How is the airconditioning in the 2.5L engine Subaru's?

[M.J.]

I have a 2000 Impreza with the 2.2 litre engine. The horsepower is
fine, for my leisurely requirements, but the air conditioning is rather
weak. I live in the mountains so except for a few weeks of
extreme weather this slight deficiency doesn't bother me.

But what if I were to move to Florida or Arizona (which I may)?
Should I even consider buying a new Subaru? I guess my question
is are the new 2.5 litre engines any better in this respect than the 2.2L?

I used to drive a 2.8litre V-6 Chevy Corsica and the GM air conditioning
in that car was very strong. Not comparable to a four cylinder at all. Any
suggestions what import cars have strong AC? The Volkswagen 2.5L
5 cylinder engines have supposedly good air. Any others?

Thanks for any help. I hope to be buying a new car this winter. Maybe
I can go test the a/c's before it gets to cold to figure out which ones are
strong and which not.

M.J.

 

[Tony Hwang]

I have a 2000 Impreza with the 2.2 litre engine. The horsepower is
fine, for my leisurely requirements, but the air conditioning is rather
weak. I live in the mountains so except for a few weeks of
extreme weather this slight deficiency doesn't bother me.

But what if I were to move to Florida or Arizona (which I may)?
Should I even consider buying a new Subaru? I guess my question
is are the new 2.5 litre engines any better in this respect than the 2.2L?

I used to drive a 2.8litre V-6 Chevy Corsica and the GM air conditioning
in that car was very strong. Not comparable to a four cylinder at all. Any
suggestions what import cars have strong AC? The Volkswagen 2.5L
5 cylinder engines have supposedly good air. Any others?

Thanks for any help. I hope to be buying a new car this winter. Maybe
I can go test the a/c's before it gets to cold to figure out which ones are
strong and which not.

M.J.

Hi,
My family always had one or two Subaru. a/c system needs service too.
Even cars with smaller engines have a/c and they are adequate in hot
climate. I used to drive small cars in Phoenix, AZ and never felt a/c
was not doing a good job. If you think your car's a/c is not working
well, have it checked out.

 

[DK]

I have a 2000 Impreza with the 2.2 litre engine. The horsepower is
fine, for my leisurely requirements, but the air conditioning is rather
weak. I live in the mountains so except for a few weeks of
extreme weather this slight deficiency doesn't bother me.

But what if I were to move to Florida or Arizona (which I may)?
Should I even consider buying a new Subaru? I guess my question
is are the new 2.5 litre engines any better in this respect than the 2.2L?

We have 1993 1.8L Impreza and 2002 2.5L Forester. AC is much
better in Impreza! I think it probably because the old AC uses
freon while newer one has some environmentally friendly
substitute.

DK

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

I have a 2000 Impreza with the 2.2 litre engine. The horsepower is
fine, for my leisurely requirements, but the air conditioning is rather
weak. I live in the mountains so except for a few weeks of
extreme weather this slight deficiency doesn't bother me.

But what if I were to move to Florida or Arizona (which I may)?
Should I even consider buying a new Subaru? I guess my question
is are the new 2.5 litre engines any better in this respect than the 2.2L?

I used to drive a 2.8litre V-6 Chevy Corsica and the GM air conditioning
in that car was very strong. Not comparable to a four cylinder at all. Any
suggestions what import cars have strong AC? The Volkswagen 2.5L
5 cylinder engines have supposedly good air. Any others?

Thanks for any help. I hope to be buying a new car this winter. Maybe
I can go test the a/c's before it gets to cold to figure out which ones are
strong and which not.

M.J.

Own 03 H6 Outback, and 06 2.5l WRX wagon. Both A/C systems are adequate
for Texas. TheWRX has window tinting. The Outback does not. I'd say,
even thoygh it is never garaged, my WRX is slighly better at cooling.
Perhaps because it's smaller and/or due to the tinting. I would highly
recomend tinting should you move to a souhtern State.

Carl

 

[M.J.]

Hi,
My family always had one or two Subaru. a/c system needs service too.
Even cars with smaller engines have a/c and they are adequate in hot
climate. I used to drive small cars in Phoenix, AZ and never felt a/c
was not doing a good job. If you think your car's a/c is not working well,
have it checked out.

Always, a good idea, but small cars seem to have AC that feels
weaker, in general. Engineers figure a lesser AC unit will do just
fine cooling a smaller space. AC is subjective too. I am from a far
northern climate, poorly tolerant of heat. Probably would have a
very hard time in Phoenix, at least for the first summer, or so.

M.J.

 

[Todd H.]

I have a 2000 Impreza with the 2.2 litre engine. The horsepower is
fine, for my leisurely requirements, but the air conditioning is rather
weak. I live in the mountains so except for a few weeks of
extreme weather this slight deficiency doesn't bother me.

But what if I were to move to Florida or Arizona (which I may)?
Should I even consider buying a new Subaru? I guess my question
is are the new 2.5 litre engines any better in this respect than the 2.2L?

I used to drive a 2.8litre V-6 Chevy Corsica and the GM air conditioning
in that car was very strong. Not comparable to a four cylinder at all. Any
suggestions what import cars have strong AC? The Volkswagen 2.5L
5 cylinder engines have supposedly good air. Any others?

Thanks for any help. I hope to be buying a new car this winter. Maybe
I can go test the a/c's before it gets to cold to figure out which ones are
strong and which not.

I live in Chicago and despite our being known for harsh windows, we do
get obnoxiously hot and humid enough many summers for people to die.

AC has never been a concern in my 2.5L except for when it needed
service. I've owned about 5 different vehicles, and the Subaru has
never hit my radar as any better or any worse in this regard.

If you move to Florida or Arizona, a far more prescient concern is
fuel economy in states where the extra weight and all wheel drive
doesn't really buy you anything, unless you want it for performance
reasons (in which case you don't want the normally aspirated 2.5L
engine anyway).

Best Regards,

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Own 03 H6 Outback, and 06 2.5l WRX wagon. Both A/C systems are adequate
for Texas. TheWRX has window tinting. The Outback does not. I'd say,
even thoygh it is never garaged, my WRX is slighly better at cooling.
Perhaps because it's smaller and/or due to the tinting. I would highly
recomend tinting should you move to a souhtern State.

Carl

I just wanted to add that no one in Texas expects miracles from auto
A/C. We are accustomed to waiting as much as 15-20 minutes for some
comfort to show itself. And tinting will not prevent a parked car from
getting as hot inside as an untinted car, (just takes longer to heat up)
- but it can knock 10 minutes or more off the speed at which the
interior cools down and makes it easier for the A/C to maintain a
comfortable setting.

Carl

 

[M.J.]

I just wanted to add that no one in Texas expects miracles from auto A/C.
We are accustomed to waiting as much as 15-20 minutes for some comfort to
show itself. And tinting will not prevent a parked car from getting as hot
inside as an untinted car, (just takes longer to heat up) - but it can
knock 10 minutes or more off the speed at which the interior cools down
and makes it easier for the A/C to maintain a comfortable setting.

Oh yeah, I am aware of this Carl, I've lived for a very brief period
of time in Laredo TX, (hot, hot, hot).

Coupe's with extra large doors are great in southern states- the interior
heat has a chance to quickly escape as one opens such a large doors
as in picture below. No wonder these cars are still popular in places like
Las Vegas, etc.

http://caditalk.com/images/past_eve...ewood/lw08/socal_clc_lakewood_02-10-08_43.jpg

M.J.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Oh yeah, I am aware of this Carl, I've lived for a very brief period
of time in Laredo TX, (hot, hot, hot).

Coupe's with extra large doors are great in southern states- the interior
heat has a chance to quickly escape as one opens such a large doors
as in picture below. No wonder these cars are still popular in places like
Las Vegas, etc.

http://caditalk.com/images/past_eve...ewood/lw08/socal_clc_lakewood_02-10-08_43.jpg

M.J.

Yep, that's a little trick I occasionally even expand on, running half a
mile or so with a coupla windows down , just to flush the superheated
air out.

Carl

 

[Ingo Menger]

But what if I were to move to Florida or Arizona (which I may)?
Should I even consider buying a new Subaru?  I guess my question
is are the new 2.5 litre engines any better in this respect than the 2.2L?

I can't answer this, but I feel that the A/C in the '08 Outback 2.5i
is not very strong compared to other car makes, see below.
But then, I do not know if Subaru sells the same A/C in the US and in
Europe. (I am writing from Germany.)

I used to drive a 2.8litre V-6 Chevy Corsica and  the GM air conditioning
in that car was very strong.  Not comparable to a four cylinder at all. Any
suggestions what import cars have strong AC?  The Volkswagen 2.5L
5 cylinder engines have supposedly good air.  Any others?

I was generally satisfied with all A/C in BMW models I drove over the
last 15 years. (635CSi, 330i, 530d,740i, 730i, X3 3.0sd, X5 3.0d). We
use to spend holidays in Italy, where temperatures are often over
100°F in the summer and the cars always got cool in a few minutes, and
then the noise from the A/C did go down remarkably. (Whereas, in the
Outback, it keeps blowing and blowing all the time. It's not that it
can't cool the car, but with much and prolongued noise. Which may or
may not indicate that it runs at or near it's limits.)

Again, I don't know whether the A/C built in models for the american
market are the same.