Is using cruise control bad for gas mileage?

Question

I'm addicted to cruise control when I drive. Is it good or bad for conserving gas?

Answer 1

it is very good for conserving gas. the fluctuations of speeding up and slowing down use up way more gas than the cruise control's steady speed. i use cruise all the time.

Answer 2

cruise control is great for saving gas when you're driving long distances on the highway. what it does is make sure your car maintains a set speed throughout the hills and flat spots. even if the car has to use more throttle to get up a hill and maintain speed, it will get better mileage because it is maintaining speed. if you slow down going up a hill, for the amount of time you are going up the hill, you will be going less distance per minute and going less distance for that minute of running your car.

Answer 3

No it is good but drive carefully.

Answer 4

It's good. If you'll use it & keep it anywhere from 55 to 62 mph, you will get the best mileage from your vehicle.

Answer 5

It helps save gas.  Cruise control is much better at keeping a speed steady for extended periods of time compared to the fluctuating pressures of a human foot on a gas pedal.

Answer 6

well i think its a bad thing but i dont kno do what is da best for u

Answer 7

Cruise control will only save gas if the road is level and your speed is not too much above 55. If you are on hills, you'll conserve gas by letting it slow down a bit uphill and letting gravity pull you downhill. Just remember, for safety sake, to try and go with the flow of traffic.

Answer 8

I am addicted as well, and it find it is better than riding the pedal.

Answer 9

It is VERY good for mpg.  

If you want to save gas, do the following:  This was on NBC morning TV show.   The difference is as much as 38% (their claim).  There are very simple rules to save gas:

(1) drive slow - not too much past 55

(2) accelerate slowly

(3) don't brake unnecessarily

(4) use cruise control - whenever it is safe to do so.

Don't coast - it is NOT safe (to coast in Nuetral) and it does NOT save gas.  It only saves gas, if you are planning to slow down (exiting, tolls, traffic).  Coasting then accelerating again is LESS efficient than just cruising.

The above really works. Using those simple rules I was able to drive from Boston to NYC (210.5 miles) on just 5.112 gallon (94 Civic).  That's 41 MPG (94 Civic 187K miles).  Actually I was speeding at 72 MPH so I could do even better at 55.

WOW !!

Good Luck....

Answer 10

NO ITS BETTER ON GAS..BECAUSE YOUR STAYING AT THE SAME PACE AND THAT SAVES GAS IN THE LONG RUN...DONT SPEED THATS HOW YOUR GAS GETS BURNED UP FAST.....

Answer 11

When I use it in my truck, I go through a lot more fuel, because it revs harder to to stay with the speed on things you'd normally slow down, such as hills.