Air conditioning - What you never have, you never miss

[Madamacadamia]

Quoting my Mum in the title! I've never had air conditioning, so not currently missing it. Surely open windows are good enough, and aircon is something else to go wrong? What's the big deal about aircon?

Guess it depends where you live.
In most houses in the UK, I'd say it's pretty much a waste of time, but in some parts of the world it's very much needed.

I rely on my air con for demisting the windscreen! No idea how I coped before!

I'm asking about cars. I demist my windscreen with the heater - it has a windscreen setting, works ok if not instantly.

One of the small joys in life is getting in your car on a hot humid sweaty summers day, turning on the air con and wallowing in the blissfully ice cold air being gently wafted about your person.

I'd quite like an estate car that has air vents in the boot so I can take the dog out and about in the summer safe in the knowledge that he's not sweating to death in the boot while I'm all fresh up front.

Surely open windows are good enough,

Opening a window only provides airflow at ambient temperature; air con can cool the air before it enters the cabin. An open window causes a lot of drag at higher speeds, significantly increasing fuel consumption - somewhere around 40mph and over, having the air con on is more efficient/economic than having a window open.

Air con also removes moisture from the air, which is why windscreens clear much quicker than in non-air con cars.

Plus it's nice to arrive at your destination cool and refreshed, not windswept.

children. hot days. days out and holidays. traffic jams.

that's why I chose a car with air con. Personally I love the heat but a blast of cold air does make their journey more bearable.