The RAC has warned drivers across the UK about a specific car feature that could destroy fuel economy. As motorists look ahead to winter with the cost of living on the rise, the last thing they need is to spend money on gasoline and diesel.
The latest RAC Fuel Watch indicates that motorists will have to pay 162.32 pence per liter for unleaded petrol and 180.45 pence per liter for diesel on average.
With that in mind, experts urged drivers to use cruise control the right way.
Cruise control is a common feature of most modern automobiles and can greatly help increase the vehicle’s fuel economy.
However, drivers are cautioned that cruise control will only contribute to fuel efficiency when driving on a constant flat surface.
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The technology will keep the power on for longer as you can’t see the grade change up front, which can lead to “worse fuel economy”, the RAC claims.
The most fuel-efficient roads in the country aren’t the quiet two-lane suburban highways or 20-mph urban streets, they’re the freeways.
The RAC cautioned: “Cruise control only helps save fuel when driving on a constant flat surface, so it’s generally best reserved for highway driving.
“One of the keys to saving fuel is driving at a constant speed, cruise control can do this effectively on flat surfaces, making your drive as fuel efficient as possible by negating unnecessary acceleration.
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“However, if you were to use your cruise control regularly, not on flat roads, you would encounter problems that would increase your fuel consumption.
“This is because your cruise control would be slower to react to changes in grade, i.e. reaching the top of a hill, at which point you would normally take your foot off the accelerator to maintain a more consistent speed when driving. descending, your cruise control will keep the power on for a little longer, since you won’t be able to see the gradient change in front of you.
“Driving this way regularly would lead to worse fuel consumption.”
He added: “Interestingly, the most fuel efficient highways in the country are not quiet dual carriageways or 20mph urban streets, they are expressways.
“This is where you can leave the car in top gear and cruise smoothly, using minimal fuel.”
Nicholas Zapolski, Founder of choose my carechoed the RAC’s comments, adding: “At ChooseMyCar, we believe that money should never get in the way of driving, whether it’s being able to buy a car or simply paying for gas to run it.
“With the cost of living continuing to rise, our research confirms that the expense of driving will be another financial strain for many of us across the country.
“For families looking to upgrade to a more fuel-efficient car, we recommend prioritizing certain car specs like tank capacity, average MPG and fuel cost per mile.
“Brands like Renault, Toyota and Hyundai are great producers of economy cars that are not only family favorites, but also great for mileage and low cost of operation.”
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