Cruise Control?

[RLan]

Is it just me or Japanese cars don't have cruise control? Or may be cars we get in Sri Lanka don't have cruise control. I've driven a Prius and a Axio G-grade neither of them had cruise control. Before all of you start jumping on me saying what's the point of cruise control on heavy traffic in Sri Lanka and all that stuff, I gotta say it would have been pretty useful driving at early mornings where you know cops might be out there trying to get you. Experts shed some light on this issue please. Thanks in advance.

[Watchman]

i'm gonna say what you predicted you might say

But even at the wee hours of the night/morning would you want to drive along galle/kandy road without having your right foot fully relaxed? unlike on a highway there's always the possibility of someone just entering the main road without expecting anyone else to be on the road, especially bicycles and motorcycles.

As for why you dont get it is a good question. I do remember seeing CC as an option on some cars advertises int he recent past, though I dont quite remember what the advert was for. I guess its probably something that came from Europe. Maybe someone who's been to or knows a fair bit about Japan can enlighten us on the practicality of CC in Japanese roads.

[DevakaC]

For some reason I haven't seen cruise control on many JDM cars either. But our 95 pajero had cruise control. Then again that was a b/new import. Cruise control can come handy even in SL roads in my opinion. Specially in those straight long haul roads like the habarana-batticaloe or Batti-Arugambay roads etc. Now that the southern highway is almost done too, or is it?

Unless you go day dreaming while on cruise with your legs crossed, relative breaking reflexes should not decrease. So far the Jetta I drive has the most user-unfriendly cruise control iv ever used. May be VW is trying to tell me to drive the darn thing without letting it drive me.

[kaushama]

Cruise Control in Galle road? Or any of Sri Lankan roads? You gotta be having either curfew or 1989 mob rule not to get your ass smashed!

[VVTi]

Cruise Control is ONE option you really don't need in Sl... along with Lane Departure Warning...

Why? Well, Cruise Control is pointless, and Lane Departure is pointless too as sometimes the our RDA Road Marker painter forgets his foot ruler...

Having said that, my Punto has it (Cruise Control) and I am planning on getting it activated in the E39... why?

Because its there...

[RLan]

i'm gonna say what you predicted you might say

But even at the wee hours of the night/morning would you want to drive along galle/kandy road without having your right foot fully relaxed? unlike on a highway there's always the possibility of someone just entering the main road without expecting anyone else to be on the road, especially bicycles and motorcycles.

As for why you dont get it is a good question. I do remember seeing CC as an option on some cars advertises int he recent past, though I dont quite remember what the advert was for. I guess its probably something that came from Europe. Maybe someone who's been to or knows a fair bit about Japan can enlighten us on the practicality of CC in Japanese roads.

What you're saying has some truth in it. Most people in Sri Lanka either don't know the rules or can't be bothered to adhere to them. But I was actually talking with my personal experience of driving at night (around 2-3am) along the Galle road. There is almost zero traffic and police are there in few places. If I had cruise control I could get it upto 70kmph and keep going like that. (Because after sometime 70kmph feels as if you're just walking and without even realizing we tend increase the speed) Cruise control apparently had been invented by an American. And they've had this technology since 1958 (source: wikipedia) It's a nice story how this guy invented this. He was a blind guy and he was working for a major car parts company in US. One day he was traveling along with his lawyer in his lawyer's car (lawyer is at the steering wheel). Everytime lawyer started talking the car slowed down and when lawyer starts listening the car sped up. Annoyed by this he was determined to find a way to keep a car at constant speed on the highways. After 10 years of research he finally did it and got the patent for it. Anyways, back to the topic at hand. I'd like to hear what japanese experts have to say.

For some reason I haven't seen cruise control on many JDM cars either. But our 95 pajero had cruise control. Then again that was a b/new import. Cruise control can come handy even in SL roads in my opinion. Specially in those straight long haul roads like the habarana-batticaloe or Batti-Arugambay roads etc. Now that the southern highway is almost done too, or is it?

Unless you go day dreaming while on cruise with your legs crossed, relative breaking reflexes should not decrease. So far the Jetta I drive has the most user-unfriendly cruise control iv ever used. May be VW is trying to tell me to drive the darn thing without letting it drive me.

Totally agree with you bro. It's strange though 95 pajero having cruise control and 2007 axio not having it on. May be your pajero was not meant for asian market. And it's funny that Jetta thing, may be you've gotta bloody lazy Jetta.

Cruise Control in Galle road? Or any of Sri Lankan roads? You gotta be having either curfew or 1989 mob rule not to get your ass smashed!

No bro, it'd be pretty useful driving at night. All it does is to keep that car at a constant speed you choose the speed and turn the cruise control on. It also leads to saving fuel (that might be just too much info. for the Sri Lankans)

[Pericles]

But I was actually talking with my personal experience of driving at night (around 2-3am) along the Galle road. There is almost zero traffic and police are there in few places. If I had cruise control I could get it upto 70kmph and keep going like that. (Because after sometime 70kmph feels as if you're just walking and without even realizing we tend increase the speed)

I got news for ya. If you try driving at 70 on the Galle Road within city limits, the cops are still gonna get you for speeding, even if it is 3am. Been there, done that.

Unless your talking about something like coming back from Hikka after partying the night away. In which case, I think the speed limit is, according to the law, lower at night than at day, but I'm not certain on that.

[M navy]

our n17 the word "cruise"(a light trace can be seen if observe carefully) is there on the indicater panel near the check engine light...

but the option is not there...

so may be some n17 may have this option...

[RLan]

I got news for ya. If you try driving at 70 on the Galle Road within city limits, the cops are still gonna get you for speeding, even if it is 3am. Been there, done that.

Unless your talking about something like coming back from Hikka after partying the night away. In which case, I think the speed limit is, according to the law, lower at night than at day, but I'm not certain on that.

I know that within city limits it's 50Kmph. But I've never heard of such a thing as having a lower speed limit at night. Don't quite get the point of it. And aren't all those bloody laws very old? And cars today can handle well compared to olden days.

our n17 the word "cruise"(a light trace can be seen if observe carefully) is there on the indicater panel near the check engine light...

but the option is not there...

so may be some n17 may have this option...

Hmmm interesting indeed. May be they have that option but just not in asia.

[M navy]

I know that within city limits it's 50Kmph. But I've never heard of such a thing as having a lower speed limit at night. Don't quite get the point of it. And aren't all those bloody laws very old? And cars today can handle well compared to olden days.

Hmmm interesting indeed. May be they have that option but just not in asia.

agree...

[RLan]

Cruise Control is ONE option you really don't need in Sl... along with Lane Departure Warning...

Why? Well, Cruise Control is pointless, and Lane Departure is pointless too as sometimes the our RDA Road Marker painter forgets his foot ruler...

Having said that, my Punto has it (Cruise Control) and I am planning on getting it activated in the E39... why?

Because its there...

Well you're entitled to your own opinion. For me cruise control would have been pretty useful. Though I agree with you on the pointlessness of lane departure warnings, unless they make proper highways here.

No doubt Punto and Beemer having it.

[Pericles]

I know that within city limits it's 50Kmph. But I've never heard of such a thing as having a lower speed limit at night. Don't quite get the point of it. And aren't all those bloody laws very old? And cars today can handle well compared to olden days.

I completely agree, but considering how we keep even old cars still running (and I'm not talking about the Classic Car Club chaps), I guess we all have to be safe. I stopped questioning why things are the way they are in this country.

The night thing, I seem to remember from the written test for the license or summin. Could be wrong, it was long ago, Tho I can see a certain sense to it then, worse roads, poorer lights on the cars, no street lighting.

[milindu]

Is it just me or Japanese cars don't have cruise control? Or may be cars we get in Sri Lanka don't have cruise control. I've driven a Prius and a Axio G-grade neither of them had cruise control. Before all of you start jumping on me saying what's the point of cruise control on heavy traffic in Sri Lanka and all that stuff, I gotta say it would have been pretty useful driving at early mornings where you know cops might be out there trying to get you. Experts shed some light on this issue please. Thanks in advance.

The Grand Civics were some of the earliest Jap cars to come to SL with CC as far as I can remember. I have driven a Montero 3.5 (B.New), a Land Cruiser 100 and a Prado TZ both recon imports with CC.

Quite useless on our roads at current. Perhaps when the highways come into use. But even still, you tend to fall asleep having nothing much to do watching the lines on the road pass you by.

[rangerover]

Firstly the Axio and the Prius are wrong bases to benchmark options such as cruise control. As some have mentioned, certain up market JDM's did have cruise control. It might be a nice to have thing in SL, but for me, it takes away the pleasure of driving

[RLan]

I completely agree, but considering how we keep even old cars still running (and I'm not talking about the Classic Car Club chaps), I guess we all have to be safe. I stopped questioning why things are the way they are in this country.

The night thing, I seem to remember from the written test for the license or summin. Could be wrong, it was long ago, Tho I can see a certain sense to it then, worse roads, poorer lights on the cars, no street lighting.

Yeah, best we can do is to stop questioning the system and find other means to go around it. And I agree with you, those days with subpar conditions 70Kmph is pretty high speed limit.

The Grand Civics were some of the earliest Jap cars to come to SL with CC as far as I can remember. I have driven a Montero 3.5 (B.New), a Land Cruiser 100 and a Prado TZ both recon imports with CC.

Quite useless on our roads at current. Perhaps when the highways come into use. But even still, you tend to fall asleep having nothing much to do watching the lines on the road pass you by.

I'd fall asleep regardless. My solution is the play the music at a very high volume. That helps a lot.

Firstly the Axio and the Prius are wrong bases to benchmark options such as cruise control. As some have mentioned, certain up market JDM's did have cruise control. It might be a nice to have thing in SL, but for me, it takes away the pleasure of driving

I can't quite agree with you bro. I don't think it's a luxury option. VVTI said his punto has it. Punto is certainly a small car. With too many cops on the streets, driving for pleasure can be expensive these days.

[SeanD]

I think it's just the fact that the cars here were just not imported with this option (although this is becoming less common as I see most of the newer cars of all makes having this, and the owner claims they were not charged for the option - yea right). Anyway all Japanese cars in the Euro and US markets do have cruise control. Not sure about the cars within Japan itself.

[VVTi]

Well you're entitled to your own opinion. For me cruise control would have been pretty useful. Though I agree with you on the pointlessness of lane departure warnings, unless they make proper highways here.

No doubt Punto and Beemer having it.

I know...

I tried using CC on the way to Galle once early morning in the Punto and after 5 mins switched it off.... because I was disengaging and reengaging every 100 feet...

You just cant use it effectively..

But don't let me stop you, you go ahead, Have fun!

[rangerover]

Well the option it self may not be a luxury, but it did come in luxury cars (i'm refering to JDM) in the past. This was the case with many added options that u find in euro's that u dont find in many JDM's. For example, day time running lights, trip computer etc were present in many euro cars for few years now. These are just been introduced to japs. I'm in no way implying that japs are inferior, but euro's have them to meet regulatory and cosumary requirements of the market.

But then again, don't expect Axio's to have all these options, as they are aimed at mainly the fleet operators market in japan which requires a cheap, fuel efficient and basic car to get passengers from A to B.

[Pericles]

Even my mom's not very luxury Malaysian car has cruise control. I have used it (the CC) on occasion.

[seeker]

Is it just me or Japanese cars don't have cruise control? Or may be cars we get in Sri Lanka don't have cruise control. I've driven a Prius and a Axio G-grade neither of them had cruise control. Before all of you start jumping on me saying what's the point of cruise control on heavy traffic in Sri Lanka and all that stuff, I gotta say it would have been pretty useful driving at early mornings where you know cops might be out there trying to get you. Experts shed some light on this issue please. Thanks in advance.

The brand new 1.8l version of the FD series civic came with cruise control for SL. I was made to understand it was standard spec.. unless the agent was bluffing, this means Honda does consider CC as a value addition / product differentiator for this region..!

But I must add though, that those who use this version do say that it's one hell of a useless feature on our roads..

[KMG]

as in n17 guy told, same thing in Allion NZT-260 pannel if you see carefully, also it is mention in the user manual as option. ( if i understand the drawings and few english and japaneese mixed sentences correctly, Any way i fe its better to have that option as i'm driving outside colombo (ex Kandy - Anuradhapura) where roads are free and full of cops. dont know whether we can install that cruse controll unit in sri lanka.

[KMG]

in axio ,allion(260) there is a thing called "radar cruise", but it is different from cruise control and its a safty feature.

[BLu3HaZe]

The Axio, Allion, Civic, Prius etc. do have cruise control and sometimes also radar guided cruise control as options. But people don't seem to bring them down as they're usually available only for the higher trims, like Prius G, and add more to CIF