Which Crossover SUVs Have Rear Air Conditioning?
CARS.COM — Could you tell me which crossovers have rear air conditioning? I want a crossover but have to have rear air conditioning for my kids. We live in Texas.
Grace, Corsicana, Texas
Grace, we have good news for you. The vast majority of new crossovers and SUVs come with rear vents for the second-row at the very least, which help to keep the air flowing for rear seat passengers — an essential feature in those hot Texas summers, or anywhere else temperatures are high.
Related: Find the Right New Crossover for 2018
If your family is bigger, or growing, even three-row SUVs should have you covered. Several three-row crossover SUVs are available with rear air conditioning, including popular models such as the Buick Enclave (and similar Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia), Ford Explorer and Flex, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Highlander.
The specifics can differ by brand and model, so they may not all have fully independent controls for the middle and third rows of seats, but they all have rear vents that should keep your kids cool during the summer deep in the heart of Texas. In some cases, rear air conditioning may be available only on certain models (such as the Highlander Limited), so you should be sure to check this out while shopping for a new vehicle.
These will also be important features to look for if the kids suffer from car or motion sickness. Ample ventilation and fresh air helps keep their lunch inside, rather than on the seats.
Some luxury SUVs take things a step further. Most SUVs have dual-zone (separate temperature for driver and passenger side) or tri-zone (driver, passenger and rear) climate control systems, but vehicles like the Volvo XC60, Audi Q7 and Land Rover Range Rover Velar have quad-zone climate control. This allows passengers in the backseat to control temperature separately as well. That way the kids won’t fight if one wants heating and the other cooling. They can just fight over the iPad instead.
The Cars.com Vehicle Recommender can help with your search. Though rear air conditioning isn’t one of the search criteria, you can sort SUVs based on other major comfort and convenience features, number of seats, price, fuel economy and other factors.
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