Houston area here and absolutely no problem with AC cooling; really don't have to use recirculation except for initial cool down.

 

^^ Well, I went to school in Houston for one semester and it was humid even then, ugh!

So thanks for the good info everyone; I feel like I've learned so much already and now I MUST have those tinted windows!

 

And why cruise control, locking gas cap, nav, keyless, 6 cd changer are not standards ?

 

I second this idea, people differs feelings of cold and hot.

 

Hell yeah! The AC system removes moisture in the air as it cools the air. Ever notice the water dripping under any car with the AC on? Ever notice how quickly fogged up windows clear with the AC on?

All about removing moisture from the air.

 

get tints and car is cooler...i live in South Florida... its hot here and i have a black to me its works fine

 

IMO, Honda A/C is never that great.

 

Then you've never been in a 99+ Odyssey. My kids always bring a blanket into the van in the summer, they complain it's too cold when daddy drives. hehehe

We were 3 adults, 3 kids, a trunk full of stuff, luggage carrier on the rack, rear AC off, front AC set to 22-23C (73-75F), and everyone in the back was cold. Outside temperature was VERY hot and humid that day, sun was out in full force, definately 32C+ (90F+) + humidity. Type of weather you take a shower and your hair an hour to dry (even short hair).

That AC system never has any issues with cooling the cabin, well sometimes in traffic jams. My 1992 GS-R with the old R12 gets so cold sometimes I pull out my mits! hehehe

 

The Temps. have already hit the 100 degree mark in the deserts of California where I reside. I have no complaints about the a/c! It was a concern for me as well prior to my purchase. I am loving my Fit.

 

Thanks, Thomas J. I feel better now! ;- )

You guys are all great!

 

Here in E. Texas its humid and hot. No problem with the A/C cooling it down fast and keeping it cool. The high placement of the center vents is smart engineering on Honda's part. As for the one who doesn't like Honda A/C, I'm guessing they've never had a Ford (all 3 of the trucks I've had were weak on the A/C.)

We will tint the windows next month though b/c it helps with temp and privacy.

 

Make sure you have the slide switch moved to the recirculate position in the middle of the HVAC system. This will recirculate the inside cabin air and cool the car off faster.

 

Mazee,

I think the AC in the Fit works pretty well. We live in a very hot/dry climate and the Fit stays pretty cool. It's been in the 90's here lately. The Fit's AC isn't as icey as the AC in our Honda Ridgeline. The Ridgeline is a freezer and the Fit is more of a refrigerator in comparison.

Thanks for the kind comments in the other thread by the way. Hope you love your Fit when you get it. I can't get enough of mine. I've never been this crazy about a car before.

 

I just test drove an orange sport fit today in Las Vegas and must say
the a/c is a joke, and it was only 94F out, god help us when it gets around 115-120F out here. And boy the did the car get slow on the freeway with the a/c on, it sucked all the power. Not much passing power. Think this car needs
a perforamnce crankshaft pulley to make up for the a/c & tinted windows.

I tried negoiating price, but they wanted $600 on top of $16,520, and $1300 for tax. I passed, since I wanted the blue pearl color.

 

Well lets see; I live in the deserts of Palm Springs California. My car sat in the sun all day. Once I got on the interstate I dropped the fan setting down to 2! It is 103 today. It is as efficient an a/c unit I have had in Acura-Honda and previous Toyota's!

 

Jimmy,
I don't know what your current ride is, but that may be what causes the Fit to suffer in your opinion. Or, you've seen too many "fast and furious" movies. Of course the a/c in a 1.5L four cyl is gonna tax the engine. Th Fit is first of all, an economy car in use all over the world. Tint will help some, but remember different cars do different things well. In my 300hp 5.4L V8 Ford F150, the a/c isn't strong and the power drain isn't noticable, but it does get only 13mpg. You just need to know what you're really wanting to drive and how to drive it.

About highway passing and the a/c - I drove 250miles of two lane Texas highway on Monday, no problem passing people. If you have the Sport, use the left paddle to downshift as you give it some gas, and away you go, 60 to 80mph pretty quickly for a 109hp four cyl that got 37mpg on that trip, with the a/c on.

 

When I first test drove my Fit, I drove a little in the city with the A/C on full blast on 4 then took it out on the highway and I have to agree it affects the car's power pretty drastically. I guess its no more then any other car but the fact that the Fit only has 109hp to begin with pulling 2500lbs, its really felt when trying to accelerate at highway speeds above 60mph.

I myself arent bothered by cold climates so I found the Fit's A/C not as cold as id like it but its not warm by any stretch and should be sufficient for even 100*F+ weather as I am in most of the summer.

 

For several years after the switch to the new freon some car makers had A/C units that failed to cool properly. I read that a new gen of A/C units in cars these days work much better.
At slow speeds I might as well roll down the windows in my PT Cruiser. Sounds like the Fit has it beat by a mile.