In the face of rising competition, car manufacturers continue to come up with supplementary features to make their cars stand out from the crowd. To cater to their customers’ demand for comfort and convenience, luxury car brands are integrating heated and cooled cup holders to certain models. As the name indicates, a heated cup holder would help keep your drink warm for an extended period. If you plan on buying a high-end car anytime soon, you might want to get one with a heated cup holder.
Cars with heated cup holders
Chrysler was the first car brand to introduce heated cup holders, back in 2007. The feature quickly became popular, and other brands started adding it to their cars too. Here are ten of the most popular cars that come with heated cup holders.
Mercedes Benz GL-class
The 2014 and 2016 Mercedes Benz GL-class models come with cup holders, both heated and cooled. However, note that both models would require an upgrade as the standard trim levels do not have these cup holders. The GL550 has this feature as a standard package. However, one needs to get the Premium 1 package on the GL450 and the GL350 to benefit from it. The heated and cooled cup holders also have red and blue lighting schemes respectively.
Chrysler 300C
The 2011-2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019 models of the Chrysler 300C offer heated and cooled cup holders. Located at the front edge of the console, they can cool up to 48 degrees and heat up to 113 degrees. In case you are buying the 2019 or 2020 models of Chrysler 300C, you need to pick the 300 Limited trim level in order to get these holders. For the 2011 to 2017 models, this feature is available in the standard trim level.
Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S stands out particularly due to its wide range of sophisticated features. In this car, you may switch the cup holders between three modes: Heating, cooling, and off. While heating and cooling, one can set the extremes of temperatures at 50 degrees Celsius and 5 degrees Celsius, respectively. The feature is available on the 2015 to 2022 models of the car, and is standard on the Long Range and Long Range Plus trim levels.
Which SUV has heated cupholders?
In case you prefer to buy an SUV rather than a sedan, you could still get heated and cooled cup holders in your car. Several luxury SUVs come with this feature, such as:
Cadillac Escalade
Currently, the Cadillac Escalade is one of the best luxury SUVs you could buy. It comes with amazing temperature control features, including heated seats, heated steering, and heated/cooled cup holders. Not only are the cup holders easy to use, but they also run in an extremely efficient manner. However, it is noteworthy that this feature is available only in the Sport Platinum trim of the 2021 and 2022 models of the car.
The lavish features available in the Cadillac Escalade ensure a comfortable ride. In case you are bracing up to pamper yourself with an expensive SUV, make sure to check out this model.
Audi SQ5 Sportback
The Audi SQ5 Sportback happens to be another enthralling SUV offering temperature-controlled cup holders. You may set the holders at a temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit when cooling and 104 degrees Fahrenheit when heating. What’s more, the cup holders can also boost the batteries of your car remotely. The feature, however, is available only in the 2021 and 2022 models of the Audi SQ5 Sportback.
Well, you won’t be enjoying heated cup holders in the standard trim. Evidently, it’s imperative to get the Prestige Package and upgrade to the 3.0T Premium Plus Quattro model. Considering that the SQ5 is one of the finest sports SUVs in the market, it is definitely a great choice.
X-Trail
The New Nissan X-Trail is a crossover SUV that stands out due to its various remarkable features. These include temperature-controlled cup holders that would help you keep your drinks warm or cool. You can enjoy this feature only in the 2.5 Tekna CVT 4WD trim level of the 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022 models. However, as it is a standard feature on this trim, your car wouldn’t need any upgrade.
The X-Trail also comes with other attractive features, such as decent off-roading capabilities and greater efficiency. This has made it a popular vehicle among the luxury SUVs and a good option in case you are looking for an SUV with heated and cooled cup holders.
Do cars have heated cup holders?
An increasing number of cars are now offering the heated cup holder feature. However, this is typically available in luxury cars only. Among the cars where this feature is available, most offer heated cup holders only in specific models and trims. Hence, if you plan on buying a car with this feature, this is something you need to bear in mind. Depending on the car, you may need to make an upgrade in order to add temperature-controlled cup holders.
How do heated cup holders in cars work?
Heated cup holders use heating elements placed nearby, inside the console. Although the console is plastic, the insulation keeps it safe from the heating element. Rather than regular cup holders that rely on insulation to keep a drink warm, heated cup holders continuously heat up the cup. You may choose to manually turn the heating element on or off. However, it would stay on only as long as the car engine does.
Do cars have cooled cup holders?
After the success of heated cup holders, car manufacturers started offering cup holders with both heating and cooling capabilities. You may set the cup holders at hot or cold temperatures as per your needs. Hence, whether you get a cup of hot coffee or a cold drink, you may keep it at a favorable temperature without hurrying to finish it.
Do heated cup holders work?
Skeptical about whether heated cup holders actually work? You may rest assured that they do their job quite well. In fact, if your coffee cooled down to the ambient temperature and you placed it in the heated cup holder, you could actually heat it back to a warmer temperature again. Heated cup holders are certainly no gimmick and genuinely serve the intended purpose.
Can you add heated cup holders to your car?
In case you have a car without heated cup holders or plan to buy one that doesn’t offer the feature, you might be wondering if it is possible to add heated cup holders separately. Unfortunately, you cannot install the entire system in your car. If you need a car with heated and cooled cupholders integrated, you have to either purchase one or make a necessary upgrade.
However, there is an alternative that you could try out. You may get a single heated or cooled cup holder and place it inside the existing regular cup holder in your car. As for the power source, you can simply plug the holder into the cigarette lighter in your car. Do note that this solution has certain drawbacks.
- Added cup holders can either heat or cool your drink. Unlike the built-in options, you cannot use the same cup holder to heat and cool your drinks.
- The chances of overheating and related accidents are higher, compared to built-in heated cup holders. This makes the latter a safer option.
- Built-in cup holders last much longer than added cup holders. Therefore, you need to replace them frequently in case you go for the latter.
- You would be more likely to knock over your cup if you leave it in an added cup holder rather than a built-in one.
Hence, buying a car with a built-in heated cup holder would definitely be a much better idea.
Conclusion
Although heated and cooled cupholders are available selectively in certain specific car models, they are growing increasingly popular. Added heated cup holders are a low-cost alternative, but come with their own share of drawbacks. If you buy a luxury car, it would be worth picking one that offers built-in temperature-controlled cup holders.
