Here We Go!

[Folks]

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

Granted, Coss. My spoof was on another thread but But William is spoofing here too and this thread is just as dead.

 

[Coss]

Ahhhh I C use this one then

 

[Reid3400]

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.

+1 I'm so glad some has a clue as to the efficiency of cruise control. I have always been overwhelmed by idiots who "know" they can do better.

 

[NSTG8R]

I use the cruise every day, wouldn't own a vehicle without one. Hour + each way to work on the highway leaving my foot planted to a gas pedal ain't gonna happen, and it's probably saved me countless speeding tickets. If everyone used them properly, traffic would sail along smoothly and save me better than 1/2 hour a day sitting still in the fastlane MPG, be d*mned! I've gotta be comfortable.

 

[JEBar]

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.

many years ago I could routinely get better mileage driving without use of the cruise control ... in recent years that has changed significantly .... we have a 2011 Chevy Silverado 5.3 that we routinely make a 500 mile round trip from home to western NC to visit my Mom who is in a retirement home .... I've learned that if I set the cruse and ride, we will get about one mpg better than if we don't use it

 

[WilliamH]

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.

And the key point ........"over the same interstate"..........
I love my cruise control on interstates and relatively straight and level roads.
On hilly winding roads, not so much.
disclosure : most roads in my area are posted between 60 and 80 till you hit a town. 2 lane state and interstate.

 

[Reid3400]

And the key point ........"over the same interstate"..........
I love my cruise control on interstates and relatively straight and level roads.
On hilly winding roads, not so much.
disclosure : most roads in my area are posted between 60 and 80 till you hit a town. 2 lane state and interstate.

One day cruise will be connected to the GPS and you will be able to selected posted speed +X for your settings. A trip profile could be set.

 

[Lil4X]

I wish there were a "sensitivity" control for the cruise control. Our old van allows a variation of a couple miles per.hour, slowly creeping back to the setpoint. Lexus OTOH, prefers to demonstrate "precision" by constantly making throttle adjustments that make the speedometer seem glued to the setpoint. . . and wasting a good bit of fuel in the process.

 

[Coss]

My 08 Nitro will let me go over the set point by about 5mph, then it will down shift and let off the gas.
Won't let you go any more than about 1mph under.
If it's set for, let's say 55, you stop for a light, and hit "resume" at about 30, it will go easy getting back up to speed, to a certain point, but if it feels it's not getting there fast enough, it will downshift, and "turn it up" to get you to speed, and try to make up for lost time

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

many years ago I could routinely get better mileage driving without use of the cruise control ... in recent years that has changed significantly [...] I've learned that if I set the cruse and ride, we will get about one mpg better than if we don't use it

That's an interesting observation and I'm not sure how that would happen. So far as I know that car can't see into the future and know that they about to head down a hill or up a hill so you should still be able to easily beat it. Maybe the driver's not, um, as good as he used to be? Maybe it's already incorporating GPS to anticipate hills? JEBar, have a theory based on your observations?

One day cruise will be connected to the GPS and you will be able to selected posted speed +X for your settings. A trip profile could be set.

You may want to read the two article about trucks I =>posted here<= link. (Please fix link highlighting!)
Freightliner has been offering cruise control with GPS anticipation since as early as 2009.

=>Porsche introduced it last year.<= Link.

Cadillac will be =>launching "Super Cruise"<=link next year that uses GPS not only for hills, but for steering!
There are others launching cruise with GPS-based maximum speeds too. Google around a bit.

I wish there were a "sensitivity" control for the cruise control. Our old van allows a variation of a couple miles per.hour, slowly creeping back to the setpoint. Lexus OTOH, prefers to demonstrate "precision" by constantly making throttle adjustments that make the speedometer seem glued to the setpoint. . . and wasting a good bit of fuel in the process.

The old van is probably a vacuum-based mechanical system. They are slower to respond. If the Lexus is new enough to have throttle-by-wire the cruise control is probably entirely in software. And if you have a computer/laptop/phone/tablet you know how crappy software can be. And unlike the crappy software on your computer that gets patched seemingly every week, vehicle software almost never gets fixed. Harder in a car to find the Ctrl-Alt-Delete keys to do the three-finger-tango too...