I can see your point....but TRAFFIC HOLD UPs , If theres a big enough varient between you and the can in front, I don't think the Little Switch will be enough slow you down .

Btw In Ireland a gap in traffic...Will be taken, and people here never seem to be keeping a constant speed....maybe more should have CC

Actually if you are watching the road ahead, its plenty to slow you down enough that you don't hit the car in front.

Gaps get filled here too, but that justs means there is bad driving both sides of the sea.

just to answer the original question, Cruise Control is a must on any car I buy, along with climate control and automatic. Cruise helps keep a clean licence in 30, 40 and 50mph areas. It stops that temptation to just get past the car in front.

Looks like everyone thinks CC is the bees knees.....except me. I do feel one must constantly monitor one's speed and adjust it to the surroundings or traffic conditions - the idea of driving in urban areas (30 or 40 mph zones) on CC frankly horrifies me: how can one react to constantly changing situations when your car is forging ahead at a constant speed?

Happy for CC to be used on interstates in the US or Australia, with very little traffic around, but on the UK's crowded roads? Surely not!

And no, not sour grapes - I've got CC with our DSG and gave it a fair trial on motorways - felt I was no longer fully in control and have ignored it since.

Thank goodness for a reply like this. One forgot to get one's copy of the Daily Mail this morning and one's copy of the CSMAs "Motoring and Leisure" got lost in the post this month, so at least I've seen one sensible reply to a post today.

my octy is the first car I've had with CC. took me a while to get use to it, as above I didn't feel in control of the car.

now I use it on every run I do.

would have been Nicer if it braked for you aswell.

I sort of agree and disagree with JohnMorr. There is no more inherent danger in using CC responsibly in 30 limits than merely driving. CC means you don't have to keep looking down at your speedo, so more of your time can be spent watching the road ahead for potential danger.

If traffic conditions mean you are constantly switching on and off hte CC, then wihtout doubt ou should not have put it on in the first place.

I have had CC on various cars for over 10 years.

Sure, there are many times I don't use it if the traffic is heavy, even on motorways. BUT, without a shadow of a doubt it is added value to many driving situations.

At the end of the day, if you are a considerate, careful driver, properly watching the road ahead, then CC will help. If you are too fast, too close, too sudden on all your manoeuvers, it won't.

Two "rules" I have picked up that help me are

"Mirror, Signal, Manouever" meaning that you have to have thought about what you are about to do.

"Only a fool breaks the two second rule" is a great mantra on motorways, when the temptation is to follow the guy in front. It fits with those chevrons that are painted on some M-Ways to keep you a safe distance from the vehicle in front.

my octy is the first car I've had with CC. took me a while to get use to it, as above I didn't feel in control of the car.

now I use it on every run I do.

I fully agree. My Ocky is the first car that I have owned with CC. It also took me a while to get used to it.

It was invaluable on a drive across Europe to the Czech republic though I would also deliberately not use it for periods in order to ensure that I did not doze off on long stretches of Autobahn.

Also as Fellwalker says you still have to keep your eyes on the road and the mirror to be aware of what is going on around you and to adjust your speed either with the control switch or a dab on the brakes.

I to can understand the reluctance to try using Cruise on UK roads and I did not use it at all until I went to France where I had plenty of road space to try it out and test its limits.

Now I use it almost every journey here in the UK, but as in all driving you have to know when the right conditions apply for its use eg: heavy traffic it is a no, no and all it takes is a light touch on the foot brake and you are instantly back in full control. London and the South East I can understand may not offer you much scope to use, but the M4, M3, M40 and many A roads it then comes into its own.

I prefer to touch the foot brake to disengage rather than the top rocker switch mainly because it is so easy to do, but you also now have the foot brake covered in order to slow down. When in steadily moving traffic I just use the stalk switch to control my speed up and down.

Reckon I use it pretty much every day, where applicable of course.

Chris

Until this thread started i didn't know about the switch knocking it off. ...I used to press the clutch in to save dabbing the brakes for all the obvious reasons.

A lot of the negative comments about CC revolve around getting too close to the car in front. I once drove a Nissan primera (please forgive me) and that had an "intelligent" system that slowed you down and adjusted the speed so this didn't happen.

Quite a few people have mentioned using it on motorways and abroad rather than on 30/40 limits in the UK. The only bad "incident" i've ever heard of using CC was when my mate Mark fell asleep using CC whilst on a traffic free motorway in france whilst doing 70 or so. It wasn't pleasant!

Until this thread started i didn't know about the switch knocking it off. ...I used to press the clutch in to save dabbing the brakes for all the obvious reasons.

If all else fails, read the manual:D

Chris

Having read recent comments, please can I ask everyone to have a read of these links. They are explanations of how, when a car in front does something unusual (LIKE TRUNDLING ALONG ON CRUISE, COMING UP BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE, THEN BRAKING AS THEY GET TOO CLOSERATHER THAN HAVING ALREADY SLOWED DOWN), drivers often respond by hitting the brakes. That in turn makes the next driver brake. Soon, a wave of commuters are flashing red brake lights.

Please think about not using hte brake to cancel the cruise control.

LiveScience.com - The Science of Traffic Jams

Fun waves of cars in this one:-

SCIENCE HOBBYIST: Traffic Waves, physics for bored commuters

Come on Skoda, give us adaptive cruise control!

Having read recent comments, please can I ask everyone to have a read of these links. They are explanations of how, when a car in front does something unusual (LIKE TRUNDLING ALONG ON CRUISE, COMING UP BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE, THEN BRAKING AS THEY GET TOO CLOSERATHER THAN HAVING ALREADY SLOWED DOWN), drivers often respond by hitting the brakes. That in turn makes the next driver brake. Soon, a wave of commuters are flashing red brake lights.

Please think about not using hte brake to cancel the cruise control.

LiveScience.com - The Science of Traffic Jams

Fun waves of cars in this one:-

SCIENCE HOBBYIST: Traffic Waves, physics for bored commuters

Come on Skoda, give us adaptive cruise control!

As in all things driving "appropriate use" is the key. The links are a classic case of stating the obvious. Cannot see why cruise control will make any difference to the situation, however, use of the brake to disengage it may in some circumstances be undesirable.

Chris

Chris

As you say, so it is, but previous posters don't get that using the brakes is not the best way to disengage. You are right, CC makes no difference to teh situation, EXCEPT that drivers stay using it too long, becasue htey don't look ahead.

If it were that obvious, why do previous posters disagree?

For example, GAFF who said

I can see your point....but TRAFFIC HOLD UPs , If theres a big enough varient between you and the can in front, I don't think the Little Switch will be enough slow you down .

When i was reading through the owners manual (page 22) it showed a "warning against excessive speeds" facility where you could set a limit and if you went over it, it shows text in the display and "A peep sounds" (their words not mine!) But the RS doesn't seem to have this function.

That would've been cool setting it at 148 so you didn't need to take your eye off the road!!

The vRS has this as part of the MFD if you have the Maxidot display (well mine has anyway), but I don't know if it is on the standard display. I've set mine for ##mph so that on the M'way I get a 'bong' and display of 'Warning! Maximum speed exceeded'. Very useful with the speedo markings going 60, 70, 80, 100! Its too easy to get to three figures thinking you're only doing 90 (on the Autobahns or something; probably).

As for Cruise Control; having had it on my previous car, but not my last one, I didn't realise how much I missed it until I got it on my vRS. Totally useful for comfort, economy and speed control on the M'way, set it for ##mph and relax, and also on a couple of long undulating sections of 40mph roads (with Speed Cameras) I use daily. A very worthwhile £180!

There is for and against using the dab on the foot brake to cut out the CC.

I tend to just slow the vehicle down by just reducing the speed of the vehicle by use of the rocker switch, which is fine for me because I know I need to slow down, but the dreamers following not knowing what is ahead tend to close up on me very rapidly and then have to brake. Then you get your dramatic chain braking taking place.

The light dab on the brake does show following traffic that you are going slow or think of slowing and can thus hopefully react.

As Toneboy says, using the brake to disengage cruise and slow down is good if you need to show the people behind you are reducing speed.

In traffic where there is enough space but some vriation in speed, I will often use the +/- trim buttons to set the speed.

The CC is just another throttle control after all.

Chris

As Toneboy says, using the brake to disengage cruise and slow down is good if you need to show the people behind you are reducing speed.

In traffic where there is enough space but some vriation in speed, I will often use the +/- trim buttons to set the speed.

The CC is just another throttle control after all.

Chris

No it's not - it's abdicating most of your reponsibilities as a driver. Can't you control your speed accurately ( I can) with your right foot second by second according to the trtraffic conditions from moment to moment - which you must do if you're going to be anythingl like a skilled driver? Can't you adjust your speed to the surrounding conditions?

Would I want to be in front of/behind any of you with your crusie control set to mindlessness? No way!

No it's not - it's abdicating most of your reponsibilities as a driver.

Err yes it is (just another throttle control). As with the foot pedal operated throttle, it requires skilled use to get the best from it. Thoughtless use of the throttle control, cruise or otherwise, is a bad thing. As for abdicating my responsibilities as a driver, well that is just plain tosh. The cruise is a convenience gadget that allows one to slip along at an accurate and consistent speed. It also frees up attention time for more important stuff like slightly improved observation. I suppose you still have ignition advance controlled from in the car then? Or have you abdicated this aspect of car control to some unseen electrickery and compromised your potentially excellent control of the engine efficiency? Pah! Thought so.

Can't you control your speed accurately ( I can) with your right foot second by second according to the trtraffic conditions from moment to moment - which you must do if you're going to be anythingl like a skilled driver? Can't you adjust your speed to the surrounding conditions?

No, I have absolutely no control of my car without cruise control. I am completely unable to hold a constant speed and never match my speed to traffic conditions unless I have my cruise control. What are you on about man? Why would having and using cruise infer I was any less skilled a driver than yourself?

One needs to regualate ones speed to surrounding conditions and cruise allows one to automate this when surrounding conditions permit a constant speed. The appropriate use of cruise control is now a requirement of certain advanced driving tests where it is fitted to the test vehicle.

Would I want to be in front of/behind any of you with your crusie control set to mindlessness? No way!

If your following me would be affected by my use of cruise control, I would be vary glad of you not being there. I use cruise control, along with all other signals and controls, with due thought to the effect of their use on other road users.

Cruise control is just another throttle control medium. It allows one to pay less attention to the speedometer, something of primary importance in todays speed enforcement obsessed culture. How many times have you been scrutinising your speedo when you could have been improving your observation outside of the car? EVERY time you look at your speedo, you compromise observation by a small amount. Reducing the need to look at the speedo must therefore improve the percentage of the time one spends looking out of the windows.

Cruise control is not essential, but it is desirable. I have cars with and cars without. I can drive all of them accurately at any speed I like. Still think it is a good thing and will continue to use it appropriately and mindfully. If you dont like cruise control, dont have it. I now have to go and drive one of my cars without cruise down some dark and twisty country roads for 20 miles or so. Wonder if I will make it? :rubchin: maybe take one with cruise just in case I cant handle it.

Chris

Phew, made it. Speed was varying wildly though.

No it's not - it's abdicating most of your reponsibilities as a driver. Can't you control your speed accurately ( I can) with your right foot second by second according to the trtraffic conditions from moment to moment - which you must do if you're going to be anythingl like a skilled driver? Can't you adjust your speed to the surrounding conditions?

Would I want to be in front of/behind any of you with your crusie control set to mindlessness? No way!

Sorry, are you the same John Moor who under the post "scratched alloy wheel" admitted to misjudging a corner and driving into the kerb? I'm not sure I'd want to be behind YOU

Another thread gone of the rails:orb_no:

I have it on mine and hardly ever seem to be able to use it with the

congestion on the roads.

Another thread gone of the rails:orb_no:

:rofl:

I tried out the method of cancelling the 'cruise mode' of flicking the on/off switch on the indicator stalk last night (as opposed to dabbing the brake) and it worked a treat. The switch is sprung so if you just flick it, it reverts to the 'on' position. You have to push it all the way to the right for 'off'.

Much easier than a dab on the brake and, particularly on the M'way, will negate the concertina effect of the car behind seeing brake lights so it brakes so the car behind that sees two brake lights and brakes harder etc. etc.

Got to be the way to cancel cruise mode unless you need to brake.

This thread seems to be be getting a bit fractious and like all things in piloting your vehicle the CC is just another tool and a means to an end.

It is the same as to whether to dab the brakes or physically switching off Cruise it surely has to depend on the circumstances as well as your preference, me I find that light dab of the brake pedal suits me, because in reality the vehicle speed does not noticeably reduce. As to those behind if they are that close they feel the need to brake rapidly then perhaps they should consider their driving distances.

It is all about reading the road.

Sorry, are you the same John Moor who under the post "scratched alloy wheel" admitted to misjudging a corner and driving into the kerb? I'm not sure I'd want to be behind YOU

Yup - well spotted and I 'fess up - you've got me bang to rights. It was a tight urban roundabout and the steering lock was not quite up to the job.... But no danger to anyone else - just personal humiliation.

Seriously, I was only suggesting that in urban driving you need to be constantly adjusting your speed in flowing traffic. Maybe it's because I lived in London for nearly 40 years (now in Canterbury, but still fairly congested), but I can't think of many times I could have used CC to any advantage. Maybe around the North Circular (changing between 40 and 50 mph regimes), yet I've never had any problems holding a constant speed without constantly looking at the speedometer. If nothing else, the engine noise should tell you how you're doing.

Mind you (and at the risk of getting even more off-thread), the CC will get its info from the speedometer - which in both our Octavias has over-read by up to 5 mph. So when you get on to the motorway and set your CC to 70 mph, you might well be mimsying along at 65 and frustrating all behind you.....

I agree - CC is rarely useful in and around London, but venture out onto the clearer motorways of the rest of country, and CC comes into it's own.

Surely the last point has nothing to do with CC - even without CC, if you sit there holding a constant speed just with your right foot at a recorded 70mph, you'll be going at 65....

To be honest, it doesn't frustrate many behind, as their speedos are also all reading 70mph, so they don't realise either