2009 Ford Flex Limited: Cruise Interface Still Terrible

Didn't the "cruise vs. audio on right or left" debate already happen? I always thought the cruise-left, audio-right was the proper way to do it.

I didn't know there is "the" universal layout for the cruise and audio.

The BMW stalk is on the left. :-P

and under what circumstances do you have to cancel the cruise control? well... mostly because there is traffic slowing down in front of you, so what's wrong with hitting the brakes? don't need cancel button then...
and this guy is an engineering editor? ok... I got it. He's on this list with "the mechanic".

I like the set up in Toyotas the best. Little stalk on the right, push in for on/off, Down to set, pull to cancel, Up to resume. While on, up to accelerate and down to decelerate. Its been this way for years. I remember my parents 92 Previa having the exact same stalk with the same labels as in my 04 Camry.

No, the cruise should be on the left, the audio on the right (closer to the radio). Those are some daft buttons though.

I have a cancel on my G8, but I always just tap the brakes to let the traffic behind me know I'm slowing down. How is this a bad thing?

Much ado about nothing?

It has been 4 years and 56k miles on my current ride (BMW), and I still have not used the cruise control function. I also can't remember the last time I used the function on my other cars (Honda, Miata).

Thanks for proving something I suspected for years. You're judging cars based on how much like a bmw it is. If bmw declared darkness the new standard, I suspect that you would complain about how the radio and gauge lights distract you from your driving experience! Good grief!

I've yet to drive a new BMW, but my pick of the cruise control systems I've used is the Hyundai/Kia toggle on the steering wheel. You don't have to look or take your hands off the wheel -- it's right where your thumb is.

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6700/92482579.jpg

fuhteng:
You want to cancel cruise without lighting up the brake lights when the radar detector starts beep beep beeping.

I don't like the lack of a cancel button either. If my exit is coming up I hit it to coast down a bit, or if I'm coming up on a car in the right lane, but the left lane is blocked, I'll cancel to coast there as well. If you plan ahead a cancel button is quite helpful.

I will say that do disengage the CC in a Ford, my experience has been that you barely need to brush the brake pedal.

If the BMW stalk is anything like the Mercedes stalk I'm all for it. At first I hated the cruise control stalk on my 300e, but once you learn how to use it everything else is too complicated and buttony. And before the ergo cops chime in and say that something good you can just start using and don't have to "learn", I agree with you, if you're designing toys for five year olds or Toyotas for the blue hair crowd.

"Fourth--at a fundamental level, having to turn on the cruise before setting it is silly. I have to turn it on before I turn it on? Seriously? And it defaults to 'off' every time you turn the Flex off. We have nobody but overly paranoid lawyers to thank for that."

It's overly paranoid auto manufacturers that we have to thank for the redundant toggling - they're the ones afraid of being hit with a lawsuit. The lawyers only translate this paranoia into tangible annoyances by allowing the consumer to blame his/her inability to operate his/her own vehicle somehow on the manufacturer.

P.S.: Taking a bath while operating a toaster oven could have unintended consequences.

OK, let's go over this Cancel thing one more time:

-The point of Cruise is that you can control the throttle with your hands and let your foot rest. Making you touch the brakes to close the throttle doesn't accomplish that.

-Just about everyone else DOES have a cancel button.

-No, you don't necessarily want to slow down enough to press the brakes if you know enough in advance. That wastes gas for you and the drivers behind you. And it leads to the Slinky effect that creates jams. Plus, that's often a cue for the moron behind you that you've passed ten times already because they don't use cruise and can't keep a constant speed to try to come around again.

-Yes, some Fords only require a very light touch to cancel the cruise. That's because they use a dreadful switch design. It rides on the master cylinder push rod. It often fails under the strain of the forces of hard braking that it's directly subjected to and sometimes the wires going to it break because they're constantly moved during braking. I do not know if the Flex still uses that design or not though.

And I agree: the little dimple on the RESUME and SET- buttons simply aren't enough tactile indication of which button is which.

"Fourth--at a fundamental level, having to turn on the cruise before setting it is silly. I have to turn it on before I turn it on? Seriously? And it defaults to 'off' every time you turn the Flex off. We have nobody but overly paranoid lawyers to thank for that."

It's overly paranoid auto manufacturers that we have to thank for the redundant toggling - they're the ones afraid of being hit with a lawsuit. The lawyers only translate this paranoia into tangible annoyances by allowing the consumer to blame his/her inability to operate his/her own vehicle somehow on the manufacturer.

P.S.: Taking a bath while operating a toaster oven could have unintended consequences.

Toyotas have the best cruise control stalks, no buttons, just slide/pull it around to set cruise/cancel/resume.

"First--still no 'cancel' button. Mystifying. Tapping the brakes is a terrible way to accomplish this. Ever wonder how traffic forms?"

From lazy people using cruise control set 1 mph fast than the person in the next lane.

Really?

We have a Fusion, G35 and FX35 (both of which are equipped with adaptive cruise control). All three products require you to turn on the cruise, and with adaptive cruise control you have to take it a step further adjusting the vehicle distance in front of you. Neither interface is superior, but once you are used to them operation comes as second nature.

So what if it doesn't have a cancel feature, hit the off button. Is it really that complicated? People act as if it is rocket science.

The system could use a 'cruise on' light though.

I understand your gripe, but to me it's all about getting used to the vehicle you are driving! Maybe it's because I learned how to drive on Fords and only have owned Fords, but I don't have a problem with the cruise. I'm used to not having a cancel button, I just tap my brakes, and hmm, never caused traffic to backup. To be honest, whenever I've driven a vehicle with a cancel, I still just switch it off or use the brakes. Well of course, I don't live in sunny California, but rust-belt Ohio, where our traffic forms as a result of construction.

And for which side cruise should be on, left is fine with me. Again, it's all about getting used to the vehicle you're driving. I am used to being put into an unfamiliar vehicle literally 5 minutes before I have to drive it due to my occupation, and the vehicles I drive have about 20 more buttons and switches than a car.

"-The point of Cruise is that you can control the throttle with your hands and let your foot rest. Making you touch the brakes to close the throttle doesn't accomplish that." Do0472

Wow, I hope this person isn't the same guy as the so called Engineering Editor who wrote this article (and of course, they're the same guy).
The purpose of the cruise control is the ability to set a car cruising at a constant speed using this device named the cruise control. It's not to replace your foot to control the trottle. And one of the reason why traffic forms is because people messing with cruise control in traffic? Let's get real, people do not use cruise control when there is too much traffic.

I don't think any of these complaints hold water, except for perhaps the complaint about the flat and similar-looking buttons, and I would classify that as extremely minor. Basically as people above have said:

1) Cruise control is not a replacement for your right foot, it is to be used for constant speed use on long, light traffic roads

2) Just get used to how your cruise control works.

Simple. Sometimes you guys will bicker about the smallest things and it really does get silly.

In my Subaru, cancelling the cruise is easy, pull paddle foward or tap the brakes or shift into neutral. Maybe you can cancel Ford's cruise by shifting into neutral, thus not having to illuminate the brake lights.

I think it's worth noting that the BMW stalk you are referencing is actually a blatanat rip-off of the Mercedes cruise control stalk that has been used since the late '70's. I still feel like the Benz stalk is the best cruies-control implementation on the planet. It is entirely tactile and is operated without ever taking your hand from the wheel's rim.

"Sixth--they're on the wrong side of the steering wheel. The correct layout if you must have buttons is audio on the left; cruise on the right."

I like it more when the cruise control is on a stalk like Lexus or Mercedes more.

I agree stalks are easier to use.
They're just unsightly in photos.

Having driven both steering wheel mounted and stalk mounted now, I would take the stalk.

The stalk uses your extra free fingers, whereas the steering wheel mounted uses your steering wheel fingers. More dangerous.

The BMW stalk is actually fun to use. You can click off 1 or 5 mph increments or hold it to get constant acceleration or up to 20% braking force, all with your hands on the wheel.

Ford has been using their design since at least the early 80's. Cruise control designs have moved on but Ford hasn't.

To those that think that touching the brakes to disable your cruise is "no big deal", thank you for contributing to our nation's road congestion. Excessive use of the brakes (even simple flash of the lights will often cause drivers behind to react even if there's no need to) is usually the cause of the stop-and-go "slinky effect". I use my brakes as sparingly as possible on the freeway unless I need to considerably slow down.

So you tap your brakes and 1/2 mile back I come to a dead stop. Thanks a lot.

so you would use crusie control in stop-and-go traffic?? brilliant!

@ Bimmerjay: Contributing to major congestion? By utilizing cruise control on the open road? I mean after all that should be the only time you utilize it right?

And so what if a person taps their brakes for a second, if you have a safe gap in front of you there should be no reason for you to react.

I'm going to agree that if traffic is heavy enough to have a problem caused by some break lights, ie rush hour traffic, you should not be using cruise control. CC is for long, open stretches of highway.

I'm going to agree with the poster above who showed this link:

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6700/92482579.jpg

I just picked up a new KIA Soul and it has this set up, and its easy to use, well laid out and the tactile feel of the buttons is top notch. I also like having this on the steering wheel, rather then a stalk.

Like someone said, half of these arguments are silly because you shouldn't be using cruise control in traffic (unless maybe its adaptive. . . maybe). Plus, as a seasoned driver, you should know that there are people who use there brakes for everything any way. because they tap their brakes for a second doesn't mean you have to, just get off your gas.

"The BMW stalk is actually fun to use. You can click off 1 or 5 mph increments or hold it to get constant acceleration or up to 20% braking force, all with your hands on the wheel." - you can accelerate like that with the "+" button and slow down with the "-" button on the ford wheel too.

Apologies for the dual-post above. My browser periodically hates me.

"Plus, as a seasoned driver, you should know that there are people who use there brakes for everything any way. because they tap their brakes for a second doesn't mean you have to, just get off your gas."

Exactly - that's what the "cancel" button does. The Chryslers I've owned also have a "coast" button. That eliminates having to reset the speed if you cancel.

if you hit the "off" button the car is essentially coasting. Hitting "on" turns the cruise control back on and hitting "resume" brings the car back to the last speed that you had set.

For the people out there who think tapping brakes is no big deal should take a look at a British study released about two years ago. It found that one driver tapping his brakes unnecessarily for a half second can cause an instant 2-mile backup because of people not paying attention and slamming on their brakes in response. The worst part is, traffic density wasn't even a factor. This held true for very light traffic conditions as well rush hour. The simple truth is that it is far to EASY to get a lisence in this country and people are driving who just aren't fit to do it.

Also, Distronic Plus works exceptionally well in moderate stop-and-go traffic (I never try it in the really dense stuff). With as much highway driving as I do, I try to use cruise whenever possible.

I agree 100% that is it too easy to get a license. Some people seem to have very little interest in driving or their cars in general, like not knowing how things work inside the cars and doing dumb things on the road.

+++mercedesfan

Traffic that isn't too heavy to use cruise in quickly becomes that way when people who are merely coasting start tapping their brakes for nothing. And there's no denying whatsoever that even the lightest of taps pushes at least SOME brake fluid into the calipers, slowing the vehicle when it need not be. Just about anything you read on save fuel says to not use the brakes if you don't have to. You're losing momentum you didn't need to and will have to make up later with the gas pedal.

And let's not forget: just about everyone else does have a cancel button. As far as a coast button, it needs to be noted Ford's SET- does the same thing.

And I've owned Chrysler products with and without the Cancel (I think they were one of the first with it if not the first) and for those of you out there who've never had it, maybe you should experience it before you say you don't miss it. It's also great for when you're on a rural highway and come into a speed zone. You can coast down to the posted speed and then speed back up once you're past it without ever inducing any wear on the brakes or needlessly activating the brake lights, which by the way don't have an unlimited life.

wow, can't believe there're quite some people here think that hitting the brakes for just "canceling the cruise control" is OK, that explains why there're so many of these idiots on the road

My cruise control doesn't have a cancel button in my VW, I just turn it off if I need to cancel it and then turn it back on if I need it again. It's a total non-issue.

@gdmstrb,

"And so what if a person taps their brakes for a second, if you have a safe gap in front of you there should be no reason for you to react."

That's the problem - people still react EVEN if there's a safe gap at the mere display of your brake lights. That's why unless you actually need to substantially slowing down, you should keep your feet off the brakes whenever possible. Yes, it does lead to congestion that could be completely avoided as cited in the British study and also by another done a few years back by the University of Michigan transportation department.

Like another poster said, it's astounding that people think tapping their brakes on the freeway is "no big deal". Sometimes thinking you're doing the right thing (indicating you're slowing down slightly) is exactly the wrong thing.

@broq3_5,

"you can accelerate like that with the "+" button and slow down with the "-" button on the ford wheel too."

Ford's system is not like BMW's. Ford's works in 1 mph increments (tap) or constant accel/decel (hold). It cannot apply the brakes, so the decel function will only release the throttle - the standard BMW system will apply increasing amounts of brake pressure as needed all the way down to 30 mph, and it also compensates for curves. The BMW system also allows for 5 mph increments by clicking the stalk past the 1 mph detent. In the IP the center screen briefly shows your programmed speed and a bug pops up on the speedometer.

@alman08,

"so you would use crusie[sic] control in stop-and-go traffic?? brilliant!"

No one said anything about stop and go traffic. However, the luxury makes almost all now have Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go... which, guess what, is for stop and go traffic! Believe it or not it can control the car more precisely than you and if more people had and used this, it would actually completely eliminate some types of congestion (the U of M study says only 20% use is needed).

Outside of that, I do use my non-active ("dynamic") cruise sometimes in moderate traffic. Why? It's dynamic and it's designed to be used exactly as such. It offers real braking and acceleration at the touch of a stalk - it's not a throttle-only system so I have complete control at my fingertips.

No cancel on cruise?

I hope Alan Mulally, the aviation expert and Ford's head guy, rip someone a new one for this ergonomic fail. I hate it when people taps their brakes gratuitously. I don't know how much they want to slow down so I have to slow down more than I really have to. Don't scream fire when someone lit a match.

The best news is that this is yet another teapot tempest, and one pertaining to the manufacturer's "vision" for a feature rather than anything inherently flawed about the Flex itself.

The lack of a cruise cancel button is trivial at best and pales in comparison to the apparent need for double-action activation. While some do it better than others and Mercedes and Toyota are probably the best, this is hardly something that's Ford-specific and not overcome with familiarity.

FWIW, GM's cruise controls are on the left side of the wheel too.