I've read through a few old threads and noticed some folk mentioning that the vRS standard air con unit allows you to set the temperature and it sorts it out anyway. Begs the questions: 1) What does the "climatronic air conditioning" do that the standard one doesn't, and 2) Is there any point with ordering climate control? If not I might invest in cruise control instead...

Q: What is the difference between air-conditioning and climate control?

A: Climate control is a more sophisticated form of air-conditioning, which allows the temperature of a car’s interior to be accurately controlled. Users can set the required temperature and the system automatically adjusts the speed and amount of cold air introduced into the cabin. This is different to air-conditioning, which has its speed and amount of cold air controlled by the driver.

Q: What is the difference between air-conditioning and climate control?

A: Climate control is a more sophisticated form of air-conditioning, which allows the temperature of a car’s interior to be accurately controlled. Users can set the required temperature and the system automatically adjusts the speed and amount of cold air introduced into the cabin. This is different to air-conditioning, which has its speed and amount of cold air controlled by the driver.

I have had many cars, some with digital climate control and others with manual air/con.

They both do exactly the same thing, its just one does it with a flashy digital display, the temps reached and adjustable are 100% the same.

Also when you dial in a certain Celsius, its not actually the Celsius its putting out..... i tested like 3 cars before.

Its a crafty little upgrade that manufacturers add to make more profit from the car.

So then does the standard air con let you set a temperature?

So then does the standard air con let you set a temperature?

Yes you just adjust the heater knob, cold for coldest and keep rotating towards hot until you find a nice temp.

I live in Taiwan where its 90% humidity and 32c-38c daily and it works a treat.

Edited 14 July, 201114 yr by Yeti-RS

the older vRS's (like mine) have climatronic as standard, whis has tem sensors on the panel, and does control the temperature depending on what the sensors read (for example didn't have mine on 'coldest' today, set it at 16C and it kept temp well) its not as accurate as the climate control system though..

BUT on the newer vRS's the climatronic has been deleted (no temp sensors in the panel, I could provide pics, but its been done somewhere else on here!) so its down to the driver to constantly adjust, thus making climate control more attractive.

hope this helps!

Shoot me down if I am wrong, but a lot of people will take it because of the spanky digital display you get on the dash, making it appear classier than a button and rotary k.nobs?

Shoot me down if I am wrong, but a lot of people will take it because of the spanky digital display you get on the dash, making it appear classier than a button and rotary k.nobs?

well I don't think mine is much different (the climatronic) as you can set the temperature and the sensors help to maintain it... the new oned though don't have climatronic, so climate control is the onlty option if you want it to maintain a temp that you set...

That's why I had the digital system, the three knobs look very cheap and it was only avfew hundred quid for the digital system

Shoot me down if I am wrong, but a lot of people will take it because of the spanky digital display you get on the dash, making it appear classier than a button and rotary k.nobs?

Yes, it looks much better and the knobs have nice chrome rings in the ends which match the standard stereo very well.

I set mine to 19c when I got the car and have not touched it since, other than to use the recirculator.

The Climate Control system will also control which air vents are used to best cool or heat the cabin. It's a good system, though I don't think I'd be desperate for it back if I didn't have it.

I'm with Fluff, specced it because it makes the dash look better!

Sweet. I'll stick with it then. Cheers, guys.

I have Climate control on both our cars and I find it a massive improvement in terms of instant controlability

So YES..It is worth it

I find the knobs on the climate control to be rubbish...you want to turn the fans up one notch so you turn the knob slowly and nothing happens, then you turn a little faster and it goes up about 5 notches blasting out air....very annoying...if I could re-spec my car, I wouldn't have chosen the climate control

I find the knobs on the climate control to be rubbish...you want to turn the fans up one notch so you turn the knob slowly and nothing happens, then you turn a little faster and it goes up about 5 notches blasting out air....very annoying...if I could re-spec my car, I wouldn't have chosen the climate control

Maybe there is a fault with the dial?

Mine is fine. I had a play with it.

There are quite a few differences with Standard Aircon V's Climatronic

In my previous vRS i had normal Aircon and i used to think the same as in whats the point of the fancy one. However having now had the Climatronic in my last two cars i can say it is defiantely a better system.

This is a list of off the top of my head that i can remember of what makes the Climatronic better. I am talking about Octavia's here but the system will be same or similar in the Fabia.

Better fan (9 Speed vs 4 for manual)

Better Compressor (due to the Fan)

Ability to have two different temperatures either side of the cabin (Within 4 deg's of each other)

Control and regulation of the Air Humidity, Temperature and Speed it is put in/drawn from the cabin. On Normal Aircon the fans go at the speed set constantly and pump out the same temperature of air constantly

Display on the RNS/Bolero for the newer cars (2010 models onwards iirc)

To give you an idea of how good it is have a look at the cost of retro fitting it. Your looking upwards of £4k

Now i am not saying that the Manual Aircon is carp as it is not. It served me perfectly well in my last vRS. However i found my L&K and my Current vRS a lot nicer place to be due to the Climatronic. It Cools/Warms the cabin a lot faster than normal aircon and then it maintains the temperature i set without any further interfereance from myself.

It also looks a lot better on the dash

The climate control is a great system -works well and looks alot classier than the standard three knobs

Of course those green-eyed monsters who didn't spec climatronic will disagree and say its not worth the cash.....

i don't think its worth paying £275 for climate for 4 weeks of British summer standard AC is sufficient

plus more to go wrong with the climate (sensors etc) and its never accurate anyway.

i don't think its worth paying £275 for climate for 4 weeks of British summer standard AC is sufficient

plus more to go wrong with the climate (sensors etc) and its never accurate anyway.

My climate control also works in winter to maintain a consistent cabin temp.....

To be honest if you can afford a new vRS at £13-14k then speccing climate control for a couple of hundred quid is small beer. To those who are sweating over the cost (pardon the pun) I'd say if the price of the option worried you that much then can you really afford to be splashing out on a new motor in the first place?!

My climate control also works in winter to maintain a consistent cabin temp.....

To be honest if you can afford a new vRS at £13-14k then speccing climate control for a couple of hundred quid is small beer. To those who are sweating over the cost (pardon the pun) I'd say if the price of the option worried you that much then can you really afford to be splashing out on a new motor in the first place?!

fair shout mate

but if you can afford to pay for Climate then you can afford to pay for Cruise too, oh wait and parking sensors etc etc

by the end of it the car will cost you £18k lol

each to their own i guess, ive got Climate in my Clio 172 and although it looks good and works id have normal AC and wouldnt miss climate tbh.

options are always subjective, it will suit one person but not another.

My climate control also works in winter to maintain a consistent cabin temp.....

To be honest if you can afford a new vRS at £13-14k then speccing climate control for a couple of hundred quid is small beer. To those who are sweating over the cost (pardon the pun) I'd say if the price of the option worried you that much then can you really afford to be splashing out on a new motor in the first place?!

Plus climate control should be left on all the time anyway.

It reduces moisture in the vehicle during winter which saves possible problems later from damp in the trim.

fair shout mate

but if you can afford to pay for Climate then you can afford to pay for Cruise too, oh wait and parking sensors etc etc

by the end of it the car will cost you £18k lol

each to their own i guess, ive got Climate in my Clio 172 and although it looks good and works id have normal AC and wouldnt miss climate tbh.

options are always subjective, it will suit one person but not another.

Too right mate. Its easy to get carried away on the options list! It's a good thing that we all make different choices, it would be pretty dull if everybody drove round in a vRS in the same colour with same options... lol

Too right mate. Its easy to get carried away on the options list! It's a good thing that we all make different choices, it would be pretty dull if everybody drove round in a vRS in the same colour with same options... lol

hehe yep

or they could of given us the climate for free and nice options for free, but then who would by the polo or sirocco

Completely understand the argument over what looks better; Climatronic definitely does. However I dont agree it works any better in reality. I was dead set on having it because it looked good but the demo I tried had it and I found it really frustrating to use. As someone else has commented turning the dials either did nothing or did too much; found it very distracting and after that 10 min drive decided not to have it.

I was disappointed to find that Climatic had been axed from the standard spec as I thought our car would have it; but it didnt. However the manual AC is more than adequate for what is a cheap supermini hot hatch and its very easy to adjust the temperature and fan settings to suit.

Like people say options are very much subjective; some people want to make the most of the VAT deal and spec the ass out of their cars whilst others want to make as much saving on the car as poss; i'm with the latter :-)

Edited 15 July, 201114 yr by pipsyp