I live in Connecticut and it gets hot and humid in the summer. My Mini S has auto a/c and I keep it around 66 and I find that I'm still hot. Is it just me or does anyone else think the same. Do I need to have it checked? I get in my Xterra and it freezes me out.

 

I have the manual A/C and live in South Florida which is synonymous with HOT and the Mini A/C leaves a lot to be desired compared to other vehicles.You can't shut off the center dash vent above the speedo to help direct more airflow to the driver or passenger.I just unlock the doors and lower my windows plus tilt the sunroof with my key fob before entering my MCSa to vent out the hot air inside first before getting inside.

 

I've talked to some other guys and they feel the same way. I have black leatherette and I can feel the sweat going down my back.

 

It doesn't do a great job with cooling, but I've found if I put on the recirc button it helps tremendously.

 

We live in Tucson AZ where the weather is pretty hot most of the summer. We have auto a/c in our MCa and have no complaints.

 

My AC is cool enough for me. I am a minimalist. If the AC is weaker than other cars' then MINI must be conserving the energy somewhere in the AC line.

 

I've used my AC maybe 10 times since I bought my current MC last August.I prefer the open air even on the hot days.When I do use it it's more than sufficient.

 

I live in so cal and I actually find the ac really cold.

then again I can only compare to my previous (and first) car which was a 03 civic and that car's ac was pretty bad...

 

You know the A/C is greatly improved if you use the MAX button.

 

I think the leatherette seats are the hot ones, they just don't breath...

 

Interesting, my 03 civic had fantastic heat and AC. About the only thing I liked in that car. Fortunately it had weird engine problems at about 70K and got traded for a nice 08 MC

And yes AC should usually be used with recirc in most cars.

 

WeI find the A/C more than adequate. We have the Auto A/C and keep it on Low. Which works very well, it sometimes gets to cold.

 

i'm in NM, i run the auto between 62 and 72. no complaints. put the recirc on, the little snowflake button. it takes a min but i'm happy with it.

 

They must have sold me the 'Florida' model Auto Air.

I like fresh air, so seldom ever use the 'Max' setting, which recirculates cabin air.
Your Auto-Air is supposed to automatically select 'recirculate' if it detects outside air contamination YRMV.

When I have my Sunroof open (most of the time), I often use Auto 'LO' setting and feel guilty for using the extra gas, but stay plenty cool.

When my Sunroof is closed (for a silent ride), an Auto setting of 68 to 72f (depending on sunshine) keeps the temperature from being too cold.

I have never seen a better Air Conditioner in a car, but if you want to test yours;
on Max, place a thermometer in one of the center 'round vents' and expect to see a 40-50f drop in temperature from ambient.

(But since I don't feel that 'hot-spot' in the driver footwell, I might not have any heat, when Florida suffers a cold snap .)

 

Romi does a great job (better than our Lexus IS) at keeping things cool. When the ambient temps are above 90F, I set her to 66F and she does a bangup job. After sitting out on the Sun all day, it only takes a couple of minutes for her to get comfy. Even when the ambient is 105F, she does a bang up job of cooling things down.

Romi does not have a sunroof and I have her A/C set to auto recirculate mode.

By far and away she has the best A/C I have ever had in a car. Clobbers our Lexus, Infiniti, Volvo, and the 300ZX we had.

 

The AC does a better job in my R56 than it did my R50 so I'm happy as a lark. Now when I drive rentals I'm bewildered why the AC is so overdone.

 

Louisiana. It's hot. It's humid. We just get used to sweating, I think. The auto A/C in my 04 MC is adequate. Most of my driving is in town, short hops, so the A/C never really gets a chance to work properly. But once on the road, it's fabulous. What drives me crazy is during the fall and spring when the temp outside is cooler. If I turn the A/C off (no air) I can feel hot air coming through the vents. I finally figured out that even though the unit is off, I have to adjust the thermostat down.

 

Here in AZ, mine does a good job at keeping the interior comfortable. I usually keep it set around 72, however when I start it after sitting in a parking lot for several hours, I run it on max for a few minutes.

 

Mine works just fine, I have seen sunny 90+ degree days and I am comfortable very quickly with my auto a/c set on 74. I have the punch leather seats which are a bit more breathable than the leatherette.

Edit: I also don't have a sunroof. Even though I have a black roof/interior/headliner, I'm sure no sunroof helps with the satisfactory A/C issue.

 

I live in Mass, and over the summer had the same problem as steveng, AC appears to be very weak compared to the AC in my Volvo & Land Rover.

 

I am about the most extreme of hot natured people and I can never get cool enough. The mini does do a good enough job for me I always leave it on max cooling recirculate and just turn the fan up and down and it keeps me cool. The range rover however is the best air I have ever seen it is ice cold before you put it in reverse.

 

The a/c in my 07 MCS is better than my 03 MC, but on a really hot day (fortunately a rare event here) I am sweating. As others have said, pressing the auto, recirculate, or max button helps a lot. And if you have a sunroof, put in a sunroof blocker panel.

 

AC is weak IMO, and the vent system isn't very well done (another triumph of style over function, but that's ok ).

 

I'm in Phoenix and as a relatively new owner so far the AC has been comfortable. Cools down quickly and I use the recirc and max until nice and frosty then step it down to chilly.

 

Works well here in Hawaii. Can get too cold during highway driving.