[Sheel]

Do we need cruise control? Depends. My SUV has CC [I hope this abbreviation is ok here] and I don't use it much. Use it only when I need to give the right leg a rest or when I need to test it if it is working

But if I have a set of low speed to adhere to, say anything below 90, I will depend on CC.

[BoneCollector]

My Brezza has Cruise Control that can be engaged in gears 3 and above at speeds over 40kmph. I use it quite often in my short highway trips. Maximum I've used it on Lucknow-Agra Expressway. On my local highway drives, I set it up at max 80kmph, range being 50-80kmph. A few things that I've noticed is -

• The car gives better average if cruise control is used at same corresponding speed using accelerator pedal.
• If you've slowed down in 5th gear and re-engage cruise, the engine doesn't lug and car speeds up uniformly.
• Something which my brother pointed out and I agree, there seems to be a disconnect between self and car when using cruise control.

The best combination would be an Automatic with paddle shifters and cruise control, but that may also decrease the attention of the driver.

[Holyghost]

Originally Posted by tilt

Are you sure about this? Do you mean this as a technical limitation, as in that it is not possible to set a cruise speed of over 100 kph; or do you mean this as a safety limitation, as in "one should not set cruise to over 100 kph"?

If you mean this as a technical limitation, you might be mistaken. I am able to set cruise at any speed I wish, and I have indeed done so on occasion.

Cheers

Definitely not a technical limitation. Please read rest of my post about why I said above 100 on Indian roads is not practical.

[Ricky_63]

Have used cruise control on my landrover freelander & my Q3

Only used on highways, or Sundays

No good for city traffic. Definitely better mileage as it uses the right gear always

[Guite]

Originally Posted by Holyghost

I am surprised to see a lot of people with vehicles fitted with Cruise Controls finding it useless. Is it because these cars are MT or is it because of the wrong speed selection? Do note that you cannot set cruise speed above 100kmph on Indian highways.

We do not do expressway travel often enough to be comfortable with operating the cruise control buttons. I have tried it few times. My wife refuses to even try it. For example because of traffic conditions we had to slow down often on the Delhi Jaipur highway. Pressing brake means cancelling cruise control. Speed up to desired speed and set cruise control again. Repeat this at regular interval. All this constant fiddling with small buttons on the control stalk just so you can lift your right feet off the accelerator pedal? Beyond a point it’s not worth the bother. Feet on pedal provides more sense of control over the car. Btw, ours is automatic transmission.

What’s with the 100 kmph cruise control limit? Technically or legally? Are we talking cruise control limit or legal speed limit?

[kaviprem]

I have Cruise Control on my Honda City CVT. Of course, none would want to even try it out with the Bangalore traffic irrespective of the day/time. More so, I live in IT corridor. So, its like 24X7X365 traffic that is enough to ignore such a feature in the car!

On highways, like [Bangalore <> Madras] and [Bangalore <> Trichy], I have tried using cruise control a couple of times, but never comfortable.
1. I observe that I had to be more cautious compared to manual acceleration while I am on cruise control. May be, it becomes our "natural instinct" while we are on accelerator pedal.
2. Our highways are NOT meant for cruising beyond 100/110 consistently. You may reach higher speeds than this, but you will be coming down to 100 to negotiate a slow moving truck or a cycle/bike going across, etc.

Net-Net, I find cruise control is useless in our current roads and the speed beyond 100 KMPH unless we have a strong road discipline built into our system [read "people"].

Prem.

[prakash_ajp]

Now more highways are becoming filled with the zigzag barricades, as is the case with Bangalore-chennai/salem. Sometimes, there are barricades every couple of kilometers. So, no, we don't need cruise control in India in future, because we seem to be going towards Stone age.

[sagpatel]

Honestly, I was so spoilt with cruise control in USA when I was there for my studies and thought it is a must in every car. But in India it is a different story altogether. I travel 400 km every week on NH-8/NH 48. Traffic sense of Lorry/Truck drivers is horrible. My GT TSI has cruise and I swear I have not been able to use it for more than 2 minutes before I have to apply the breaks. So It is not a must for me in India.

[humyum]

I have been looking for ways to have the cruise control fitted in my Swift Diesel, since I go for long highway to the tune of 1000 km plus all the time, cruise control is something which will be immensely helpful in keeping the speeds in check, how is that you may ask, let me elaborate, this is just a hypothesis as I have never driven a car with cruise control but this is what I think will happen.

I will set the cruise control at say 100, I will keep cruising at that speed no matter what the temptation of an empty road is as that time I won't have my leg on the accelerator and pressing the accelerator would mean disengaging the cruise control and re-engaging it back which will be an exercise. Yes with the plus minus sign we can change the speed without touching the accelerator but that is not quite as fun as romping the accelerator when the turbo is at full boost and getting that kick till say 120

Mileage will improve, safety will improve, long distance trips won't have the leg going numb pressing the accelerator in the same position for hours, life will be much more easier.

I wonder why Maruti does not give the Ciaz with cruise control when it gives the little cheaper Brezza with one? The New Swift and Dzire should also have had one.

[SJM1214]

Do we need cruise control in India? Yes, we do!

I have used Cruise control extensively in my partner's X3. Yes, the traffic condition of our roads are bad but then the quality of our highways are also increasing. I am a fan of Cruise control. It is a pure delight on newly built NH 48 (erstwhile NH8) Baroda to Ahmedabad. Recently, I Purchased new MS Vitara Breeza ZDI and one thing I desire from the top variant (ZDI+ have Cruise Control) is Cruise Control.

[sgiitk]

I also considered it a waste. The the Yamuna Expressway changed my view. Now the Agra-Lucknow E'way reinforces that is view. With these roads Cruise Control is a boon.

[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by BoneCollector

My Brezza has Cruise Control... I've used it on Lucknow-Agra Expressway..

Originally Posted by sgiitk

The the Yamuna Expressway changed my view. Now the Agra-Lucknow E'way reinforces that is view. With these roads Cruise Control is a boon.

I had used Cruise Control on Scorpio mHawk between 2008-11 on Pune Mumbai Expressway. I loved it from the word go. It was my office vehicle so had to leave it behind when I changed job in 2011.

Since then I was missing this feature, but didn't had Vitamin M to opt for the models that had CC. Last year, while finalizing Brezza, this was the key reason that I opted for ZDi+ instead of ZDi (AFAIK, this can't be fitted afterwards).

With Brezza, have been using CC on Yamuna Expressway and Panipat-Laldu stretch of Delhi Chandigarh highway; and it has greatly reduced strain while driving. I set CC 5kmph below the permissible speed limit and then use buttons to decrease and increase speed. I agree that we need to have defensive driving style and closely monitor traffic flow to have better speed control using just buttons.

And yes, I really love the pull of rather small 1.25L DDIS motor in Brezza, when accelerating from 60 odd kmph to 95kmph by using CC Resume function. It's not exactly pushing-in-the-seat type, but still is fun.

[benu9714]

Apart from cruise control, my Mercedes E240 (automatic) had a very useful feature - speed limiter. You could set it at any speed - 40 KMPH or more - and the car would never exceed that set speed no matter how hard you pressed the accelerator. It was a boon in speed limit areas, and protected you from inadvertently exceeding the speed limit and getting nabbed by radar.

I used both cruise control and speed limiter on my frequent trips between Muscat and Dubai where long stretches of empty (limit 120) highway were punctuated by sudden drops to 50 when the road passed through a village. Needless to say, speed cameras were everywhere.

Incidentally, the briefest directions I have ever received was for the 440 KM Muscat-Dubai drive - go straight for 271 KM and turn left.

[Ankoor]

From my experience, internationally it works well but in India, the max I have been able to drive at one go on the Mumbai Pune expressway was close to 20 mins that to on a weekday afternoon i.e. when the traffic levels are really low and that to at a speed of 80 kmph.

Its not only the rough drivers (including cabies) but the actual culprits are the bus and truck drivers who drive with zero lane changing discipline and rare view mirrors I believe is the most useless piece of equipment that they have.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by benu9714

Apart from cruise control, my Mercedes E240 (automatic) had a very useful feature - speed limiter. You could set it at any speed - 40 KMPH or more - and the car would never exceed that set speed no matter how hard you pressed the accelerator. It was a boon in speed limit areas, and protected you from inadvertently exceeding the speed limit and getting nabbed by radar.

.

I am not very keen on these speed limiters. There are situations where speeding up quickly can be a very safe option to get you out of trouble, more so then stomping on the brakes. I like to have my options open.

Jeroen