I like sunroofs partly since they let more light in.
Has anyone bought a new car recently, are sunroofs on the option list now or just not available for newer cars with A/C?
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Has anyone bought a new car recently, are sunroofs on the option list now
Vauxhall still list them as an optional extra. £600 for the Vectra, £500 for the Astra or Corsa gets you an electrically operated slide/tilt glass sunroof with interior blind.
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>>Has anyone bought a new car recently, are sunroofs on the option list now or just not available for newer cars with A/C?<<
Gen,
I recently bought a new Nissan X-Trail 2.2 Sport which came with A/C (or Climate Control to be more precise) and a flippin' great big sunroof as standard....
JD
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The Clio I had (a 2001 dci) had a sunroof as standard which couldn't be deleted, even when I got climate control as an option. It brought the ceiling height down too low, and by the time I sold the car it was developing an irritating rattle. I'm sure that could have been easily cured, but for a car with only 11k miles on it it wasn't the only rattle in the cabin. Aircon/climate control for me every time.
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My jap car has both and I do tend to leave the roof on tilt with the sunscreen drawn to allow the worst of the hot air to escape if I am parked up for a while in the sun. Aircon won't help with this. My handbook also suggests that I leave this open for while after driving off so that the hot air in the car can be expelled by the aircon fan. Normally though, unless I'm dawdling somewhere, its sunroof closed and aircon on every time.
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Clios are notorious for their sunroof rattles.
I had an Alfa 156, with both sunroof and aircon. I think it was due to the fact that the aircon was rubbish. Like most of the other components...
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Gen: I prefer to keep the light out. However, for those who are not frightened/adversley affected by the light, Honda Jazz SE has both.
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Grandad has just bought a new Almera Tino, which has both.
Not that it needs the extra headroom, but it seems to rob a load. Maybe this is the main reason, in the hunt for greater interior space a sunroof used infrequently and takes up valuable inches is a waste.
Does an open sunroof [or window for that matter] use more fuel than aircon?
Kev
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HJ has said here or in his column, that a window and or sunroof open creates more drag, and thus extra fuel consumption, than a/c
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Does the sunroof increase fuel consumption more than the a/c?
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are sunroofs on the option list now or just not available for newer cars with A/C?
BeeEm's have sunroofs as extra cost option. I use the auto climate control on mine all through the year.
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eM.Be. # Note: {P} means I am DECLARING that my profile can be viewed.
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I think that most manufacturers offer sunroofs as an option cost but you are more likely to get air-con as standard these days.
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My car has got 2 sunroofs (sunrooves?) AND a/c, so there.
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My Passat has both Climate Control and a sunroof, and the sunroof has a solar powered fan which keeps that car cool when parked up!
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My old BM had a/c and sun roof. Great fun, until the cable controlling the roof broke. I took it to several people who either quoted me megabucks to fix it, or said "I don't need the aggravbation!" Apparently they are real pigs to fix!
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PDC,
I'm interested in getting the Solar Sunroof you have. As you already have one, I hope you don't mind answering some questions. Does it really work, does the sunroof still let in the sun, and do you think it is worth almost £1000 ????
Kind regards
Guzzles.
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Our new Picasso has a sunroof and a/c as standard. The extra light through the roof adds to the Tardis like interior (or you can pull the blind across if the sun is too hot). I'm glad we have the sunroof, but we don't open it much (due to noise), just now and again to please the kids.
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My car has both climate control and an electric suroof. If it is a nice sunny day and I am in open countryside with fresh air, I switch the climate control off and open the sunroof. I also open the sunroof if it is a dry day in town and I am waiting in the car for someone with the engine switched off. In my view, as well as letting in air, it dampens the sound of passing traffic a bit compared to opening the drivers window.
Actually one option I am really pleased I took.
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I am probably in a minority here but I HATE having the sun beating down on me when I drive. It gives me a headache. If someone gave me a convertible as a pressie I'd either never put the hood down or swap it for a car with a proper roof.
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Alan
In that cae it's a minority of at least two. Not only do sunroofs cut down on headroom for we taller people, as you say having the sun beat down on you is sheer torture - and it can dazzle you behind any shades you're wearing. Admittedly this is usually experienced when driving a little closer to the med than the UK, but it can happen here too.
Give me aircon every time.
Terry
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alanGoowdy and terryb, I am with you on this. So that makes a minority of 3 at least.
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eM.Be. # Note: {P} means I am DECLARING that my profile can be viewed.
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minority is now 4, when do we become a majority?
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Getting there, include me in.
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Hi AlanGowdy,
I agree with your feeling about the sun coming down through a sunroof. I don't actually like the sensation of open air above me when I drive or even having a glass screen overhead: and I'm an outdoor fanatic.
I had a 205 with a glass sunroof years ago (I was young then) and drove to Spain in it. I had to wear a straw hat in the car to keep the sun off me. How mad is that?
Only mad dogs and English go out with a sunroof open. The Spanish don't have them.
PS has anyone else over 6 feet tall slept in the back of a 205 every night for six weeks? I did.
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The 7 year old Synergie has a sliding sunroof over the middle seats, a tilt sunroof over the front seats and climate control. I open the big sunroof once a year to squirt WD40 in the runners in case it's ever needed but most of the time the blind is pulled across it. The tilt sunroof gives a bit of ventilation when parked in the sun and the climate control runs whenver the engine runs set to 21 degrees.
The C3 has air-con but no sunroof.
I prefer the extra headroom of non-sunroof cars.
H.
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Recently bought a new car, came with a sunroof and climate control. Like many people, leave the sunroof tilted to let hot air out, also in the garage to really cool it down at night. Saves on a flat-out CC at start up.
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I read somewhere that UK drivers buy more convertibles than those in France and Italy combined. Also, even sunroofs are less common on the continent than here.
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I read somewhere that UK drivers buy more convertibles than those in France and Italy combined. Also, even sunroofs are less common on the continent than here.
AlanGowdy : The psychology behind this "generally and simplisticly" speaking is as follows -
In a country with not-enough sun, you crave for it.
In a country with too-much sun, you take steps to avoid it.
( the same psychology that explains why ice-cream is not popular in Greenland).
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eM.Be. # Note: i have added {P} after my name to indicate that my profile can be viewed.
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Undoubtably true eM.Be. I think people should be aware that there is no such thing as a healthy tan. Over-exposure to strong sunlight risks sunburn at best, skin cancer at worst.
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I've got a soft top and its got aircon too. Might be useful in winter but I can't see much point in it for a soft top.
If you're fair skin then I agree with the comments about the skin cancer. I'm naturally dark skinned so there is less chance of me getting skin cancer. But there have been times this week where the sun has been burning on my forehead and ears.
306 2.0 SE Cabriolet
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Give me air con (better still, climate control) any day. I've had glass and steel sunroofs and can't really see what people see in them. The glass ones just make the car even hotter in the sun!
Climate control is brilliant. I set mine to 21C/auto on the day I picked up my Audi nearly 3 years ago and have only had to override this a couple of times in heavy rain/snow to keep the screen clear. No open windows or sunroof keeps the interior cleaner as well. Doesn't even seem to affect fuel economy (always get 50-52mpg.
With temperatures round here (Vale of Evesham)hitting 27C this afternoon and no breeze I was tempted to go out in the car just to get cool!
Cheers
Pat
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Had to see the olds yesterday which involved a drive up the M40. In the old car in this weather, the sunroof and the back windows would had to be open.
It was 26C in Warwick, the CC was on 18C/auto. I had perhaps the most relaxing drive of my life. Even at 70mph+ ;) and the CC on, still clocked about 43mpg. Very nice.
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Although I have climate control I found it rather enjoyable this weekend to tank down the motorway with all windows down and sun roof open. Was quite refreshing.
One thing I have noticed is that if I have the climate control on lo, so that it's making the car like a fridge, and open the sun roof, the climatronic starts to work harder straight away? Is this due to the sun roof electrics being wired into the climatronic, or are the sensors in the car that quick to respond?
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Neither - the air now has an escape route, and is effectively being sucked out of the car.
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My car has aircon but no sunroof. My wife's car has both but she rarely opens the sunroof, preferring - as I do - the quiet comfort of aircon to the wind roar and harshly intrusive sunlight of an opening roof.... nearly as bad as having a convertible (though as neither of us is a hairdresser we won't be buying one of those).
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Yeah, that's why the Spanish love the shade and darkness. Sol y sombre.
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Had both on Jaguar.Long since gone, would use roof at every chance.
Mrs VB got air in her new Mx5 & hardtop.
Saw in Luton Jaguar dealer, BMW Z3 traded in, with a Britax pop up in the hardtop.A quick n easy way to lose £$£$£ on the value of your car!!
New Mini looks smart with the £500 full roof option.
& have you seen the consetina (spelling?) glass affair on the Fiat Stilo?Looks neat, but in a few operations, over a couple of years.....
Both 4 me, certainly.
VB
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We have both sunroof and a/c on the Rover, my wife loves the a/c and I prefer the roof open when possible.
If we're both in the car together I need to wear a pullover because it is freezing.
If she is on her own she has the window down AND the a/c on, then wonders why she gets 60 miles less per tank!!
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