Or go for a test ride and evaluate it for yourself, since it's hot right now.

 

So you have a driver? Meaning you sit in the rear seat while your driver drives you around in your car? Our 2010 doesn't have the rear vents and it cools down just fine in 120 degree Desert even with its dark blue paint. The AC I'm disapointed in is our V8 powered Truck granted even with duel systems its still tasked with cooling a far larger space than the OB interior. Given the choice I'll take the OB every time.

 

Isn't it funny that you can have two completely opposite scenarios. I can't begin to imagine "Our 2010 doesn't have the rear vents and it cools down just fine in 120 degree Desert" Now, I don't doubt your word but I simply do not have that happen. If it is anywhere near 105+ the backseat of my OB is a real drag. We took my daughter, hubby & baby to the train station .... about a 45 min drive ... on a hot August day and could not get it cool back there.

I had those regrets the OP is trying to avoid.

 

No I don't have a driver. I just don't like my rear seat passengers to sweat while I'm comfortable in the front.

 

My kids are always complaining about being too cold and we lack the rear vents in our 2010 same car your looking at just newer year with added vents. Get a light color. We bought a white legacy when we bought the dark blue OB. Side by side the interior temp difference is staggering as in the white legacy you can sit in and fiddle with stuff no AC on while over in the Dark blue OB you would stroke out in about 2 minutes without the AC cooling things down.

 

The rear vents work pretty well. People riding in the back have been impressed with them. I live where triple digits are common though nothing like you have. They do help cool down the rear quicker but to get max rear cool you have to put the mode to dash and floor vents. What you lose up front you gain in back and under the front seats. For maintaining cool front vents and what comes out the two in the back work just fine. As you would expect getting into a sitting hot car takes a bit to cool all the way down but doesn't take long to be comfortable.

We got it for our dogs in the way back and we have been pleased with the results. I would not do without them in a new car.

 

I've been told by my co-workers that they can feel the AC from the rear vents, and they are comfortable in the back seat. A group of 4 of us go to lunch together every Friday, and I drive. Based upon their comments, I would say yes to your question.

 

I do Have a driver, if we go out and about with more than the wife and I, I always take the back seat. Ac works very well getting back there, hey I just look outside and I sweat. 2011 limited no rear ac vents, but it is a 3.6 dual climate control. Have read some that say the non dual climate control does not cool as well. Not sure what the 2.5 offers for trim levels, wife would not even sit in one. lol

 

I have been pleasantly surprised by the rear AC vents. I wanted them especially for the dog in back. To get good air flow in the back, you need to have to fan up high but that is to be expected. For me, the biggest thing here in PHX or anywhere else this hot, you need to get good window tint with a high heat rejection.

 

Mine rear a/c vents work fine - in daily 90" F and 90+ humidity... lot of water condensation drains out while a/c is running and the car is stationary. It looks/sounds like Austin Power's long leak, in one of his movies, when he woke up from cryogenic sleep...LOL

 

Due to the additional interior volume, the OB will never cool as well as a sedan.
I have no complaints with my AC though.

 

Thanks all. I really do appreciate the input. Since it is still very hot here, I will go to a local dealer and try the AC myself in front and back. And OBnube, did you state that there are AC vents under the front seats besides the ones in the rear of the center console or am I misunderstanding? From the replies so far it sounds that the rear air may be fine. Oh, and the colors I am wanting are light (Tungsten outside and Ivory inside). I know that lighter colors help and window tinting. I would love to own a 2014 OB soon.

 

Yes there are vents under the front seats as well. They do both AC and heat. The rear vents are limited at about 78* for heat. The air flow will slow down above that. Not sure if there is any limit on under seat vents.

 

+1 on the tinting.

 

Well I went down to a local dealer in our 110 degree heat today. The salesman was very nice and no pressure at all. It was like I was talking to a friend of mine. I found that refreshing for a car dealership. He told me that they don't have to pressure people because they sell a quality product. I took a 2014 red 3.6 Outback for a test drive. It had everything I wanted on it except it was red and I want Tungsten. It had the Ivory color inside. It was amazing! It drove very smoothly and had plenty of pep. The build quality was obvious. I told the salesman that basically I had never driven a Subaru and I was there to mostly check out the AC on a hot day. Well the front AC was as cold as my Yukon (great). Then when we got back to the dealership I sat in the back with the air on, and we talked about the vehicle. I noticed that the back AC was acceptable even on a very hot day and the salesman played with the AC controls and was able to get a decent air flow out for the back seat. :gasp: Not in your face, but acceptable if you have to sit back there in the summer. So I thought how a nice window tint would also help to keep the interior cooler on these hot summer days along with the nice Ivory light interior color. Well, it worked out so well that I went in and met the sales manager. I told him what I was looking for and that I wasn't in a big hurry. He informed me that if I ordered a vehicle it would take about 4 - 6 weeks to get. Basically right now the way we left it was that the salesman knows exactly what I'm looking for and he got my phone number and will see if they can find one. If not I'll go back in a couple of months probably order one. Again no pressure to buy and just a great experience at a Subaru dealership. Of course we didn't discuss money or deals but all in all I will go back there soon if they get one in through a search or to order one. Oh and when I told them that the reason I was checking out the rear air was because we have a little dog that on occasion goes with us, they said to bring the dog in next time because they love dogs. This made me think of the Subaru commercials with dogs which I love especially the one entitled "best friend". So basically I'm waiting to see if they find one like I want, if not I'll order it soon. :29: Thanks all you guys for your input on my questions. Don

 

Hey I'm perplexed by those talking about their rear vents. My OB does not have rear air and due to that fact, we're probably going to get rid of it ...... We're in Gilbert and this was one hot a$$ summer and guess what I have my first grandchild WHO CAN'T GO ANYWHERE WITH ME IN MY NEW $32K OB cuz its too HOT! Between that and the hard and uncomfortable seats (I drive 125 mi back/forth to my cabin most weekends = killing back!!!!), no auto rear hatch opener (struggling with sunglasses, keys, receipts & groceries in 110 @ Costco - so effing fun isn't it) then to ask the passengers to climb in back with no air - arghhhhhhhhhhhh. Ya ya, I got the tinted windows, the Subaru sunshield, I park under shade even if I have to walk a long way (I don't mind cuz I hate door dings and I need as much exercise as possible).

OK, ok at this point you are probably asking what do I like about my Subaru OB.

1) My lil 4 cy climbs Mtns like no other - watch out you big a$$ trucks - git out the way on the hills, this little baby is cruising on by, ya Porche thats an OB on your tail.
2) Wind, snow, hail, hard rain - bring it on - it'll go down any road a Jeep will.
3) Good looking car, love the Subaru dealership @ San Tan.
4) Lower price, payment, tax, tags, insurance, gas than my Expedition that ran terrible

I bought the car because I remember them plowing through snow in Alaska where I grew up. When I visited Denver, Portland and Santa Fe, they were EVERYWHERE. I researched and loved that they've been making the same all-wheel drive for 30 years.

So, after that long winded comment my answer is, do your passengers a favor and look for something with rear air. It'd be different if you didn't live in Phx - then I'd recommend it.

BTW Subaru - how hard is to put in rear air and a rear hatch open - oh, never mind, you just did that.

 

Without the rear vents, it cools the back more quickly if you set it to the floor rather than the dash vents. BTW, How did people survive in the desert without things like rear seat air conditioning and automatic hatches? We seriously have become a nation of wusses. I remember taking trips through the desert with may family in the '70s in an un-air conditioned Volkswagen square back (station wagon). Sat the whole trip in front of that air cooled engine box. Sometimes we even laid the back seat down and just took a nap on the hot box while driving down the highway (don't try that anymore).

 

ever have one of those car evaporative coolers?

 

MZOutback, all the Outbacks I was interested in at the dealer had two air vents in back of the console for the back seat. As I stated in my previous post, those little vents made it acceptably cool in sunny 110 degree heat when I test drove the vehicle. I deliberately checked them out on a 110 degree day by sitting in the back seat of the vehicle after my test drive with the air running. The front was as good as my Yukon (cold and blowing strong). So I will buy a 2014 3.6 Outback soon. Yes Wagondude because of the size of the vehicle, you do need rear air vents in an SUV or crossover in the desert. Many years ago people lived in the desert without air conditioning but why would you want to? It is the 21st century not 1950. When it is 100 plus for four months you need to have modern comforts. Living in the desert is a lot different than "taking a trip through it". Everything in Phoenix is air conditioned now. :29:

 

Just a note on how to effectively cool the entire interior, point the vents up to where the heat is. The roof. Hot air rises, cool air drops. Point the vents up to the hotter air and the car will cool down faster and the air will circulate better. You don't sit in front of the vents in your house do you? And where are the vents? Exactly.

And yeah, lots of sun=lots of tint. It makes a huge difference in interior temperatures. When its 108 outside here, my car is cool like a fridge.

Cool pic Tex.

 

My father in law had one of those things. You fill it with water, or ice water. It had this ratcheting mechanism inside that would rotate a 'horsehair' filter though the water so, I guess the incoming air would blow through and 'cool' the interior of the car. My wife remembers going on trips with it.

 

I still have one of those. It works best in dry climate. I use it as a humidifier. House a/c dries out air to some 20% humidity, even here in humid FL...

 

Do the gen 4's cool any better than the gen 3's? I have had 2 gen 3's and haven't been impressed with the A/C in either of them.

 

Well like I said before, on a 110 degree sunny day in Phoenix, I drove and sat in a 2014 and the front seat was cool and comfortable. The rear seat was acceptable. I don't know how that compares to past generations of the vehicle.

 

I had a 2012 2.5i (didnt have rear vents) and my kid complained about being warm all the time. My 2.5i Limited---kid never complains and uses the rear vent to cool himself down.