Why don't all modern cars have cruise control?
Discussion
Nowadays pretty much all cars have fly by wire throttles so why is it that manufacturers don't include cruise control on every car? All that is required is a few lines of code in the ECU (free) and a switch or two (a couple of pounds). I know on cars with cable throttles it is expensive to implement as you need a throttle actuator and an amplifier to drive it but with a fly by wire throttle it is trivial and extremely low cost.
I am looking at options for my next car and I've had to discount loads of good options because they didn't think to include it, from cheap hatchbacks to some moderately fast and expensive machinery including the Focus ST, BMW 130i, BMW Z4, Audi S3, Audi TT (rare option only) and loads of other stuff. What can the rationale possibly be for not offering such an basic and important feature when it is so cheap and easy to do?
I am looking at options for my next car and I've had to discount loads of good options because they didn't think to include it, from cheap hatchbacks to some moderately fast and expensive machinery including the Focus ST, BMW 130i, BMW Z4, Audi S3, Audi TT (rare option only) and loads of other stuff. What can the rationale possibly be for not offering such an basic and important feature when it is so cheap and easy to do?
I understand offering it as a cost option, it's when it is not available at all even for a cost that baffles me. Charging people extra for it makes perfect commercial sense, not offering it at all surely just pointlessly limits your available market demographic?
Matt UK said:
Because cruise control is rubbish
It's utility depends very much on the type of driving you do I accept but this statement makes me assume that most of your driving is done in fast food carparks where it would indeed be of little use. Riley Blue said:
Because it's of limited use in today's traffic conditions. Having hired a couple of cars recently, I used the speed limiter far more than I used the cruise control.
I use mine all the time. As soon as I'm going to drive a half decent constant speed its slapped on. Lazy relaxed driving everywhere....HemiCommander said:
...such an basic and important feature...
Basic, yes. Important? I wouldn't say so. In my opinion the only time it's generally safe to use is on the inside lane of a relatively clear motorway / dual carriageway, or when other vehicles aren't around. At all other times the cars around are a potential hazard so you need to be able to adjust your speed (up or down) as quickly as possible.Generally, two reasons:
1) the cost and effort required to implement the cruise control interface (ie the stalk/switches etc)
and
2) the cost and effort required to valid it's safe operation
However, most manufacturers will do this for all their cars except the "city" ones, where no one specifies CC anyway, so they are better off taking the cost saving.
1) the cost and effort required to implement the cruise control interface (ie the stalk/switches etc)
and
2) the cost and effort required to valid it's safe operation
However, most manufacturers will do this for all their cars except the "city" ones, where no one specifies CC anyway, so they are better off taking the cost saving.
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