Cruise Control: Is it just me or....?

[mav75]

I have a long commute to work, so I frequently use cruise control to try to save gas. For the most part, it's fine, but it feels like any time I go down an incline the engine brakes to regulate the speed. I've never noticed this on any other Toyota I've ever driven up until now. Is this happening to anyone else? It's so annoying to me that I intentionally disengage cruise control when I see hills coming up.

 

[Pirate VI]

yea that happens on mine too. I guess it is so the car keeps the same speed going uphill or dowhill or flat. i never used cc until this car so i just assumed thats how they all worked

 

[LSUMBA]

This same thing happened in both my 1992 Camry and my current 1997 4Runner. It is more pronounced in the 4Runner than it was in the Camry, but I assume that has more to do with it being a truck versus a car.

Honestly, I think it is a good system. I have several friends that are cops & they tell me that the #1 excuse they get on highway speeding stops are "I had the cruise control set at the speed limit". While that is not true most of the time, they tell me that some cars (many US domestic vehicles) do not have braking systems to keep the cars in line with the cruise control setting. This causes them to speed up when going uphill to catch up to the set speed, but when going downhill, it can send the car as much as 10-15 MPH over the setting.

 

[GYoter]

I have noticed that somewhat on mine as well. I think it is also emphasized by the fact that everyone else on the road accelerates a good amount on a downgrade so they start passing you-making it seem like you are slowing down even more.

 

[gaslight]

I don't notice it in the 4Runner but I did notice a lot in a 97 Camry.

 

[srpage]

I like the feature. I have a 2005 Nissan Xterra that does the exact same thing.

I actually like using the cruise control when driving on some highway mountain passes since it actually will hold the speed down better going on downgrades since it downshifts the transmission.

 

[00328]

What I find more noticeable is the acceleration when going up a hill or when trying to get back up to speed. It's like someone floored the gas pedal, it's very abrupt. The first time I had the cruise set and it accelerated to get up to speed, it was like whoa, WTF.
Not smooth at all like other vehicles I've had.