It’s amazing how far cars have come for comfort. Thirty years ago, a base model economy car had a heater, a rear defroster, and that’s about it. Now though, even a base-model Ford Maverick has automatic climate control, power windows, power locks, the works. Speaking of comfort, in the Northern hemisphere, it’s officially air-con season, and a heatwave blanketing the Great Lakes has given me cause for really appreciating this miracle of engineering. Today on Autopian Asks, I want to know when you think air conditioning is necessary and when you think it’s not.
Earlier today, I needed to pick up a press car, and yep, a line leak has rendered the air-con in my 335i lukewarm until next week, when I have time to get it fixed. This wouldn’t be the end of the world with normal weather, but pulling out of my neighborhood, the reading from the ambient air temperature sensor climbed to 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 Fahrenheit.
Almost immediately after, my iPhone went into heat protection mode, meaning no more Waze. Shortly after that, my Hawaiian shirt started to get a bit damp from sweating out my daily water intake, eventually turning the Dakota leather into something resembling a slip and slide. The Humidex was high, and that 40-minute drive in traffic felt like 40 minutes, you know? I can’t wait to get that air-con line replaced, and that got me thinking about attitudes toward air conditioning.
If a car is dirt-cheap and only used in winter, I reckon non-functioning air conditioning or the lack of a system altogether is no big deal. Sure, it’s not good for keeping the air inside the car dry to mitigate condensation, but when Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, a heater matters more than anything else. Likewise, dedicated race cars don’t normally have any sort of climate control beyond some fresh air guides and maybe a coolsuit, so they get a pass.
Otherwise, I want air-con in everything, especially if it’s driven in the summer. I reckon it’s always worth the cost of keeping it going, but I also know not everyone shares this mentality. Some people don’t like the dryness of air conditioning, some people have the roof down anyway, some people are into stuff like classic British roadsters and although air-con would be neat, the extra weight and drag isn’t really worth it.
So, when is it okay for a car not to have air conditioning, and when does it become a necessity? It’s a different answer for everyone, and we want to hear your answer in the comments below.
Top graphic image: Thomas Hundal
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My late 1960’s/early 70’s Chryslers had little vents down at the kick panels down by my feet. Opening those up and cracking a window led to a jet flow of outside air blasting your entire body when at speed. That was usually enough to get by without working A/C in Michigan, as long as you weren’t stopped too long. But nowadays I won’t drive/own something without A/C.
I think anyone old enough to know about them is wishing they’d bring back the ankle vents.
Another great thing about them is that when you had them open, you could roll down a window without having to experience resonant wind buffeting.
1968 Camaro Astro Vents works fine in this regard, but the first time you blast 100 degree temps up your shorts is the last time you use those on a hot day. On the other side, nothing is quite as amazing as the under steering wheel vent on most Malaise era GM cars. Close all unused vents and get a direct shot of good R12 AC down there on a hot day with vinyl seats was a god send.
AC might be optional in an area with few hot days or where I only took really short trips. Beyond that, AC is mandatory. Cars are like little EasyBake ovens and even livable outdoor temps get too freaking hot inside after awhile.
I just survived a 6hr drive in 90F+ (32C+) with my motorhome that doesn’t have a working engine AC and the power for the roof AC is on the fritz. I survived the trip with 4-40 AC but it was not a good time and I was very dehydrated when I got to my destination. Do not recommend.
Bay Area chiming in. You can get by the vast majority of days just by rolling down the windows, but if you stray too far away from the bay…the California sun will do you in right quick.
I’ve never had working AC in a car, but I live in the UK, so that’s fine.
I’ve had more use for it demisting the windows, than keeping cool in the summer.
It was OK on the road in my 89 Super Coupe. With the windows down, the wind would come into the car and collect behind me, cooling me off beautifully.
Aside from that, give me my AC. It is wonderful in the summer heat, but also defogs and defrosts the glass. That makes it essential.
It’s a sore point around here. 5 cars on the road and only 1 has sorta working AC – it cools fine but the AC compressor had gotten really noisy. Supposed to be 100 today but we’ll be back to 60s and 70s by Thursday.
Born and raised in Phoenix. The answer is never 😛
Hey, I drove plenty of cars through south carolina summers with no AC. It isn’t a big deal deal. Uncomfortable? Yes. Life threatening? No.
The only car that I can tolerate not having AC is my old beetle, those flap windows make driving an ok thing as long you are moving. What makes a big difference is where the car was stored or parked. If it was inside a garage or under a tree, you can survive. If the car was sitting on the sun all day long like my Volt yesterday during this heat wave, the AC will struggle, I drain that battery like winter running the heat.
It depends. I rarely used the AC at all in a car like the SX4, roll the gigantic windows down and you were good too go (unless you were stuck in traffic). In general, I’ve managed to get along just fine in small cars without leather.
Larger cars like my van with leather though? Forget it, AC is absolutely required. The airflow (especially in the front) just isn’t adequate for windows to do the job. Especially now that black leather/vinyl interiors are seemingly unavoidable. Now, if the tailgate had a damn roll down window, maybe things would change (a feature I really want to see in vans but I know will never happen).
I am getting too old and out of shape to not have working AC. Last thing I want is to get to work (or anywhere really) a sweaty mess. I have a body type designed for colder climates.
That said, I didn’t have working air conditioning in a car until I was in my late 20’s. Was fine when I was younger.
After having my AC go out while stuck in traffic for two hours at 111 with 80% humidity, I’m inclined to say never for an only car. Hobby car or a race car, it’s fine. Or if you live somewhere cool enough that it doesn’t matter. I guess for me that’s under 90 degrees, but I didn’t have a vehicle with AC for the first 6 years I was driving. I didn’t own a vehicle newer than a 1994 until 2010.
I’m not proud of the fact that back in the mid 80s when I traded in my RX-7, I didn’t correct them when they checked off “air conditioning” on the spec sheet. It didn’t have it. Instead, all RX-7s had an air conditioning button, just no a/c behind the button. It was a dealer installed option. Growing up, most of our cars didn’t have a/c as it was an option that we couldn’t afford.
According to me, it’s mandatory unless it’s a hobby car.
According to my old man, AC was a commie plot designed to make us all soft so we wouldn’t resist when they invaded. Every car we had when I was a kid had it, and we NEVER used it. I remember driving from DC to Florida in the summer to visit grandparents with the windows open the whole time. We would beg him to turn it on but there he sat, his elbow pointing out the window and his right hand atop the steering wheel of the Mercury Colony Park wagon staring straight ahead, never so much as a glance at us. Fun times.
The AC in my car has been broken since…2012 or so? Luckily I live somewhere that it’s only of significant benefit for a couple of weeks a year so it hasn’t been worthwhile fixing.
It’s nice to have, but unless you live somewhere that exceeds 30c for weeks at a time and you drive in slow enough traffic that you can’t get a cooling breeze into the cabin I don’t find it vital at all.
Never, this isn’t a real question.
When it’s a convertible.
And you have another car to drive.
Nope…I blast the cold air on really hot days!
Ummm if its a track car and it needs to save weight. I cannot think of a more unpleasant way to drive a car than to not have AC. Even in winter it helps defrost the car faster. I don’t think I have ever actually turned the AC button off, just the fan. Apart from the ’97 Mitsubishi Mirage my wife had when we were first dating, you had to turn it off to keep it at 100kmh uphill.
Retrofitted NOS aircon into my Roadster, original buyer didn’t splurge on the option.
“bUt iTs A rOaDsTeR”
Yes, but 35C with the top down under a relentless summer sun in rush hour traffic isn’t actually fun.
A crisp August morning on a mountain pass, wind in your hair, rowing through the gears, that’s fun, and then, the aircon is off too.
Technically, my Oldsmobile has air conditioning. It hasn’t worked in (at least) 21 years, but it does physically exist. Since it’s a convertible, I really don’t miss it.
I’m in Alaska. The AC on my older Subie was non-functional between 2000 and 2024, and I stayed comfortable. Heat is enough for defrosting the windshield.
Kanada. (im a Finn so the spelling is correct for me), also Finland. Heatwaves are short and infrequent.
No. Absolutely not. Summers are HOT in Canada.
When it’s dead and the motor lacks power anyway. Why i got rid of it. CR of 7.7:1 new, means it hated the a/c on at idle. When it refused to cool, it shortly went in the trash.
If it’s a Renault Sport Spider.
Or a Lotus Elise.
Or a Lotus 340R.
Or a Caterham.
In other words, stripped out track car with no roof.
Normal car that you’d drive to normal places in a normal manner? Put in AC.
It’s OK for a car to not have air conditioning when it’s mine and I’m the driver… and it’s NOT OK if it’s not my car and I’m the passenger!