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cruise control feels dangerous when is the ebst time to use?

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Comments

  • jase1
    jase1 Posts: 2,308 Forumite
    Use it all the time in the Mondeo... only problem is I tend to use the +/- buttons a lot to alter speed in line with whatever traffic might be around, and the Ford's buttons are that nasty "every time I press this it feels like a piece of cheap plastic snapping" variety, which makes me cringe. The wiper stalk provides more of the same (though not the indicator stalk, curiously).
  • colino
    colino Posts: 5,059 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    While its a matter of choice (I just never use it) some cars cruise controls are horrible. I've never had a Merc for example that didn't constantly drop in and out of top gear for no apparent reason and even when going down hill, still appeared to be "driving" instead of coasting.
  • Lum
    Lum Posts: 6,460 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    Hintza wrote: »
    Cruise control is certainly quite disconcerting if you have never used it and some corners (thinking M74 here) are really quite scary and it is only then that you realise you must have subconsciously eased off in days pre cruise control.

    Every morning I head down the M48 and join the M4 (on the Welsh side). The road dips downhill and swings to the right as it passes under the M4.

    It's not that sharp a corner, you could easily do it while speeding, but with the mini tunnel and everything it looks scary.

    Most mornings I'll be on cruise control at 70 only to get overtaken by somebody who then pulls in front me and slows down, forcing me to re-overtake them as we go under the M4. So annoying.


    Also agree with the roadworks comments, cruise control makes travelling through SPECS zones much more pleasant.
  • fivetide
    fivetide Posts: 3,811 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I miss cruise control. Much better mpg wise I think.

    also, as said, great with an autobox, no gear changes either. Double brilliant if you are towing with an auto as it leaves you free to concentrate on the roads.

    They should all go off as soon as you touch the brake and will usually let you accelerate to pass something without knocking off cruise. Lift off and the car will settle back to the set speed. Nifty if you are overtaking on a dual carriageway/motorway and want to get past something going only marginally slower than your limit.

    5t.
    What if there was no such thing as a rhetorical question?
  • almillar
    almillar Posts: 8,621 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Can be useful, and yes, it's scary first time, and definitely shouldn't be played with in traffic. Golden rule is that you can use the clutch or brake and it'll cancel.
    Fuel saving - hmm. Driving and concentrating fully will achieve a mostly steady speed and better MPG. A driver can anticipate a hill, give it a bit more juice on the way in (and speed up) and then let it slow on the way up, getting better MPG than the CC, which will hold the speed, hit the hill, slam the 'pedal' all the way up the hill to keep a constant speed. Driver wins here.
    Long trips on the motorway, when tired, or navigating or whatever, if your mind isn't fully on maintaining speed and economy, CC is a useful tool.
  • Hintza
    Hintza Posts: 19,420 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    peteb74 wrote: »
    just don't do what my dad did when he got an RV in the states on holiday with CC and set the cruise to 70 mph, get up and head into the back to make a cup of tea!



    sorry!

    I wondered how long it would take for this urban legend to appear, you win the chocolate watch :beer:
  • iolanthe07
    iolanthe07 Posts: 5,493 Forumite
    Great for an automatic on the US freeways, but pretty useless here, imho.
    I used to think that good grammar is important, but now I know that good wine is importanter.
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