Sunroofs

fryup

My old car had a sunroof and i really miss that facility in the fine weather, they were all the rage ten years back, but nowadays very few production cars come with them ...why is this??

Is it because air con is the prefered option or do they cause too much hassle with leakages etc??

And could you not have air-con and a sunroof combined??

L1011

Haven't full length/close to full length glass roofs replaced them for a lot of makers anyway? Fiat do these now:


Which are certainly available with aircon...

crosstownk

Aircon and a sunroof is a paradox - no point in letting that conditioned air escape out the roof. Sunroofs can be ordered when aircon is installed but it's generally an optional extra. There has certainly been a decline in sunroof since aircon became more popular.

Saruman

I like the sunroof, my scenic has two of them but I like it more for the light it lets in than anything else.

CharlieCroker

One car that comes to mind that comes with both is the Peugeot 407 solaire. Was origionally a special edition, then replaced the ST spec.
Most people perfer A/C cos it can be used more often while a sunroof is generally used only on a nice day. I miss my sunroof sometimes too

P.C.

fryup wrote: »

And could you not have air-con and a sunroof combined??

I have a sunroof and air-con.

Does cause some dilema in the hot weather - sunroof open, or air-con on

If it is around 20 degrees and sunny with town driving, the sunroof wins.
Open roads, the air-con wins.
When it is way over 20 degrees (hopefully this will happen this summer), the air-con wins.

L1011

P.C. wrote: »

When it is way over 20 degrees (hopefully this will happen this summer), the air-con wins.

My car claimed it was 22 in Tallaght today!

colm_mcm

Had a sunroof and climate in my last car, now just have climate. the roof is handy to open on a very hot day and let all the heat out when you get in the car. I usually closed it again though to get the full effect of the aircon.

Fishtits

I still don't get why we *need* aircon in this country... :rolleyes:

L1011

Fishtits wrote: »

I still don't get why we *need* aircon in this country... :rolleyes:

You try driving a car with leather seats on a hot day without it. My steering wheel was painful to touch for a wee bit after starting the car today on the way home even (until the AC cooled it)

P.C.

MYOB wrote: »

My car claimed it was 22 in Tallaght today!

Parked in the sun.

Mine said the same when I got in at 4pm, but soon after I had driven about a km, it started to come down and settled at 18.

Not complaining - the sunshine is great.

colm_mcm

Fishtits wrote: »

I still don't get why we *need* aircon in this country... :rolleyes:

Sure we don't need electric windows either, or power steering.

fryup

as i said earlier i miss not having a sunroof......so i'm sort of toying with the idea of getting a factory sunroof fitted

or is this kinda risky??:cool:

P.C.

Fishtits wrote: »

I still don't get why we *need* aircon in this country... :rolleyes:

I used to think that aswell.
Then I got a car with air-con. Now I would never get a car without it. I will net even hire a car without it.

I would give up my sunroof but, not my air-con.

Fishtits

MYOB wrote: »

You try driving a car with leather seats on a hot day without it. My steering wheel was painful to touch for a wee bit after starting the car today on the way home even (until the AC cooled it)

A/C wont take the sting out of your seat prior to your butt sitting on it, or your steering wheel for that matter, as you've stated yourself.

Open the window, same cooling effect...

Not attacking you, just the concept that we *must* have aircon. I think its rubbish.

colm_mcm

fryup wrote: »

as i said earlier i miss not having a sunroof......so i'm sort of toying with the idea of getting a factory sunroof fitted

or is this kinda risky??:cool:

Nah, got loads of them done by Cartronics and they're top notch.

Seth Brundle

fryup wrote: »

as i said earlier i miss not having a sunroof......so i'm sort of toying with the idea of getting a factory sunroof fitted

or is this kinda risky??:cool:

A factory sunroof is one installed in the factory and should be fine.
Any sunroofs installed once the car leaves the factory are likely to give grief!

fryup

colm_mcm wrote: »

Nah, got loads of them done by Cartronics and they're top notch.

ya?.......how much & how long does it take to install? ball park figure

Fishtits

colm_mcm wrote: »

Sure we don't need electric windows either, or power steering.

Leccy windows, you've got a point, although there is an argument to be made for the elderly & others with less supple joints etc.

Power steering is a different story, modern cars are bigger & heavier (!), manual systems would have ridiculous ratios, I've no problem with this.

I just don't think that with our climate that we *need* aircon, I lived in Africa and did without it there, as did the majority.

Give me a sunroof anyday around here.

Dero

P.C. wrote: »

I used to think that aswell.
Then I got a car with air-con. Now I would never get a car without it. I will net even hire a car without it.

I would give up my sunroof but, not my air-con.

QFT.

I've had air-con since 2001, and you can take it from me when you pry it from my cold (very cold) dead hands...

As for whether our climate justifies it, the dehumidifying effect is as valuable to me as the cooling effect, and we surely have a humid climate.

colm_mcm

kbannon wrote: »

Any sunroofs installed once the car leaves the factory are likely to give grief!

Not true. most big name aftermarket rooves once properly installed will be a match for an OE roof.

fryup is referring to a nicknamed "factory roof" called this because of the very high standard of finish and similarity to an original roof, the headlining gets replaced, there is no obvious signs form the outsidfe like thick rubbers sticking up etc.

fryup wrote: »

ya?.......how much & how long does it take to install? ball park figure

They usually only take a day. the price depends on what car it's going into, there are a couple of different sizes available.

Seth Brundle

fair enough - I've only come across the bad stories!

Fishtits

Colm, whats a typical cost for one of these?

colm_mcm

factory fitted sunroofs can give trouble, drains get blocked, motors fail, blinds get stuck. I'd rather have a good Webasto or Hollandia aftermarket roof than some of the factory fitted stuff I've owned.


chwck out some sample pics here:
http://www.sunroofsetc.com/electric_sunroofs.htm


Think they start at around 900, for a proper one fishtits.

Matt Simis

Fishtits wrote: »

A/C wont take the sting out of your seat prior to your butt sitting on it, or your steering wheel for that matter, as you've stated yourself.

Open the window, same cooling effect...

Not attacking you, just the concept that we *must* have aircon. I think its rubbish.

My aircon cools my seats and steering.
How exactly does one open the windows (comfortably) at 70mph to "cool down"? I also appreciate the fact Climate Control can smoothly and quietly keep a constant 19c in the car, trying to do that without aircon would require it on full blast.

Man, I can only imagine what you drive and how you drive.

Big Nasty

I'm sorry but once you've had aircon you will NEVER go back! Even though we don't have the warmest of climates humidity here can be huge at times. Ever had the dilema of driving on a motorway and opening the window coz you're too hot and having to close it minutes later coz your head is being blown off?

homer90

Got to have the sunroof ! I never use the air con
Although one side of my face is scorched from the last few days !!

O Well

On a side note, I remember getting a price for a sunroof install (electric) a few years back, IIRC it was around 600-700 Punts at the time !

colm_mcm

having features like anti-pinch, self closing, roof sliding inside the car roof as opposed to outside, and replacing the headlining as opposed to cutting it out and fitting a rubber seal around the aperture all add to the cost. there are still basic electric sunrooves available for smaller money.

JoeA3

We have one of the most suitable climates for aircon, where one day it can be miserable, pelting down rain, and the next relatively sunny and warm. A parked car, even on an Irish April afternoon, gets very hot and uncomfortable very quickly...

A lot of people don't seem to realise it, but aircon is just as useful in our mild damp winters as it is on our rare sunny days. The aircon keeps your windows condensation-free, with a comfortable cabin all year round. I have full climate control in my yoke and leave it on AUTO all the time, never switch it off.

I've had cars with sunroofs, and while they are nice feature, they are fairly useless at anything over 30mph!

Fishtits

Matt Simis wrote: »

My aircon cools my seats and steering.
How exactly does one open the windows (comfortably) at 70mph to "cool down"? I also appreciate the fact Climate Control can smoothly and quietly keep a constant 19c in the car, trying to do that without aircon would require it on full blast.

Man, I can only imagine what you drive and how you drive.

I can appreciate how "one" could feel slighted by my suggestion that anyone other than the little folk could survive without climate control, but really Matt, could your tender self survive at anything other than a "constant 19c"?

What I drive is none of your business.

We can do without the personal stuff if you don't mind.

colm_mcm

Relax Fishtits!

Zube

I had a couple of cars with sunroofs and no aircon, and basically never opened them. I'd never spec a car with one now, and would hesitate to buy a 2nd hand car with a sunroof. They are useless at cooling the car, can't be opened at speed, let the sun in to burn your ears, rob headroom, and break down.

A/C is everything a sunroof isn't: quiet, effective, efficient.

EPM

Had a sunroof on my two previous cars and climate control on this one. The only part I miss with the sunfoof is the light coming in on a summers day. Or any day for that matter. I used to have the blind constantly open. Otherwise climate is far superior and more useable all year round for demisting windows in winter (all 11 and a half months of it) to cooling it down in summer.

Plus some people complain about the juice air conditioning uses - try 120kph on a motorway with a window down or sunroof open - the drag that creates will kill your fues consumption more than any compressor working away.

Anyone know if its possible to just get a glass panel installed in a car roof? not an opening one just a cut out?

Owen

Fishtits, you're being a bit silly saying that Aircon isn't a necessity, and that our weather doesn't justify it. If anything, Irish weather is a perfect reason to have aircon for the dehumidifying properties. My MINI currently has climate control, and a full panoramic glass roof, I wouldn't be without either, but because of the climate control, my car heats up faster in the mornings, cools down faster in the hotter days, and generally keeps the cabin a pleasant place to be no matter if it's hail, sleet, snow, or sun outside.

I remember driving cars without aircon, and on a hot summer day sitting in traffic with the windows down, and the blower on full, it was still warm. We may only get those days once or twice a year, but even for those tiny moments Aircon is a boon.

positron

Agree with some comments here - A/c is more useful for Irish winter than Irish summer. Its perfect for clearing the condensation.

My car has dual climate controls and sunroof. Over the weekend, car reported 20deg in Derry, and I used the air con only when I am getting into it after parking it in sun for a while. I could have done without the A/c - just leave all four windows open for 10 secs and it would be comfortable in no time. On move, I don't like road noise, so I usually keep the windows up, but will regulate the temp using fans and sunroof. A/c gets very little use in warm weather.

dcRoadie

I'm a fresh air lover and cycle to work most days. However when I drive it's in my W201 Merc with Air con (working!) and sunroof - gotta say the sunroof wins out everytime, for no logical reason really, really it's a case of heart over head - I just prefer it that way.

I've a Subaru forester as well and that has the same, air con and sunroof, only for the baby in the back the sun roof - which is huge - would be used a lot more.

Actually driving with the sunroof open in the Merc at 70mph is an entirely pleasant experience - no buffeting at all!

Mr.David

Im not a sunroof fan at all. They add more weight, raise the centre of gravity, reduce headroom, cost more, increase complexity and are too noisy at high speed.

Air con all the way....