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My recently acquired Vectra C is my first vehicle with cruise control. I like to drive steadily, trying to eke out the miles. Is this best done with the CC on or off?
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IMHO off.
I had a 2.2 petrol with CC and it was more economical off, but a real bonus where you wanted to keep to the limit, unless you were going down an incline, when it tended to acelerate.
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CC is good in ideal conditions (quiet rapid cruising on motorways) and helps economy, the problem arises with mimsing craphounds and crowded roads - too many of both now to make it enjoyable and economical.
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I find that my mpg improves...as you are never jockeying between going faster and then slower etc. True you could achive the same without CC, but you would permanently be looking at the speedo. Maintaining speed is far easier in smaller engined cars as opposed to turbo diesels with 150 bhp.
A colleague gets and extra 50 miles per tank when using CC.
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Can't say I've noticed much difference (if any) between using / not using mine.
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It depends on your driving style. CC will want to maintain a constant speed so will accelerate uphill and decelerate downhill, the exact opposite of what you should do for best economy.
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I can't follow this, nick.
If you don't accelerate when you encounter a hill you will lose speed and I don't see how you-regain that speed without acceleration. Where's the economy?
On coming down a hill you seem to be saying that you let the car gain speed without using fuel, I suppose. But I'd have thought that CC won't be using fuel down hill anyway rather than decelerating.
You'll only use CC where a constant speed is a possibility anyway, won't you?
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How can anyone answer that question? We don't know your driving patterns, driving style etc.
Just try it out & do the math.
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If you don't accelerate when you encounter a hill you will lose speed and I don't see how you-regain that speed without acceleration. Where's the economy?
You accelerate again when going downhill
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Yeah, but what if you arrive on a plateau with no down hill stretch in sight?
Edited by Pugugly on 25/07/2008 at 20:01
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I've been playing a new game with my 530d recently, it's called how far can I go on one tank of diesel. I haven't noticed any difference with or without cruise control (steady 140km/h approx.), but locking it in 6th gear definitely improves economy as, left to its own devices, the automatic gearbox tends to unnecessarily change down to 5th at the first sign of a hill.
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