Okay, I have some regrets about buying my Sonic.
But not today. The NWS says it's 116F today, and the thermometer in the car reports 118F. The car sat in the sun for an hour while I was in the gym. I don't want to guess how hot the interior of the car was.
But within 60 seconds of start-up, ice cold air was coming out of the vents. Within 3 minutes, the car was tolerably cool. Within 10 minutes, I had to turn the A/C down.
Those fellers sure can do A/C right!
Well, Opel and Holden of Korea did a nice job with help from Daewoo. 
GM didn't have much to do with it.
Oh, I'll bet a dollar they did. GM-USA designs A/C systems for a lot of cars produced elsewhere.
Back in the 70s, Jaguar and Rolls-Royce used GM-sourced A/C systems. They're good!
Well, at the least GM didn't mess up a good thing. At the best they actually designed the system. Either way that is some hot weather.
EvanR wrote: Oh, I'll bet a dollar they did. GM-USA designs A/C systems for a lot of cars produced elsewhere. Back in the 70s, Jaguar and Rolls-Royce used GM-sourced A/C systems. They're good!
Yup, a small company called Frigidaire.
I did see where Phoenix was 118 degrees and Vegas was 113 degrees today. That is something I have not experienced, nor do I wish to. All the A/C technicians and engineers deserve a pat on the back for their hard work.
EvanR wrote: Oh, I'll bet a dollar they did. GM-USA designs A/C systems for a lot of cars produced elsewhere. Back in the 70s, Jaguar and Rolls-Royce used GM-sourced A/C systems. They're good!
They've subbed out Delphi systems in badge jobs before, like the 1ZZ Prizms that use an annoyingly expensive and leak prone vehicle specific Delphi V5 compressor, but also nearly doubles as a self propelled refrigerator when they do work. I wouldn't doubt it if it's the case here.
In reply to ncjay:
Almost anyplace humans live there are some sort of weather issues. Is it hot? Yes.
But as I like to say, you never have to shovel heat.
Keep your snow.
EvanR wrote: In reply to ncjay: Almost anyplace humans live there are some sort of weather issues. Is it hot? Yes. But as I like to say, you never have to shovel heat. Keep your snow.
Flip side... You can always add more clothes to keep warm. You can only take them off until you are naked to stay cool. Then the mosquitos and scorpions go straight for the hootus.
Climate control systems were the one thing the US car industry had right. Way ahead of the Japanese. Now, my LS400's and LX470, they paid attention and those are excellent.
I remember being in Toronto one January about 15 years ago. We had a rental car, some GM something or other. Went out in the morning, started it up, turned on the defroster and almost immediately, the windshield began to clear. Of course, the rest of the car has probably fallen apart around the heater core by now, but that part worked.
Ford tauruses in the mid 90s. Car could 1000 degrees and id be chilly in 3 blocks.
EvanR wrote: In reply to ncjay: Almost anyplace humans live there are some sort of weather issues. Is it hot? Yes. But as I like to say, you never have to shovel heat. Keep your snow.
berkeley 118°F heat, I can drive through snow. Man made 4wd.
My dad had a 1968 Oldsmobile 98 that would frost up the chrome dash vents. I remember freezing as we cruised up I55 to Chicago to see Grandma on a hot summer day.
My wife has a 2003 Trailblazer bought new that has ice cold air that has never had the air conditioning system touched. Now that I say this......
The ac in my 78 T/A still blows ice cold. It's still r12 and I've owned the car for well over a decade and never had to charge it.
HVAC is the one thing GM did better than anyone else for decades.
I agree with the people that would rather be cold than hot. I hate hot weather. But, I seem to be getting used to it. Air temp gauge on the bike said it was 97 on the way home today and it felt perfectly fine. Just a couple years ago I would have been dying, now I'm wondering when it's going to start getting hot 
I have to say that the A/C in the wife's new Lincoln is really very good.
1963 Buick deuce & a quarter that I owned long ago had the best ac of any car I've ever owned. ('75 BMW 530i had the worst)
Before I removed the AC in my 2002 Escort I was able to get its output down to 32 degrees with an outside temp of 95.
My company car is a 2015 Malibu. I'm very disappointed with the A/C, since GM has a reputation for good A/C. I'd say the system in that car blows, but it doesn't, and that's the problem. It's marginal in the high 80's, and downright ineffective when it gets above 100.
My Savannah based penske truck from last July was unreal. Borrowing F-I-L's Avalanche a week later, not so much. Mostly because the blower motor was dead.
You can thank Nash for the Weather Eye system for a lot of the HVAC setup and for cabin filters.
I've always been pretty impressed with my '90 Miata's A/C system. Turn it on and in 5 minutes you could use it as a refrigerator. Ahhhhh, good old R12 systems.
We have Mazdas, killer heat, wimpy A/C. Fits Michigan pretty well.
EDIT: We call my son's Protege "The Ark", because when you open the heat all the way up, it melts your face.
The '99 Malibu will freeze you until you want to turn it down but the blower only works on 4 and 5. Meanwhile in the Honda it works but the controls are smarter than me. I finally figured out you're supposed to leave it at a temp and not berk with it.
RossD wrote:EvanR wrote: In reply to ncjay: Almost anyplace humans live there are some sort of weather issues. Is it hot? Yes. But as I like to say, you never have to shovel heat. Keep your snow.berkeley 118°F heat, I can drive through snow. Man made 4wd.
After living over 40 years in PA and dealing with Nor'easters, I'm completely cool (pun intended) with the heat/humidity of Atlanta. If I never see a snowflake again, it's all good. I did experience 114 once on a trip to Vegas. I don't care how dry the heat is, it's still stinkin' hot. But you treat that just like you'd treat a -5 degree day in the northeast. Minimal outside exposure.
Can't say I'm overly impressed with Korean a/c units. Both my Hyundai and the wife's Kia will keep us reasonably cool, but you have to crank it, especially in the Sedona.
I remember dating a girl in high school who drove a '71 Skylark coupe. That damn thing would keep my 7-11 Slurpee frozen for hours...
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