Using Cruise Control on Hils

[Virtus_Probi]

I still prefer to keep it out of cruise on hills, but my FXT seems to use boost more than revs to attack going up the hills...think it is a fuel economy tactic. So, it's generally not revving up and down like crazy, but it obviously can't anticipate the hill coming up that I can see and I'd rather control the throttle then.
Paddle shifting is great for me on hills in bad winter weather, but pretty useless otherwise...too slow.

 

[The motor guy]

You could drive up a cliff in my truck in cruise control just as long as the revs aren't below 1500

 

[IndyIan]

4k rpm for 20-30 seconds is no big deal, and if the hill is steep enough, using your own foot would result in the same if you want to maintain that speed. On our road trip around the north side of Lake Superior last year I left our 06 CRV in cruise alot and with a trailer and canoe on top it sat just below 4k rpm for quite a while sometimes. It has grade logic so it would just hold 3rd instead of hunting around between 4th in and out of TC lockup. Used some gas but saves lots of heavy loaded shifts.

 

[THORROMIG]

I dont drive on any steep grade hills where I live or commute to. If I would drive on steeper hills -- I would switch the cruise control off for the Jetta and Acura in signature. The Subaru being manual -- its in appropriate gear at all times.


Dale

 

[skyactiv]

My GTI feels torquey all over it's rev range from 1700 rpm on up. It has no issue being in 6th gear and climbing up an incline and gaining speed from 40 MPH onwards. Turbo engines belt out more low RPM torque.

 

[Bryanccfshr]

I have been test driving some new half ton trucks, adaptive cruise control is really a cool feature. It’s hard to trust it but it works.

The most pleasurable vehicle to drive with cc was my 2012bmw 328i. I agree with the eco boost posters, that low end grunt makes hills and high speed cruising stress free.

My Toyota 4x4s, it is best to just turn the radio up in hills and mountains and let them do the gear search. It doesn’t hurt them or you if you can tune it out. I prefer to use my attention to scan the roads for elk crossing or cyclist. They make up for this annoyance when the terrain dictates 4lo.

Unless the conditions are hazardous such as heavy rain snow or ice on the road, I prefer to use cc.


I need to update my signature..I sold the bmw and the 2017 4Runner and no longer have the 2007 f150.. Getting a half ton truck.

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted By: eyeofthetiger


It's the -- inability of the cruise to an anticipate the hill. By the time it realizes it's on a hill, it has already lost several MPH. So it has to accelerate hard to get back up to speed while climbing. I might compensate for that by giving it some gas right at the bottom of the hill so it never loses that speed.



Exactly right. If you are proactive and add some pedal before and during the upward transition your transmission may not have to shift at all.

If the auto trans can be locked in a gear/manual mode that works well.

I have found that for steeper hills and/or towing, an early downshift with the cruise on can eliminate further shifting on the hill.

 

[DavidJones]

A few extra rpm's is probably good for it from time to time. I personally just let the cruise do it's thing.

 

[CR94]

About 1977, I bought a Sears aftermarket cruise control system and installed it in the the Subaru listed below. In 1981, I transferred it to my then-new Mazda. It still worked (usually!) when I unloaded that car in 2014. In both those cars, that system handled hills far more smoothly, and less annoyingly, than Toyota's goofy modern OE system in the Prius.