Adaptive Cruise Control Is Here. What about Eco Cruise Control?

Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 19:29

I like cruise control when travelling. I even use it around town on longer roads. Keeps me at the speed limit, but not over. Allows me to look out at the road rather than the speedo.

I’ve also recently discovered adaptive cruise control. Find it OK on the highways, but mostly haven’t really used it to it’s full advantage much. It’s handy when there’s a lot of vehicles on the freeway and you inevitably get caught in a line going less than your set speed.

One thing that occurred to me, particularly while towing is that some form of ECO mode might be preferable. Something maintains set speed, but will not exceed a certain power limit until the speed has dropped by a percentage. I’d find this good while towing as I prefer not to flog my vehicle and allowing the speed to drop from 100 back to 90 or even 80 on hills would also save fuel. When towing a heavy load, stomping the go pedal to maintain speed really sucks a lot of fuel. When unladen, there's probably less need for it, but it could save a bit of fuel on the hills. Perhaps it could be linked to a gradient sensor to become a little smarter like backing off the throttle a bit earlier on a crest too.

I know some hate cruise control and never use it. Perhaps this topic really isn’t for you - but have away at comments if you feel the need.

What do others think? Have a cruise control mode that saves fuel on hill climbs by allowing the speed to reduce rather than pushing to full power?

Poll Options

  • 33
    I’d like an eco mode for cruise control
  • 42
    Not for me, Im not worried about the extra fuel use on hills.
  • 5
    I never use cruise control anyway.
Automotive

Comments

  • Wiadro on 21/01/2024 - 19:33

    all eco mode does on most autos is "coast" the car, where its not in a gear, its just "coasting" in neutral

    • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 19:35
      +2

      It also changes shift points in an auto. Shifts sooner to get to lower revs and use less fuel. Sports mode tends to hold the gear longer and provide a little more power at higher revs.

      • brendanm on 21/01/2024 - 22:15
        +1

        Plenty of VAG cars have coasting mode, I'm sure others do as well.

  • MrThing on 21/01/2024 - 19:35
    +27

    people who dont use cruise control on freeways / highways (and who have it on their car) should be banned from driving

    • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 19:36
      +4

      Agree. Having someone speed and the slow repeatedly as other cars pass them is annoying.

      • MrThing on 21/01/2024 - 19:42
        +3

        fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow fast slow is a real PITA

        especially since its usually only +/- 10km/hr, but its enough to bother the comfort of your drive

        • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 19:45
          +1

          Adaptive cruise can overcome some of this, but often will not allow you close enough for the person in front to realise you want to pass because they aren’t maintaining speed properly - unlike getting a bit close so they move over.

          • The Hawk on 22/01/2024 - 11:38

            @Euphemistic: Every one I have used (well both of them) allows you to set the distance from pretty close to pretty far back.

            Having just returned from a long road trip I'm reminded that anything other than riding the bumper of the car doing 95 in a 100 zone is an invitation for someone else to scream up the inside of you to fill that gap you have left… screw safe driving distances!

            It takes a little getting used to since the transition to slower speeds is typically pretty graceful and it's easy to suddenly realise you're doing 85 in a 100 zone because that's the speed the car in front is doing. Traditional cruise would just maintain your speed and close the gap so you have to take action to either overtake or disable the cruise control. I don't know that it's better or worse, just different.

        • Ghost47 on 22/01/2024 - 20:00

          That's the worst on long drives on country roads. You can end up overtaking someone (on cruise control obviously) then 15 minutes later they overtake you. Makes no sense at at all.

      • Brick Tamland on 22/01/2024 - 08:49
        +1

        Wouldnt an eco cruise control have the same affect though? constantly changing speed depending on terrain to maintain a set efficiency ?

        • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 11:05

          It might, but if you are going any faster than set, anyone approaching from behind isn’t going to get annoyed because they were catching you they are obviously going faster than your average speed.

    • lgacb08 on 22/01/2024 - 05:34

      Not when the road is busy (i.e. at least 2 hours out major metropolitan area and you're on old version of cruise control, that when you will end either hogging the right lane or constantly flickering it on/off so better leave them off altogether.

  • fantombloo on 21/01/2024 - 20:00
    +3

    I had the same thought as OP just this last week on a long drive. For now I just flick cruise off, get to my target speed or regulate power at my own pace, then flick it back on when I match cruise.

    • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 20:04

      I tend to do the same, but get caught on on some lesser hills with the gearbox dropping a gear and engine revving to hold the speed when I can easily hold the same gear and drop a few km/h with my foot.

      • brendanm on 21/01/2024 - 20:38
        +2

        Sometimes a lower gear and higher rpm is actually better for the engine, it can be in a more efficient part of its rev range.

        • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 21:21

          That’s why I want it to back off the speed a little

      • MS Paint on 21/01/2024 - 20:44
        +1

        Labouring an engine is one of the worst things you can do.

        • fantombloo on 21/01/2024 - 21:01
          +1

          But we're not doing that, we're actually dropping the power delivery, just letting inertia do some of it's work and taking the trade-off in speed. Same as going downhill - (theoretically 😉) breaking the speed limit to ease work on the brakes and the uphill pain.

        • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 21:31

          It’s not labouring if it’s already in a good rev range at speed. Dropping from 100 to 95 or even 90 would rarely cause a car on a high gear to labour.

    • TooSerious2 on 21/01/2024 - 20:46

      Flicking resume on the stalk always goes hard

      • fantombloo on 21/01/2024 - 20:55
        +1

        But I flick a button, not a stalk. With my thumb.

  • brendanm on 21/01/2024 - 20:35
    +8

    Sounds like a recipe to drive those behind you bonkers.

    • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 21:24

      I gonna slow down on the hills without cruise, and when towing it’s pretty normal to drop off a bit of speed.

      Adaptive cruise control fixes the problem better than cutting cruise control too.

      • brendanm on 21/01/2024 - 21:40
        +1

        80 in a 100 is a bit much though. You don't have a lack of power.

        • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 21:57
          -1

          80 in 100 might still be faster than a lot of trucks.

          • brendanm on 21/01/2024 - 22:09
            +3

            @Euphemistic: Trucks towing a full load don't physically have the power to get near the speed limit at times, they aren't choosing to do so.

          • El cheepo on 21/01/2024 - 22:31
            +2

            @Euphemistic:

            80 in 100 might still be faster than a lot of trucks

            And slower then the majority of traffic.

            If you wanna save fuel and go slow, switch the cruise control off and tuck in behind a truck.

            • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 22:38

              @El cheepo: Great idea. Drafting trucks will save heaps of fuel.

              80 is a bit of an extreme example. More often it’s just not maintaining exactly 100

              • El cheepo on 21/01/2024 - 22:49

                @Euphemistic: I realise you think your being a smart alec, but thats exactly the reason i said tuck in behind one.
                They can’t stop quickly and you can sit behind them and reduce wind drag.

                Nothing wrong with tailgating a truck uphill in a caravan.

                • lgacb08 on 22/01/2024 - 05:38

                  @El cheepo: Until they drop down to 20km/ climbing Mount kiera or Adelaide Hills then you have to find your exit strategy but realise you can't.

                • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 05:43

                  @El cheepo: Tailgating is never a good idea. Especially when towing a caravan. When towing you need even more stopping time because they are harder to stop on a hurry.

                  • El cheepo on 22/01/2024 - 08:52

                    @Euphemistic: If you need more stopping time then a fully laden truck while towing a caravan, you shouldn’t be towing it.

                    • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 11:07

                      @El cheepo: Have you never heard of reaction time? I’m also guessing you’ve never emergency braked with a heavy trailer on

                      • El cheepo on 22/01/2024 - 12:09

                        @Euphemistic:

                        I’m also guessing you’ve never emergency braked with a heavy trailer on

                        You are guessing wrong 😂

                        I guess someone that probably tows a caravan 2-3 times a year and wants to do 80 up hill in the 100 zone knows best.

                        Please give my regards to the trucks and other motorists you will be bothering at the next holiday season.

                        Maybe you can even teach the truck drivers at the truck park bays your blocking up about towing a large trailer safely too.

  • MS Paint on 21/01/2024 - 20:42
    +4

    allowing the speed to drop from 100 back to 90 or even 80 on hills would also save fuel.

    I hope this is only on multi lane roads or without cars following you. FFS.

    • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 21:26
      -4

      Nope. It’s perfectly normal for large/heavy vehicles to slow at hills. I overtook several b-doubles just this afternoon - while towing too. They were going about 60 in a 110. I was closer to 90 while passing.

      • MS Paint on 21/01/2024 - 21:33
        +6

        I've never complained about b doubles losing momentum and speed going up hills but I've cursed at plenty of 200 series landcruisers pulling 20ft caravans that are more than capable of maintaining their speed.

      • El cheepo on 21/01/2024 - 21:40
        +5

        You realise a 60ton bdouble doing 60 up a hill is not doing 60 to save fuel right?

        We literally can not go any faster… hell sometimes I’m down to 20 on some hills.

        Don’t be a PITA and stinge… your car has the power to pull a caravan up a hill at the speed limit, don’t make others suffer to save a few dollars.

        • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 21:58

          Rarely make others suffer. Most of the hill climbs I’ve done are dual lane. Going slower makes it easier for others to pass.

  • JimmyF on 21/01/2024 - 20:59
    +2

    allowing the speed to drop from 100 back to 90 or even 80 on hills would also save fuel.

    Cruise control has no idea how 'big' the hill is or how long it goes for. So your eco cruise will never happen.

    Just drive manually or dial down the cruise speed as big hills come up and then flick it back up when its over.

    • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 21:27
      +1

      Could be linked to GPS maps which would then allow a bit of a run up too.

      • JimmyF on 21/01/2024 - 21:33
        +2

        Sure it could, but it is a very niche market so doubt OEMs will bother with doing it, or will lock it behind some pay feature.

  • JIMB0 on 21/01/2024 - 21:23

    When travelling I'm more interested in getting there quicker than saving fuel.

    • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 21:29
      +1

      Yeah, me too in many cases, but reality is it wouldn’t cost a lot of time in most cars. They’ll easily climb at the speed limit on many hills.

      I’d be interested to have the car recognise if the hill is flattening out and not accelerate over the crest like many dumb cruise controls do.

      • JIMB0 on 21/01/2024 - 21:44
        +1

        The car is going to gain the same amount of potential energy climbing the hill no matter what speed it does it at. Slowing down is only going to reduce energy loss due to wind resistance, you'd save much more fuel driving the whole time at a slower speed.

        The only reason you'd save fuel by reducing throttle going up hill is if the engine operates at a lower brake specific fuel consumption with the reduced power. It may even have a higher brake specific fuel consumption at a lower throttle and therefore use more fuel.

        • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 22:00
          +1

          Slowing down is only going to reduce energy loss due to wind resistance, you'd save much more fuel driving the whole time at a slower speed.

          There’s a reason many caravanners travel under 100km/h. 90 is a lot more fuel efficient due to less aero drag. Plus it’s inherently safer to travel a bit slower, especially so when towing a heavy load.

          The only reason you'd save fuel by reducing throttle going up hill is if the engine operates at a lower brake specific fuel consumption with the reduced power.

          The harder you push the go pedal, the more fuel the engine burns. It’s a pretty simple concept. Holding it at the same position won’t use any extra fuel, pushing it harder to maintain speed because the hill (gravity) is slowing you down absolutely uses more fuel.

          • GordonD on 21/01/2024 - 22:14
            +3

            @Euphemistic:

            The harder you push the go pedal, the more fuel the engine burns. It’s a pretty simple concept. Holding it at the same position won’t use any extra fuel, pushing it harder to maintain speed because the hill (gravity) is slowing you down absolutely uses more fuel.

            Not pressing the accelerator harder means you don't use fuel at a higher RATE. But if not pressing the accelerator harder means you slow down up a hill, its taking you longer to get there, so you are using fuel at that rate for longer, and using more fuel. Which may be more or less than than the extra amount you would have used by pressing the accelerator harder to maintain speed and not taking longer to get there.

            If you want to save fuel don't reserve your fuel saving efforts for hills, you have no idea whether that strategy is effective on that car. Just drive slower everywhere, and make a complete pain in the backside of your self to other drivers who have somewhere to go and want to get there.

    • Brick Tamland on 22/01/2024 - 08:52
      +2

      Everyone else following will need to use extra fuel to overtake so that one person can save $1.89 of fuel at the next stop.

  • GordonD on 21/01/2024 - 22:06
    +2

    The stuff being proposed here would drive following drivers crazy and result in stupid overtaking moves and crashes.

    Its not as simple as lower revs mean better fuel economy. There is a point in the rev range below which that ceases to be the case, and you get better fuel consumption by dropping a gear. And in this era of car manufacturers having to meet fuel economy rules, they program their automatic transmission to know when that is. That was why BMW was going to drop manual transmissions - they have announced they'll continue to make them available on some enthusiast models - because it was the obvious way to get better fuel consumption numbers. An auto transmission knows better when to shift down a gear than human drivers do. Let it.

    Don't be a dangerous road block holding up other drivers.

    • Euphemistic on 21/01/2024 - 22:37

      It’s not as simple as lower revs mean better fuel economy. There is a point in the rev range below which that ceases to be the case, and you get better fuel consumption by dropping a gear. And in this era of car manufacturers having to meet fuel economy rules, they program their automatic transmission to know when that is.

      it’s an automatic. It changes gear automatically. This is more about not flogging the car just to maintain a few extra km/h. More power is required to get you up a hill faster. That comes at a cost of fuel and heat. Heat kills efficiency

      Don't be a dangerous road block holding up other drivers.

      Yeah. You got me. It’s all about making other drivers angry. TBH I wish I had a bigger less powerful setup so I had to hold up more drivers.

      Get over yourself. I’m not the slowest driver out there. Passed several trucks on the highway this afternoon slower than the speed limit and without holding anyone up either

      • fantombloo on 22/01/2024 - 00:23

        They have no idea. IMO your suggestion shows an extra consciousness and diligence about driving, most probably also extended to other factors such as taking in the surrounding conditions including other traffic.

        I'm teaching my kid how to drive ATM, explaining, for example, there are different ways to approach a red light depending on where you are, who's around, whether you expect it to change soon, etc., not just some blanket one size fits all rule. Sometimes you hold your speed longer, sometimes you back off early - basically engaging the brain before hitting the pedals. Same for everything, including getting up a hill.

        These folks talk as if running a 1600m race is the same art as running a 100m sprint 16 times.

        • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 05:44
          -1

          So many drivers think the speed limit is there to be the speed you have to drive at. It’s a maximum, not anything else.

          • Sal in SA on 22/01/2024 - 07:19
            +2

            @Euphemistic: For majority of roads and the current level of car tech - very few times the limit cannot be maintained.
            Driver skill however - given that so many expect their car to flip over if they go 5km/h over advisory corner signs is embarrassing.

      • Rally Dave on 22/01/2024 - 13:57

        Heat does not kill efficiency, in fact it is the complete opposite. Companies have even tried to build ceramic engines so they can run them hotter (they couldn't keep the steel body around them in good shape).
        Most people are right, you are being selfish and inconsiderate. You are also ignorant of the true effects. You have failed to mention keeping speed up or having to spend fuel to get back up to speed.
        How is the cruise control going to know when you have people behind you do not to slow them down unnecessarily. I tow more weight than most caravans and get frustrated by some of the crap drivers going slowly, unaware or uncaring of their impacts and causing traffic jams. People should be booked for driving unnecessarily below the speed limit.
        As for driving slower is safer, such a stupid argument. Not driving at all is safer so get off the roads. Driving at 200 is safer than 210. Driving at 10 is safer than 20. It's all meaningless unless you relate it to a significant drop in risk which you haven't. All cars driving at the same speed is safer than driving at differing speeds. By you dropping 30km/h on the surrounding driving, you are significantly increasing the risk of an impact, way more than lowering your speed.

        • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 14:04

          That they can’t make an engine suited to additional heat is quite telling. So it must do damage to existing systems. Auto transmissions have reduced lifespan if they get too hot. That’s why you fit aftermarket transmission coolers to many vehicles.

          Thanks for your input on speed. I’ll continue to be ‘selfish and ignorant’. For what little it’s worth I passed a bunch of slower drivers on my trip yesterday they were travelling at least 30km/h under the speed limit. They had a yellow square with an L on it. It did me no harm, nor anyone travelling behind me to overtake.

          I really don’t get the butthurt about slower vehicles being on the roads, just pass them and moved on. Not everyone can travel at highways speeds. Not everyone is allowed to. not everyone wants to. The roads are shared by all and if you can’t deal with that maybe you should rethink having a licence.

  • freefall101 on 21/01/2024 - 23:11
    +1

    All you're doing is sacrificing momentum going up the hill that needs to be regained on the other side, that's not a fuel saving at all. If it's flat at the top of the hill, you need to accelerate when you get up there anyway to get back up to speed.

    It's only if the hill is steep enough down the other side that you would otherwise need to brake off excess momentum that you actually see any kind of benefit (because braking is the real fuel inefficient thing when driving, unless you have a vehicle that recaptures that power). But that would seem difficult to predict before hitting the hill.

    Your auto is only dropping down a gear because chugging up the hill at low revs is less efficient anyway. You're not "flogging" anything, it's maintaining peak efficiency for the weight (in this case a heavy load that is fighting gravity). Generally you're regain any extra fuel usage back later on.

    • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 05:45

      I see youve never towed.

      • freefall101 on 22/01/2024 - 12:08

        Unless towing changes the laws of physics, there’s something very wrong with your gearbox or you’re towing well over what your vehicle should be towing (which is illegal) and it essentially can’t make it up a hill in any normal manner.

        Otherwise dropping back a gear to maintain speed isn't going to be any different consumption wise than you losing all that forward momentum to make it up the hill by any measurable amount.

        • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 12:32

          Dropping back a gear doesn’t affect much. Smashing your foot to the floor just to make your speed a little higher doesn’t make any sense either.

          My rig is well within weight limits. Thankyou for your concern.

          • freefall101 on 22/01/2024 - 12:55

            @Euphemistic: Glad to hear you’re being sensible on weight limits, so many people aren’t these days.

            It also doesn’t make sense to bleed off momentum that you need to regain. Basic physics, you need to regain that lost momentum one way or another to get up to speed. It may seem easier on a flat bit of road than a hill, but it’s really not.

            Unless it’s going up over 5k revs or something way out of the peak efficiency, it’s not going to make a difference. An auto gearbox should be keeping it in that efficient range unless it’s hauling too much for the engine.

            I have towed a lot, I tend to err one the side of caution a lot, no point buying caravan that, when unladen, is basically at my max weight when you’ve got to think about people and bags and all sorts of crap. I tend to estimate then make sure there’s a good 500kg left and get it weighed when I’m not sure. Never had a problem getting up hills.

            I’ve done some silly short distance trips, the ol’ 4 cylinder with a trailer in my younger years, never a good idea. I rent vans/trucks these days.

            • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 13:11
              -1

              @freefall101: I’m aware of how to apply power for hills but I just don’t see the point of flogging your car to maintain the speed limit up a hill. It works hard enough towing a full sized caravan with the aero drag at 100. Flogging it up hills also inputs a lot more heat into the system which is bad for oils etc. I see nothing wrong with allowing to drop back from 100 to 90 up a hill where the aero drag is less and more power goes to going up. We seem to have forgotten that. I pass plenty of vehicles on the flat, so can’t be going go all that slow.

              Ultimately I guess we are all different. It just irks me that all the holier than thou types here suggest I have to maintain the speed limit and flog the vehicle because ‘I’m slowing everyone down’. It wasn’t that long ago that there were very few vehicles that could even pull a van at 100, let alone do that up a hill.

              I’ve noticed a few comments of mine relating to slowing down on the roads have been absolutely hammered because lots of people seem to think the number in the red circle is all that matters and if you aren’t doing that you’re a menace to society.

  • [Deactivated] on 22/01/2024 - 03:01
    +2

    So instead of keeping the engine in a higher rev range where the power is you’d prefer to labour the engine in a higher gear and potentially strip the gears? Lower gears have more meat/surface area and are chunkier for a reason, to get the power throughput. Higher gears are lighter materials and have less surface area, having extra load/weight going through those gears is a bad idea. Paying a few extra litres while towing is much cheaper than a transmission repair/replacement.

    • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 05:47
      +1

      taking it easy on the drivetrain by backing off on a hill is much cheaper than a transmission repair/replacement too. It not just about the fuel savings of being in a lower gear. It’s also about keeping the engine and gearbox cooler and under less strain.

      Maybe I put too much focus on the fuel saving thing. Maybe I explained it wrong. The idea is not to overload the drivetrain and allow the veggie to slow a bit up hills rather than pushing you go pedal to the floor and putting lots and lots of strain into the drivetrain as well as in doing so, reducing the amount of fuel needed.

      • Sal in SA on 22/01/2024 - 07:20
        +2

        It really isn't - they are designed to operate under such load - backing off is not going to have any measurable impact on any parts service life - that is all in ya head.

      • barge-in hunter on 22/01/2024 - 07:23
        +2

        I completely understand where you’re coming from - but I regularly tow a small pop top behind a passenger car.

        For lack of a better term, it grind my gears (inset drums here) when the cruise control immediately takes your engine to near redline because you’ve started climbing a short but sharp hill.

        It’s jarring for the occupants, bad for the transmission/drivetrain and eats through fuel like crazy. A more modest acceleration (or a larger tolerance for reducing speed) would solve this 80% of the time.

        Given all new cars have front facing cameras and an image recognition running at all times, it’s a completely viable option. He’ll, some advanced aeb systems probably already monitor incline of the road, to adapt the distance required for an emergency stop

  • barge-in hunter on 22/01/2024 - 07:32
    +2

    I’m genuinely surprised at the lack of mechanically sympathetic vehicle owners here - every moving part in a vehicle is designed to operate for a certain period of time, under what the manufacturer considers “standard loads and tolerances”.

    To reduce manufacturing costs, they’ll set those tolerances lower than the maximums - if they didn’t, cars would be more expensive, and your average (non Toyota) car would have a longer service life than 250k kms.

  • JownehFixIT on 22/01/2024 - 08:01
    +1

    Where's the poll option for EVs? As far as my ownership experience of two EVs goes, smart cruise has been miles better than in any combustion engine vehicle before or after this experience. The speed limit adjustments are faster. And the slowing down… Actually happens. ICE vehicles, I feel like I'm hurtling towards traffic in front pretty much no matter the conditions or circumstances.

    Had a Hyundai Ioniq Electric MY2019 28kwh first, now a Tesla Model Y. There are things I like more or less about each of them, but their adaptive cruises are way better than combustion. My two cents worth.

    • geekcohen on 22/01/2024 - 08:26

      Had a Hyundai Ioniq Electric MY2019 28kwh first, now a Tesla Model Y. There are things I like more or less about each of them, but their adaptive cruises are way better than combustion. My two cents worth.

      I think it depends on the car. My Ford Ranger 2021 has better adaptive cruise control vs my wife' Hyundai 2022 Tucson. I find I have to fiddle and stuff around more with my wife's car vs mine which is a lot easier both towing or not.

      • JownehFixIT on 22/01/2024 - 09:16
        +1

        Good point about towing too, that's going to impact how a car's cruise is going to adapt its speed. I think regenerative braking just takes a lot of the guesswork out for adaptive cruise systems. Seems logical anyway. Let go of accelerate and it kicks straight in (depending on your car and settings), but in a combustion vehicle the brakes have to actually clamp down, or I guess they could do it with the transmission as well.

        • geekcohen on 22/01/2024 - 09:50

          Yeah, I think it really depends on the car. My wife's car will brake for you whereas my ranger will ease off the acceleration and then hold until something changes (moving lane etc).

          Also whether the car is disc brakes around or whether it is disc and drum.

        • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 10:57
          +1

          Our car will kick down if you brake on a hill, and also if on cruise control and speed starts to creep up. It uses transmission braking.

  • 2esc on 22/01/2024 - 09:26

    When i go for a drive with my family on the week end i often drop below the speed limit. But you have to consider other road users.

    It you want to do 95/90/80 thats fine but dont hold up other road users especially on hills if your towing something last thing you need is a vehicle going real slow in front of you it can actually bring a vehicle to a complete stop on real steep hills. DON'T speed up in overtaking lanes, pull over when safe to let cars pass (several cars are behind you).

    My wife and one of my boys gets carsick so i often just take my time in hilly stuff with lots of bends so i keep a good eye on my mirrors.

    Different story though if im doing the speed limit and someone is tail gating me they can wait till a overtaking lane.

    • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 11:01

      I understand no inconveniencing other road users deliberately, but sometimes you can’t help but slow down on a hill when towing. I’m not gonna redline the car up a hill just because I’ve dropped below the speed limit.

      Classic example, coming up out of Mooney Mooney on the M1 from Sydney. Car works hard enough without a load on up there. Towing a couple of tonne you’re bound to slow down - but there’s overtaking lanes.

      I also don’t speed up for overtaking lanes like a lot of others. If anything I’ll slow down to let as many car past as possible so they aren’t tempted to pull a stupid overtaking move later.

  • payless69 on 22/01/2024 - 17:24

    What was your question?
    Buy a decent car, rtfm!

    • Euphemistic on 22/01/2024 - 17:44
      -1

      Have decent car, it works as designed - according to the manual.

      Question as interpreted by the good folk of OzB is apparently “How can I piss off entitled drivers more than I already do?”

      • payless69 on 22/01/2024 - 17:58

        Get a train horn then.

  • Ghost47 on 22/01/2024 - 20:50

    One thing I've noticed more and more lately in cars are changes for what seems to be the sake of change. For example:

    • Some EV companies opting to not have physical hardware buttons in the centre console and replacing them with a simple touchscreen. IMO it's much easier and quicker to glance at the centre console and feel for a button or a dial than it is to look at a touchscreen and make sure you're tapping in the right spot, or diving into a menu to change something. On top of that, you might need to look more than once at the screen if you're trying to change a "setting" rather than look once, feel for the button or knob and change the setting.
    • Tesla yoke. Haven't used it myself but it seems absolutely stupid and change for the sake of change.
    • Panoramic glass roofs in cars. Like yeah cool you get to see the sky more but when the sun is out the cabin is going to get a hotter compared to if you had a standard roof, requiring you to turn on the AC on higher to cool down the car. Glass adds more weight to the car as well, so this is form over function IMO.

    I would add eco cruise control to that list. Cruise control already exists and helps to save fuel since you're maintaining a set speed. If you're towing a load then that inherently means you're going to be using more fuel in the first place. It's like if you buy a sports car that requires on 98; if you aren't happy with 98 being so expensive then you shouldn't have bought a sports car in the first place. Same with towing, if you are annoyed about the fuel usage then you should either lower the amount of weight you're towing or deal with it. And either way, even if you are using more fuel to go up the hill you're going to use less (or none) on the way down anyway.

    Allows me to look out at the road rather than the speedo.

    It really doesn't take long to check your speedo though. If you've driven your car long enough you'll be accustomed to the way the speedo looks. Therefore you know, for example, that if the needle is at the 10 o'clock position that you're driving at 80 km/hr, so all you need is to look down and see if the needle is at that mark or not. If you have a digital speedo it makes it even easier to check your speed since all you need to do is read a number. In the words of Jerry Seinfeld "looking at it is like looking at the sun". It really shouldn't take you more than one half to one full second to look at your speedo and understand what speed you're going at. I would really like to sit in the car with someone who makes out that looking at their speedo takes too long to see what they're doing or what their speedo looks like. It probably takes me the same amount of time to check my speed as it does for me to check my mirrors (unless I'm changing lanes then I'd probably look at my side mirrors for a bit longer than a second).

    I just think some manufacturers are going down stupid paths with their cars. Too many features that end up adding more complexity and making drivers less attentive to what's going on because LKA will help them stay in their lane, blind spot monitoring means they don't need to bother looking at what's in their mirror, they just need to look for the light (and I wonder what would happen if someone saw the light wasn't on, but started to merge and some hoon was coming up from behind doing 150km/hr in that lane?), adaptive cruise meaning people no longer need to judge distances and speeds themselves and just rely on the car to do it.

    On the other hand rain sensing wipers, automatic headlights and keyless entry are all features that I think are actually beneficial overall because they don't take away from the actually dangerous task of driving the car.

    Thank you for reading my TED talk.

    • Euphemistic on 23/01/2024 - 07:31

      Totally agree on touchscreens, they are not suited to many controls in a car. A panoramic roof in Australia is just dumb.

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