Does cruise control save gas?
Short answer: yes, usually 7–14% on the highway. Here's the full picture.
Yes, cruise control saves gas
Studies show cruise control improves fuel economy by 7–14% on flat highways by maintaining a constant speed. The savings come from eliminating the small speed fluctuations that happen when you control the throttle manually — even experienced drivers speed up and slow down more than they realize.
How cruise control saves fuel
Your engine uses the most fuel during acceleration. When you drive manually, your speed naturally drifts — you slow down a bit going uphill, speed up going down, and constantly make small throttle adjustments. Each acceleration burns extra fuel.
Cruise control holds a steady speed, which means fewer acceleration events. At highway speeds, this adds up fast. A Natural Resources Canada study found that varying speed between 47 and 53 mph every 18 seconds increased fuel consumption by 20% compared to holding a steady 50 mph.
When cruise control helps the most
- 🛣️ Flat highways. This is where cruise control shines. Long, flat stretches at steady speed are the ideal use case.
- 🕐 Long drives. The longer the trip, the more the savings add up. On a 500-mile road trip, you could save 2–3 gallons of gas.
- 🚗 Light traffic. When you can maintain speed without constantly disengaging, cruise control works best.
When cruise control doesn't help (or hurts)
- ⛰️ Hilly terrain. On steep hills, cruise control aggressively accelerates to maintain speed going uphill, burning more fuel than a human driver who'd ease off the gas and lose a few mph. On very hilly roads, manual driving can be 5–10% more efficient.
- 🚦 City driving. Frequent stops make cruise control impractical and pointless. Don't use it in traffic.
- 🌧️ Wet or icy roads. Beyond fuel savings, cruise control is dangerous on slippery surfaces because it can cause wheelspin.
Adaptive cruise control vs regular cruise control
Modern adaptive cruise control (ACC) adjusts speed based on the car ahead. This is more convenient but may be slightly less fuel-efficient than regular cruise control because it accelerates and decelerates more often to maintain following distance. However, it's still better than manual driving in most highway situations.
How much money does cruise control actually save?
Let's put some real numbers on it:
Average American drives about 13,500 miles/year, with roughly half on highways.
At 28 MPG and $3.50/gallon, highway fuel costs about $844/year.
A 10% improvement from cruise control saves roughly $84/year.
Not life-changing, but it's free money — all you have to do is press a button. Use our MPG calculator to track your actual improvement.
Other easy ways to save gas
- ✓ Slow down. Fuel economy drops sharply above 50 mph. Driving 60 instead of 70 can save 10–15%.
- ✓ Check tire pressure monthly. Under-inflated tires cost 0.2% per 1 PSI drop.
- ✓ Accelerate gently. Pretend there's an egg between your foot and the gas pedal.
- ✓ Coast to red lights. Lift your foot early instead of braking late.
Want to see how much your driving habits cost? Try our commute cost calculator.