RE: PH Origins: Cruise control
Discussion
I like the adaptive cruise In my leon, it’s always in a state where you just pull the stalk and it sets to the speed you’re driving or you can use the toggle to increase, it doesn’t use the brake lights unless you’re really sharply braking, and if you pull out to overtake someone and want to increase your speed while you do it you can Accelate yourself then when you pull back in the cruise returns to the set speed which is handy for building a gap or pulling into faster moving traffic instead of constantly knocking it off and back on
The system in my Astra is odd, you turn it on with the button , some days it comes up in the dash by itself others I have to manually put it on, but again it will return to a set speed after you’ve accelerated. That’s a non adaptive system though!
The system in my Astra is odd, you turn it on with the button , some days it comes up in the dash by itself others I have to manually put it on, but again it will return to a set speed after you’ve accelerated. That’s a non adaptive system though!
SuperchargedVR6 said:
Adaptive is fine on busy trunk roads, but the older manual style needs constant stalk adjustments due to mass dithering, so I may as well just use my old school foot to regulate the speed instead.
I find 'manual' cruise control pretty useless too, and this thread is making me wonder if I'm somehow doing it wrong. I've always found it mildly disconcerting to have throttle control taken over by an automatic system, and I never know what to do with my right foot. Do I rest it lightly on the pedal? Flat on the floor? (What if I need to find the brake in a hurry?) Many/most cars don't have a natural resting place other than the accelerator pedal itself.
I tend to find I spend so much time managing my speed with small cruise adjustments that it's actually more mental effort than just doing it the normal, manual way.
Big CC fan here, but only:
- in relatively light traffic
- with good visibility (ie NOT when it's hammering down)
- on Motorways / Autoroutes / Autostradas etc, never on single carriageway UK A-Roads
I have arthritis in my right ankle and find the opportunity to rest it on long journeys very welcome.
For interest, 2 of my cars have it: my S-Max has a switch-on-then-set system; the Saab has one that is always on standby and can be set just with one action.
The "resume" function is always quite aggressive, contributing to the poorer fuel consumption when in CC mode than can be achieved manually.
I tend to call it "Curse Control" due to the unpredictable variance in other drivers' speed as mentioned elsewhere in this thread.
- in relatively light traffic
- with good visibility (ie NOT when it's hammering down)
- on Motorways / Autoroutes / Autostradas etc, never on single carriageway UK A-Roads
I have arthritis in my right ankle and find the opportunity to rest it on long journeys very welcome.
For interest, 2 of my cars have it: my S-Max has a switch-on-then-set system; the Saab has one that is always on standby and can be set just with one action.
The "resume" function is always quite aggressive, contributing to the poorer fuel consumption when in CC mode than can be achieved manually.
I tend to call it "Curse Control" due to the unpredictable variance in other drivers' speed as mentioned elsewhere in this thread.
SuperchargedVR6 said:
Is it the adaptive cruise that constantly dabs the brakes? You think the traffic is about to come to a stop and ready the brake pedal, but no, it's someone maintaining a 50 yard gap and tapping the brakes for no apparent reason. Adaptive is the only reason I can think of for that one.
Adaptive is fine on busy trunk roads, but the older manual style needs constant stalk adjustments due to mass dithering, so I may as well just use my old school foot to regulate the speed instead.
Yep. I've got cruise control on my cars (and previous ones) and I have never used it after the first attempt. Useless unless the road is completely traffic-free as you have to alter speed all the time, which is easier done using the pedal..Adaptive is fine on busy trunk roads, but the older manual style needs constant stalk adjustments due to mass dithering, so I may as well just use my old school foot to regulate the speed instead.
Gad-Westy said:
Shakermaker said:
TurboHatchback said:
Shakermaker said:
5lab said:
Does anyone know why you have to turn cruise control 'on' in most cars?
I get why you have to set/cancel/speed up/down but not why you have to turn the damn system on every time you get in the car - why doesn't 'set speed' automatically do this? I know vauxhalls don't have an on/off thing, but most others do?
It isn't really that much of a chore though, is it, having to accelerate to your chosen speed and then hitting the "set" button?I get why you have to set/cancel/speed up/down but not why you have to turn the damn system on every time you get in the car - why doesn't 'set speed' automatically do this? I know vauxhalls don't have an on/off thing, but most others do?
The best system I remember was on a C-Class I purchased new in 1995, it had a stalk below the indicator/wiper stalk that would set a speed with a quick flick, but rotating the stalk turned it into a speed limiter. It could be switched on very quickly when I entered a residential area or if I spotted cameras or a police car. I would never buy a car without cruise control now, I'm surprised more manufacturers haven't copied Merc, perhaps there's a patent.
I sometimes drive a 1939 Ford V8.
It has a handle throttle pull stop on the dash.
I've never been brave enough to pull it out for fear of the throttle sticking....
I think a few american cars had an extra hand throttle???
My favorite cruise control system so far has been on my fathers old C5 RS6.
Some systems seem to engage much more brisky than others, well in that old RS6 it seemed to practically nail it to get back up to speed, turbos come in etc fun engaging it from a lower speed.
Most other cars seem to do it more gradually.
It has a handle throttle pull stop on the dash.
I've never been brave enough to pull it out for fear of the throttle sticking....
I think a few american cars had an extra hand throttle???
My favorite cruise control system so far has been on my fathers old C5 RS6.
Some systems seem to engage much more brisky than others, well in that old RS6 it seemed to practically nail it to get back up to speed, turbos come in etc fun engaging it from a lower speed.
Most other cars seem to do it more gradually.
Edited by urquattroGus on Tuesday 6th February 16:21
Edited by urquattroGus on Tuesday 6th February 16:21
ChilliWhizz said:
Totally agree....
Also I bought the first car I've ever owned that has cruise control 15 months ago, and it's brilliant, and used regularly. Don't know how other systems work, but I can accelerate and decelerate the car with buttons on the steering wheel
I think most have the ability to increment or decrement the speed setting. However in this scenario all you need to do is gently accelerate to get past a car in a reasonable time and then take your foot back off the throttle to resume your original speed, at least on all the CC equipped cars I've driven.Also I bought the first car I've ever owned that has cruise control 15 months ago, and it's brilliant, and used regularly. Don't know how other systems work, but I can accelerate and decelerate the car with buttons on the steering wheel
Mr2Mike said:
I think most have the ability to increment or decrement the speed setting. However in this scenario all you need to do is gently accelerate to get past a car in a reasonable time and then take your foot back off the throttle to resume your original speed, at least on all the CC equipped cars I've driven.
Yep bang on, small squeeze on the throttle to overtake then foot off and she’ll drop back to the previous cruising speed. It has a CC on/off switch on the back of the steering wheel around the 4o’clock position...culpz said:
SuperchargedVR6 said:
Is it the adaptive cruise that constantly dabs the brakes? You think the traffic is about to come to a stop and ready the brake pedal, but no, it's someone maintaining a 50 yard gap and tapping the brakes for no apparent reason. Adaptive is the only reason I can think of for that one.
Adaptive is fine on busy trunk roads, but the older manual style needs constant stalk adjustments due to mass dithering, so I may as well just use my old school foot to regulate the speed instead.
Could be. My mates A Class has it and it senses the car in front and then reduces speed accordingly. That seems much more like it and less messing about. I'm not sure if it stamps on the brakes as such though.Adaptive is fine on busy trunk roads, but the older manual style needs constant stalk adjustments due to mass dithering, so I may as well just use my old school foot to regulate the speed instead.
Yeah, see, that's what i was getting at. Apart from when it's almost completely clear, which is rare for me, i'd rather just not bother and just modulate my right foot. It's not like i find it a chore or hard work either.
Exactly. The only time I use cruise is on long journeys when I start to get ankle ache. It's handy to flip the cruise on for that, and then I offer my cheesy foot to the missus for a massage.
The speed adjustment levers on the stalk are weird. The acceleration feels a lot more vivid than it does with the foot, a bit like left foot braking. The mind can't cope with it!
My Mrs has an old Honda Accord (01) which has buttons on the steering wheel which work pretty well. My new 1 series has the standard cruise which is great with the little lights on the speedo. My old Civic doesn't have any CC....
If a car has it and im on mway i always use it (if conditions permit) and i love it! I have driven hundreds of miles without even touching the accelerator
If a car has it and im on mway i always use it (if conditions permit) and i love it! I have driven hundreds of miles without even touching the accelerator
SuperchargedVR6 said:
It was an Audi A6, one of the newest ones with the sweeping indicators. Funny how Audi drivers suddenly like using indicators again!
That reminds me, I've been meaning to ask this for ages. When one engages the "priority parking lights" (aka hazard) on these Audi's do they flash properly or still do the sweeping pattern?Well at least it wasn't invented for trains first this time, then again
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor
Toltec said:
Well at least it wasn't invented for trains first this time, then again
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor
Indeed – fear not, that's what I was nosing around at in the paragraph about governors near the end. I just didn't want to mention trains again! You know, just in case you started thinking I was going a bit choo-choo.
No? Anyone? I'll get my coat.
Lewis Kingston said:
Toltec said:
Well at least it wasn't invented for trains first this time, then again
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor
Indeed – fear not, that's what I was nosing around at in the paragraph about governors near the end. I just didn't want to mention trains again! You know, just in case you started thinking I was going a bit choo-choo.
No? Anyone? I'll get my coat.
cmvtec said:
I seem to recall my Mk3 Mondeo doing the throttle pedal thing when cruise was engaged? Yet my X-Type doesn't.
Still, can be a very useful tool, but like others, I tend to find myself using the pedal when people are incapable of maintaining a speed and/or driving to the terrain.
My mk3 Mondeo's pedal didn't move, but it was much looser/floppier with the cruise engaged due to the servo-operated nature, as it wasn't fly by wire. Still, can be a very useful tool, but like others, I tend to find myself using the pedal when people are incapable of maintaining a speed and/or driving to the terrain.
My old Honda Accord's pedal moved though. It was quite weird.
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