The cruise control setting in a manual-transmission car operates in a similar manner to that of an automatic — that is, the system locks the throttle into place to maintain a set speed. However, there are some differences between the ways you operate the cruise control feature in vehicles with manual and automatic transmissions. In some cars, pressing the clutch pedal could turn off the system, which means the driver needs to re-set the cruise control after every gear change.
Other cars with manual gearboxes have cruise control systems that automatically pause or disengage momentarily when the driver changes gears. After the transmission engages and the driver releases the clutch pedal, the system then reverts to the previous speed setting.
Cruise control is a nice feature to have on a car, and it's even safe to use cruise control when towing or hauling. It's also nice to know that you can use the feature in vehicles with manual transmissions – even if there are only a handful of manual cars that you can buy new. There's no denying the benefits of cruise control on long, arduous road trips — smoother driving, less fatigue, and better fuel economy. Depending on your car, you may have to accelerate to a predetermined minimum speed before you can activate cruise control, while the ideal speed for using cruise control is 55 to 70 mph.
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Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is an enhanced version that enables the car to speed up or slow down, depending on traffic conditions and in order to maintain safe following distances. When it comes to maintaining a pre-set speed, ACC systems work similarly to non-adaptive cruise control systems. However, ACC systems also utilize forward radar, cameras, longitudinal controllers, and other nerdy stuff to adapt to changing traffic conditions.
An ACC system can slow down the car when it detects a reduction in traffic speed and re-accelerate when the path is clear, all without driver intervention. In most cases, the ACC system will come with driver-selectable following intervals (such as short, long, or extra-long), which tell the system to stay closer to or farther from the vehicle in front.
Many newer manual-transmission cars, like the Honda Civic Type R and the Toyota GR Corolla, come with standard or optional ACC systems to pair with their stick shifts. Automatic cars feature ACC systems that can stop the vehicle completely when traffic grinds to a halt and accelerate forward when traffic starts moving again. However, the ACC systems in manual cars disengage when crawling to a stop, mostly to alert the driver of imminent engine stalling. As such, the driver must intervene and apply the brakes or press on the clutch.
