is my cruise control right?

If you spend time reading posts you will learn that most of us have given up cruise to pursue better gas mileage.My last trip involved highway driving and I indulged in the cruise up hill. cancelled as I saw the crest. about 50 mpg with the michelin hydro edge over 400 miles....

 

Typical Toyota cruse control operation. Our Sienna works the same way.

While some people drive irrationally in order to squeeze out the last MPG, others (like me) purchased the car to maintain speed with the flow of traffic and still get great milage. Cruse control helps get from point A to point B smoothly and in minimum time with maximum smoothness.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(barbaram @ Oct 6 2007, 09:30 PM) [snapback]522296[/snapback]</div>

Not most, some.

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hoop @ Oct 6 2007, 05:45 PM) [snapback]522286[/snapback]</div>

I think so too. I find this annoying as well. All of my previous cruise controls remember, all the way back to the Sears cruise control I installed myself on my 1973 Mercedes.

I actually find it amazing that the cruise control interface is as standardized as it is across such a wide range of manufacturers. Though I wish it were completely standardized in remembering the set speed while on.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ Oct 7 2007, 11:57 AM) [snapback]522313[/snapback]</div>

Agreed,
I still use cruise across town to maintain a constant speed and devote my attention to the road not the speedo. All my other cruise controls have remembered speed, oh well, the Prius had to have some fault.

 

I actually get better MPG using the cruise control! I average 49-50 w/out and 50-52 with. Go figure.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dhancock @ Oct 6 2007, 10:25 PM) [snapback]522312[/snapback]</div>

I don't think it's irrational to squeeze out the last MPG, I admire people who can stay focused for that. For me, I use CC because I am a lemming and drive like everyone else. Yes, if they drove off a cliff, I would be right behind them. I use it going to work and back on the interstate and set it to keep me going a decent speed but not to keep up with everyone else.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ Oct 6 2007, 06:27 PM) [snapback]522313[/snapback]</div>

amen! i use mine every chance i can and average about 47 around town and more on the highways.

and if toyota ever wants a wee bit of evidence of "other ways to do the cruise control" other than dumping its memory at low speeds, consider this: a few years ago i rented a low-end chevy on vacation.

it not only remembered the cruise control settings if you stopped the car, IT REMEMBERED THE SPEED SETTINGS AND THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET TO "ON" WHEN YOU TURNED THE CAR OFF..... EVEN OVERNIGHT!

I loved that!

hello, toyota engineers?????
earth to toyota, come in, please?

+af

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(plusaf @ Oct 9 2007, 01:24 AM) [snapback]522995[/snapback]</div>

With all cars I've owned that have CC, CC remembered the speed setting even after stopping at stop signs/traffic lights/etc (even my current 07 Camry Hybrid). What is strange (or is it standard -- for Toyota?), the manual says that set speed is erased from memory when speed drops below 10 mph/16 km/h) -- just like the Prius, when in fact it doesn't.

As far as plusaf's rental retaining Speed Setting after turning car off, IMHO, that's just plain dumb! Imagine this scenario: I drive the car and set CC at 65 mph coming home from work. Later on, wife or girffriend (hopefully not both at same time B) ) drive car and accidentally re-engage CC. Off they go accelerating towards 65 mph until they get over the shock and hit the brakes to stop the car.! Not a pretty sight.

My only complaint with the Camry CC is that, like the Prius, there is only one CC "ON" light and not a second CRUISE light when you actually set CC.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kelleybean @ Oct 8 2007, 04:48 PM) [snapback]522850[/snapback]</div>

Same here.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(John Smith @ Oct 9 2007, 01:34 PM) [snapback]523214[/snapback]</div>

I've had the car less than a week and I've got to agree that the Cruise is crude at best. In addition to what John said above, add that the silly thing's attached to the steering wheel and I have to chase it around to hit EV mode, to accelerate while CC is 'on,' etc. It's also counter-intuitive with the push, squeeze, up and down. I have to read it to remember what's accelerate, set, cruise, + or -, etc. I have to strongly echo the "ON" light. I'd like to see something in the Heads Up Display that said it was actually working.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skguh @ Oct 18 2007, 09:05 AM) [snapback]527265[/snapback]</div>

You can't fault anyone for the EV being attached there... you did that yourself

And I don't know about you, but I'd feel unsafe using cruise control in a situation that required so much steering that my CC stalk was way off from the level position... I use it on the highway or on straight-ish roads, not around sharp corners I also like that it's attached to the wheel because then with the gentle steering required on the highway, it's always within a finger's reach if I want to accel/decel.

Maybe I just drive too many Toyotas, but I think it makes sense for the memory to reset at low speed or a stop because I don't think my car is going to do the best job of accelerating back to cruise speed. If I engage cruise at a low speed it will go full throttle to get back up to speed, and I don't like that.

I honestly wouldn't change a thing other than maybe a second light to indicate that cruise is engaged, not just on... or the "CRUISE" light changing colors when engaged.

 

:You can't fault anyone for the EV being attached there... you did that yourself
You're right about that--

:CC stalk was way off from the level position
Are you in the midwest? I can drive the rural roads around here on cruise--and the wheel has a very small diameter compared to other vehicles I've owned. We agree to disagree on that one...

:it's always within a finger's reach if I want to accel/decel.
Ford put theirs on the center of the steering wheel. I'd rather the cruise were there than on a stalk, anyway, with larger buttons.

:...or the "CRUISE" light changing colors when engaged.
That's a good solution, too.

 

I like the stick over the on the indicator cruise that GM-Holden use. Up is faster and resume, down is slower and set, pull toward you to disengage and the button on the end turns it on and off. All that from memory without reading the stalk. I can always find the stick and I never use EV except when pulling out of the driveway in the morning, I like my battery and the HSD computer knows what it likes. I'd also like an "engaged" indicator of some sort, the only improvement the cruise needs.

 

Chasing the best MPG is a game that keeps me entertained. I find the CC handy on trips because it maintains my test speed during MPG Quest. No doubt manual control using feedback from the Consumption screen will beat CC at MPG Quest every time but sometimes I just need to "give it a rest" and let CC get me there. Hey, may as well enjoy the ride once in a while.

I'm OK with the layout and operation of the CC as is. It does the job when called upon.

 

Although my prior Acura remembered the CC speed as long as the car remained on, I really don't have a problem with the Toyota system losing it's memory below a certain speed. I do agree that it would be nice if there were a supplementary indicator for when it is active vs "on", but again, it is a pretty minor quibble, IMHO. I do like having the stalk on the steering wheel, and especially the "pull to cancel" feature (my Honda system did not have a Cancel button, but I did have a clutch )

I figure Toyota designed their CC to work in this way as a safety measure against accidental engaging it at low speed. ("Runaway Prius", anyone? :lol: )

However, in my mind, the ideal implementation would be if the system always remembers the speed as long as the Cruise is "ON" (even if the car is off, as plusaf described), but that Toyota could build in a safety that only allows you to resume if you are close to your cruising speed (say, no more than 15MPH below set cruise speed).

Wouldn't that make everyone happy? B)