The thing I like about cruise control is that while on the interstate I can set it and don't have to fret that my heavy foot might inadvertently get me into speeding-ticket territory. And a lot of drivers like to set their cruise speed just under what they think won't cause the highway patrol to pick them out of the crowd.
With some speedos and cruise systems, it's a guessing game and you have to set the speed at some approximation of the intended target. But cruise systems like the one in the 2010 Lincoln MKT allow precisely setting a speed in digits.
And the best systems, like those in the MKT and in some BMWs, also allow adjusting the speed in single-digit increments at the touch of a button or flick of a steering-wheel stalk. This is much better than guessing whether you're cruising at, say, 74 or 75 mph, which could be the difference between an expensive speeding ticket.
And try explaining that subtle difference to a highway patrol officer on the side of the road.
By 1487
on May 25, 2010
11:08 AM
my car has accel and decel buttons that allow you to increase or decrease speed by 1mph with each push. I think every GM car with cruise has this. I thought it was included on almost any car with cruise these days.
By yellowbal
on May 25, 2010
04:12 PM
I wish I could paint my car stealth fighter black. Then I would only been seen if I wanted to be seen. The highway patrols' radars would be useless and they wouldn't be able to sight me in for LIDAR.
By estreka
on May 25, 2010
06:11 PM
My speedo is digital so I can precisely gauge my speed (as far as one can by relying on a speedo).
By yankeez
on May 26, 2010
06:56 AM
Well, I could have done the same thing in my mother's 1986 Chrysler LeBaron that had a digital dash... why is this being treated like some new phenomenon?
By brn
on May 26, 2010
07:46 AM
I'm not sure it makes any difference to me one way or the other, but I do wonder why this isn't a lot more common.
By ulf187
on May 26, 2010
09:29 AM
I had this in my Passat and in my Audi...
By dougnewcomb
on May 26, 2010
11:51 AM
@brn: My point exactly; I wonder why I don't see this on more cars I test. And, yes, I RTFM.
By lmbvette
on May 27, 2010
12:20 PM
My CTS-V allows for incremental speeds exactly like you show in the Lincoln. Very handy for going 9 or 14 above (depending on the street).
By sixspeedg
on May 27, 2010
03:33 PM
I've also had this same functionality on I believe every single one of the last 10 or more cars I've owned (model year 1991 to present). I'm not sure why Doug is acting like this is something new. Digital speedos and cruise control have been around for decades with plenty of overlap, and it's not like a digital speedo is somehow more accurate than analog. My MINI has both and they always agree (shocking as that might be). And what's to say that the speedo, digital or otherwise is calibrated accurately enough to not have you at 64 and the radar gun puts you at 65. I think this story is about a whole lot of nothing, sorry.
By dougnewcomb
on June 1, 2010
07:26 AM
@sixspeedg: I keep looking for the part of the post where I say this is new ... and can't find it. Just saying what I find convenient in a car, and noticing that most cars I test don't have the feature. But good point about speedo accuracy.