zones were 15mph I'd sure miss it. My wife will only use it on open highway and prefers to drive pulsing up & back behind the driver in front of her. Drives me nuts.
 
   / What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control? #27  
I'm just north of the Palouse. All my vehicles, including my manual Jeep will climb the Lewiston grade in CC. The little Jeep has a tough go of it, but it will make it. The vehicle I particularly appreciate having CC is my BMW R1200R. Throttle response on that motorcycle is so immediate & touchy - CC smoothes things out.

The Lewiston grade is one thing - the mountain grades in N Idaho are a different animal. Even going east thru the Rockies has nothing like you can find in N Idaho.
I swear, the highway engineers must have determined that it was easier/cheaper to just pave the existing grades than trying to level things out a little.
 
   / What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control? #28  
I don't use cruise because of hills and the fact it will try and maintain speed and downshift hard when I am just about to crest it. I just prefer to drive it with my foot and either speed up slightly before the hill or loose just a little speed going up. Or I have just a 5 or 6 miles and I'm slowing down to turn or something. But on the highway I typically use it.

Anticipation / efficiency

Thats the main reason I dont use cruise that often.

Cruise control cannot anticipate hills, either up or down. I do try to keep everything above the minimum speed limit. So if I see a hill a coming, I try to get some speed up. Maybe 5-6 MPH over what I am normally going, either on the flat before the hill or the downhill. This allows the car to not drop below the desired speed AND not downshift.

Just as Birdhunter said, alot of times, cruise will downshift right as you are cresting the hill, then it quickly realizes it needs to upshift right away again. Not good for efficiency.

My saturn 5-speed doesnt have cruise control, nor the option to automatically downshift if I need more pedal. And with it being a saturn (not really known for power and speed), you learn to anticipate. And them cars are VERY efficient.

In my truck, or the wifes car, the only time I use cruise is long trips on the interstate in pretty flat areas. But shorter trips, hilly areas, or rural state-routes.....no cruise for me
 
   / What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control? #29  
They seem to use them here, it's always the idiot's in the little foreign cars going 10 MPH under the speed limit & brag that they get 92 MPG:mad:

Ronnie
 
   / What are the reasons for NOT using Cruise Control? #30  
Even in Wyoming where in some areas, you might see another car every 50 miles, you see tailgaters. I dont get it either....

We drive through Nevada Utah and Wyoming to visit a daughter in Cheyenne. Lot of open road. I put the cc on the speed limit. Have gone four hours without touching brake or gas pedal. Not unusual to have someone come up at 5-10 mph over the limit then stay right on my rear end for miles. What are they thinking.
 

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