Had to drop my daughter to a sleep over last night probably only 4/5 miles away but it was in low single figures temperature wise (Celsius not Fahrenheit). I hadn't driven it with roof down at night so went for it.
I put the airscarf on and the heated seats setting 3. After about a half mile or so the cabin heating came in too so directed the dash vents either side to my hands on the steering wheel. I have to say I was impressed and whilst there is the occasional draught or gust that tells you it really is cold outside I was very comfortable - and this is someone whose fingers go white taking something frozen out of the freezer!
It really is quite refreshing to look up and see nothing between you and the moon and stars and that others are probably looking at you and thinking 'they must be mad!' Daughter enjoyed it too and was toasty as she put it.
I can recommend it to those with the heating features - give it a try.
I've been out all day, top down , windows down, no heat on seats or airscarf, just cabin on mild blow - perfect. Thermometer said 8c outside, so it wasn't really cold anyway.
slkfan, you're now an honorary Canadian (Canuck)! I suggest you leave it in auto - I can't give you specifics but the car does seem to know where to put the air when the top is down...just pick your temp (we find 23C works).
SLKfan, you're a good man Charlie Brown! (or woman). I'm just not into cold that much. We started getting snow squalls, and I put Fastdawg in the garage from my daily Saturday runs and brought out the 300S for the dinner run!
I find you can keep the top down until about 38 degrees F. Even then, it is just the hands that get cold... too bad the R171 doesn't have a heated steering wheel (or maybe I should invest in some gloves).
I have been putting the roof down on chilly sunny mornings. Think lowest I saw was 3 degrees but after a few mins when everything starts to warm up its fine. I sometimes have to turn it down ones it gets going I get lots of weird looks but as Woolly pointed out, riding a bike can't exactly be warm and no one bats an eye lid at that.
Top-down today. Started at 9C at about 13:00. Dropped to 5C by the time I got home. Flying jacket is the answer to combatting the cold, that and heater on fairly high temp - not highest temp though, so should be good for near freezing.
7 degrees in Sussex today. Climate control on 24, fan on mid range. Top down, light jumper, air-scarf off. Several people in older mx5's and mg's looked like they were on polar expeditions!
Must admit a function to have the fan run in proportion to road speed would be a great idea!
I agree the heating kit all works pretty well (vents, scarf and seats). I'm 189cm (6'2") so the top of my balding head gets caughtin the breeze a little & I need a hat. I feel a bit stupid going to work in the morning in the dark with my roof down and a hat on.
In Queensland 10C is a cold morning but we persevere !
My cut off is 5C, anything higher and the lid is off. It's funny but going back to Wooly I also used to ride bikes a lot and the crazy thing is if it was cold or wet I would go faster to get to my destination quicker but living in Canada now I realize that all I was doing was increasing the windchill. My view is why buy a convertible if you are not going to use it whenever possible.
My cut off is 5C, anything higher and the lid is off. It's funny but going back to Wooly I also used to ride bikes a lot and the crazy thing is if it was cold or wet I would go faster to get to my destination quicker but living in Canada now I realize that all I was doing was increasing the windchill. My view is why buy a convertible if you are not going to use it whenever possible.
Brrrr...way too cold for us to go topless. 65 degrees is our cutoff, everyone looks at you like you're nuts wearing a hat, jacket etc., they laugh at us! I just smirk back at them because they wish they were me!
Now it's a whole different ballgame when it's humid and 95 to 100! You ARE crazy for going top down!
I have neither heated seats nor Airscarf, but with the automatic climate control set to 75 degrees F the cabin stays nice and warm in air temperatures down to the mid-forties (Farenheit). When it's that cold I usually wear a ball cap, and I do find that wind turbulence swirling over the mesh windbreak tends to make my right ear rather cold. I might have to invest in some earmuffs, or at least an M-B logo stocking cap that I can pull down over my ears. I am sure that if I am kitted out in that fashion, I can run with the top down on some of those occasional Oregon winter mornings when it's clear and just above freezing.
You don't need a heated steering wheel. Gloves are cool anyway.
What you need is one of those pads that have fur-like fabric on one side that is being sold in pet stores, for your cat. It is precisely lap-sized and covered the top of your legs.
Otherwise the heat from the engine will take care of you. It's really more like being at a campfire at night. You get to regulate your heat and there is as much heat as you want, just not distributed perfectly. And no smoke. Well hopefully.
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