Air conditioning , particularly in a Yaris, any opinions or advice?

Fistycuffs

Has anyone tried the air conditioning in the Toyota Yaris? Is it efficient?

There is one 2011 Yaris model with air con and one that has climate control.I've been asking around in garages and have been told they are the same thing but given no real explanation. They've all told fitting air con in a cheaper yaris model wouldn't work out well financially.

Basically I'm getting a new car because my present car can be scrapped and I have a sick relation that good air conditioning would make a huge difference to during summer months. Its important to me to be able to bring her out so this has become a deciding factor in choosing a car. The Yaris looks like the most affordable air-conditioned option. I don't want to buy it however and later find the air-con isn't up to much.

Any opinions would be very much appreciated or any advice about what I should be looking for.

andyseadog

my 2001 (japanese import) yaris has air conditioning, i never really put much pass on it when i bought the car, but i must admit during the summer months i was really impressed at how much better it is than just 'setting the blowers to cold'.

i must also add that it's my first car that has had air conditioning, so i have nothing to compare it to in that respect, so the yaris system could still be pants. but i'm happy with it.

Atlantic Dawn

I'd go with the Climate Control model if money is there for it. Both the air conditioning and climate control work off the same principal in that there is basically a fridge installed with the engine that you can control to pump cool air in to the car. With air conditioning you set the level of cold and it pumps out that level of cold air constantly but doesn't cut off so is dificult to get an exact comfortable temperature and can be too cold or hot. Climate control works by adding cold or warm air to get an exact temperature, so if you set it to 22 degrees the car will heat or cool until it's 22 degrees and this temperature will be maintained. Fitting air con to the basic model would be as was said to you not financially viable.

The air con and climate control in the Yaris will both use the same basic setup behind them so from a cooling point of view both will be the same but there's much more control with the climate control, it's nearly an extra €1300 for this option, if your only reason is for the comfort of your sick relative in the summer I would go with air con, if it's also for yourself the rest of the year I would go climate. Long term you will not get the money back at trade in when selling but should make the car easier to sell, if you are planning on keeping the car long term this shouldn't be a worry.

Sport €15195
Luna - Cir Con €16685
Sol - Climate Control €17940

colm_mcm

You can get air conditioning on the aura model, this has hot/cold and manual fan speed and air direction.

The Sol luxury pack model has digital climate control that's thermostatically controlled and varies the fan speed and temperature of the air to keep the cabin at a temperature selected by you.
The air conditioning will turn on and off as needed
It also automatically sends the air to the appropriate place automatically.
You can override the auto function and vary fan speed etc manually.

Air conditioning will do everything the climate control does, the climate control is automated.

colm_mcm

Should be added that the 1.33 model is worth paying extra for, climate control isn't.

bazz26

Maybe of some importance OP but an all new Yaris is on the horizon very soon:



Pretty much the same as the Vitz above. I'd imagine A/C would be more widely available on the new model.

colm_mcm

I'd imagine the new model will be here in late summer, the verso-s is out so the yaris shouldn't be too far off.

Yaris never suffered from old model syndrome though, but this time 6 years ago toyota added a special edition with nice spec for small extra money. Maybe they'll do the same this year

Anyone's guess how they'll price it, the iq and urban cruiser are quite expensive so the yaris may continue on this theme.

A revised aygo may fill the gap

Fistycuffs

Thanks a million for the replies everyone , they've all been very helpful. I think it's really going to make a difference to my mum when she's in the car. It's good to get a sense of exactly what it does and that there don't seem to be any major known negatives to the Toyota system.

I'd love to wait for the new Yaris but my car is pretty much on it's last legs and without funneling money into it , it won't last until summer. I think the scrappage scheme ends in June too unfortunately.

Leonard Hofstadter

Fistycuffs wrote: »

The Yaris looks like the most affordable air-conditioned option. I don't want to buy it however and later find the air-con isn't up to much.

The Fiesta is actually cheaper - the 1.25 Style is €15,700 and air con is 530 so that brings it to €16,230 - the cheapest Yaris with a/c is €16,885.

The Ford has ESP as standard as well, the first car in its class to do so, and ESP has been shown to save lives so I think it is very important to have it on any new car - the EU are making it standard on all cars soon anyway.

The Fiesta is an infinitely better car than the Toyota, although if you have the money I would recommend the 1.25 Titanium, as that is available with a more powerful 82 bhp engine (the regular engine has only 60 which is pathetic in this day and age) and that costs €17,445.

If you add in ESP for the Toyota, it actually works out dearer than the Titanium Fiesta (16885 + 590 for ESP = 17475) although only by €30.

But, the Fiesta is a far fresher design, has more power and has other things like alloys and fogs etc as standard. So, for only €30 more, you can have a way better car than a 1.0 Yaris Luna.

By the way OP, have you checked out Opels or Renaults? Renault have been making a killing from 'scrappage' deals so I'm sure there will be plenty of discounts from them, and Opel are running a triple scrappage offer at the moment.

Both of these cars are also considerably better than the Yaris.

stevenmu

Another one to think of is a Nissan Note, a big roomy car that's easy to get in and out of and very comfortable inside, great for taking a sick relative around. This one can be had for €14450 under the scrappage scheme which is stunning value for what you get, I'm sure other garages are doing similar offers.