Enjoy staying at the same, steady speed on those long motorway journeys?
How about if you didn't have to do any work to do it?
That's where cruise control comes in.
What is Cruise Control For?
It's basically like driving on auto-pilot.
Cruise control is an electronic speed control system that lets your car stay at a constant speed without you having to push the accelerator pedal.
Does My Car Have It?
Unless you're driving a nuts and bolts, entry-level model, the chances are that your lease car will come with cruise control already installed.
Cruise control systems were once confined to high-end luxury vehicles, but now even the smallest city cars tend to have them included.
Which is good news for you!
How Does Cruise Control Work?
Maybe you're hesitant to use cruise control or aren't quite sure how cruise control works.
Well, it's pretty simple, really.
Here's the steps . . .
Step One: Build Your Speed
Cruise control is designed to work best when you're driving at a speed of 30mph or above – so best suited to driving on high-speed roads like a motorway or a duel carriageway.
So the first stage is getting up to the desired speed that you want to cruise at. (Making sure not to break the speed limit, of course.)
Step Two: Switch On Cruise Control
Duh!
In fairness . . . the cruise control switch isn't always the easiest to find, meaning this is probably the hardest of all the steps.
Chances are that the switch to activate the cruise control system will be on your steering wheel, but it could also be below the left indicator stalk. (A light will usually appear on the dashboard once it's turned on.)
The important thing is not to be faffing around looking for it when you're actually on the move. That can lead to a car accident . . .
Step Three: Set the Cruise Control
Once you've gotten up to your desired speed and know where the switch to turn on the cruise control system is, press the 'set' button or equivalent to activate the system.
This will communicate to your car that you want to hold to whatever speed you're currently traveling at. (In a lot of vehicles, you'll see the dashboard indicator go green to confirm that the speed has been set.)
Step Four: Relax and Enjoy
Yep. You can now remove your foot from the accelerator and the car will maintain a smooth, steady speed.
Happy days!
But what if you decide that you want to cruise at a lower or a higher speed?
Then it's a simple case of adjusting your desired speed by using the + and - buttons marked on the cruise control system.
You could lightly press either button for a slight adjustment, or hold it down for a more major speed change.
(Theoretically, you could adjust your car's speed all the way from 10-70mph by holding down the + button on the cruise control system, but don't try that at home! Actually, forget we mentioned it . . .)
Step Five: Monitor the Road
Even though cruise control means you no longer have to put your foot on the accelerator pedal, it's not an excuse to nod off and go for a nap.
It's cruise control. Not snooze control.
You've still got to keep a close eye on the road ahead and turn the system off whenever there's a sharp bend or when traffic's slowing.
Pros and Cons of Cruise Control
Of course, there's two sides to every coin, isn't there?
Cruise control has the obvious disadvantage of giving you less control over your car and less time to respond to hazards.
Still, we like to think that the pros of cruise control outweigh the cons.
Here they are:
Reduced Risk of Speeding Tickets
Know how sometimes you might drive faster than you really mean to?
Well, there'll be no more of that – seeing as how cruise control is going to keep you moving at the same speed.
Of course, that's assuming you weren't breaking the speed limit when you turned on the system!
Improved Fuel Efficiency
As we mentioned before, cruise control keeps you moving at a constant speed, which is one of the best ways to save fuel and be more economical.
Saving you money over time.
Comfortable and Relaxed Driving
Maybe one of the best things about cruise control. Especially on longer trips.
As you're not faffing about with the accelerator and brake pedal, you can relax a bit more and essentially go into autopilot mode when driving via cruise control.
Reduces Wear and Tear
Constantly maintaining a steady speed with cruise control has a positive impact on your vehicle's 'health' and can prolong its life. On the other hand, repeated use of the accelerator pedal and the brakes has the opposite affect – putting stress on components like the engine and brakes.
So if you use cruise control a lot, that means there's less chance of you having to pay excess fees beyond fair wear and tear at the end of your lease term.
Does Cruise Control Save Money?
Certainly does.
Yep, this pro is the daddy of them all, as you're going to be saving plenty of bucks.
Cruise control means you'll be going at the same constant speed for long periods of time, which is waaaay better for fuel economy than constantly hitting the accelerator and brake pedal.
Even better if your 'cruising speed' is 50 or 60mph. Driving steadily at 50mph instead of 70mph can improve fuel economy by as much as 25%.
More bang for your buck.
When Shouldn't You Use Cruise Control?
Cruise control can be a great feature, but there's also times when you definitely should NOT use it.
Times like these . . .
When Driving With a Heavy Load or Towing
Unless it's a really light trailer or load, in which case . . . you should still drive very carefully.
The extra weight brought by the trailer can impact your handling and braking distance, so it's important that you have as full control as possible.
Certain Weather Conditions
A less obvious one here, but you should avoid using cruise control during rain, snow, ice, or fog.
These conditions require constant speed adjustments, and over-relying on cruise control obviously limits your chance to respond quickly to changes in road conditions.
Very important to have full manual control in these kinds of weather.
Which is hardly possible when it's not you who's keeping the car moving!
In Heavy Traffic/City Driving
As mentioned, cruise control is mainly intended for use on long, open stretches of road.
Which kind of rules out tight city bends and intersections where there's lots of stops, traffic lights, turnings and pedestrian crossings.
There's no law saying that you can't attempt to use cruise control in these places.
But you'd just have to keep turning it off and back on again, so what's the point?
On Winding Roads and Hills
Country roads are dangerous enough EVEN WHEN you're in full control of your car.
So imagine how dangerous they can be when it's cruise control at the helm, and not you.
Word of warning: over 50% of all driving-related fatalities take place on country roads, so it's important that you're in full control of your car.
What is Adaptive Cruise Control?
Basically, cruise control on steroids.
Adaptive cruise control goes a step further than standard cruise control by 'adapting' your speed to that of the vehicle ahead, keeping you at a safe following distance.
And how does adaptive cruise control do that, exactly?
By using radar sensors mounted at the front of the car. Pretty clever, right?
The other good thing about adaptive cruise control is that if the car ahead suddenly decides to speed off, you won't automatically follow it. Instead, the adaptive cruise control system will hold the pre-set speed until you change it.
Summary
Now you know how to use cruise control and how cruise control systems work.
Not only is cruise control comfortable and convenient, it's also good for your lease car – meaning less chance of you having to cough up extra wear and tear fees at the end of your contract.
That being said, there's also times when you should avoid using it, such as on country roads or during poor weather.
FAQs
Is there a downside to using cruise control?
Sure is. Having cruise control on means you potentially have less chance to react and brake in time for hazards ahead. You're not in full control of the car, so your vehicle will not properly adapt to increased braking distances.
What is the minimum speed for cruise control?
There's nothing to say that you can't activate cruise control at lower speeds. That being said, it's generally designed for higher speeds, so you're best getting your car's speed to at least 30mph before applying cruise control.
Can you brake on cruise control?
Sure can. To slow down, press the decelerate button (marked with a minus symbol) on the cruise control system. Of course, you could just hit the brake pedal, which also has the effect of deactivating the cruise control system.