Heated and Cooled Cupholders Put to the Test
CARS.COM — Long gone are days when the only heating and cooling inside a car came from the heater and air conditioning. Nowadays, seats, steering wheels, mirrors and even cupholders are all capable of warming or chilling. Though some may seem gimmicky, the heated and cooled cupholders in the 2011 Chrysler 300C caught our attention by being hot or cold to the touch almost immediately after we turned them on.
Related: The Zen of Cupholders
To see how well the 300C’s cupholders do their job, we gathered a cold bottle of water and a freshly poured cup of coffee from a favorite breakfast vendor, and we brought along an infrared thermometer. Without any drink in place, the surface temperature inside the cooled and heated holders showed promise. The cool side registered 48 degrees Fahrenheit, while the hot cupholder measured 113.1 degrees.
What may be more important than how hot or cool the cupholders get is the material of the container in the vehicle. We chose a paper coffee cup and plastic bottled water because they are extremely popular on-the-go beverages, not because of their insulation properties. A different container could make a difference in the effectiveness of the cooling and heating effects. It’s not just a hot cup o’ Joe we’re smelling, in other words; we smell an opportunity for Chrysler’s accessory business.
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