Low temp thermostats....

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Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Somehow, I don't see what that would be an issue in Cucamonga CA

It is not an issue in Cucamonga. Although when we spend the weekend in Big Bear (1 hr away) at 7500' elevation and there is 6 ft of snow on the ground with temps in the teens my wife might argue that there is no such thing as "plenty of heat" in the cabin.

While you and I may agree that you get plenty of heat with a 160F T-stat and it is probably better for the motor in the long run I am sure all those fine German engineers had a plan when they collectively installed 180-200F T-stats into most modern German cars. My father was an engineer and he didn't tie his shoes in the morning without a plan. Better heater performance is just one plausible explanation. There are many others. Until someone pipes up who was actually in the room when these decisions were made we may never know for sure what they were thinking.