Cruise control is a convenient feature that comes standard on modern cars. It’s great for giving your ankle and foot a break from maintaining the speed limit, which makes it an ideal feature for long trips. And car manufacturers keep adding features and improving cruise control in ways small and large. But drivers often wonder if cruise control really helps to save gas.
According to numerous studies, cruise control does save gas — in certain conditions. When used on roads without hills or on roads that have a steady up or down grade, cruise control can save a significant amount of gas. But there are other times when manual control is better for gas mileage.
Read on to find out more, including when to use and not use cruise control.
What is Cruise Control?
Cruise control is a system that, when engaged, maintains a set speed without the driver having to press on the gas pedal. Cruise control for most modern cars is purely electronic, using a computer (typically found in the dashboard or under the hood) to maintain speed by adjusting the engine’s air intake. The system includes various sensors that feed the throttle control and computer.
Older cars have cruise control systems that are physically attached to the accelerator with cables, which causes the accelerator to move as the system maintains the set speed.
These systems are controlled by various buttons that are usually located on the steering wheel or a lever control near the steering wheel. In addition to the ability to start and stop cruise control with a button in one of these two areas, you can also turn it off by pressing the brake pedal. You also have the ability to increase or decrease your set speed one MPH at a time using the cruise control buttons.
Types of Cruise Control
There are a few different types of cruise control available on the market today. And with smart cars working out the kinks of self-driving automobiles, it’s likely that we’ll see more and more advanced versions of the basic cruise control we have today. But, for now, let’s take a look at the main types of cruise control.
Cruise Control
This is the basic system that has been around for years. You can look at the “What is cruise control?” section above for an accurate description of this feature. This basic system was invented way back in 1948, and has been used ever since on an increasing number of vehicles.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive cruise control includes the basics of cruise control with additional features. Cars with adaptive cruise control have a system for constantly tracking vehicles on the road. These systems use either radar or laser to “see” the road ahead and slow the vehicle down when it gets to a certain distance behind a car, and then maintain that gap until the driver changes lanes or takes control. Adaptive cruise control systems allow the driver to determine this distance, which is often measured in car-lengths or in simple terms of short, medium, or long.
Semi-Autonomous or Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control
This type of cruise control takes things to the next level by allowing the system to change lanes, brake, and follow behind cars in slow-moving traffic with only occasional input from the driver.
Advanced adaptive cruise control can also adjust the speed of the vehicle to match that of the speed limit, which can keep people from speeding unintentionally. Some of these systems even include lane-assist features, which can correct the steering to keep the car in the lane.
Speed Limiter
A speed limiter is a feature that prevents the car from going over a certain speed limit. One could argue that a speed limiter is not actually a form of cruise control since the driver maintains control of the accelerator. However, some speed limiter systems work in tandem with cruise control, ensuring that the driver can’t go above a certain speed limit whether on or off cruise control.
These systems are available for installation after-market, and they’re particularly attractive for parents who want to ensure their teenage drivers remain safe on the road.
Does Adaptive Cruise Control Save Gas?
Since adaptive cruise control is coming standard on more and more vehicles, it makes sense that many drivers are wondering whether it, too, will save gas.
Like cruise control, adaptive cruise control can save gas when used effectively. Since this type of cruise control senses changes in traffic speed and will slow down the vehicle if it gets behind a slow car, it’s important for drivers to stay alert and drive smart in order to save gas.
The same basic tenets remain when it comes to saving gas with cruise control or adaptive cruise control. We’ll cover what these are and how to make the most out of your cruise control below.
How Does Cruise Control Help Save Gas?
The main way cruise control helps save gas is by maintaining a steady rate of speed, thereby reducing the fuel used when constantly speeding up and slowing down. As humans, most of us have a hard time maintaining a steady speed while driving. We may fatigue on long trips, or become distracted by something as our mind wanders. Then, once we realize we’re going a couple of miles per hour under our target speed, we push the gas to speed back up. And the cycle repeats itself. Over time, this burns gas.
When we engage cruise control, we take ourselves out of the equation, at least as far as throttle control goes. And for most terrain, this is good for gas mileage.
How Much Fuel Does Cruise Control Save?
How much fuel cruise control actually saves depends on a lot of factors. Not the least of which is the particular driver. A driver who normally maintains focus on the speedometer and drives defensively will likely not see much of a difference in gas mileage when using cruise control. The driver who is constantly fluctuating speeds or driving aggressively, however, will probably see a significant gas savings when using cruise control.
One oft-cited study performed by Natural Resources Canada determined that cycling from 46 mph to 52 mph every 18 seconds burned 20% more gas than setting the cruise control to 49 mph. Now, it’s not likely that most drivers are fluctuating speed that widely every 18 seconds, but it illustrates a point about cruise control. Other estimates put cruise control gas savings between 5% and 10%, which is still nothing to shake a stick at.
Cruise Control and Hills
One thing to keep in mind about cruise control is that it can burn gas on hills, eating into any fuel efficiency you may experience driving on level stretches of road. This is because cruise control will struggle to maintain the set speed on hilly terrain, which is not great for gas mileage.
Instead, it’s best for you, the driver, to take control of the vehicle and allow the speed to drop 5 to 10 miles per hour when going up hills. Then you can regain that mileage when going down the other side of the hill, whereas the cruise control would work to keep you going at the set speed.
Of course, cruise control on long steady grades, whether uphill or downhill, can be beneficial for gas mileage. It’s the ups and downs of smaller hills where cruise control can eat up gas.
When Should You Not Use Cruise Control?
We don’t yet have the technology that will eventually allow us to rely fully on a car’s automatic systems, meaning the driver always needs to be aware of what’s happening. And cruise control is an excellent example of this. Using cruise control in certain conditions is dangerous and should be avoided, no matter the gas savings.
These conditions include rain, snow, or whenever ice or slick conditions are present on the roadway. In these conditions, cruise control can cause an accident by attempting to maintain speed if something happens and the tires lose traction. So it’s better for an alert driver to take control of the vehicle and speed up or slow down as necessary to avoid an accident.
Is Cruise Control Bad for Your Car?
Cruise control is not bad for your car when used appropriately. On the contrary, it can be very good for your car as it helps prevent wear and tear from constant braking and accelerating. But it’s important to use cruise control wisely so as to mitigate any risk that comes with not being in full control of the vehicle.
In Conclusion
Cruise control is a useful feature that comes standard on modern cars. It can save gas when used appropriately and it can also prevent wear on the vehicle by maintaining a steady speed and avoiding constant braking and accelerating. But not all conditions are appropriate for cruise control, and taking control of the vehicle on hilly terrain is generally better for gas mileage than leaving cruise control on.
While it may not make a huge difference to your wallet, cruise control can save gas while avoiding fatigue on long trips and may even prevent a speeding ticket!