What is the difference between the std. air conditioning and the upgrade a/c. I don't plan on getting the premium package because of the sunroof. Trying to figure out if it is worth the extra $500. thanks

 

I don't think there is an upgrade for the A/C per say. But you can get Automatic Climate Control as an upgrade over the manual controls. The heater core, A/C condenser and fan are all the same.

Mark

 

The automatic climate control is what I meant. Just curious if anyone has used both & if they had an opinion if it was worth the extra $500. I live in Phoenix so my A/C spends alot of time set on full cold - not too much adjusting needed when it is 110!

 

I have always loved climate control a/c. Just set the temp and forget it. Had it on cars before, but lost it on my Dodge as it was not an option. I had to go for it on my new clubman! Especially in the winter, its nice to set the heat at 70 degrees and leave it. It comes on when it is ready in the morning and doesnt take the cabin temp over 70. No more blowing you out of the car once it heats up! Works good with the a/c also.

 

I think its kinda nice having auto adjust (we have auto ac in the Prius) but def not worth $500 on its own, I can adjust the temp myself for that amount of money..

 

I had the climate control on my cabrio but my clubman doesn't have it and I don't really miss it - Used the saved money for other more important things like black-out materials and a dragon for my roof

 

I'll let you know how well it works at 110 in a few days...

 

Man, I feel for you guys. I drove through Arizona last summer (actually, it wasn't even at the height of the summer - it was the last week of June), and I was amazed at how hot it was. When I stopped in Phoenix to have Mike at Aesthetic Creations install my vinyl graphics, it was after 8pm, and it was still something like 107 °F.

I think the only place I've been where it was hotter was the Persian Gulf in July.

 

The auto climate control eliminates the need to fidget with the heat and A/C controls as ambient temperatures change. Maybe not worth $500 by itself, but the upgraded micro filtration unit on the climate control system is a blessing for those with allergies.

 

Not worth the $500.

#1. Doesn't filter out skunk (maybe my expectations were too high for the extra filter )

#2. When it's on auto you can't select where the air comes from. My feet get hot when I drive in the summer and the AC only comes out the top vents. You have to take it off auto, adjust the fan and the direction to get any cooling down there. Same in the winter if your hands are cold and you want some air up there to warm them up for a minute.

#3. When it's on auto you can't turn it off without turning the fan all the way down. Like - you get in the car on a warm day and the car is all nice and toasty, but it's decent out and you aren't getting on the higway, so you decide to open the sunroof and windows and enjoy the weather. When you start the car, it goes full blast fan, and you have to push the stupid dial down about 14 times to shut it off. There's no OFF button, is what I'm saying.

#4. You can turn the AC off, but then it's not cold at all. Most cars will make some attempt to cool the air without the compressor, but I swear the MINI just doesn't. I don't know if this is any different if you don't have auto climate control, though.

#5. When you pick defrost, that's all you get, full blast, until you turn it off. Don't try to talk on the phone until your windscreen is clear (especially if you're being semi-safe and talking on a bluetooth headset that picks up that sort of background noise). You have to go non-auto to get front + defrost.

Of course, is it nice to be able to just pick a temperature and have it deal with adjusting it for you. I find it more bothersome in the summer than winter, so if you're in a warmer climate it may be especially not for you.

 

#1 What does?
#2 overriding auto to select air direction is simple and easy
#3 Yes, I agree, a simple "off" button would be nice
#4 Not cold with the A/C off? What are you expecting?
#5 Defrost is used for a few minutes to quickly clear the windscreen. On Auto, some air comes out of the top windscreen vents all the time. Defrost directs all air full blast to the windscreen. It works very quickly, and is very effective. Maybe you can wait 5 minutes to make that call?
I think the Auto Climate on the MINI works fine, is easy to use, and is a good option.

 

1 - Remark was made as a joke.
2 - But why pay for auto if you have to override it to be comfortable?
4 - That air will at least flow through an exchanger, but not a condenser. For example, the Hyundai I'm driving this weekend performs quite well with the temperature set to cold but AC off until it gets into the 80's. In my MINI, air immediately gets hot and humid when I hit that little snowflake.
5 - I can, and usually do. But again, it'd be nice to be able to choose to have it be, say 70 degrees and keep the windscreen clear for the whole trip without having to choose either 70 degrees or guessing at a temp and fan and having it direct air at the windscreen.

I like auto climate control for what it is and I was willing to pay for it as part of the package, but I don't think it's worth $500 on its own, as it has some quirks I'm not crazy about, and that was the OP's question.

 

I very rarely need to make any adjustments to the Auto controls, other than the temperature setting. I have found the system brings in plenty of fresh air with the A/C off, and I have not experienced the immediate "hot and humid" issue you've found when I turn off the A/C. Maybe I'm just not that fussy when it comes to the climate control system, or maybe, after five years in a BMW, I'm happy to finally have an automatic climate control system that's actually automatic!

 

Mercaptans (skunk chemicals) are mollecular. Allergens are are much larger particals (still pretty small). The unit will filter out biological weapons, not chemical weapons.

 

yes its worth it, as you cant get navi without it

 

I think it's worth the money. Not having to change fan and temperature settings several times during a trip is great in my opinion. I do only about a 9 mile commute and it keeps the temperature in the car at a comfortable level with no input on my part. I think the problem some people have is that they don't give the system a few minutes to get the temperature up/down as necessary, they expect instant temperature adjustment which is not physically possible.

 

I have it in both MINIs and I like it. Plus, I have dust allergies, and that filter really works well. I recently changed the filter in my 04 MINI and it was nasty! It actually seems to help keep the inside of the car cleaner.

 

I think I know what you mean. I have the standard AC, and at first I thought my AC was broken (I still kind of think it's not working properly). If I don't turn on the air, there is no circulation at all. And I feel that the AC does not get cold even at the bluest temperature setting. I am thinking of getting a thermometer to see if temperature gets below 70 at all. With my old car (Chrysler), I would start with the AC at the lowest blower setting, then after a few minutes I would need to adjust to lesser-blue because it could get cold. With my MINI, I'm already almost finished with my daily journey (10 miles), and it is not yet COLD even with the bluest setting (yes, the AC button is lit). Quite disappointed with this aspect of my Clubman.

 

I have the Climate control and it works great. Gets cold very fast and warm fast as well. You can direct the air anywhere you like and still maintain the target temperature. Seems like a trip to the dealer is in order if you don't get cold air. The system puts out air that is a little too chilly sometimes while trying to reach my target temperature.

The defrost system works better than any car I've ever driven.

 

Well, I can't comment on skunk, but...Is there more than one cabin filter, or just an upgraded one?

Hm. Didn't know that little operational detail.

Thanks for the info, misslindsey!

 

thanks for all the replies - sounds like it's worth getting. big picture $500 isn't really that much.

 

Well, I can't comment on skunk, but...Is there more than one cabin filter, or just an upgraded one?

Hm. Didn't know that little operational detail.

Thanks for the info, misslindsey!

Zugar, I think you've got a problem. I've only test driven, but two of the cars had black roofs, and on all of them, the AC got cold, fast. The last one was a Clubman with Auto Climate Control. I'd take it in.

 

Quote:
#2. When it's on auto you can't select where the air comes from.


This is not entirely true. Yes the auto light goes off because you have changed the "most appropriate" airflow direction. The Auto temperature is still active. I will many times change the direction to my feet because the air is too cold on my arms. It feels like the cabin temperature remains constant.

 

No, not really. If you put it on Max, all the air comes out of the dash. But I find that it's very comfortable, and I'm notorious for being uncomfortable if the air isn't flowing just right in a car. You really should try to test drive a MINI that has it and try it out for yourself.

 

If it wasn't required with the Nav, I would not have ordered it - didn't have it on my first mini and didn't miss it. But I was trying to keep the costs down; $500 will buy a lot of gas for the mini; and at least a couple tankfuls for my current car