Air-con Vs Automatic Climate Control

[WhipLash]

Not a very sought after feature in Ireland (well maybe in second hand cars it helps to sell the car better), and certainly not as much a 'standard' extra as in other countries. So is it worth the extra money? Do people make proper use of air-con, or is it only used a few days during the summer when temperatures manager to reach above 20 degrees? Is it as useful heating the car in winter as its cooling effects during balmy summer days?

So what exactly is the difference then between air-con and climate control? Is a manual air-con system sufficient, or is it worth paying double (?) for an automatic climate control system?

[BeCos]

Well the wifes new 206 has both air con and the sunroof. We've opened the roof maybe twice, but the air con has been used I'd say every trip since about March and we got the car in January. I really cools the car down so quickly if left in the sun and can provide a nice gentle trickle of ice cold air into the cabin to keep it at the required temperature. I'd never have another car without it.

The main difference is that climate control is a more complete system. It can monitor cabin temperature and increase/decease as neccesary. Also as there are a number of small stepper motors involved it can be possible to have cold air on one side and hot the other.

I reckon price is the main stumbling block. Air con is becoming standard and if its not on the model you're looking at then about £500-700 is the most you should pay. CC is expensive, as in, very expensive around £2000-3000 on some cars, although that price is dropping as standard air con is being added. You can move from standard air con to CC for around £1500.

[Anders]

The other thing many people forget about a/c is that it comes with dehumidifiers (sp?), which is a necessity in this country because it gets unbelievable humid here, warm or cold. I run with a/c almost all the time, and it's very noticable when it's switched off. You can actually smell the humidity.

I have had cars with a/c and c/c, and c/c is nice in that it controls the fans and the temperature too. I don't find it that much more useful than a/c to be honest but would probably order it if I was buying a new car that had that option.

[Justin]

My wife's car has aircon and mine has climate control. The aircon sometimes annoys because temparature changes gradually and you sometimes find that you have become too cold gradually. Climate control just keeps it nice and cool. Would I pay £1000 extra? Don't be silly. A BIG stereo (at home) would be a better buy.