I find it critical for motorway driving where the State Police raise revenue by the changing the speed limit all the time. If you re-set the cuise control each time, it saves heaps in terms of fines. Having done a couple of thousand kilometers of mixed roads over the past few weeks, I've found the cruise control to be OK with fuel economy on nice flat motorways but things get a lot worse than manually controlling the accelerator on hilly highways as it tends to over-react on inclines and is slow to react on declines.

I tend to use CC most of the time for my daily commute.

Seem to get 38-39MPG from it. Freelander 2 TD4 GS Manual MY11 - 61REG Stratstone Mayfair
Sumatra black, cloth, DAB Radio, Park Distance Control Front, Privacy Glass, 17" Full Size Spare Wheel.
Aftermarket: Mudflaps

It's great for speed limit control 30, 50 and 70. I think that holding speed uphill and not fully using gravity downhill actually costs fuel so I use it sometimes but not when I've plenty of time and can drive in stinge-mode. 43.4 MPG to Milton Keynes and back last Thursday. Gone... 2013 XS TD4 Manual Firenze Red
Gone... 2008 (09MY) XS Td4 Manual Stornaway Grey
Prior... 2003 G4 Discovery 2, 1998 Disco 1 and 1997 Disco 1 Company car before that
Also gone in Nov'13, after 7.5 yrs, to new owners with time for more TLC - 1980 Series III 88
Current 2015 Discovery Sport HSE 2.0

good for speed control on the motorway, but uses a lot more fuel than good driving of a manual.

can't comment on the auto re economy.

Iain

Ive said before but id like to see a few presets on the dash set at say 30 40 and 50 so you can just press one when reaching a speed limit, and cruise along At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

I tend to use it quite a bit on the M4 late at night with no-one around.
From what I can make out the economy is worse, partly because the M4 undulates. So when you set it around 75-78 you are actually accelerating up hill whereas in 'manual' you'd actually slow down.
There's not much in it, but I prefer not cruise.

We frequently use CC on main roads with little traffic (yes we do have them here), but if the road is hilly the brakes will come on during the descent which seems to use more juice. CC is certainly is comfortable on long runs with little traffic but it seems to be less ecconomical. 2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

The brakes don't come on with mine, it runs away with itself downhill with CC on
Is it with export vehicles only

EYorkshire wrote:

The brakes don't come on with mine, it runs away with itself downhill with CC on
Is it with export vehicles only

Maybe you have a fault - the speed should be controlled down hill as up hill. If I set it at 80 KMH it will keep (try to keep) that speed wherever ie if on a very steep down hill with the cc on at 80, the brakes come on to control the speed on the descent. 2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

chicken george wrote:

Ive said before but id like to see a few presets on the dash set at say 30 40 and 50 so you can just press one when reaching a speed limit, and cruise along

Yes, two or three user defined presets is a very good idea which is why they probably wont do it.

Ghyllie oo! Shiney!
____________________________________________
55 Nissan Navara SE Black - My Toy.
08 Freelander 2 XS Santorini Black - Her Majesty's Toy.

AndyC wrote:

EYorkshire wrote:

The brakes don't come on with mine, it runs away with itself downhill with CC on
Is it with export vehicles only

Maybe you have a fault - the speed should be controlled down hill as up hill. If I set it at 80 KMH it will keep (try to keep) that speed wherever ie if on a very steep down hill with the cc on at 80, the brakes come on to control the speed on the descent.

I thinks yours is special Definitely my brakes do not operate on steep descents with CC on.

Agree with EY. Brakes didn't come on in my old FL2, doesn't do it in Mrs Dave's FL2, and doesn't do it in the D4 either.

I loose about 3 - 4 mpg when using cruise control when compared to using my right foot to control the speed, same on the FL2 & D4. ______________________
2011 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8
2012 FL2 SD4 Auto HSE
2013 Kawasaki Versys 650

I think most CC uses engine braking. could be where the confusion is.

Ghyllie oo! Shiney!
____________________________________________
55 Nissan Navara SE Black - My Toy.
08 Freelander 2 XS Santorini Black - Her Majesty's Toy.

Ghyllie wrote:

I think most CC uses engine braking. could be where the confusion is.

Ghyllie

Thats what it may be then but some braking there is and it definatly does NOT run away downhill.
However it does FEEL like the brakes keeping the speed down. 2007 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Manual with Premium Pack & Moonroof.
Stornoway Grey with Ebony Black Pleather, Clear Indicators, Body Side Mouldings etc.

taztastic wrote:

Speed warning would be much more useful,

Mine has one of these built in - I call it a speedometer

Seriously, I use CC on dual carriageways and motorways, on long 30 mph stretches, and it is paticularly good through those 'average speed' camera sites or roadworks. Traffic permitting, of course.
One or two mpg isn't that big of a deal, you can loose that by accelerating a bit vigorously from the traffic lights. I just find using CC so much more relaxing on longer runs. Poke it, Poke it, make it do it again!!

Gone - 2008 Freel2 HSE Santorini Black
Hello - 2010 RRS TDV6 3.0 HSE Santorini Black