Author Topic: Cruise control - is it an effective option?  (Read 4832 times)

MartinJG

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Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« on: January 13, 2018, 03:58:58 PM »

I know the Mk2 engine is designed to produce more power at higher revs and models from @2010 were offered with cruise control but does the engine produce enough torque at the legal limit (plus a bit) to maintain speed comfortably on gradients with a load on board (say four adults and baggage) or does it struggle? I ask because my Mk1 gets the vapours on hills and tends to slip back to @60MPH where it hangs on grimly which is not surprising as this is where it produces optimum torque. Not ideal for cruising though.

Jocko

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2018, 04:19:32 PM »
My personal opinion is that Cruise Control on a manual gear change is only ever second best!

peteo48

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2018, 06:26:31 PM »
This post got me thinking back to my Cornwall trip back in September. The A30 has some serious gradients on it and I must admit I didn't use cruise on these but what I do know is that I started to lose speed more than once and got the change down indicator on a few occasions - one hill I dropped down to third.

It made me think the car might have stalled had it been in cruise control!

John A

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2018, 07:16:28 PM »
It made me think the car might have stalled had it been in cruise control!

Don't know if the Jazz one will, but on other cars the cruise control has disconnected if the engines speed became too low. So, I don't think that it would.

Kenneve

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2018, 08:53:30 PM »
Cruise control works fine for me, having a CVT gearbox, even down to below 30 mph, which I find very useful in urban areas, when I don't need to keep my eye on the speedo all the time.
It will also maintain the required speed on motorway hills, all that happens is the ratio changes and engine speed increases to suit the additional load.
I can well understand that these details may not apply to manual gearbox versions, where you would obviously have to change gear to maintain momentum.

guest5079

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2018, 01:54:33 PM »
I regularly travel between Launceston and Fraddon on the A30 and when I can I use Cruise Control. Never thought about the hills it just seems to get on with it. The only question I have  is going down the hill at a place called Palmers Bridge ( Jamaica Inn is the next hill)  the car will run apparently hold back at 70mph in Cruise Control. I asked Honda about it and after months of correspondence basically they either don't know or can't be bothered. At the moment the A30 is back to single lane and will be until March so that Kier can finish the job that was supposedly finished last June. That rules out Cruise Control because of Lorries.
As for losing speed, passing the Jamaica Inn going West, I find that I have to keep lifting my foot otherwise I am rocketing up the hill at 80 plus in 6th. Going the other way, I often use the flappy paddles to change down and selecting 4th will take me over the top at 70mph. If I leave it in Cruise Control it does drop back a bit. and leaves me in the situation of white van man boxing me in because they run out of steam halfway up the hill.
Having Ishift might be the  difference but all I know is the little old box of tricks under the bonnet will fly.

peteo48

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2018, 02:43:27 PM »
Yes - the auto boxes (CVT or I shift) would sort out any problems with hills by selecting an appropriate ratio.

MartinJG

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2018, 03:04:54 PM »

Thanks for the feedback. I think cruise control is brilliant if it works OK with the power unit, be it in town at 30MPH or on  long boring stretch of motorway. The autos in their various guises obviously make the necessary adjustments, well, automatically. I am more interested in the manual versions really. Nobody really wants to find themselves having to shift down a gear on an ordinary five speed box if poss.

culzean

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2018, 07:26:31 PM »
Cruise control (non adaptive) is fine when you have road to yourself and may be designed more for places like USA and Australia than UK with our busy roads.  I have stopped using it except maybe in motorway roadworks with 50 limit and average speed cameras.  On majority of roads in UK there is such a variation in speeds people thing is OK ( some think 35 in 60 limit is fine) that i was always tapping buttons to try and match speed to traffic and basically it was a waste of time and too fiddly.

Also on fuel saving cruise control will maintain set speed on uphill where correct thing is to allow speed to drop a bit if you want best mpg, and on downhill better to leave accelerator alone and use highest gear on overrun to maintain speed on closed throttle.  A careful driver can get better mpg with cruise control off than by having it on.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2018, 07:31:51 PM by culzean »
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

Jocko

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2018, 07:46:13 PM »
I had cruise control on my automatic Volvo S40, and I used it virtually all the time. Great for not exceeding 30 and 40 mph speed limits. Not the best for the maximum mpg, but that didn't trouble me with the Volvo.

d2d4j

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2018, 08:16:14 PM »
Hi

I have an AA car genie fitted and here is a pic of a short journey in Essex at a busy time with cruise control on, Honda jazz si 5 speed manual

Many thanks

John

John A

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2018, 08:33:04 PM »
If I'm away from the crowded areas of the UK then the cruise control gets used, so M6 south if south of the Thelwall Viaduct then it's almost pointless except for the average speed cam areas, north of it I'll set it and 170 odd miles later knock it off as it's time to come off the motorway.

I'm not bothered about saving a few pence on fuel, on a 6 hours journey, much rather spend a little extra by having the cruise control active, and stopping the possibility of a £60 financial hit.

peteo48

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2018, 08:40:07 PM »
Cruise control (non adaptive) is fine when you have road to yourself and may be designed more for places like USA and Australia than UK with our busy roads.  I have stopped using it except maybe in motorway roadworks with 50 limit and average speed cameras.  On majority of roads in UK there is such a variation in speeds people thing is OK ( some think 35 in 60 limit is fine) that i was always tapping buttons to try and match speed to traffic and basically it was a waste of time and too fiddly.

Also on fuel saving cruise control will maintain set speed on uphill where correct thing is to allow speed to drop a bit if you want best mpg, and on downhill better to leave accelerator alone and use highest gear on overrun to maintain speed on closed throttle.  A careful driver can get better mpg with cruise control off than by having it on.

Completely agree with this. I like to have cruise control but I use it sparingly. The key advantage for me is to give the right leg a break from time to time but I am always on tenterhooks wondering if I'll need to brake. Adaptive cruise is what you really need on UK roads.

Jocko

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2018, 10:01:33 PM »
I am always on tenterhooks wondering if I'll need to brake.
Why are you on tenterhooks? If you need to brake, you brake. Touching the brake pedal immediately cancels cruise control.

peteo48

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Re: Cruise control - is it an effective option?
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2018, 10:17:33 PM »
I am always on tenterhooks wondering if I'll need to brake.
Why are you on tenterhooks? If you need to brake, you brake. Touching the brake pedal immediately cancels cruise control.

No - I realise that. My concern is the slight feeling that you are not fully in control. Difficult to explain but another aspect of this is where you put your right foot. If you want to rest it you will either have it to the right of the accelerator pedal or drawn back. Either way there will be a slight delay in braking. Some people "cover" the brake pedal in cruise but that, for me anyway, defeats the object.

I only use the cruise if I am on a relatively sparsely populated stretch of road. I'm not alone in this. I know a number of people who don't use cruise control at all. My brother never used his until he got adaptive.

Just to add in support of Culzeans post - the last time I drove in the USA was 10 years ago. On a trip from Boston up to Burlington in Vermont I had cruise on virtually the whole time but the traffic was very light.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2018, 10:21:33 PM by peteo48 »

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