Cruise control

[NZTiguan]

My 626's and 323's downshifted.

Sorry but I think you'll find they didn't, adaptive cruise is a VERY recent addition (mainly in the last year) to top end European vehicles. I have owned a 323 and a 626 and they certainly did NOT have adaptive cruise and to the best of my knowledge (I'm happy to be corrected on this) still don't. As far as I'm aware the only "normal" vehicles to come out of Japan with this are the very latest top-end Lexus models. I know of no Ford or GM product that has it either.

Cheers

[suparockin]

I've owned a Mazda 6, Saab 93, Mazda Astina and a dozen other cars which did not have adaptive cruise control.

[logger]

You're quite right that there are very very few "adaptive" cruise controls out there yet...

Bit of confusion creeping in here. The key feature of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is radar based distance control, providing separation from the vehicle ahead. It is far more sophisticated and expensive system, that by its nature also provides overspeed control as a side effect of its abilty to brake the vehicle.

OP is frustrated by the basic system not holding speed when going down a hill. When you understand that the basic system only has access to the accelerator and not the brakes, it is easier to appreciate how it can overspeed.

My Golf 6 CRZ CNTRL does an excellent job holding speed almost to the km going up hill, all the while holding tall gears. But my Automatic Toyota Kluger struggles even after it has made several aggressive down shifts. I wish it would downshift less, accept the speed loss and keep everything nice and smooth. You could say this is a design fault. But I am happy to accept that the Toyotas underspeed on the way up and both the VW and Toyota's overspeed on the way down are simply a limitations of the respective systems. I prefer the VW system though.

[NZTiguan]

You are "technically" correct and I'm sorry I don't know the "official" name of the modified cruise that will downshift if required to slow the car but there is a system out there now that does, and I understand that VW has it in some new high-end models. It is not the "ACC" you're talking about which is also out there and also available in some VWs (amongst others).

Cheers

[Swallowtail]

As logger says, some confusion here...

Traditional Cruise control only has access to the accelerator, not the brakes.

Speed control like most interstate trucks have does both and will try and maintain a given speed both up hills and down hills.

Hill descent assistance (like my R36 has, not the 4WD down rocky mountain slopes type) will use the gearbox to downshift to attempt to keep the speed at the specified cruise control setting going down hills, but does not access the brakes, and is not related to ACC.

ACC is a whole world more clever, with the radar function in addition to speed control.

[NZTiguan]

Swallowtail's got it in one. I would add though that I have tried slipping the Tig into tiptronic and dropping down a gear (being careful NOT to touch the brakes) and it does increase the engine braking to help maintain speed, not perfect but as close as you can get with the current cruise control. Would have to say, with the diesel it needs a pretty steep hill before she runs away. My old Kia Sorento effectively put itself in "neutral" down hill and just "took off" unless you were on the brakes the whole time and the the Tiguan's transmission is much smarter than that !!

Cheers

[clip]

I still like my Tiguan, but VW has just dropped a notch in my opinion.

yeh me too. I still like mine, but having reflectors and not lights in the bottom of doors is got to be worth 2 notches.

[Jase]

That's a shame the Tig doesn't automatically downshift. FYI my Jetta does. Thought the Tig would be similiar. What about in a similiar situation without cruise control & using constant pressure on the brakes...does the Tig sense the need to drop down a gear or two? Again, Jet will do that as well.

[mickofoz]

The Tig will do that. Came down a long sloping hill the other day and the longer and harder I breaked, the more gears it down shifted.

[NZTiguan]

That's a shame the Tig doesn't automatically downshift. FYI my Jetta does. Thought the Tig would be similiar. What about in a similiar situation without cruise control & using constant pressure on the brakes...does the Tig sense the need to drop down a gear or two? Again, Jet will do that as well.

I'm sorry but I find it hard to believe that your Jetta changes down to slow the car downhill with CRUISE ON. Try it and I think you'll find you're mistaken, there are VERY few cars that do and as far as I'm aware there are NO VWs yet that do !! Even the 7 speed DSG box doesn't do it as far as I'm aware and it's the "latest and greatest".