Why does Cruise Control in Toyotas suck?

Sick answer!

Seriously why cant you use cruise on a hill, do you have an actual answer? Another member erroneously said it would destroy your transmission, and of course he couldn't back it up and just faded into internet message board heaven.

You come in and say if you don't know why you shouldn't use cruise control on a hilly area you are an idiot without common sense. Just say it, you have no idea why you shouldn't use cruise control on a hill because at the end of the day your statement is speculation at best with no factual backing.

 

It is a highway convenience. Common sense would dictate not using it in the rain,snow in town windy roads etc.

 

Actually, I use it in "speed trap" towns - if speed limit is 45 or higher. A couple of places around here they give tickets for 3 over.

 

Okay, hotshot...common sense should also tell you to not make these "know-it-all" statements without something to back them up. I'm pretty sure I've got you in age, experience, and miles driven, so you're going to have to do better than making broad "if you don't know...I'd learn driving more" lame-ass statements.

 

On the drive between Knoxville and Crossville, Tn. on the interstate, I have learned to use the CC on the mostly flat parts, but when getting into the climb up the Cumberland Plateau, I just tap the brake to kick the CC off, and manually control the gas until I'm back on the flat on top, then re-engage it.
The CC does make the tranny downshift a LOT more then manual control.
I'm thinking it's just the way the software is programmed in the engine management system.
My 2009 RAV4 with the V-6 would do the same thing.

 

I had a 97 V6 2wd 4runner, an 03 4cyl Tacoma 4x4 and now an 08 4x4 4runner and the newest one has the best cruise control. The old 4runner and the taco both down shifted and ran at about 3500 rpm on the slightest of inclines. They would both wake up my wife if we were on a trip. It seemed like there was a little lag between the downshift and this sudden awful noise lol.

 

Change of subject a little but it's about cruise control on my '16 Taco OR. While at cruise speed of 75 (or any speed for that matter) I want to accelerate to pass. Depressing the gas pedal does not produce a throttle response to increase the speed until pressing it down a lot. Anybody else have this problem? Or is it not a problem? Never had this issue on operation of cruise on other vehicles.

 

'16s have power problems at all speeds lol

I imagine most cars do that at higher gears. That's why when you get a sports car you go with a manual.

 

Does it do the same thing with the cruse off?

 

Drove a friends big diesel Ford with a 6 spd auto it does the same thing every one is complaining about. First it drops lockup then changes to 5th.

 

I noticed something kind of like this with my '14. I've always used cruise that way, where maybe I'm rolling down the interstate, slowly passing somebody and decide I want to do it quicker. I'll leave the cruise set and just press the gas pedal, then once I don't need the extra speed just lift off the gas and let it coast back down.

So some time shortly after I got my Taco, I had cruise set at maybe 70. I needed to pass somebody (two-lane) and left the cruise on. Accelerated up to maybe high 70s, got around the car I was passing and let off. The truck immediately shifted itself down to pull the speed back down to what the cruise was set. I wanted to slow down slowly as I pulled in front of the other car, instead I had to stand on the gas again to complete the pass. Hasn't happened again because now if I'm going to speed up or slow down I unset the cruise first.

Perhaps cruise nowadays doesn't like being overridden?

 

Sounds like you caught the down shift just right and it had not had enough time to shift up again. For safety reasons you should be able to accelerate all you want with the cruse on.

 

Well you can, you just have to be prepared if you lift back off the gas for the truck to try to take you back down to the speed the cruise is set to as quickly as it can. The only difference I found is that if you want to coast back down to your desired speed and not have the truck engine-break you down to it, shut off the cruise.

And to waydago's point, I think I do maybe notice that it takes a little more of a push on the gas pedal to make it accelerate off its cruise speed than it would if cruise was off. I think I'm going to experiment with that next time I'm on the highway.

 

So far the biggest problem I see is the way the trans behaves not the cruse control. I drive a 6 spd. the cruse is spot on I click it down it drops 1 MPH I click it up it gains 1 MPH (verified with GPS) it never varies over 2 MPH no matter what, hills flat land it just stays there. I have not driven a auto Tacoma but have driven an auto Ford it kicks down the lockup disconnects just like the Tacoma apparently, than resumes to the set speed. If the trans is holding a lower gear for any length of time it maybe an ideal to have some one look at it that it should not do.

 

It has much to do the transmission the more gears the computer has to play with the smoother it will take hills and such. An Audi or Lexus or similar car is going to have 7 or 8 gears to choose from. In addition they have a much better power to weight ratio than a Tacoma. Thus they'll maintain the set speed much better. In addition on a luxury car the cruise is far more advanced and precise and probably can use brakes too heck they have radars to sense slower moving objects and will alert then apply brakes.

In my taco I don't see a big jump while in cruise unless I am going up or down a good sized hill like a 3 or 4% grade otherwise it stays within 2 MPH.

 

I've got the 06 xrunner with the 4.0 and 6 speed manual and my speed doesn't change at all with the cruise on going up steep hills in Mississippi Vallies going 65-90 on the interstate. Check your vaccum lines for a leak. I had to pick up my finance's mother's car from the dealership (2014 venza) didn't have an issue with cruise on the hills in it either. I must say the V6 in that venza was niiicceeeee

 

None of us with manual transmissions have cruise control issues, strictly an automatic problem.

 

+1, cruise sucks because truck is under powered. I only use on flat ground

 

It's got all the power needed it's an automatic it down shifts go drive a full size they do the same thing because of the tall O/D gearing and lockup. If lack of power was the case the manual trans would have to be down shifted to climb any hills. And those of you that don't have a manual when you push the clutch in to shift it tuns off the cruse.

 

Cruise is fine for me, except when towing. When the tacoma wants to accelerate it JUMPS on the accelerator, instead of easing into the gas. It's so bad I don't even use it, which is kind of painful on long haul drives.