Dear Tom and Ray:

A dumb question from a not-so-dumb person! Am I doing any harm to my cruise- control system by using cruise control for short distances of less than a mile in city driving? -- Adell

Tom: This isn't really a mechanical issue, Adell. It's a safety issue.

Ray: I agree. You won't do any harm to the car or the cruise control by using it in city driving. The cruise control couldn't care less.

Tom: The question is whether you can drive safely while you do so. The cruise control was really designed for highways and sparsely trafficked open roads, where you presumably would be going the same speed for a long period of time without the fear of bumping into anybody else.

Ray: In the city, it's much more likely that you're going to have to change speeds suddenly because of traffic, pedestrians, red lights or errant hot-dog vendors. And while it's true that you can turn off the cruise control by simply stepping on the brake, that leaves an extra second or two during which the car is not decelerating (which it would be under normal conditions if you simply took your foot off the gas). And that extra second could make a difference in a congested area.

Tom: So I'd strongly urge you not to use the cruise control in the city, Adell. Besides, think of all that extra toe exercise you could be getting.

Don't get stuck with a lemon. Be an informed shopper. Read Tom and Ray's guide "How to Buy a Great Used Car: Secrets Only Your Mechanic Knows." To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1999 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Back to the July 1999 index