I'm a newbie and have done a search and didn't find any threads about this.. but if I missed one then please don't flame me

This may only be applicable to the CVTs... but I'm not sure...

For the first 300 or so miles I found that my cruise control gave me better gas mileage than I could get manually... cruising at 50mph getting around 50-60mpg, leaning closer to 50. I was lucky to cruise getting 40mpg.

Now as I get "better" at some of the techniques discussed here, I am able to consistantly keep it closer to 60mpg during a 50mph cruise.

So I assume a "good" Hybrid driver can get better mileage than cruise... but how much better... and is it worth staring at the gauge the entire time and worrying about it?

I mean, it seems like the car's computer controlling the speed would be better in the long run, plus it seems like it would be safer and a little more enjoyable driving without constantly staring at the gauge?

I get better MPG with the cruise off. The reason for me is that I can allow the car to slow down on uphills and re-accellerate on downhills without wasting gas trying to maintain speed on uphills. That's where I get the most gain. I have not noticed much difference between using cruise or not on the flats.

I have found that if I just keep my foot on the accelerator frozen in one spot then I get the best mpg - sort of a crude version of cruise. If I hold it still on uphills there's no extra gas to maintain speed so the car slows on the way up, then accelerates on the way down, then levels off on the flats. Works pretty well for me. Now that I started this technique I am doing about 3mpg better than before.

Yeah, i get way better than crusie can offer, for the same reasons mentioned by zimbop. I can predict what is going to happen (to some degree)... while cruise cannot.

How about a good cruise driver? For example, when i reach a hill, I hit cancel so the car slows down. When I reach the top I hit set. Then on the decline, I tap the accel button so it gradually goes back to its speed. With a tailwind I average 60mpg doing around 60 on the freeway (which is about average during rush hour)
On the way home, though, going east into the wind, the average is much lower - 52 mpg.

I'd never do as well in cruise control.
I have a long commute and the challenge eliminates the boredom, among other things.

Efficient drivers do it better.
1003 miles a tank personal record. 74MPG calculated. HCH1 CVT

My wife gets better mpg w/ CC on. Because otherwise she's speeding up, then slowing, then speeding up, etc. The large swings kill FE, especially when the high end is >70mph. So for her, keeping CC on set to 65 improves on what she was getting.

I drive without CC, but keep speed/power very constant, looking to drive with the load, draft, neutral coast, etc. So I get better mileage without it.

If you tend to drive with a lot of speed swings at the high end, CC will be an improvement. But if you drive 'in synch' with what your vehicle wants to do (most of the techniques here), CC will not be as good as that.

Speaking for the manual tranny HCH, cruise in most cases is not the best way to go. But until a few days ago, I thought cruise was better, too. It's definitely not, but only because there are other methods that use the fuel more efficiently.

I just recently learned a new driving method which is helping me Maximize MPG in my manual tranny HCH, and I'd like to pass it on here, although many of the hypermilers on this site know about it already. I wish I had figured this out 14 months ago, when I first bought my Hybrid !!!

It works thus far only on city streets, have not been on the highway at faster speeds yet. And I have only tested it on a manual tranny Civic Hybrid, with the A/C off, so I have no claims that it works effectively on other Honda or Toyota or Ford hybrid vehicles.

The method really has two parts:

1. Accelerating SLOWER after stops, and thus taking only slightly longer to reach cruising speed.

2. Once you achieve the speed you want to travel, or even 5 miles per hour faster than the speed you want, release pressure on the gas pedal slightly, but still keep it ALMOST in the same area. What you are trying to get to is actually SLOWING DOWN but at a VERY VERY miniscule rate of deceleration. This allows the car to get into "lean burn" mode and you will see the realtime mpg meter jump up into the 80-100 MPG range almost immediately. Continue with the very very very slight deceleration, just a slight touch on the pedal, and the realtime MPG meter will stay up in that 60-100 MPG area. You will eventually (over a few blocks or a mile or two) slow down 5-10 MPH, but this whole time, you will be achieving at least 60 MPG. Once you feel like you have slowed as much as traffic will safely allow you to, either downshift to 4th gear and accelerate casually back up to the speed you started with, your preferred cruising speed. Or, if traffic allows it, accelerate a little slower while in 5th gear to get back to the desired cruising speed. Once there, repeat the process.

The very very slow deceleration in conjunction with the slower acceleration up to cruising speed will allow you to achieve max MPG and will drive your numbers up.

On my current tank, I was at 48.4 MPG and 360 miles on Trip A. I cleared Trip A and now, after two days of using this method, I am at 62.8 MPG after 57 miles.

I am completely sold on this method, and I hope and expect to maintain tanks in the "at least" 55 MPG range from this point on, if I can stay off the freeways !!!

Simple answer;

If you are paying 100% attention to the way you drive, monitoring MPG, etc., then manual control is best.

If you are relaxed, listening to the radio, talking on the phone, nagging to your children, or any ather activity which won't let you focus 100% on your driving, then cruise is better.

yeah. what he said. better than how I said it.

I like using CC.
It keeps my speed constant which is good for MPG.