Driving on the open road

[BF-2K7]

my choice of words may not have been what you actually said , but it was implied from the 'open throttle' remark and I took that to task, my appologies for not quoting you correctly

However ............ "but if you are climbing a long steep hill for example the cruise will attempt to maintain your set speed no matter what."

Most competant drivers would have disengaged the cruise control when negotiating a 'steep' hill (which you didnt mention in your post) Cruise control is not meant for steep hilly terrain however on gentle inclines and rolling hills it will perform I think better than 'human' driving as it will give only what it needs to get over the terrain whereas human input may push the throttle down too soon or too late therefore upping your fuel comsumption

The 'stomping' as an example of 'human' driving and that cruise control would not do this - and is a relevant point (maybe not to your post) however considering we are discussing the pros & cons of using cruise control I think it is.

I did a round trip of some 2176km up the east coast and my fuel economy (having a dedicated LPG ute towing a trailer) was excellent running an average of 14 - 16 kms/100l all done on cruise control on the highway/freeway - I did not use it in built up areas (such as around town) as that is not appropriate

Coasting and gentle accelleration is what cruise control does - once again I beg to differ on your belief that a human input gives better economy/performance than cruise control and will not be convinced otherwise as the human factor is too ambiguous with too many variables

[ryeman]

Example...Oyen to Mildura....100km rolling sand dunes....best economy constant throttle opening speeding up down and carrŷing speed up the other side.
In contrast on cc, engine braking down hill followed by at lest one kick down to get back up to speed for EVERY dune.
Unless a road is laser flat an understanding of basic physics and the limitations of the worlds best cc can never best an intelligent driver who knows exactly what's going on down under...

[XR6_661]

I did the ~600km each way drive to Exmouth over Christmas....No cars, was beautiful, roads are good too....cruise control set to 140kph.

It's not always bad!

But I know what the OP means about roads around Tville...Being from Cairns, I stand by saying FNQ drivers are the worst there is.

[ryeman]

Originally Posted by XR6_661

I did the ~600km each way drive to Exmouth over Christmas....No cars, was beautiful, roads are good too....cruise control set to 140kph.

It's not always bad!

But I know what the OP means about roads around Tville...Being from Cairns, I stand by saying FNQ drivers are the worst there is.

What tyres, how many k do you get out of then.
By the way, how many times did the auto have to kick down cos that's what determines my use of cc....if it stays in top is my rule.

[XR6_661]

Originally Posted by ryeman

What tyres, how many k do you get out of then.
By the way, how many times did the auto have to kick down cos that's what determines my use of cc....if it stays in top is my rule.

Only had the car ~2 months...It has Federals on it...So not sure what I'll get out of a set.

It's a manual, so cc in top gear is no issue ;)

[max_torq]

a driver (in a BA for example) can anticipate a hill, build up momentum or change down a gear, without disengaging the cruise control. The good thing about a cruise control on long trips is that speed does not vary with constant drop below speed limit, and then acceleration back up to or over the limit. And, in particular, in combination with GPS, speed can be set much more precisely that with speedo so the car can travel constantly at the limit +/- 1 km.

[Bushbasher]

BF-2K7, I don't know where you live mate but around here there there is plenty of undulating highway where there are significant climbs enough to cause a car to downshift while pulling a trailer while maintaining the cruise control. The most prominent I guess would be the stretch between Whyalla and Cowell on the Eyre Peninsula and in particular Moonabie Hill which climbs 250-300m getting progressively steeper in the space of about 1.5-2km on a straight stretch of road. By the time I get to the top pulling a loaded and gated trailer our factory dual fuel wagon has been known to have dropped back to 3rd and the throttle be wide open as the cruise tries to maintain 110kph as the speed is too high for it to go down to 2nd. Now tell me that uses less fuel than me turning off the cruise and going up the hill at half throttle at less speed. That's an extreme example but it's all relative and the same thing occurs with all cruise controls on lesser hills and rises in the road as the system tries to maintain the road speed no matter what. An educated foot, and the important point here is educated, will just maintain the throttle position a lot longer than the CC will and let the car wash off speed on the climb before squeezing the throttle to not lose too much speed thus using less fuel, where the CC will immediately open the throttle as soon as the road speed drops 5kph or so below it's set speed then force the car to accelerate back up to the set speed. Then it backs off and the car begins to lose speed again so the CC forces more acceleration by opening the throttle etc, etc. thus effectively pumping the throttle on climbs whether you notice it or not. The point is, CC will open the throttle sooner and wider than an educated foot will so will use more fuel. The fact that the majority of road users have no clue about how to drive efficiently or don't understand the intricacies of the CC and the physics involved doesn't invalidate my statement that an educated foot will be more economical than CC.

I don't know the roads east of the Blue Mountains on the coast or how hilly and undulating the terrain is but rule of thumb says that the more undulating the terrain the more economy gains could theoretically be had using your educated foot over your CC. 14 - 16L/100km (which is pretty good for pulling a trailer I must say) might be 13 -14 potentially.

Bushbasher

[Franco Cozzo]

If I put my Focus on CC, it will accelerate and back off to maintain speed going up/down hills without a problem, I've used it going over steep hills and it doesn't struggle and very closely maintains the set speed, within 2km/h.

[irish2]

Having done several long highway runs in a G6ET I can safely say I get better fuel economy than cruise does. You can ease in a bit of power when approaching an incline and let your speed drop off as you rise. Having the instantaneous read out, you can see the inputs from the CC are much more aggressive than from me.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by Bushbasher

BF-2K7, I don't know where you live mate but around here there there is plenty of undulating highway where there are significant climbs enough to cause a car to downshift while pulling a trailer while maintaining the cruise control. The most prominent I guess would be the stretch between Whyalla and Cowell on the Eyre Peninsula and in particular Moonabie Hill which climbs 250-300m getting progressively steeper in the space of about 1.5-2km on a straight stretch of road. By the time I get to the top pulling a loaded and gated trailer our factory dual fuel wagon has been known to have dropped back to 3rd and the throttle be wide open as the cruise tries to maintain 110kph as the speed is too high for it to go down to 2nd. Now tell me that uses less fuel than me turning off the cruise and going up the hill at half throttle at less speed. That's an extreme example but it's all relative and the same thing occurs with all cruise controls on lesser hills and rises in the road as the system tries to maintain the road speed no matter what. An educated foot, and the important point here is educated, will just maintain the throttle position a lot longer than the CC will and let the car wash off speed on the climb before squeezing the throttle to not lose too much speed thus using less fuel, where the CC will immediately open the throttle as soon as the road speed drops 5kph or so below it's set speed then force the car to accelerate back up to the set speed. Then it backs off and the car begins to lose speed again so the CC forces more acceleration by opening the throttle etc, etc. thus effectively pumping the throttle on climbs whether you notice it or not. The point is, CC will open the throttle sooner and wider than an educated foot will so will use more fuel. The fact that the majority of road users have no clue about how to drive efficiently or don't understand the intricacies of the CC and the physics involved doesn't invalidate my statement that an educated foot will be more economical than CC.

I don't know the roads east of the Blue Mountains on the coast or how hilly and undulating the terrain is but rule of thumb says that the more undulating the terrain the more economy gains could theoretically be had using your educated foot over your CC. 14 - 16L/100km (which is pretty good for pulling a trailer I must say) might be 13 -14 potentially.

Bushbasher

Obviously not an FG cruise control system described here. FG cruise control systems are fantastic, whilst maintaining excellent fuel economy.

Those drivers who believe they can maintain a constant speed using the right foot, think again. Following Territories, late Falcons and other vehicles where you know they have a good cruise control system but are obviously not being used by the way their speed fluctuates, is quite annoying.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by irish2

Having done several long highway runs in a G6ET I can safely say I get better fuel economy than cruise does. You can ease in a bit of power when approaching an incline and let your speed drop off as you rise. Having the instantaneous read out, you can see the inputs from the CC are much more aggressive than from me.

But your speed then is obviously fluctuating, presumably over and below the speed limit.

I also drive with the instantaneous readout showing, FG N/A manual however, the figures do not show it aggressive at all using cruise control. Maybe the auto changes from 6th to 5th etc?

[BF-2K7]

Bushbasher

I have a 2007 BF MkII LPG ute that was fully serviced before I went away.

As I knew I was embarking on an epic road trip I wanted everything looked at and in tip top condition.

The Pacific Highway is mostly an excellent 2 or 3 lane road up to about Port Macquarie where it then changes into a dual carriageway with passing lanes every 5 km or so all the way up to the Queensland border (well within a few 100kms or so) where it breaks back out to 2 lanes again.

The only major 'hill' area is at Mt White (just nth of Sydney) where the terrain is hilly, its a 3 lane freeway where I found it neccessary to deactivate the cruise control to negotiate the traffic and 'drive by foot' so to speak, so yes sometimes you may be required not to use it, that is at the discretion of the driver in the conditions he/she is facing.

MY point in using cruise control is that it will not give major inconsistant speed differentials that annoy other road users, and is a valuable tool to use at the drivers discretion.

As for fuel consumption, my average fuel consumption speaks for itself, (yes my trailer was on all the way with a 750cc cruiser strapped on the deck) as well as the back fiberglass canopy being full of my luggage fishing rods as well as the alloy ramp for the trailer.

At no time did the ute overextend itself or shift itself down a gear un-neccessarily, it was (to coin a phrase), smooth sailing all the way in regards to the use of CC.

I understand early models of CC (I had a 2001 2.5 V6 Landrover Freelander that I wouldn't describe as economical at the best of times that had an abysmal cruise control system in it) may not be the best, however, modern systems are much more economical and 'road' friendly.

The stand out comments so far against crusie control in that it promotes laziness and poor economy are yet to be proven to me, as I have never experienced them, and Im still yet to be convinced to the contrary.

Crusie control is a valuable tool if you use it correctly, and I repeat, correctly.

I didnt (and would not) use it on steep hilly terrain as I deem it inappropriate for that type of driving, (especially when towing a trailer)however on long undulating highway/freeway driving it comes into its own, from my personal experience giving the driver a constant speed without having to look at your speedo every 2 mins, and lets me concentrate on looking for other hazards ahead on the road (and singing at the top of my voice to GNR on the wireless )

[MercurySilver]

ive got cruise on my old nov 83 commie in the shed
im a fan of cc

[Bushbasher]

I'm a fan of CC as well and agree with what everyone has said about it's benefit and ability to maintain speed and let you concentrate more on what's going on around you etc. but that still doesn't invalidate my statement about an educated foot v the CC in terms of potential economy gains. Yes your speed will fluctuate without the CC but that's exactly the point, the CC will force the car to maintain speed on a climb and engine brake down the other side and an educated foot won't and ultimately that can save you fuel.

Bushbasher

[ShootsWithFilm]

I thought I'd dig this one up again.

While most certainly not a life or death situation (& probably very firmly in the 'first world problem' category), I still want to vent a little...

We have just come back on our first camping trip with our new Territory. Car ran fine, but I did run the gamut of stupidity on the road. We were driving back to Adelaide along the dukes highway and came across a 4WD (looked like a Patrol) towing a camper. We were doing the limit (110 on that highway) and they were doing around 95 - no drama as there was an overtaking lane coming up in around a K or so. But, Mr friendly Patrol driver decided that he would be courteous and drive on the verge....without slowing down. In the meantime he has peppered the front of my still immaculate Territory with old shredded truck tyre and worse, gravel. Worse still, there was a truck coming the other direction, which made it touch and go whether I could pass (which I did after the truck went by).

I have now looked and there are half a dozen or so paint chips along the leading edge of my bonnet that were not there before hand. OK, I know, first world drama and that, but because someone 'thought' they were doing the right thing, I now have to spend cash to get those chips fixed. The stupid thing is there was a passing lane coming up quickly, where I could have easily overtaken.

Grrrr...that feels better....

[irish2]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

But your speed then is obviously fluctuating, presumably over and below the speed limit.

I also drive with the instantaneous readout showing, FG N/A manual however, the figures do not show it aggressive at all using cruise control. Maybe the auto changes from 6th to 5th etc?

Speed fluctuates with the CC on too. It drops a couple of km/h on an incline and loads up the motor trying to accelerate back up the hill. Where I will wind it up 2-3km/h and roll out of the accelerator as I approach the crest. This is also a defensive driving philosophy, as you can easily apply brake if something is not right when you "crest" the hill. On the descent I will stay completely out of the throttle with an instantaneous readout of 0.0. With cruise on it maintains some throttle opening and reads 1.7 when coasting.

I have compared this with long distance highway driving, and I consistently averaged 0.5l/100km better than cruise. On hilly sections it was even more.

[Crazy Dazz]

I flew up to be interviewed for a job in QLD. The flew me into McKay to meet some people in the office there, then had me drive a hire car out to the town where I would be working. First question I asked was how often I would need to make that trip, and when he told me I would get a company car and be required to attend weekly meetings in McKay, I decided right then to decline. It took me three hours each way to travel about 200km, climbing this goat-track through the mountains, surrounded by bumper to bumper cane trucks, with lunatics making suicide runs around blind corners from about 10 lengths back.

That said, my biggest peeve is people who don’t put their headlights on when driving in the country, even when it is overcast and raining.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

That said, my biggest peeve is people who don’t put their headlights on when driving in the country, even when it is overcast and raining.

Can't stand people who drive in rain or fog with no lights on.


Other day in heavy fog I lost count of the amount of times I saw headlights coming towards me, then a few seconds later notice there is another car with no lights on between me and the headlights. They are completely invisible until they are about 50m out.


On Cruise Control, I quite like mine. The automatic even shifts down a gear or 2 to engine brake if I start down a steep hill with it still set.

[stace650]

I drive a GT and use cruise control on country roads. I'm just guessing, but I'd say even if it did affect fuel consumption it would be maybe five bucks over a tank of juice.

And when you own a GT, that means fuel consumption is either terrible or awful compared to an economical car anyway.

[my_gxl]

Originally Posted by Falconson71

Soon will be the day when gps automatically limits our speed.

As long as it sets the minimum too!!!

[my_gxl]

Originally Posted by svo supporter

Not all cars have this fitted and I hate it with a passion....Breeds laziness

I love my cruise. Means you aren't one of those dicks speeding up and down all the time.

The main thing about it is it helps me remain calmer on the road, and resist the urge to hit the loud pedal when someone does something stupid in front of me (which is everyday).

On another note-I call the issue of f-wits speeding up "Overtaking Syndrome". The best cure is an instant burst of V8 acceleration. As soon as they know you play hard-they always go back into their shell.

Awesome brakes sort out tailgaters fast too. I have a good heavy towbar in case they mess up.