Adaptive Cruise Control

[EBSXR6]

I was following a new Mercedes Benz along Eastlink yesterday, light traffic and flat section of road.

The car in front of the Merc was a fair distance ahead and maybe that driver wasn't using cruise control.

I am assuming the Merc had adaptive cruise control the brake lights were on almost as much as they were off.

I found it very disconcerting in those sort of driving conditions.

[Express]

I see that all the time with many makes of cars and in particular with Camrys, I think it’s called riding the brake.

Sometimes God only knows what some people are slowing down for.

And if it is active cruise control then it is only reacting to the driving style of the person behind the wheel of the car ahead.

[uniacidz]

Originally Posted by EBSXR6

I was following a new Mercedes Benz along Eastlink yesterday, light traffic and flat section of road.

The car in front of the Merc was a fair distance ahead and maybe that driver wasn't using cruise control.

I am assuming the Merc had adaptive cruise control the brake lights were on almost as much as they were off.

I found it very disconcerting in those sort of driving conditions.

[Trump]

My BMW has it, it uses radar to determine the set distance and most of the time controls the speed by throttle adjustment to maintain the desired setting.

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

My BMW has it, it uses radar to determine the set distance and most of the time controls the speed by throttle adjustment to maintain the desired setting.

Same here throttle yes, brakes very rarely.

[Yellow_Festiva]

My Outlander has it and I use it often.

You can set the reaction distance to front traffic. Drove back from Tweed Heads to Sydney in the holidays and didn't need to touch the pedals till we hit traffic lights in Coffs Harbour.

Used the wheel controls to adjust speed for different zones.

[Matty4]

Both my Jeep and my wifes Focus have it.
I love it. Drove up to the Sunshine Coast and back a couple of weeks ago and on the highways it's brilliant. The car slow down to the set distance if the car in front slows down say, heading into a town, then will speed up again once they do.
The only "issue" I have is if you're on a freeway and it's set at 100km/h with a large gap and someone changes lanes into that gap it will brake quite suddenly. You need to be aware of that.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

My BMW has it, it uses radar to determine the set distance and most of the time controls the speed by throttle adjustment to maintain the desired setting.

If the vehicle in front is doing 200kph, will the car accelerate to keep a constant gap?

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

If the vehicle in front is doing 200kph, will the car accelerate to keep a constant gap?

If you set the cruise to 200 it will ...

[mik]

Originally Posted by Express

I see that all the time with many makes of cars and in particular with Camrys, I think it’s called riding the brake.

Sometimes God only knows what some people are slowing down for.

And if it is active cruise control then it is only reacting to the driving style of the person behind the wheel of the car ahead.

sometimes they are not slowing down , they just resting a foot on the brake pedal , have pretty blue discs afterwards with some smoke coming off .

[LyleXR8]

Say you're doing 105 and car in front is doing 100 and you catch up, to overtake do you need to disengage cruise or if you manually accelerate will it overpower the radar setup then when your are clear and take your foot off the loud pedal return to 105?

[Express]

Originally Posted by mik

sometimes they are not slowing down , they just resting a foot on the brake pedal , have pretty blue discs afterwards with some smoke coming off .

You are very right and that’s why my post made two points, those that ride the brake and those that slow down for no justifiable reason.

For example braking for a wide sweeping bend when they are already driving 10 to 15k’s under the speed limit and constantly applying the brake as they shy at everything they see near the side of the road.

As part of my learn to drive experience my father would dead leg me with his knuckle just above my knee every time my foot rested on the brake or clutch pedals and 40 years later I still keep my foot off both unless I need to use them.

If you watch the traffic far enough ahead you can usually match the flow by only adjusting your throttle input and leave the brake for only when you need to stop.

[FalconXV]

Originally Posted by uniacidz

image

Originally Posted by futura

The 351 tune is GTF exclusive. Really don't understand why people think that Ford will use the 351 tune on the Sprint 8.

If the EB GT was rated at 200kw and the ED Sprint that followed had 192kw, why would anyone think that the Sprint will have equal or greater rated power of the GTF.

Hahahaha blankets and hugs all round.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by LyleXR8

Say you're doing 105 and car in front is doing 100 and you catch up, to overtake do you need to disengage cruise or if you manually accelerate will it overpower the radar setup then when your are clear and take your foot off the loud pedal return to 105?

If there is no mad rush in the overtaking lane I just overtake at 105 and return to the left. If I need to do it faster I just accelerate then when I remove my foot from the accelerator to slow down it will return to 105 on its own.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by Express

You are very right and that’s why my post made two points, those that ride the brake and those that slow down for no justifiable reason.

For example braking for a wide sweeping bend when they are already driving 10 to 15k’s under the speed limit and constantly applying the brake as they shy at everything they see near the side of the road.

You forgot the disclaimer that this behavior is only for speed limited areas 80km/h and above. Usually these drivers continue on at 10 to 15k's over the 40-50-60km speed limited areas.

[ I ride older, small displacement motorbikes (eg. CD175) on 100km/h stretches of rural roads. Generally in town I have people sitting up my clacker although I can easily maintain 60km/h .. however in 100km/h zones I am never the slowest person .. I always get stuck behind someone who wants to do 80km/h in a 100km/h zone ]

I used to dread the concept of self driving cars .. now I warmly embrace it.

My next car (modern) I'm going to make sure has adaptive cruise as it drives me nuts trying to match speed with some drivers where I can't overtake.

[paulb351]

Originally Posted by LyleXR8

Say you're doing 105 and car in front is doing 100 and you catch up, to overtake do you need to disengage cruise or if you manually accelerate will it overpower the radar setup then when your are clear and take your foot off the loud pedal return to 105?

My Everest in adaptive mode will start accelerating as soon as I use the turn indicator to allow an overtaking manoeuvre, if not quick enough I just use more throttle until around the slower car and the cruise settles down to whatever I've set...

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by Matty4

The only "issue" I have is if you're on a freeway and it's set at 100km/h with a large gap and someone changes lanes into that gap it will brake quite suddenly. You need to be aware of that.

That's why I wouldn't like to have adaptive cruise control. And how many nose to tail accidents that would cause with following vehicles, with the adaptive cruise control car suddenly braking, and excessively, to maintain the same distance.

As well as my speed being dictated by the constant speeding up and slowing down of the car in front.

Would drive me up the wall.

I prefer to drive at a more constant speed with my normal cruise control set accordingly, with the distance to the car ahead varying with its changing speeds. Use less fuel that way too.

[Deo]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

... with my normal cruise control set accordingly, with the distance to the car ahead varying with its changing speeds.

How does that work for you when the car in front is averaging a slower speed than you have set your cruise?


Sent from my GTi-9305 using bloody Tapatalk

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by Deo

How does that work for you when the car in front is averaging a slower speed than you have set your cruise?


Sent from my GTi-9305 using bloody Tapatalk

I reset my cc at a speed which I estimate is the average of the speed of the car in front. And readjust if needed. Helps having the excellent FG cc.

I do this mainly when travelling along single lane country roads. With a little practice, the estimate of the speed to be set when approaching the slower car coming up is usually pretty right.

[MercurySilver]

Same
I just press down on the cc button a few timepretty easy to gauge the car in fronts speed
I dont use it too much tho, as i like to be in 100% control

[Morry]

I love the adaptive cruise on my SQ5 and use it all the time out here in the country where I live. I always tell people once you have had it you will never want to go back to normal cruise control.

[Matty4]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

I reset my cc at a speed which I estimate is the average of the speed of the car in front. And readjust if needed. Helps having the excellent FG cc.

I do this mainly when travelling along single lane country roads. With a little practice, the estimate of the speed to be set when approaching the slower car coming up is usually pretty right.

Which is what ACC does, but without your input. It automatically adjusts your speed to the car in front.

[Grunter]

ACC is one of my favourite features on the Jeep. As great as it is on the highway, it is brilliant in slow crawling peak hour traffic.

If you've not had a chance to experience it, it's worth testing it out. It's pretty weird the first couple of times, however you get used to it quickly.

And as per normal cruise control (or any driving aid), it isn't a substitute for paying attention. But it does make for cruisy trips. ;)