I can take or leave the auto. I probably run with it off as much as on.

However, I test drove both and I thought the center console of the manual version was quite ugly.

The auto center console is very cool and steampunk with it's little optical amber display!

 

i actually prefer indirect cooling... granted this can only be done once the car is pretty close to the set temp, i generally dont like super cold air being blown directly at me.

 

The only time I'm running the A/C (other than if it's raining) is when I'm sitting in traffic and the sun's shining right in the car, so I like a direct arctic breeze to counteract the accursed Daystar. Otherwise I'm running with the windows down and the sunroof open, even if it's in the 100s.

In the winter the vents on my BMW are perfectly positioned so that they keep your hands nice and toasty if you've got them around 10 and 2 on the wheel.

My fear is that if I get the manual I'm going to suddenly realize that while I cursed the auto A/C during the last four years I also grew seriously accustomed to it. It certainly is nice to be able to hit a button and have it's tiny little German computer brain figure out what temp/fan settings are needed leaving me free to concentrate on more important things like car dancing, and singing along poorly to CDs. (Also, driving.)

 

Colorline is included free when you have leather seats. Otherwise it's $200.

 

I've owned at least 4 German vehicles in both manual and auto A/C iterations (BMW, Audi, and VW) and they've all worked exactly the same. On my Mini ('06) I went out of the way to order the Premium package, a la carte, specifically to get the manual A/C - I saved no money, but am much happier with the manual A/C.

Here's the big difference:

With auto, the system MUST be ON (fan spinning) to get any air movement... if it's OFF, the ventilation seals up like tupperware. With manual, you can leave the system (fan) off, and the outside air vents stay open, with air movement naturally increasing with vehicle speed - almost like having your window opened WITHOUT the associated noise. Heat also works without the fan (but A/C requires it... I hardly use A/C anyways).

It's a subtle difference, but to me, its the difference between opening the windows to get fresh air in the house, vs pumping air though the house via a force air central A/C system. Lastly, I've had some fans in a few cars that became noisy/squeaky over time and it used to drive my nuts having to choose between the noise and suffocation.

 

I am with Kasey, I really liked the look.

Hopefully I won't regret it.

 

Was at the dealer today,,, the window sticker is $34K and they added on the "Jeff Cooper" package" Not real sure if that is the correct term or not... this Cooper is really loaded.... Sat and played with the standard A/C and decided it was fine for me - put the $300 towards LL interior...

 

You bring up something very valid there snapper. The are you live in will help dictate what is best for you. You say you hardly use the A/C. I can see that. And I think if you hardly use the A/C, then it is pretty much a waste of money to get the auto-A/C.

However, ehere in Texas, we have maybe two days a year where the temperatures and humidity are nice enough to drive with the windows down. The rest of the time, the A/C is running. Constantly having to fiddle with the A/C controls is a major distraction to driving the car.

We just got rid of a Volvo that did not have auto-A/C. I will never own another car without auto A/C as long as I live where I live. But I can see where it would be no big deal where the climate is more moderate.

 

+1 , although 2 days may be a slight exaggeration. The nice weather starts in Nov and runs thru May - those are the only times a dry weather system (i.e. low humidity) might come thru and one can enjoy a ride with the windows down.

Regardless, my only complaint with the auto ac is the temp setting is not really a temperature setting, it's more of a more cool/less cool thing. I keep mine set around 62 or 64 and it never gets that cool before the fan reduces speed. When my wife is in the car (she's always cold - in the car, in the house, at the movies, etc) I set it to 68 - she would die of hypothermia if the temp were actually 68.

So I think of the temp setting as more of a number setting - it doesn't reflect the actual temp the ac will cool the inside of the car to. But it's actually irrelavant since the ac does an acceptable job of cooling, however it's measured. I say acceptable because it is underpowered for this area of the country with the high humidity and heat. The fan has yet to slow to less than half speed.

 

Been there, done that, although my primary problem was a transistor pack. I'm very leery of BMW Automatic Climate Control Systems.

 

My BMW mechanic ended up replacing the whole unit w/ a refurbished one. Twice. They replaced it w/ an older A/C module that operated slightly differently, I took it back because it was acting 'strangely', and it turns out that one was broken too.

The problem must be fairly common. All I had to say was 'My air conditioning is on crack!' and they knew the exact issue.

Even with all that I'm leaning towards ordering it w/ the Premium Package. I don't really know why. I must be crazy.

 

LOL, I keep my auto AC at one setting all the time but when my wife is in the car she's either too hot, then I push MAX, or too cold and I turn off MAX. She's going through "the change" and one can never tell how she'll feel, and the outside temp hardly matters. I also set my temp to display in C so she has no idea what the temp in F is and that keeps her from fiddling with it.

 

Going through the "Change" Do what EVER she wants - it just may save your life... LOL

 

I find it interesting how many people have responded to say they like the auto air con. Before the new cars arrived, people were ******* the system about 10-to-1. Sounded like the unit in the older models wasn't that great.

I've enjoyed mine ever since I've gotten it and this is the first car I've owned with an auto setup. It might be nice to have a bi-temp setting, one for mornings and another for afternoons. But I find it easy to flip it up a few degrees in the morning now that it's starting to cool off at night and then back down in the afternoon.

I'm still getting used to the carryout food warmers in the seats.

 

ummm....i have a question that relates to this subject. I have auto ac, but how do i work it, what does it do? Any info will help

 

I definitely agree and then there's the small point about me really liking the functionality of it so far I've driven in anywhere from 90 to 30 degree weather with it.

 

I like the auto air in our 5-series; I hate the one in the MINI. Just doesn't seem to do the job without lots of fan. Lots of fan = failure at some point (probably after warranty).

I do like the looks of the auto air. Plain Jane looks naked.

 

Out on the highway, after an hour or so of temperatures stabilizing, the Mini auto AC does an OK job of keeping the temperature about constant. The temperature it maintains has very little relationship to the temperature it's displaying, except that if you select a higher # on the display the temperature will get warmer.

The auto AC in my 1967 Opel Admiral works better, and it's all mechanical.