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on short distantances(3 miles or less), which would you choose? If you choose air conditioner then how do turn it on and off without wearing it out faster?
i usually use window.
Only 80? Full car window tint + window visors. Crack windows down 2 inches on pass side when driving.
Air conditioner. That's me though. I like it when it's about 75 degrees. If it's 80 degrees in my area, it's probably also fairly humid. So that's AC weather for me.
Extra wear on a short trip is not a concern. The AC compressor is constantly switching itself on and off in normal operation in order to maintain about 35-40 degrees F at the evaporator coils. If it ran constantly, the coils would ice up and block all airflow. It is designed to handle turning on and off and on every few minutes.
I have really bad allergies, from both pollen and other particulates, so the windows are up on my car all the time. I didn't have any A/C in the first couple of cars I owned back in the day and it was shocking to me once I got air conditioning how much less trouble I had from allergy symptoms. Allergens weren't blowing right in my face. I saw further improvements after that experience inspired me to get whole-house air conditioning ... and even more when I got a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. I'm actually off full-time meds for the first time in my adult life. Three cheers for air conditioning. I don't care how much it costs, I consider it an investment in my health.
I actually got all allergy meds 10 years ago when I stopped working in closed buildings and started working in places with working windows and doors. Funny how different things work!
The A/C won't wear out faster in a shorter trip. Nor will it be a bad thing to turn it on suddenly at 70 mph, another fairly common misconception. The A/C compressor is always cycling on and off when you have the A/C on. So it doesn't matter what speed or how short a trip.
There is a theory of fuel economy though. At slower speeds in most cars you'll save a little bit of gas if you open the windows and keep the A/C off. But, in most vehicles, at highways speeds, the drag of open windows uses MORE extra fuel than the A/C would.
The fuel differences are minor though, so I figure use what makes you comfortable/happy. My car's interior heats up big time in even minor heat/sun. Plus, hey 80 is hot to me. So in OP scenario I would most assuredly have the A/C on. The A/C hardware has survived 225k miles being on a fair bit with no hint of issues yet. The window, on the other hand, has been protesting recently.....
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