Fuel Misers

[Jody]

Here's a question for those who know about this kind of thing: Is cruise control more fuel efficient than normal driving?.

No it generally uses more fuel but depends on driving style

 

[Levo-Lon]

2 differing views.
I'm in the no camp ..tho it' probably marginal.
I use limiter often and avoid cruise

 

[smutchin]

Excellent! Ask a question on the internet...

 

[screenman]

More economical for me to be in control rather than the cruise, it seems I can anticipate things it cannot see.

 

[Jody]

I'm in the no camp ..tho it' probably marginal.

If I had to stick my neck on the line I reckon about 3-5% increase in fuel use. The only time cruise is more economical is when you are on a flat straight road at a constant speed.

 

[mjr]

[QUOTE 5111129, member: 9609"]yep, let her roll, gears are for slowing down or speeding up.. Learn to drive without using your breaks, at any speed above 10mph the breaks should just be for emergencies. But the huge fuel saver is speed, keep it below 50.[/QUOTE]
The problem with that is, in the south of England, unless you're on a motorway/quasi motorway, a succession of 69mph nobbers will pull stupid overtakes so you may not arrive at all I now speed up to at least 57 to deter them, but still go gentler when I've time and there's no one behind, which I think yields an extra 4mph rather than @Drago's 8

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Is cruise control more fuel efficient than normal driving?

As with so many questions of this type, I think the only valid answer is: it depends.
Or as we say up here; mibeez aye, mibeez naw.

 

[smutchin]

More economical for me to be in control rather than the cruise, it seems I can anticipate things it cannot see.

This is why I only use it on clear roads - if there's any traffic, I find myself constantly having to override the cruise control anyway.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

This is why I only use it on clear roads - if there's any traffic, I find myself constantly having to override the cruise control anyway.

Maybe try going a little slower with it, I ease up to around 60, enough to overtake HGV's & rarely have to come off it, I went from Sheffield M1, A42/M42, M5, M50 on way to Swansea without touching brake or accelerator except to pull into the services on the M5 & then onto the M50, the Rav reported 58mpg, although I suspect it was lying as they all do.

 

[smutchin]

Maybe try going a little slower with it, I ease up to around 60, enough to overtake HGV's & rarely have to come off it

That's fine if the next lane is clear for overtaking, but that's rarely the case on the M2/M20/M25 where I do most of my motorway driving. It's usually nose-to-tail drivers who don't want to risk moving back into the [mostly clear] left lane because they fear they won't be able to get out again, and won't leave a gap to the vehicle in front in case anyone has the sheer audacity to move into it...

You have to indicate for about five minutes and hope that someone will eventually leave enough of a gap for you to move across. And then if you dare to leave anything approaching a safe sized gap to the vehicle in front, the idiot behind will pull right up to your bumper and start flashing.

I despair.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I despair.

Sorry didn't realise you lived near the car park, okay then maybe CC is not for you, but if you ever come North of Brum where people are not so ignorant/arrogant drivers (although that's changing) try it, I reckon somewhere around 130 miles without touching a pedal

 

[smutchin]

Sorry didn't realise you lived near the car park, okay then maybe CC is not for you, but if you ever come North of Brum where people are not so ignorant/arrogant drivers (although that's changing) try it, I reckon somewhere around 130 miles without touching a pedal

On the rare occasions when I venture north of Manchester on the M6, I find motorway driving almost becomes a pleasant experience.

Almost.

 

[smutchin]

Just remembered another thing I have done occasionally: drafting lorries.

Makes an astonishing difference to fuel economy. Absolutely NOT recommended though - I dread to think of the consequences in an emergency stop...

 

[Colin_P]

The "pulse and glide" method of hypermiling really is the most fuel efficient way of driving there is. Quite simply it invloves;

• Accelerating, moderately quickly to a given speed say 70mph
• Then knocking the car into neutral (leaving engine idling) and gliding down to say 60mph
  
• Rinse and repeat.
• Any uphills obviously require constant throttle.
  
• Any downhills are a free bonus.

Main caveat is that it can be really quite antisocial for other road users so you have to pick your moments. Saying that with all the middle moronary that goes on lane one on a motorway is always usually free to do this, just make sure you don't cheese off any lorry drivers. It is wise to leave the engine running at idle as it is quite nice to maintain servo assistance for the brakes and to have power steering functioning. If you want to go hardcore, switch it off though in the G cycle of the P&G.

And how it works;

• On over run any engine, despite having the fuel cut off acts like a massive air pump along with all the friction of the that pumping action and reciprocating masses within it.
• These pumping losses will slow the car down, especially a petrol, far far quicker than if you were to simply allow it to roll.
• Counterintuitivly (speeeeling?) the meagre amount of fuel at idle plus the fuel used in the pulse phase (even at moderate acceleration) is far less than the fuel that would otherwise be used to maintain the vehicle at any constant speed.

It does sound mad and I remember having and making all of the reasoned counter arguements that have also been made here as to why I thought it was nonsense at the time I first heard about it. I remained a sceptic until I got out there and tried it.

I had a commute (approx 30 miles) where no matter how carefully I drove, I could never get better than 53pmg (average) as shown on the cars fuel computer for that single journey. When I got the hang of the P&G method I could routinely see 60-70 mpg depending on overall average speed and conditions.

For all sceptics, get out there and try it. There is also heaps of info online about how to do it.

@User9609 interesting stuff about the lorries adopting the method and having satnav assistance to do so. I know farmers have used satnav for a fair while now for ploughing and harvesting to ensure they get the job done quicker and with maximum effiency. With the lorries though I can see only leading to more HGV elephant racing.

 

[DaveReading]

[QUOTE 5111343, member: 9609"]I believe the answer to this is; a good driver can out perform cruise, but most drivers can't.[/QUOTE]

Is that based on the assumption that a good driver will slow down when going uphill and speed up downhill? If not, then what's the difference between cruise control and my right boot?