In South Florida: Air Conditioning Matters

Today while test driving the 2007 Ford Edge and Toyota FJ Cruiser, my dad and I realized one very important aspect of considering any SUVs: the air conditioner.

Normally, I don't care and drive with the windows open at least 80% of the year... but once and a while, especially during our summers, you'll get these days where you couldn't tolerate the outside if you were paid to. I'm talking the kind of humidity that gets your ass to stick to the seat and your back wet in minutes in a car.

In SUVs no less, that's a lot of interior volume to store heat, and with the extra windows, that's more space the sun can affect.

So my dad and I set out to test the Ford Edge. Overall, this was the crossover I was rooting for. I had read reviews and considered the bad points over the good, but oddly enough, I didn't see one review about the A/C.

After asking the salesman some questions, he handed us a key and told us where to drive. "You're not coming with us?" we asked the salesman. "Should I not trust you? More importantly, do you not trust yourself?" (Wise man.) We took the keys and walked to the Edge.

For some reason, he put us in a black Edge that was sitting in the sun. I'd imagine that it wasn't the best sales technique on his end, but it was good to gauge real-world exposure to the car. We opened the door and I swear my eyebrows were singed. Dad suggested I start the car and let it cool off, so I did. And we waited. And waited. And waited some more.

Here's the thing about the Edge. The vents along the center console are massive. No joke, they run about the entire height of the console for reasons unknown. Couple that with the side vents and the 2 additional vents in the 2nd row -- all powered by the same A/C unit -- and you get one very weak A/C system. I'm talking the kind of system that you have to put your hands up to the vent to tell if it's actually working. And working it was, you heard the fan blowing full-blast and it was only moderately cool.

We hopped in and drove around the block. Nice pickup, excellent handling, it was responsive and zippy. "Drive it the way you want to drive it, not the way your Kia currently drives" said my dad. And he was right, with the A/C on full blast, I didn't have to floor it for it to zip forward -- in my car, if the A/C is on full blast, it's not going anywhere anytime soon -- with it floored.

By the time we got back, my dad and I were still sweating. Not a good first impression at all, and we still couldn't feel the A/C. I parked it in the shade and walked inside.

The salesman came to us and I handed him the key. "What are your thoughts?" he asked. "Honestly, the only thing I didn't like -- and I mean I really didn't like -- was the A/C. It was barely there." He nodded immediately and said "yes, the A/C." I'm guessing he's gotten similar feedback. And just like that, we left the dealership, but not after thanking the man for his time and moving on.

We then went to drive the FJ Cruiser. Comparable mileage to the Edge (19/25) in a 3.5l V6 and 229 horsepower to boot. We hopped in, looked at the various configurations and then asked for a key. The man eventually came back and we started it up, with the A/C on full blast of course. Damn, what a difference! It was blowing so hard you had to aim it away from you or your eyes would dry out -- the back seat really felt it. That's an A/C system! Not the namby-pamby system the Edge had!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, in South Florida, the air conditioning really does matter.

That's all I needed. I drove it around just in case, and liked the way it handled and picked up as well. Both the Cruiser and the Edge were comparable, but the Cruiser cooled and the Edge didn't. In fact, by the time we were done with the 2-mile test drive, I was ready to turn the A/C down to low -- it had cooled the entire crossover up!

So far, the Cruiser is the winner, and it's cheaper than the Edge with a better warranty and more features.

Tuesday, my dad and I are going to finish up test driving by trying out the Mitsubishi Outlander (which I'm also rooting for), the Saturn Vue and the Dodge Nitro. By then, I should have made up my mind on the next car, and should have it by the end of the year after paying off some credit cards first!