Forget about reliability.
Forget its vast dealer network and forget about hybrid fuel economy. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but forget about the allure of a raucous, race-inspired GR Corolla.
I want a new Toyota because it has the best air conditioning system in the game.
Moving house means I’ve moved from underground parking – the kind of parking where your phone falls out and no one can hear you screaming – to leaving your car in an outdoor parking lot , the only shelter was a 6-foot-high wooden fence.
Melbourne has been very hot lately, so I jumped in a lot of cars that were baking in the sun. As it turns out, not all air conditioning systems are created equal.
For example, the Mazda CX-9 takes a minute or two to start pumping cold air properly after starting, which means you need to keep the windows open until the cabin starts to cool.
-
Mazda CX-9: Need to work -
-
BMW X5: Good but not as good as Toyota -
The BMW X5 is better in MAX AC mode, but there’s still a lag between warm-up and quick-cool start.
No such trouble with Toyota. Over the past few weeks, I’ve driven a Lexus ES, Toyota Kluger, and Toyota HiAce.
Each is aimed at completely different buyers, with very different list prices, but each has air conditioning that’s cold enough to make polar bears blush.
-
Lexus ES: It’s cool in at least one way -
-
Toyota HiAce: Brings a cool breeze -
From the moment you press the start button (or turn the key, in the case of the HiAce), the vents blast out ice-cold air at full fan speed, combatting the sweltering summer heat. . It won’t save you from self-branding by wearing a hot seat belt, but it can save you from sweaty wounds or complaining kids.
I’m not saying other manufacturers don’t make cars with great climate control. The Mazda 3 G20 in our garage this week almost froze Paul, and James thinks his recent test Range Rover Evoque was almost as cold inside and out.
But no brand does it right like Toyota. I can’t think of a car from Toyota or Lexus that doesn’t wow me with its ice-cold air conditioning.
After all, perhaps the GR Corolla is worth more consideration than a Civic Type R.
-
I guarantee this driver is very cool -
Which cars do you own already have the best air conditioning?
