Cabriolets

[Accy cyclist]

I suppose it is because most modern convertibles also have air con.

Mine has, even though it's a 10 year old car. I don't put it on though as I've heard air-conditioning cuts miles off your weekly tenner of fuel. 🤔 I didn't even know it was air-con', thinking it was just a car heater/cooler fan. I've seen videos saying Britain has more soft tops than any other country in Europe, despite having one of the coolest/wettest climates in Europe. On the odd occasion I've felt too warm in a car in this country (thinking back to my window cleaning days in summer when I had a black sun's rays attracting VW Golf) I just put the 'cool' fan on and open a window. Why buy a convertible if you don't feel the need to open the roof, or even more odd, don't like having the roof open I wonder?🤔

 

[pawl]

My daughter had a soft top car.After getting stuck in a traffic in hot weather she kept a baseball cap in the car.to prevent another badly sunburned head.

 

[Accy cyclist]

My daughter had a soft top car.After getting stuck in a traffic in hot weather she kept a baseball cap in the car.to prevent another badly sunburned head.

On about headgear for cabriolets, I bought a paper summer fedora hat last week. Nothing expensive, just 7 quid new from the Heart Foundation charity shop. I've worn it a few times with my car's roof down. Yesterday I had to scrape off a dried on blob of bird shoot.

 

[fossyant]

Mine has, even though it's a 10 year old car. I don't put it on though as I've heard air-conditioning cuts miles off your weekly tenner of fuel.

It doesn't make much difference to fuel efficiency.

It's a bad mistake not to run a/c because if you don't, the various seals won't be lubricated = big repair bill. A/C also has a big advantage of drying air, so is ideal for keeping the car dry inside, especially when it's raining - keeps the window's mist free. Also, lack of use can cause a musty smell.

We run the a/c all the time in our cars.

 

[Accy cyclist]

A/C also has a big advantage of drying air, so is ideal for keeping the car dry inside,

I'll try it, but I hope it won't dry out my contact lens! 👁️ 🤔 Imagine it drying out, then falling out when I'm driving!

I always carry a pair of specs near the gear leaver, just in case!

 

[tyred]

It doesn't make much difference to fuel efficiency.

It's a bad mistake not to run a/c because if you don't, the various seals won't be lubricated = big repair bill. A/C also has a big advantage of drying air, so is ideal for keeping the car dry inside, especially when it's raining - keeps the window's mist free. Also, lack of use can cause a musty smell.

We run the a/c all the time in our cars.

I think modern systems seem to be much more efficient.

My uncle had an early model Seat Toledo back in the early '90s with air con when it was still very rare on run of the mill cars and you could hear the difference in the engine note if you switched it on when parked with the engine idling due to the load on the engine and it really had a noticeable effect on fuel consumption.

My 2007 Fabia has air con and I have tried it with and without and haven't noticed any noticeable difference in fuel consumption. The air con is probably the only thing I like about the car!

 

[tyred]

Mine has, even though it's a 10 year old car. I don't put it on though as I've heard air-conditioning cuts miles off your weekly tenner of fuel. 🤔 I didn't even know it was air-con', thinking it was just a car heater/cooler fan. I've seen videos saying Britain has more soft tops than any other country in Europe, despite having one of the coolest/wettest climates in Europe. On the odd occasion I've felt too warm in a car in this country (thinking back to my window cleaning days in summer when I had a black sun's rays attracting VW Golf) I just put the 'cool' fan on and open a window. Why buy a convertible if you don't feel the need to open the roof, or even more odd, don't like having the roof open I wonder?🤔

Avoiding sunburn, not getting covered in dust from road, not wanting to mess up the new hairstyle...

 

[MrGrumpy]

It doesn't make much difference to fuel efficiency.

It's a bad mistake not to run a/c because if you don't, the various seals won't be lubricated = big repair bill. A/C also has a big advantage of drying air, so is ideal for keeping the car dry inside, especially when it's raining - keeps the window's mist free. Also, lack of use can cause a musty smell.

We run the a/c all the time in our cars.

This *

 

[fossyant]

Even got air con in the Aygo ! Found the leak, but I'm sure it hadn't been gassed up in a long time before we got it. It's had a professional fill, then I added gas/seal conditioner when I found the leak. You can feel the compressor kick in on the little 3 cylinder. MrsF's Nissan there is no difference, and same with mine, although my twin cooling fans run constantly if the A/C is on. Never noticed any difference to fuel. I also believe the compressors clutch disengages if you are accelerating to save 'fuel'.

I got the 'lecture' when the air con was re-gassed - make sure you use it at least once a week - I said, I never turned it off.

 

[midlife]

My Impreza turned off the air con automatically when it thought you were driving it hard . Air con robs about a couple of BHP from the engine to run..

 

[Accy cyclist]

You get all those delights on a cycle too without polluting the countryside you are driving through.

So you never travel in a motorised vehicle I take it?🤔

 

[Oldhippy]

So you never travel in a motorised vehicle I take it?🤔

Nope.

 

[DCLane]

I've had a Talbot Samba cabrio (nice, but fragile), plus a Saab 9-3 Aero convertible (nice, fast) and am on the non-urgent look-out for another. I nearly bought a Fiat Punto Cabrio last month on the day I found I'd won £30k to spend on a car. For me it'd be a 'spare' car, so non-expensive at this stage. And SWMBO must want to drive it as well or there'd be a

 

[DRM]

It doesn't make much difference to fuel efficiency.

It's a bad mistake not to run a/c because if you don't, the various seals won't be lubricated = big repair bill. A/C also has a big advantage of drying air, so is ideal for keeping the car dry inside, especially when it's raining - keeps the window's mist free. Also, lack of use can cause a musty smell.

We run the a/c all the time in our cars.

this is spot on^^^all the cars and vans I've had have the A/C permanently switched on, and they haven't had any Issues, my last van went back with over 120,000 miles, the A/C was as cold as the day I was issued it, in fact it's the only thing that didn't fail on it but that's another story, AFAIK it's worse on fuel economy winding down the window!
Another thing as the A/C dries the air, your windows clear quicker on cold mornings too, no more driving round in a sauna

 

[stephec]

I think modern systems seem to be much more efficient.

My uncle had an early model Seat Toledo back in the early '90s with air con when it was still very rare on run of the mill cars and you could hear the difference in the engine note if you switched it on when parked with the engine idling due to the load on the engine and it really had a noticeable effect on fuel consumption.

My 2007 Fabia has air con and I have tried it with and without and haven't noticed any noticeable difference in fuel consumption. The air con is probably the only thing I like about the car!

I had the same thing in 1998 with my first company car, a Laguna, switch the air con on and the needle on the rev counter did a sudden jump.

Climate control for the last twenty years now, pretty much set it and forget it.