So far, after one year of use, I'm using the following setup:

p.s.: I live in Quebec,Canada so it's pretty cold in winter.

Hot summer days: Auto mode with the temp. set to 24celcius or a lower temp, if it's really hot and humid.

Other kind of temp.: I engage the auto mode but press the AC button so it show that the AC is off. This way I let the car manage all other automatic setting.

In winter the temp. is set to 19celcius.

Of course depending of the weather condition I might use other setup like the defrost button. But it's 90% of the time my setup.

I found out that the auto mode, even it's allowed a good "Autostop" average, disabling the AC while in auto mode allow even more "Autostop".

Sorry for my poor english, french is my first language.

 

I generally use the manual climate controls, but there are advantages to the automatic ones. For one thing, if I have the a/c off and I'm just using the fan to keep myself a little cooler on a hot day, I find that having the fan speed set to Auto is optimal. I don't even have to think about it- and I like that. However, in extreme temperatures, having it on Auto is just like having it on high, and usually that isn't what I want. It drains away my mpg a little more than I would like, so I use lower settings and don't put it on auto until the car has warmed up considerably if the weather is very cold.

 

The thing I like about the auto setting is that it will turn the fan up when I come out of a shadow and in to the sun.

 

I use it but only in Summer. I really don't like the fact that it heats up the feet area first (actually, I don't think it every switches but then again, it's cold so maybe it's programmed that way).

 

Wow, very strange JavaJ- one of my issues with the auto heat is that sometimes when it's very cold I feel like my feet are turning into blocks of ice, and the heat doesn't seem to get down there very quickly. I wonder why there would be this difference? Did I turn on/off something, or did you, that directs heat to the feet?

 

leahbeatle- maybe it is another Canadian-only thing. My heat always goes to the feet when I leave it in auto (and it is cold). Any other Canadian owners have the same experience? Honda Canada maybe programmed it that way (and if so, makes you wonder if it can be re-programmed).

 

I find that in my 05hch when in manual heat mode, floor setting, heat still blasts out of the two side dashboard vents. If I shut these off or set them at the 1/2 point, more heat comes out the floor vents.

 

For me the auto heat:

Doesn't even turn on until the engine is at least warm enough to blow warm air (this is good)

First thing it does is blows the warm air against the front windshield (not good)

Second after it has decided my windshield is toasty, then it blasts my feet. (a little better)

And I'm only guessing about this since by the time it decided to warm my feet I'm just about to work, it then blows the warm air out out the dash vents.

I'm in Texas so I don't think it's a Canada thing.

 

There is. The AC button will manually cycle the compressor on or off.

I never turn it off. I keep it at 74 in the winter and 76 in the summer. In the winter, I make sure the compressor is off.

 

I'm starting to get the feeling that we're not all talking about the same auto setting for the heat. The auto setting that I use controls the fan speed. There is another auto setting, above that one, which controls which vents the air is blown through- I never use that one. So when I say auto heat, I mean the lower dial, with the different fan speeds. Which ones did you each mean?