Retrofit front park assist?

[clive marshall]

Yep. Use the cruise contol to accelerate and decellerate instead of the acellerator and the cruise brakes for you on reducing the speed setting if reduced quickly. Every click up or down is 1mph and if you hold the lever up or down for a couple of seconds the increments are 5mph. It even puts on the brake lights as it reduces the speed! Marvelous. CLIVE

[juniperz]

Yep. Use the cruise contol to accelerate and decellerate instead of the acellerator and the cruise brakes for you on reducing the speed setting if reduced quickly. Every click up or down is 1mph and if you hold the lever up or down for a couple of seconds the increments are 5mph. It even puts on the brake lights as it reduces the speed! Marvelous. CLIVE

Sorry - I am familiar with the Audi Cruise control, it was your original suggestion that you achieved 60.1mpg because you ONLY used cruise to accelerate and decelerate that had puzzled me...

Personally, I hate the way it brakes for you going downhill. If I am on the motorway and get to the top of a hill, I want to be carried down the other side carrying all the momentum. Surely having the brakes applied is a waste of energy and very annoying for people behind you who panic then curse you for showing brake lights unnecessarily. My last two cars had Cruise, and I don't remember ever experiencing a sensation of braking going downhill.
But, hey, I am sure all that wasted energy is recovered by the 2010MY "Recuperatve braking"

[Bratty]

Sorry!, there is no fricking way driving with cruise control "activated" gives you optimum fuel economy. If you beleive that, or try and convince other people of that fact, then you need re-educating.

Dunk

[avant_adam]

I don't think that clive was suggesting that the best way to get good consumption was to use cruise, he just said that that was what he had done.

Cruise costs something like 10% on fuel because, unlike a person driving, it can't use the topology of the land and account for traffic to unnecessary avoid braking or accelleration. Cruise is a lazy way of ensuring that you stay at an efficient speed and make constant progress.

Seems a bit harsh blasting the guy for how he drove.


And another thing!!! Why did this thread about parking sensors get hi-jacked by a fuel economy debate.....

[ScottyUK]

Cruise could save you fuel if you're cruising along a road where the contours don't change that much. But I guess it's purely down to the road conditions.

[GolferPete]

Cruise costs something like 10% on fuel because, unlike a person driving, it can't use the topology of the land and account for traffic to unnecessary avoid braking or accelleration. Cruise is a lazy way of ensuring that you stay at an efficient speed and make constant progress.

And another thing!!! Why did this thread about parking sensors get hi-jacked by a fuel economy debate.....

I tend to disagree. My experience with cruise and fuel consumption is that using cruise returns much better than I could achieve with my right foot. Note that I am talking about the use of cruise control in the cruise not to acc/decelerate. 38-40mpg at 75 mph in my old BMW328 with cruise would be nearer 35mpg without cruise, imho.

About the thread creep, we agree there

[Bratty]

Have a look on the Kufatec website for retrofit PDC sensors etc. and as far as blasting and highjacking goes "i did not start it" (yes you did!) No I didn`t, (YES YOU DID!) NO, You invaded Poland!!!! There is also info regarding cruise retro-fit kits (info for Audi sales persons who might not realise that kufatec are the suppliers to Audi Germany when a retro installation is required, as seen by myself in a major Audi Franchise here in the Fatherland on the shelf along with the other roof rails etc.)


Dunk (and I am sticking with my statment regarding cruise/ecomomy as unless you live in a featureless barren FLAT!! wilderness then cruise cannot return better MPG. Unless you have parkinsons of course!) I await a retort from Troc who does in fact live in a featureless barren FLAT!! wilderness!

[troc]

unless you live in a featureless barren FLAT!! wilderness then cruise cannot return better MPG. Unless you have parkinsons of course!) I await a retort from Troc who does in fact live in a featureless barren FLAT!! wilderness!

Ah yes, the wonders of the Dutch polders. Shame the roads have so many cars, random 80KpH limits and traffic lights that cruise is totally pointless. When I drive to the UK via Belgium and France, I do pass through a whole heap of boring, flat, dullness - you can always tell the boring, flat, dull parts of Belgium because the post signs on the motorway telling you NOT to use cruise control.......

Bah. Then again, I've never worked out what to do with my right foot so I never switch the thing on!

PS It's not featureless - we have cows, windmills and the odd tree.