If I don't run the A/C I get warm/hot air from the vents on anything but a cold day. I must always either run the A/C or open the windows to get cool air. The recirc/fresh option provides no differenct at all. Does the interior air intake come from next to the engine or next to the headers or is this just a problem with my xA?

hmmm..I don't think I've ever noticed that in my xA. So you mean you have the Temp dial all the way down to cold and you still get warm air out the vents?

never experience this..........

Thats really strange, I never use my AC except on the hottest days in traffic. I just turn the temp control all the way to cold and the vent to flow-through not recirc.

Yeah, I have the dial set aaaaaaaaall the way to 'cold' and get warm air. Yesterday was not a hot day, maybe 75 outside. On the way home from work I had the windows down and everything was great. I got on the freeway, turned on the fan, opened that flow-through lever and within 3 minutes I'm getting warm air. Rather annoying.

I've noticed the same now and then -- seems the 'fresh' air coming in is always a little warmer than what's actually outside. Don't know if it's just residual heat from inside the piping after the car sits outside long, or perhaps, the proximity of the piping near the warm engine.

I'd have a feeling it's the latter, and probably done on purpose given how icy cold Tokyo is most of the time (cold, wet, rainy). Most people there wouldn't mind a warmer intake.

Probably caused by sucking in heat near something that is hot.