What automotive convinence option can you not live without?

[MX793]

Cruise control is pretty useless in the Northeast. I've never used it up there.

You've obviously never driven outside of a major urban center in the Northeast.

[CALL_911]

In the summer, the A/C. In the winter, the heater/heated seats. Close second would be the auxiliary input.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Tie! AC and an auxiliary input! I'm miserable without either. Cruise control comes in a very close second,especially on road trips!

[Laconian]

You guys need to move out here. I went through several summers in my Miata without wishing I had A/C.

[Onslaught]

You guys need to move out here. I went through several summers in my Miata without wishing I had A/C.

No thanks. I'll just turn on my A/C. But seeing that you have a Miata it's a good thing you don't need A/C. Because the MX-5's A/C sucks ass and kills what little power that car has.

[Rupert]

Wow, you guys sure love using cruise control. I've never even used it one time in the Miata and think I turned it one one time in the RX-8. When I went to DC I rented a car and used it twice going up and back. So that's 3 times in 22 years of driving that I can recall using it. I personally don't care for it.

Also, you guys will have a wife one day. And just think of what they would be like without A/C in your hot car. A/C is way more important then cruise.

Try driving for six to 12 hours across the Nevada desert, E WA, E OR, most of rural I-5, S ID, most of UT, most of I-90 in MT, etc. without cruise. Then do that ten times a year. Yeah.

[Rich]

I hate the goddamn assholes on the highway that don't use cruise control.  Pass you, then slow down, then I pull out to pass, then they speed up... then eventually they slow down again and I pass them... then repeat

[Onslaught]

Try driving for six to 12 hours across the Nevada desert, E WA, E OR, most of rural I-5, S ID, most of UT, most of I-90 in MT, etc. without cruise. Then do that ten times a year. Yeah.

Well I'm sure it works fine there because the roads probably aren't full of cars. And the ones there have cruise on. But if I wanted to drive to my parents beach place 5 hours from here I'd have to turn it on and off 80 times. And when I drove from NC to DC I gave up using it for the same reason.


I also have a feeling that A/C would still be more important in the Nevada desert.

[ifcar]

Well I'm sure it works fine there because the roads probably aren't full of cars. And the ones there have cruise on. But if I wanted to drive to my parents beach place 5 hours from here I'd have to turn it on and off 80 times. And when I drove from NC to DC I gave up using it for the same reason.


I also have a feeling that A/C would still be more important in the Nevada desert.

80 times in five hours is still less effort than continuous throttle modulation for five hours.

[Tave]

You've obviously never driven outside of a major urban center in the Northeast.

In fact I have. Just drove across all of Pennsylvania not 3 months ago. Never once wished I had cruise control, although I do all the time when I'm driving back West.

[Tave]

80 times in five hours is still less effort than continuous throttle modulation for five hours.

It takes little to no effort to rest your foot on the gas pedal, although you can develop a cramp if you have to hold it there for awhile.

[Onslaught]

80 times in five hours is still less effort than continuous throttle modulation for five hours.

Effort? Effort? What kind of effort is there to hold your foot in one place? I'm older then most of you and it takes no effort at all.

[ifcar]

I didn't say it was difficult, even counting adjusting for inclines, but it's even easier to hit a button with your thumb every four minutes.

[Onslaught]

I didn't say it was difficult, even counting adjusting for inclines, but it's even easier to hit a button with your thumb every four minutes.

Not in that Jeep I rented. I had to adjust the fucking cruise all the damn time because it wouldn't stay at the correct speed. But then again it was a Jeep product. Can't except things to work well on those.

[S204STi]

You've obviously never driven outside of a major urban center in the Northeast.

Yeah, there are plenty of roads all over the area which could benefit from it.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I hate the goddamn assholes on the highway that don't use cruise control.  Pass you, then slow down, then I pull out to pass, then they speed up... then eventually they slow down again and I pass them... then repeat

You just described 75% of the drivers in Ohio!!!!   

[MX793]

In fact I have. Just drove across all of Pennsylvania not 3 months ago. Never once wished I had cruise control, although I do all the time when I'm driving back West.

Through the hills/mountains of PA, you're on and off the throttle a lot.  Try I-90 across NY.  It's pretty much flat the whole way.

[68_427]

I prefer not using cruise control.  Don't think I've ever considered using it either.

[Tave]

Through the hills/mountains of PA, you're on and off the throttle a lot.  Try I-90 across NY.  It's pretty much flat the whole way.

Uhm, what? You need to rethink that argument a little.

The deciding factor in whether or not it's appropriate to use cruise control is, in 99% of situations, traffic volume, not road topography. I use cruise control all the time on I-90 in Montana, despite the fact that there are some serious hills and mountains you have to cross. In contrast, I never once found myself wanting cruise control across Pennsylvania, because even the rural parts of the state are relatively well-traveled.

[Lebowski]

I could not live without A/C

[S204STi]

It seems a tad silly to argue with a guy who lives there dude.

Maybe you're not understanding the proper use of CC.  Nobody uses it on hilly roads.

[Tave]

It seems a tad silly to argue with a guy who lives there dude.

He doesn't live in Pennsylvania.

Maybe you're not understanding the proper use of CC.  Nobody uses it on hilly roads.

Bullshit.

[S204STi]

He doesn't live in Pennsylvania.

Bullshit.

You stated that using CC in the Northeast wasn't required.  He lives in the NE.  So... *cough*

I've lived in and driven in PA.  There are definitely sections in there where CC would be of benefit, and others where it wouldn't be.  Depends on the road.

And I'm not sure what's BS about not using CC on hilly roads.  Sounds silly to me to use it.  The car would constantly be slowing for inclines and running over the top carrying a ton of speed.  By shutting down CC you can add more throttle on the run-up to the hill to maintain speed, and cut throttle at the top to coast down the other side.    

[Tave]

I've lived in and driven in PA.  There are definitely sections in there where CC would be of benefit, and others where it wouldn't be.  Depends on the road.

Oh sure, you could find places to use it, but the topic of this thread is what convenience option can you not live without. It seems to me that having cruise control in a state that has so much traffic it makes cruise control superfluous on a lot of roads wouldn't qualify.

And I'm not sure what's BS about not using CC on hilly roads.  Sounds silly to me.  

Huh?

The car would constantly be slowing for inclines and running over the top carrying a ton of speed.  By shutting down CC you can add more throttle on the run-up to the hill to maintain speed, and cut throttle at the top to coast down the other side.   

Who cares? You're talking about a very small variation, like ~3-5 mph. If no one is around you, what does it matter?

[MX793]

He doesn't live in Pennsylvania.

Bullshit.

I drove through PA 3 times this summer (all the way through from north to south, all the way through from south to north, and down to near Pittsburgh and back).  With the hills, you're on and off the throttle fairly frequently if you don't use the cruise, which keeps your foot from cramping up.  I-90 through NY is pretty much flat, which means you need to hold your foot pretty much steady on the accelerator the whole time.

[S204STi]

Oh sure, you could find places to use it, but the topic of this thread is what convenience option can you not live without. It seems to me that having cruise control in a state that has so much traffic it makes cruise control superfluous on a lot of roads wouldn't qualify.

Huh?

Who cares? You're talking about a very small variation, like ~3-5 mph. If no one is around you, what does it matter?

I would tend to agree except that much of the northeast is actually wide open most of the time.

RE: CC; I just think the system works poorly on hills so I switch it off.  To each his own I guess.   Not worth getting hot and bothered about.

[Tave]

I drove through PA 3 times this summer (all the way through from north to south, all the way through from south to north, and down to near Pittsburgh and back).  With the hills, you're on and off the throttle fairly frequently if you don't use the cruise, which keeps your foot from cramping up.  I-90 through NY is pretty much flat, which means you need to hold your foot pretty much steady on the accelerator the whole time.

I guess we just have two entirely different points of view on why CC is beneficial.

[ifcar]

I would tend to agree except that much of the northeast is actually wide open most of the time.

RE: CC; I just think the system works poorly on hills so I switch it off.  To each his own I guess.   Not worth getting hot and bothered about.

It varies by car. The best cruise control I've used was in a CVT Maxima, which I guess was manipulating the gear ratios to keep the car from accelerating downhill.

[Rupert]

If it's an automatic transmission, most cruise controls will shift for hills. In manuals, I generally take it off cruise if I have to shift.

[hotrodalex]

If it's an automatic transmission, most cruise controls will shift for hills. In manuals, I generally take it off cruise if I have to shift.

How would CC work while shifting anyway? Does it cut off when you touch the clutch pedal?