I had a RAV4 as a rental this week and it had a mixture of both the circular and rectangular AC vents. I don't know that I've ever driven a car that had both types of vents - I have a personal preference for the traditional rectangular vents, but curious for thoughts from others.

 

I wasn't a big fan in general of the old El Cheapo Pontiac interiors, and the terrible materials they used, but one feature I did like was the typical Pontiac circular vents where you grabbed, rotated, and swiveled the entire vent-assembly itself up and down, not just adjusting the slats inside of it.

 

I think that the shape needs to be consistent with the overall interior design. Just to say "I like round" seems a little simplistic if the interior design becomes disjointed.

 

"less obvious" - like the ones in an audi Q7 where the design of the vent goes across most of the dash

 

I like the ones in my Porsche 993, you really don't notice them.

 

I live in FL where having good AC flow is a necessity - I always struggle to get the round vents properly directed and giving me the amount of airflow I feel like I get out of rectangular ones. I guess for me it's more of a priority for the functionality of them as opposed to the aesthetic of them.

 

No visible vents is the best looking vent.

 

This, I like them to flow naturally with the dash or be blatant and a clear stylistic statement.

 

Yeah me too.
I'm sure they exist but I never drove a car with round vents I liked.
I like cold air flowing fast but quiet as possible. lol
Otherwise I roll down the window and smoke my cigar.

 

Agreed. The current Civic also takes this approach, and executes it very well.

 

I don't care about the shape. What's important is the number of vents and the position higher on the dash so it blows on the face

Vents like in this Camaro are unacceptable IMO

 

Those big round Camaro vents will probably blow if your face if you tilt them up.

Having said that, I do at least partially agree that it is not an ideal dash layout. Chevy did the same thing, BTW, in the new Blazer.

 

Those suck inside, ultra crampy and not in a nice snug way....and no visibility at all. They drive fantastically but that's about it

 

I prefer the rectangle style. Not the oval or circle style.

I do find the Japan Toyota origin designs seems have something I like. A separate dial for air flow speed—-and a second dial for direction. For some reason, American Toyotas just always get cost cut

Here is a Corolla for North America.




Now the Japan spec Corolla for JDM and UK markets in the Corolla Touring




Here is 4Runner, GX, Land Cruiser






Now Toyota Mirai.








‘’here is new Sequoia awful




Toyota bZ4x does it like this too.





i find the 2nd gen Tundra to be a mixed bag as it looks unfinished










The absolute pinnacle is when Toyota actually paints the air flow direction










Hyundai does it nice in the luxury products

 

The round vents in my S Class do a great job. You can actually set the way they disperse air, and they really fill the cabin well.