They still make cars without A/C?

[AB]

I can't deal with the heat - I hate it. I sleep with windows open and fan on, the a/c is always on in the office. If I'm on holiday somewhere hot, I suffer and sweat generally.

So today, I drop the Z4 off at a place local to myself after the latest chapter in AB's unlucky few months - someone reversing into me in a supermarket car park (cheers for the recommendation Andrew-WG) and they give me this Toyota Yaris contraption.

I will tell you what I think of it in a second but my first thought was 'wowee its hot today, a/c needed as the car is roasting... now where is the button... what? no a/c?" I then proceeded to sweat - the car had been sat in the sun and was roasting!! Windows down didnt make too much difference!

1.0 litre engine. I did a 0-60 run, it took 17 seconds from my rough calculations, I reckon it has about 50bhp.

But that's fine, as a certain type of person buys the car, the type of person who really doesn't care about a cars driving dynamics, will never want to 'push on' - the type of person we get stuck behind through 30 zones, and NSL's as they do 40. I now understand that is because they are in 5th gear and in 5th gear, planting your foot does nothing - planting your foot in 4th makes a bit of noise, but still doesn't do much. Foot down in 3rd = more noise... and so on.

It's actually quite scary. You could never get yourself out of trouble in this car. Everything needs so much more thought, if you were to ever get stuck in the wrong lane and need a burst of speed... nothing. I think the performance is well into the dangerous territory. The sorts of people who buy this car won't want to wring its neck to join motorways etc - and without doing so it just won't move.

The interior is bleak and depressing, it's just one massive expanse of cheap looking plastic. It's strange not having any dials in front of you - they are in the middle.

Overall - a very depressing car, a car that makes you not want to drive, will probably increase my productivity for the next couple of days though as I won't be inclined to get out of the office and drive home. Having said that, i probably wont be able to get out of bed in the morning either.

8 series is in for 2 new cats, so can't even use that.

I'm dreading the journey home, the sun has been on the car all afternoon, it will be torture.

[Celt]

Id imagine its an optional extra in most cars. And a 5 or 6 hundred option in a cheap car is maybe not a given to have it.

[Zod]

My wife's Polo has 55bhp. When you switch on the aircon, you really feel the decrease in power.

[Great Pretender]

If you can't have fun in a little car, you're doing it wrong.

'Conservation of momentum' is the mantra you need to apply to this scenario

[LHD]

Great Pretender said:

If you can't have fun in a little car, you're doing it wrong.

'Conservation of momentum' is the mantra you need to apply to this scenario

Hire cars eh?

[AB]

Celt said:

Id imagine its an optional extra in most cars. And a 5 or 6 hundred option in a cheap car is maybe not a given to have it.

I understand that it could potentially be 5% of the overall cost of the car.

I did think that a/c was standard though generally speaking.

[Gizmo!]

LHD said:

Great Pretender said:

If you can't have fun in a little car, you're doing it wrong.

'Conservation of momentum' is the mantra you need to apply to this scenario

Hire cars eh?

What, you mean they have fourth and fifth gears?

I also find it strange that someone who owns a Z4 is bothered about air-con. Presumably the OP is one of those people I saw in the M4 traffic last weekend sat with the roof up?

[AB]

Great Pretender said:

If you can't have fun in a little car, you're doing it wrong.

'Conservation of momentum' is the mantra you need to apply to this scenario

I get it, some fun can be had in most instances but this thing makes you want to slit your wrists.

[Great Pretender]

AB said:

Great Pretender said:

If you can't have fun in a little car, you're doing it wrong.

'Conservation of momentum' is the mantra you need to apply to this scenario

I get it, some fun can be had in most instances but this thing makes you want to slit your wrists.

Indeed, but driving it on the door handles surely goes some way to compensate.

Just don't tell Lu51fer.

[AndrewW-G]

Ahhhh the Yaris, how can you not have fun driving that at least it doesnt have wind down windows

[Chris49]

AndrewW-G said:

Ahhhh the Yaris, how can you not have fun driving that at least it doesnt have wind down windows

And whats wrong with wind down windows??

I don't want that electronic, weight adding trickery in my car

[F355gtb2009]

crash it they might give u an upgrade!

[AB]

AndrewW-G said:

Ahhhh the Yaris, how can you not have fun driving that at least it doesnt have wind down windows

There is that which is helping to keep me a little cooler.

[HellDiver]

Celt said:

Id imagine its an optional extra in most cars.

Actually, it's only the really pauper spec cars that don't have it now. Base model Corsas and Fiestas, that sort of thing.

I haven't had a car without AC since 2000, and even that car was a Mk4 Astra Club and it had aircon.

[AB]

F355gtb2009 said:

crash it they might give u an upgrade!

I don't think they have an upgrade!

I was pretty disappointed to be honest as he said he was just going to nip round and get the courtesy car - he then pulled out an 04 plate S500... which he was just moving out of the way so he could get the 08 plate S-Max out... which he was just moving out of the way to access the Yaris.

Never mind.

[adycav]

AB said:

I was pretty disappointed to be honest as he said he was just going to nip round and get the courtesy car - he then pulled out an 04 plate S500... which he was just moving out of the way so he could get the 08 plate S-Max out... which he was just moving out of the way to access the Yaris.

I had to laugh at that, sorry!

[Menguin]

I never use AC. I would rather a car didn't have it (especially in the case of a lightweight car like MX-5 etc).

[JonyPI]

its standard on all SEAT's as far as im aware! alot of the more budget cars though is not standard equipment along with decent build quality lol

[RobM77]

Great Pretender said:

If you can't have fun in a little car, you're doing it wrong.

'Conservation of momentum' is the mantra you need to apply to this scenario

Everyone gets something different out of cars I guess, but I adore little cars Tiny hatchbacks rock

I wouldn't own one because I don't like FWD, but if, for instance, I had the choice of driving a Honda Jazz 1.0 or a Honda Accord 2.2 for the day I'd take the Jazz everytime. Both are bland everyday cars, but at least one is small, short wheelbase and reasonably light

[kambites]

Menguin said:

I never use AC. I would rather a car didn't have it (especially in the case of a lightweight car like MX-5 etc).

I hunted down a car without it because I didn't want the added weight or complexity.