Living in Texas I was wondering how the air conditioning is on the MCS? I assume that the cooling is adequate, but I was wondering about how it affects the car. Does the car lose a lot of power when the AC is on, can you feel it cycling on and off, and in general does it change the driving experience?

On my X5 I cannot really tell whether the AC is on or not. On my '91 Miata it kills the driving experience. When that compressor kicks in it feels like a giant hand has just grabbed the back of the car and is holding you back.

 

The car runs just fine with the A/C on; I even tried it on the track with it running...
It needs to be cold; the car generates alot of heat in the cabin that needs to be overcome.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=132183

 

While we might not hit Texas temps consistently here in MA, it does get pretty effin' hot and I've been very happy with the AC (and I haven't noticed and power loss running it either). I have the auto HVAC: just set it to what you want and it does the rest!

 

My AC was great last year in the San Antonio heat. I did notice a slight dip in MPG, however, but no noticible performance losses. Just remember to hit the unlock button twice and hold it down for ~5-6 seconds and the sun roof and both windows open. (lets some of the heat out before getting in the car!)

Where in Tx are you?

 

You do not lose much power when the AC is on. I really can't tell the difference in power, but the AC is on the weak side. I live in Memphis TN and we get up to 100 in the summers. The AC will cool you off, but it takes a while to cool the car down.

 

I know how miserable AC can be in a Miata especially if its turbo. Its gotten to the point where I dont even use it anymore. Thats one of the reason I bought my Mini.

 

Charlie, I am in Dallas. When you spend time driving around in an old 911 and Miata, your standards for AC get pretty low. I love both of those cars, but getting stuck in traffic on a 100 degree Texas day is not something I want to do with them.

So it sounds like the Mini AC will be about the same as the X5, which falls into the 'pretty good for a German car' category. Nice to hear since this will be my daily driver.

 

Im in South Florida, AC works perfectly, more than adequate. No perseptable loss of power. BTY, a white roof really helps.