Here We Go!

[WilliamH]

Cruise is too handy not to have, especially if you have arthritic knees as I do. Elio's said all along that if it can be done for the $6800 price, CC will be standard; if not, you can have it as an option. Right now the car is $500 over target and at 81 mpg. If cruise can help them meet the mpg target, you bet it will be included, but not if it costs $250 per car! (How much does a cruise control system cost, anyhow?)

Elio's now at the point where they have to make dollar vs. mpg decisions. We should start a pool -- what's the final price / mpg going to be? Winner gets free cruise control!

Not for nothing, but cruise control does not really help your mileage (unless you live on a billiard table).
On the other hand, I will definitely get it on mine along with tinted windows and some other stuff TBD.
Oh, and very important, Creamsicle........ 'cause I can't get bright Yellow.

 

[Rickb]

My four must haves.

1. I must have my Elio
2. I must have my Elio
3. I must have my Elio
4. I must have my Elio

Funniest post of the day! and it's early.

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

If cruise can help them meet the mpg target, you bet it will be included, but not if it costs $250 per car!

Cruise is not used when measuring (or calculating) MPG. It does not improve a vehicle's achievable MPG. It's a driver convenience, not a vehicle control system affecting MPG per se. It only improves MPG because most drivers are terrible at driving. A minimally-trained and conscientious driver can always beat the MPG achieved using cruise.

(How much does a cruise control system cost, anyhow?)

The Rostra retrofit systems are about $180 retail, so figure OEM cost for a vehicle-specific system is maybe $30-50.

 

[Lil4X]

Our old motorhome had cruise that was more like a throttle position hold, allowing the bus to lose speed on grades without flooring it and wasting gobs of fuel. If you wanted more speed you could step on the gas, but about the only change would be the noise level from the engine room.

Later, I proved the efficiency of this constant throttle technique in a Lexus with instantaneous and cumulative mpg readouts. Setting the cruise for 65, the car would hold precisely that setpoint for hours on end, uphill and down, but fuel consumption stayed near 27mpg. Releasing the cruise and just holding a steady foot on the gas, allowing the car to speed up and slow down over hills, my fuel consumption fell to 23 mpg - over the same interstate, month after month.

I'm not sure I'd want to do that in my Elio, for fear of being run over, but the empirical evidence is in: Steady throttle > steady speed, every time.

 

[Devilstower]

My daughter in law bought a new Subaru with an adaptive cruise last week. I never thought it would be important... until I tried it.

Hop on the road and set the cruise for 70. No one in front of you! It goes 70. Guy in front of you slows to 65, so do you. Road becomes jammed with stop and go traffic, you stop and go with them. Road clears and guy in front zooms off at a ticket luring 80... you go back to 70. And all of it handled with no fuss and not a tap to with gas or brakes. I'm really aching to have this now.

 

[Coss]

The Rostra retrofit systems are about $180 retail, so figure OEM cost for a vehicle-specific system is maybe $30-50.

If those numbers are correct I don't see how they can't afford to include it; it is an extremely attractive option. It's been years since I have seen any new car offered without CC. They could try absorbing it, and build that price into another "most asked for" option; like floor mats, or some interior foo-foo piece once they figured out what that "most asked for" option is.

(Hmmm I take back what I said about CC always being included; I looked up a Kia Soul ($15K base model) and "Speed Control" is a $2,000 option)
Looks like they're trying to make back a loss in something else also.

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

I could be way off on the cost of cruise. It's just a guesstimate. Consider that a vehicle with computerized engine control and throttle-by-wire doesn't need any additional mechanical devices. It does needs switches to activate and control it, and software to run it, and maybe an additional sensor two for the brake pedal if it's not wired into the engine control already. So total incremental cost could be closer to $10-30. Again, a half-wild, half-educated guess.

I do not think we will see cruise as standard. I'll just be happy to get a steering wheel as standard. He never promised us that!

 

[WilliamH]

I could be way off on the cost of cruise. It's just a guesstimate. Consider that a vehicle with computerized engine control and throttle-by-wire doesn't need any additional mechanical devices. It does needs switches to activate and control it, and software to run it, and maybe an additional sensor two for the brake pedal if it's not wired into the engine control already. So total incremental cost could be closer to $10-30. Again, a half-wild, half-educated guess.

I do not think we will see cruise as standard. I'll just be happy to get a steering wheel as standard. He never promised us that!

Steering wheel ? I thought it was going to be a stick like on the Aeronca Champ I learned to fly in.
Wow! First the gas cap is on the right side and now I have to use a steering wheel. What next?

 

[Folks]

Steering wheel ? I thought it was going to be a stick like on the Aeronca Champ I learned to fly in.
Wow! First the gas cap is on the right side and now I have to use a steering wheel. What next?

I'm smelling tons of spoof around here but no one seems to be catching on. William, I'm not sensing enough here to pick up on your witty humor. ONly Coss liked my posts about the post apocalyptic movie idea. so I'm not picking up and appreciation for either of our's humor. LOL

 

[Coss]

I'm smelling tons of spoof around here but no one seems to be catching on. William, I'm not sensing enough here to pick up on your witty humor. ONly Coss liked my posts about the post apocalyptic movie idea. so I'm not picking up and appreciation for either of our's humor. LOL

(Psssttt Folks; I think you're thinking about a different thread )