I was starting a 1.5 - 2 hour drive yesterday and went through the Starbucks drive through and put the coffee in the cup holder to the left of the steering wheel.

Starbucks coffee is usually so hot I wait 20 to 30 minutes before trying to drink it while driving so I don't get burned.

I have used this cup holder before and like to use it as I am left handed and it is very convenient for me. Some of you folks my find this difficult to believe but it was 80 degrees and I had the AC on in the RX. When I took a drink of the coffee after about 20 minutes it was at best lukewarm. The AC vent fight above the cup holder had cooled my coffee off.

So, if you want hot coffee don't use that cup holder with the AC on or shut of the vent that is just above the cup holder.

The good news is cold drinks should stay cold longer with the vent open in the summer.

 

Great story, Tom. I'm not a coffee drinker but I like to keep a cooler filed with water in the cargo area of the RXh. I drink a bottle on the way home from work and basically anytime I'm out driving. The weather can be challenging. Sometimes the water is warm or frozen - the opposite of what I want. So I'll drop a bottle in the side cup holder near the vent to cool or defrost the water. It works.

 

I've used that for bottled water many times as well. But when using if for Coffee, gotta turn off the vent.

 

I often put a can of soda there, and in the summer with the a/c on it keeps it very chilled due to the chilled air being blown on the aluminum can. Would seem to be a normal expectation that a heated cup of coffee would be cooled off after awhile. Solution would be to turn off the vent.

 

Cool story Bro! ( pun intended!)
I'm also left handed and i use THAT cup holder a lot!
It's easier to clean vs the 2 cup holders on the middle, where the " mouse" is located.
My iphone sits on one of the cupholders.