When Cruise Control Saves Gas
Turning your cruise control on for long-distance drives can help you improve your fuel economy—but not in every circumstance.
Written by Abbey Orzech
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
Cruise control is widely rumored to save on your fuel economy, but this can be conditional. In general, cruise control can save gas when used on flat terrain in low traffic.
Owning a car is an expensive business. From the standard routine maintenance and unexpected emergency repairs to the
car insurance costs
and fuel prices, spending hundreds of dollars a month on your vehicle is not that difficult of a feat. Many of us could use some savings when it comes to our cars—and cruise control could be the answer!It’s long been spouted that employing cruise control on your drives is an excellent way to increase your car’s fuel efficiency, but that may not always be true. Here to divulge the best and worst times to use cruise control to save gas is
Jerry
, the trusted brokerage app
dedicated to car insurance
savings.Jerry sends free alerts to keep your car up-to-date so you can avoid costly repairs
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
Get ahead of my car maintenance
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
What is cruise control?
Before deep diving into the best cruise control practices, let’s go over what this function actually is. Cruise control is an electronic system that typically comes built-in with any vehicle and uses sensors and cables to keep a vehicle at a consistent speed.
Drivers can employ the cruise control system to essentially take over control of a vehicle’s acceleration and eliminate the constant speed changing of a human being’s driving, thus improving fuel economy and creating less wear on the engine.
Able to be turned on by a button on or near the steering wheel and turned off by tapping the brake pedal, cruise control can be the ultimate convenience during long drives.
Does cruise control save gas?
Here’s the big question: does using cruise control actually save gas? The short answer is sometimes.
The cruise control system is typically only considered fuel-efficient when employed in the right driving conditions, namely flat roads and little to no traffic. In this kind of driving environment, cruise control could maintain a steady speed for a long period of time and in general, the more a vehicle changes speeds, the more gas it burns up.
However, there are other factors that help determine how useful this system is at saving gas. Everything about your driving conditions from your specific style of driving and the specific make, model, and year of your car to the climate and terrain where you drive can impact the effectiveness of cruise control.
There aren’t set-in-stone rules about the cruise control system’s ability to save gas because there is so much variation across drivers, their driving habits, and their vehicles.
When does cruise control use more gas?
So, is there ever a time when cruise control will burn more fuel rather than conserve it? Indeed there can be!
When you employ automatic cruise control while traversing hilly roads or mountainous terrain, the electronic system will compensate for all the need to accelerate when on an incline and decelerate when on a decline. Some cruise control systems will even prematurely detect inclines and begin accelerating before it’s necessary.
All of these behaviors increase your car’s fuel consumption thus making your gas mileage suffer.
Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
Is cruise control bad for your car?
In and of itself, cruise control is not bad for your car. Its acceleration will create some wear and tear on your engine but no more, and in some instances less, than regular gas pedal manipulation.
However, it should be said that there are some circumstances when you absolutely should not use cruise control. When your area is receiving excess precipitation like heavy rain or snowfall, or when there are icy conditions on the road, don’t use cruise control. Accelerating on slippery surfaces increases your risk of hydroplaning, a loss of vehicle control, and collisions.
Is cruise control better or worse for gas mileage?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a blanket statement that can speak to whether cruise control is better or worse for gas mileage because it might change across different circumstances.
However, a study by Natural Resources Canada found that as a car fluctuates between 47 mph and 53 mph every 18 seconds, it uses 20% more fuel than when the cruise control is set to 50 mph. In general, cruise control is better for gas mileage when you’re driving along flat roads as opposed to hilly terrain, and open lanes rather than congested traffic. Gas consumption is more effective the less a vehicle’s speed changes.
MORE:
How to track gas mileage
Should you use cruise control?
The use or nonuse of cruise control is entirely up to the driver. While not recommended for rocky or slick road conditions, there are several benefits of cruise control use:
- Convenient: in most vehicles that come equipped with cruise control, the on button and speed adjuster buttons are on or near the steering wheel, and you’ll just need to tap the brakes to turn the system off
- Improves focus: without worrying about maintaining a certain speed, more of your attention can be on the road
- Comfortable: long-distance drives can be uncomfortable, but cruise control allows you to remove pressure from the gas pedal, thus relaxing your leg, ankle, and foot
- Reduces risk of speeding tickets: some people have a particularly heavy foot when driving which can get them in trouble with traffic offenses. Setting the cruise control will maintain a constant speed and reduce your risk of catching a speeding ticket
MORE:6 cruise control safety tips you should never ignore
How to find cheap car insurance?
When used properly, cruise control can help you save on gas consumption and fuel fill-up costs, making your overall car expenses lower and your wallet happier. Lower those expenses even more by shopping for your
car insurance
with the top-rated insurance comparison app
in the country,Jerry
!It’s this simple: download the Jerry app or go to getjerry.com. In less than 45 seconds, Jerry collects all of your information from your existing insurer. Choose from competitive quotes from top insurance companies and Jerry takes care of the rest—securing your new policy and helping you cancel your old one upon request.
The average Jerry user saves over $800 a year on car insurance!
“I’d recommendJerryto anyone. I’ve almost halved my insurance bill with a new Allstate plan and it took under 10 minutes.” —Leon W.
RECOMMENDED
Never overpay for insurance again. Jerry’s AI notifies you when insurance prices drop.
New quotes when prices drop automatically
30 seconds to sign up
No phone calls or people bothering you
100% FREE
Put insurance shopping on auto-pilot NOW. Your wallet will thank you later!
Select the type of insurance:
This app is great, but the customer service is even better! Not to mention convenient! My husband and I got the lowest rate (much lower than the rates I was finding online through my own searches), quickly, and pretty much all through text message! Thank you so much for a hassle free experience 👍
Gabriella R.
Find insurance savings
4.7/5 Rating on App Store
FAQ
Why is cruise control useful?
Cruise control can be useful to improve fuel efficiency, improve driving focus, make driving more comfortable, and reduce your risk of speeding tickets.
Estimate your repair costs for free with GarageGuard™
Simplify your car maintenance with Jerry.
4.7
