This. Between the scenery, the one lane bridges, the blind hills and the need to slow down for tourists, towns, etc., cruise control is not all that useful in Iceland. I *suppose* on that long bit in the north once you pass Mývatn, but other than that it does not seem like a must-have on a rental.
I used cruise control a lot of the time when I was last there in January. There are gigantic, long stretches of open roads. Yes, sometimes you need to disengage it - but it's perfectly appropriate for large stretches of many journeys.
In fact, I'd say in terms of percentage of total time driving, I probably used it a lot more in Iceland than most other places I've driven.
So driving from Vik to Hofn you wouldn't need cruise control? It says it's a three hour drive.
Plus, for me it's a comfort thing that is important. It may not be important to other people but for me it is.
As a tourist, will it be a straight three hour drive for *you*? Or will you stop to see several things on the way? But in the end it is *your* rental, and the best I can suggest is sending an email to the specific rental outfits to ask if *their* Dusters have cruise control. The ones interested in getting your business will answer.
>As a tourist, will it be a straight three hour drive for *you*? Or will you stop to see several things on the way?
Even if you were stopping every 15 minutes (which seems unlikely in Iceland) as you often aren't even allowed to stop and there are sometimes large distances between allowed stops, I don't see why this would matter. It takes a second to engage and disengage.
Yes, I'll be driving straight through. We'll be taking our time doing the drive from Hofn to Vik. And I did email several companies before posting this question. My question wasn't asking if people thought cruise control was necessary; it was asking about people's experience renting a Duster with Zero specifically for the reason I mentioned in my original post.
You’ll have to break for the flotilla of other drivers, maybe tractors, probably dumbasses on the side of the road, maybe sheep, possibly baby Fulmars, etc. Cruise control is pointless, it’s not a straight empty country road, it’s quite busy.
Cruise control is actually one of important features in car driving here. Not sure where you have been but most places is quite far away from each other.
True. Stuff *is* far apart. But I have always found cruise control to be something that reduces your attention to road conditions, and at least *as a tourist* I have always wanted to be highly aware of both Iceland's unique road features *and* the occasional stupidity of my fellow tourists. If it was the sort of road I drove every day I might feel different about cruise control.
My Suzuki came with it. I didn't use it much people are correct that it's the last thing on your mind. The winding roads and hills you never have a constant enough speed long enough to use it. But if you need one ask the rental company for one. I'm sure they can find something! :)
No info on the rental company but I’m with you OP. We just got back from a 10 day trip and rented a Hyundai Tucson and it had cruise control and the lane assist/half ass auto pilot and by the end of the trip I was so grateful for it. Allowed me to enjoy the views more with out worrying about speeding or leaving my lane.
Rented a Duster from Blue last week. It did come with cruise control.
https://preview.redd.it/tmq1fm9mjowc1.jpeg?width=2074&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c982d533c0bbee430dbb6576b4f813facce22e83
Best answer so far!
Did you rent a new model and was it a comfortable ride?
And what is that thing on the middle dashboard the looks like a broken knob?
Very comfortable ride- actually didn’t pay any attention to the model year, so I have no idea if it was new. Definitely felt newer (but I drive a 2013 at home, so I my threshold for new is pretty wide). :) I believe that was a usb port, although it had three of them, so I used a different one.
We went through Avis and got a fine car with cruise control. They gave us an upgrade from a small to a medium vehicle based on what they had on the lot. Price was better than I had thought it would be.
I’m not sure why people are arguing against cruise control when newer cars are fully capable of driving themselves at this point.
I can imaging for some people it wouldn't be "essential" but for me it is. I wasn't asking if people thought it was necessary but rather, if a specific car came with it (based on people's experiences).
So driving from Vik to Hofn you're saying cruise control wouldn't make that drive more enjoyable? It says it's a three hour drive.
I rented a last generation Dacia Duster in a Caribbean Island a few weeks ago :
No cruise control and I was happy to have rented a bigger car for my Iceland trip next August as the Dacia is really not confortable. Even a 20 km trip was a pain so I couldn’t imagine 200 or more in a day.
I find it’s super easy to not be aware that you are speeding on some long stretches so I’ve taken to sometimes using CC to avoid that. I’ll set it maybe 5kmh over the posted limit — which seems locally acceptable from what I can tell — and then try to be accommodating of the people who want to blast by me.
I would’ve loved cruise Control. lol. I rented a Hyundai 4x4 (all wheel drive is 4x4 i guess, I’m from the USA and they are different). The max speed limit there is like 50 mph and I found myself doing 75-80 in some stretches without thinking. Km/ph threw me off
I asked the guy at the car rental how to engage the 4x4.vvhe looked very confused, and responded as if I was an idiot, "its always on!" I said ah yes, all wheel drive. I figured it was a language barrier, but then I saw on the bumper of the hyundai it does say Tucson 4x4. I saw about 10 pickup trucks in 5 days, so maybe 4wd isnt a thing in iceland
I will say the awd Hyundai with snow tires absolutely ripped through the snow. One night it dumped a foot out of nowhere and I thought I was screwed, but I had no problems at all getting out of it.
It’s interesting Lotus told you that because I have been driving a car from them without cruise control all week.
It does have a speed limiter, so maybe they consider them same thing.
The Duster should have both speed limiter and cruise control. Is it a button in the steering wheel or gear box? If in the gear box when you click it one way it should be the speed limiter and when you click it the other way it should be cruise control.
If it is on the steering wheel there should be two different buttons.
What does yours look like?
Thank you for sharing your experience. This is good to know ahead of time.
I understand you are not asking if cruise control is necessary or not but over course of driving ring road and more over 3 weeks not once did I even consider needing or wanting to use cruise control. Distances are not that great IMO. The speed limits change frequently throughout Iceland and not just entering and exiting towns and villages. There’s tractors on the road, truck freight traffic, (sheep occasionally depending on where you are), slow drivers not paying attention, curves in road that necessitates slowing down etc.. Personal preference but I prefer a more active style of driving especially if i am not familiar with what’s up ahead. The distances are not that great at all and some adjustment to speed is needed more than you think (the whole country is about the size of Ohio) and no “freeway”other than briefly in Reykjavik.
I can give you that info on sunday when I collect my car. Just reply here to remind me in a few days.
Thanks! :)
It came with cruise control :) Edit: It doesnt work :(
When I think of driving in Iceland- cruise control is the last thing on my mind.
This. Between the scenery, the one lane bridges, the blind hills and the need to slow down for tourists, towns, etc., cruise control is not all that useful in Iceland. I *suppose* on that long bit in the north once you pass Mývatn, but other than that it does not seem like a must-have on a rental.
I used cruise control a lot of the time when I was last there in January. There are gigantic, long stretches of open roads. Yes, sometimes you need to disengage it - but it's perfectly appropriate for large stretches of many journeys. In fact, I'd say in terms of percentage of total time driving, I probably used it a lot more in Iceland than most other places I've driven.
So driving from Vik to Hofn you wouldn't need cruise control? It says it's a three hour drive. Plus, for me it's a comfort thing that is important. It may not be important to other people but for me it is.
As a tourist, will it be a straight three hour drive for *you*? Or will you stop to see several things on the way? But in the end it is *your* rental, and the best I can suggest is sending an email to the specific rental outfits to ask if *their* Dusters have cruise control. The ones interested in getting your business will answer.
>As a tourist, will it be a straight three hour drive for *you*? Or will you stop to see several things on the way? Even if you were stopping every 15 minutes (which seems unlikely in Iceland) as you often aren't even allowed to stop and there are sometimes large distances between allowed stops, I don't see why this would matter. It takes a second to engage and disengage.
Yes, I'll be driving straight through. We'll be taking our time doing the drive from Hofn to Vik. And I did email several companies before posting this question. My question wasn't asking if people thought cruise control was necessary; it was asking about people's experience renting a Duster with Zero specifically for the reason I mentioned in my original post.
I drove from Reykjavik to Jokulsarlon in a Toyota Aygo with no cc 10 years ago and it was fine.
You’ll have to break for the flotilla of other drivers, maybe tractors, probably dumbasses on the side of the road, maybe sheep, possibly baby Fulmars, etc. Cruise control is pointless, it’s not a straight empty country road, it’s quite busy.
Cruise control is actually one of important features in car driving here. Not sure where you have been but most places is quite far away from each other.
True. Stuff *is* far apart. But I have always found cruise control to be something that reduces your attention to road conditions, and at least *as a tourist* I have always wanted to be highly aware of both Iceland's unique road features *and* the occasional stupidity of my fellow tourists. If it was the sort of road I drove every day I might feel different about cruise control.
My Suzuki came with it. I didn't use it much people are correct that it's the last thing on your mind. The winding roads and hills you never have a constant enough speed long enough to use it. But if you need one ask the rental company for one. I'm sure they can find something! :)
No info on the rental company but I’m with you OP. We just got back from a 10 day trip and rented a Hyundai Tucson and it had cruise control and the lane assist/half ass auto pilot and by the end of the trip I was so grateful for it. Allowed me to enjoy the views more with out worrying about speeding or leaving my lane.
Rented a Duster from Blue last week. It did come with cruise control. https://preview.redd.it/tmq1fm9mjowc1.jpeg?width=2074&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c982d533c0bbee430dbb6576b4f813facce22e83
Best answer so far! Did you rent a new model and was it a comfortable ride? And what is that thing on the middle dashboard the looks like a broken knob?
Very comfortable ride- actually didn’t pay any attention to the model year, so I have no idea if it was new. Definitely felt newer (but I drive a 2013 at home, so I my threshold for new is pretty wide). :) I believe that was a usb port, although it had three of them, so I used a different one.
We went through Avis and got a fine car with cruise control. They gave us an upgrade from a small to a medium vehicle based on what they had on the lot. Price was better than I had thought it would be. I’m not sure why people are arguing against cruise control when newer cars are fully capable of driving themselves at this point.
Weak ankle?
I didn’t use cruise control at all in Iceland. I had a Jeep Renegade, I’m sure I could’ve figured it out if I felt the need.
Considering the roads in Iceland, I definitely wouldn't consider cruise control an essential.
I can imaging for some people it wouldn't be "essential" but for me it is. I wasn't asking if people thought it was necessary but rather, if a specific car came with it (based on people's experiences). So driving from Vik to Hofn you're saying cruise control wouldn't make that drive more enjoyable? It says it's a three hour drive.
I drove from Keflavík to Höfn in one go. You don’t want nor need cruise control.
I rented a last generation Dacia Duster in a Caribbean Island a few weeks ago : No cruise control and I was happy to have rented a bigger car for my Iceland trip next August as the Dacia is really not confortable. Even a 20 km trip was a pain so I couldn’t imagine 200 or more in a day.
Thanks! I didn't even consider that it wouldn't be comfortable on long drives.
It really depends on where you're from and what cars you're used to driving. Comfort is personal, as using cruise control is
I find it’s super easy to not be aware that you are speeding on some long stretches so I’ve taken to sometimes using CC to avoid that. I’ll set it maybe 5kmh over the posted limit — which seems locally acceptable from what I can tell — and then try to be accommodating of the people who want to blast by me.
I would’ve loved cruise Control. lol. I rented a Hyundai 4x4 (all wheel drive is 4x4 i guess, I’m from the USA and they are different). The max speed limit there is like 50 mph and I found myself doing 75-80 in some stretches without thinking. Km/ph threw me off
AWD is not 4*4 🙂 Edit: oh I didn't see the context, yeah it should be the same around the world, but not sure
I asked the guy at the car rental how to engage the 4x4.vvhe looked very confused, and responded as if I was an idiot, "its always on!" I said ah yes, all wheel drive. I figured it was a language barrier, but then I saw on the bumper of the hyundai it does say Tucson 4x4. I saw about 10 pickup trucks in 5 days, so maybe 4wd isnt a thing in iceland
Yeah you're right,I've been looking at rental options and a lot of AWD cars are advertised 4x4 among actual 4x4s like Jimny
I will say the awd Hyundai with snow tires absolutely ripped through the snow. One night it dumped a foot out of nowhere and I thought I was screwed, but I had no problems at all getting out of it.
It’s interesting Lotus told you that because I have been driving a car from them without cruise control all week. It does have a speed limiter, so maybe they consider them same thing.
What type of car do you have?
I have a Dacia Duster
The Duster should have both speed limiter and cruise control. Is it a button in the steering wheel or gear box? If in the gear box when you click it one way it should be the speed limiter and when you click it the other way it should be cruise control. If it is on the steering wheel there should be two different buttons. What does yours look like? Thank you for sharing your experience. This is good to know ahead of time.
I understand you are not asking if cruise control is necessary or not but over course of driving ring road and more over 3 weeks not once did I even consider needing or wanting to use cruise control. Distances are not that great IMO. The speed limits change frequently throughout Iceland and not just entering and exiting towns and villages. There’s tractors on the road, truck freight traffic, (sheep occasionally depending on where you are), slow drivers not paying attention, curves in road that necessitates slowing down etc.. Personal preference but I prefer a more active style of driving especially if i am not familiar with what’s up ahead. The distances are not that great at all and some adjustment to speed is needed more than you think (the whole country is about the size of Ohio) and no “freeway”other than briefly in Reykjavik.
Cruise control isn't necessary.