Need more space than my Mini coupe is giving me: I presently do not have a sunroof. I also have the manual A/C. Much of my time is spent is Palm Springs. . .HOT!!!! The standard, non automatic A/C for this small interior works great . . gets cool in seconds. Much smaller interior, obviously, plus the load without the sunroof is much less. Those of you who have Clubmans with the premium package: A: Does the sunroof ever rattle or creak? B: Is the A/C sufficient on HOT days to cool this car? Am I better off without the sunroof and the automatic A/C? Thanks for your help! p

 

No rattle or creak on our sunroof. The AC has been sufficient for us in Ventura County and has worked well in Palm Springs and Vegas during the summer when we visit.

 

I have no creaking or rattle from the sunroofs. I definitely need AC in the Summer but I would think your needs are even greater. While I find that the AC is sufficient for my area, I like to leave the fan speed on the second slowest fan speed - Fan then is quiet. I leave it that way for most days of the year, AC in the spring/summer, and only occassionally bump it up to the 3rd speed position. But one reason I get away with the second slowest fan speed for most days with AC on is that I bought one of those film tints from an auto store and installed the tint on both sunroofs. It was not all that hard to install and I only put the dark tint on the sunroofs, my windows have no tint. It cost about $20 for the roll of film and it was enough for both sunroofs. There is no legal concern over using a dark tint on the sunroofs and the darker the better. Surprisingly, even with a dark tint, you can see out the sunroof.

It is not hard to install. Basically make a template of the sunroof glass using newspaper and then cut out the film to the dimensions of the newspaper template. Tape the film upnto see how it matches and then tweak the sizing by trimming it where needed. Then you just spray it with soapy water and squeegee it on getting all the bubbles out.

The film tint makes a big difference in the summer months.

Having said all that...back to your questions:
I have the premium package and like the automatic AC. I like the sunroofs. I mostly drive year-round with the sunroofs in the closed but ventilate position. Getting the auto AC w/sunroofs....I don't think the AC will be any more powerful, it will just have the option for you to put it in the auto mode- pre-setting it for a specific temperature. A sunroof with even a dark tint is not going to be quite as heat resistant as a solid top. Will the sunroofs with a dark tint film be okay in your climate....well, you may have to keep the fan on a somewhat higher setting than I but you may have to do that with a solid top as well. I think you will cool the car sufficiently either way but it will probably come down to which fan speed setting you need to use. The higher fan speeds make some noise.....so in the end only you can decide how much you want the sunroofs compared to a solid top. There must be one with those features at a MINI dealership - So i would wait for mid-day and try one out.

 

Well, I agree with what OLarryR said. I have a Clubman with the auto a/c and dual sunroofs. I live in Florida, HOT as well. Last fall is when I purchased my can, September. Well it was very hot in the car due to a clear sunroof. I had my car tinted with 20% on the sides and 5% on the sunroof. This made all the difference. In the last few weeks we have had many days over 90 degrees and my car has stayed very cool. After leaving my car in the sun for a couple of hours I open the sunroof and turn on the auto a/c within a couple of min. I close the sunroof and only a few min after that the car is back to comfortable cool temps. Using the auto mode works very well. I have two kids that ride in the back of my Clubman from time to time and they are always asking me to warm up the car because it stays so cold. So I guess this is my way (long way) of saying that if you tint your sunroof your car will stay much cooler. Good luck.

 

I have this combination (panorama sunroof & auto A/C) in mine, and although I have yet to endure a San Antonio summer with it (only purchased last fall), it all seems to work fine.

No rattles and creaks from the roof; in fact, if there wasn't light coming from above my head, I wouldn't otherwise know it was there... Although the tinting isn't particularly dark, there are some roll-away sun shades built into the headliner that also help to cut down on light transmission into the cabin. Again, not as opaque as a solid roof would be, but at least it's something... Venting the roof does seem to help cool the cabin quickly in concert with the A/C.

The auto A/C seems to work fine as well. One thing I've subsequently learned (having, like you, been previously more accustomed to manually-controlled HVAC systems in my vehicles) was that, even in the "AUTO" setting, the selected temperature does not necessarily mean that the A/C compressor is operating. It seems like anything below 70 gives A/C, 70-72 may or may not, and above 72 is probably ventilation or heat. So if it's not particularly hot, but is humid, a setting of 72 might seem like the ideal setting -- until you ask yourself, "Is the A/C working, or do I need to go to the MINI service center to get this thing checked out...?" But other than becoming familiar with how the system operates, I haven't any squawks.

In truth, the overall cabin volume of the Clubman isn't vastly greater than the Hardtop (about 9-10 cubic feet). So even if MINI is using the same A/C compressor (a good bet, given the vehicles are supposed to be identical from the B-pillars forward), I would think a Clubman would get about the same cooling performance as your Hardtop. It just might take a few extra minutes to get the cabin to your desired temperature -- and venting the sunroof will definitely help.

 

I bought my car in July of last year and live near Orlando, FL. By the 2nd day, I knew I had to have the windows tinted. Originally the tinter didn't want to tint the sunroof because he has had a few of them crack from the heat (dark tint makes the glass absorb heat), but tinted them after I took responsibility. I also use a reflective sunroof shade during the summer.

No leaks or noise from the sunroof. It works fine and I don't have any problems with it.

I have the auto temperature feature and find it to be one of the biggest disappointments of the car. It's my first car with auto temperature management for the HVAC system and it's crappy. It is very poorly calibrated and it is programmed for reduced noise over comfort. I have a detailed post on NAM where I measure the temperature in the cabin over time using the auto feature at different temperature settings. It is consistently 6-8 degrees warmer in the car than the setting. After a while I just gave up on it and just keep turning it down until it's cool enough, ignoring the actual temperature setting. In the summer time, I run it on manual so it will run full blast when I first get in and then I scale it back as the car cools down. Otherwise it runs at about 70% and then scales down too soon. When it's relatively nice out, it works ok.

 

I never have had a problem with the sunroof (Moonroof) since I got mine in April 09, I set the Auto AC at 72 and it's worked fine for me, it's always on tho, and I crack the Sunroof when I park it at work, because the glass expands and gets stuck opening, but never had a problem closing it in any heat. I got mine tinted as well, and no problems, but again I am used to the Texas heat.

 

I have no problem with my sunroof and I think MINI has one of the strongest A/C I ever experience.

BTW, my sunroof is tinted with 5%...that might have something to do with the strong A/C

 

No problems with the sunroof or A/C but I have only had my car for about a month. I live in Tampa so have been using the A/C everyday and I did get the sunroof tinted. However, the best part of the Premium Package is the H/K stereo.

 

Thanks for all of your help. Still have not made a decision. Much appreciated.

 

You could always add the zippeeshades or any other sunshade insert.

 

Agree with rasputinj - no issues with the sunroof or the air. We regularly take our Clubman to the desert in the summer and the AC does fine. It's not as strong as say a Lincoln Continental but how it could it be?! We also got our sunroof tinted dark.

Agree with zug4zig, we use the zippeeshade when driving across the Arizona desert in August and it helps.

Good luck!

 

I have Auto Air and Sunroofs. Live in NC and now that the temps have creeped up to 90, i put my zippeeshades in. it really helps!

I will have my zippee shades in ALL the time now until it cools down. I open the sunroofs all the time with them on in both the vented position and wide open at speeds over 70mph. I have to say, they work really well.

I have contemplated tinting the roofs with Ceramic film like my windows (Madico Tint). Love the Madico tint!

 

I'll quickly chime in and note that I had a Huper Optik 30 tint put on my Clubman and the difference is pretty substantial. I actually like the lightness of the cabin but the 30 percent tint helps (30% visible light transmission) and the heat difference is actually pretty shocking. If i move my hand to sun coming in the windshield, I *feel* the heat but coming in the windows or moonroof, almost nothing.

I strongly recommend the Huper Optik for very hot climates. Yeah, its pricey but I really think you get what you pay for.

 

I have been thinking about this post and my response for a couple of days. I've also been paying attention in the car. Two things; I used to drive a pickup truck. Cab was small and engine was big. I could make the cab cold! I carried a blanket in the car for my wife.... What you are used to may make a big difference in how you feel about the Mini a/c.

Two- the seats absorb heat (and cold) and take a while to change temperature. I've noticed that running the a/c on auto, the fan slows down and I'm still hot. It's very annoying. Thinking about "why" I'm still hot and it's the seats. After sitting all day outside in the sun (the car), the seats are very warm when I get in. The a/c is running half-speed and my back is all sweaty! It's my first car that doesn't have cloth seats and while they look nice, they really need built-in heating and cooling.

It's the opposite problem in the winter. The seats are very cold and take a while to warm up.

 

+1 on that!

 

I live in Phoenix, AZ - was 110 degrees yesterday (no surprise really!) I have a 2008 Clubman S, Auto Air with Sun roofs.

In the beginning, I was very concerned how effective the MINI's AC would be - I had heard from friends that they were hard to cool in Phoenix.

Keeping in mind, this is an extreme climate - I've developed a "routine" to cool the MINI off quickly on hot days:

1 - when possible, park with sunroof in the first (smallest) open position. Just tap the switch once and it does this automatically. Don't have to worry about rain that often
2 - when returning, when I walk up to the MINI, I hit the remote and hold the unlock button. This will roll down the windows and pop up the sun roof (if I failed to remember to do it earlier)
3 - when running, turn on the AC (not on auto) and let it run. When I feel cool air (usually 10 sec or less) I close the windows and later the sunroof. Note - I RARELY use the MAX AC option

The cabin cools quickly but due to my black interior, some surfaces do take a bit to cool off, but I'm VERY pleased with the outcome.

I don't use the auto AC option much as it does seem to want to turn off earlier than I'd like, plus I'm not sure if the compressor runs all the time and the fan adjusts (resulting in bad gas mileage) so I only use Auto AC when on long trips

I do have my windows tinted - sun roofs too. I know there's feelings (neg and positive) on doing this, but without it, I would have to use the shades in the sunroofs in order to cool the car easier. Once the tint was applied, I've never used the shades.

As an example of how effective the AC is, if left on max coolness and max fan speed with the vents blowing only toward the cabin, the temp gets too cool for me. I find the interior is most comfortable when I direct the air-flow direct to the cabin AND down in the foot-wells. Results in a more blended temp throughout.

Oh, and my MINI's roof is body color - Sparkling Silver, not black.

William

 

I have a BLACK Clubbie with a BLACK roof (w sunroof) The first thing I did was get Huper Optik 30 all around (except windshield of course) and also did the sunroofs. It makes a HUGE difference to use IR blocking tint like Huper Optik (or others). I live in Atlanta, it's hot and humid. I also have auto AC and it works very well, I leave it on 70 most of the time and I tilt the Sunroofs up when parked in the sun.

 

My biggest complaint is the failure of the sunroofs to open if the the car has been sitting the sun for a while. Mini really should address this problem, most every other mfgr has seemed to figure it out.

Additionally, why in the hell can't they offer a a completely opaque sliding cover for the glass? The factory installed sldiing cover is a JOKE - and not a vey good one...

 

I had this issue on my Clubman. Last summer, took it to the dealer and they made an adjustment and haven't had any further issues. Check the board here, there is a thread with a service bulletin number (that's what I took to the dealer)

Good luck!

 

I have tinted windows all-around and that has helped greatly with keeping the interior temps bearable unitl the AC can do its work. But, the sunroofs are still a constant problem - they absolutely refuse to open if the ambient air temps are above 85 or so.

And, I am currently in the process of moving from Washington, DC to southern Florida. I am going to make the Palm Beach County Mini dealership's life a living hell untiil this problem is solved. And, believe me, I am persistent enough that they will be giving me a loaner car every week until they do solve the problem.

I have owned 5 or 6 cars that had sunroofs and have NEVER had a problem like this this before. Mini will either get this fixed or I will invoke the lemon law clause and they will be providing me with a brand new Mini every year until they do get it right...