Worse mileage with cruise control??

[roush9799]

Went on vacation, 350 miles away. I had the cruise set all the way there on 76mph, averaged 18.9 MPGs. On the way home, I set the cruise at 77mph. I was again getting about 18.9 MPG. Stopped in at a rest area, and got back in and didn't set the cruise. Reset the mileage at speed like I did before and ran a while. Mileage 20.1. Reset the cruise after a while, it started dropping till it got back in the low 19's. Took it off cruise and it slowly made its way back up to 20.1. At times without the cruise set I was running faster than what it was set at. Didn't really drop below the set speed but maybe for a couple of times in traffic. Any other vehicle I've owned seemed to have better mileage with the cruise set. I wished I would have ran one way with it off and one way with it on to get a better comparison now.

 

[Mr Dubya]

The factory monitor for mileage in these explorers always seems to be a little optimistic, however, that's exactly what I used to get at those speeds cruising with the 4.6L (before my lift and tires).

I would be pleased with the cruise mileage you're currently getting honestly.


-Dubya

 

[HiImBrian]

I'm getting like 10 city/12 highway with mine..


Cry me a river.

 

[Donystoy]

I think cruise control was invented to give your foot a rest and not for mileage. When cruise is set it will try to keep the speed constant even while trying to climb a hill when normally the vehicle would slow up a bit and then increase speed down hill. This would not be the case if you are one to try to maintain a constant speed while climbing a hill without using cruise. It all depends on the way one drives. I generally only use cruise on long flat roads.

 

[CDW6212R]

I think cruise control was invented to give your foot a rest and not for mileage. When cruise is set it will try to keep the speed constant even while trying to climb a hill when normally the vehicle would slow up a bit and then increase speed down hill. This would not be the case if you are one to try to maintain a constant speed while climbing a hill without using cruise. It all depends on the way one drives. I generally only use cruise on long flat roads.

Ditto, CC is not for gas savings.

Slow down going up hills, near the top, and speed up going down hills. Old tuck drivers did that always long ago, and it did save gas.

A CC will give as much throttle as needed to maintain the set speed, and that wastes gas on any decent hills. It lets off going down hills, which wastes kinetic energy. Obviously you cannot drive that way everywhere, but you can save some gas by paying attention to how much throttle you use going up hills.

The message center is very inaccurate. But it can be very helpful to save gas, watch it carefully as you drive up hills, and down hills. Try to maintain a higher instantaneous fuel mileage going up hills, and going down hills don't let off the pedal completely.