There are many ways to improve vehicle performance. The cold air intake is one of the most common modifications to modern vehicles. This simple step can improve the airflow through the engine, thereby improving the horsepower and torque performance of the vehicle.
The cold air intake will replace the vehicle’s factory air intake, and the air intake will be moved to the outside of the engine compartment, so that cold air can be obtained and more airflow can be obtained. Cooler air is denser and therefore contains more oxygen. More oxygen goes into the engine, allowing you to burn more fuel, which will provide more power to your car. They can also increase intake noise, which is a good complement to the existing engine and exhaust sound of the vehicle.
Choosing the best intake from many choices can be a daunting task for you. Especially when they all introduce a larger volume of air into the engine. You will be confused as to which one is your right choice.
You may meet the following points of confusion.
- Usually sold for less than US$500, the air-conditioning inlet is a cheap modification. It is also very easy to install-even with limited mechanical knowledge and experience, you can install it yourself.
- There are many brands that manufacture air conditioners. There are standard cold air inlets, but most high-quality cold air inlets will be specific to the make and model of your vehicle.
- There are also ram air intakes, which focus less on delivering cold air to the engine, but only aim to shorten the route of air through the air intake to the engine. This can increase horsepower and enhance throttle response.
We will introduce the top 10 air-conditioning inlets on sale to help you narrow down the scope of your purchase and narrow your search.
K&N Performance Cold Air Intake Kit: 63-1561
K&N is one of the best air intakes and air filters on the market. This undoubtedly makes them one of the best choices for installing cold air intake systems and various engine air filters. K&N provides a high-quality kit with a good filter that can provide a good combination for your car.
Using this kit, your engine will get 15.66 horsepower worth. This kit from K&N eliminates air blockage.
This seemingly simple operation of clearing the air passage between the filter and the engine can improve the power quality of the engine. In order to provide the best performance, the engine needs a stable and clear air supply.
This air intake filter from K&N starts to have a large conical shape and can be easily installed in your engine compartment. The large size and ventilation design encourage high flow and maximize efficiency. Not to mention this oversized air filter can also absorb a lot of dust and help extend its life. You may have to travel 100,000 miles before you need to clean the filter.
When the airflow of your engine is better, all parts are immediately improved. The kit also improves throttle response and engine sound. Your engine will ring vigorously, but once the car drives, it will settle down. This kit from K&N can remove the spare baffle and sound insulation components from the engine compartment.
The air intake filter can be easily installed with hand tools. Using the ratchet kit, screwdriver and pliers, you can install the kit in 90 minutes!
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Spectre Performance 9900 Intake Filter
If you are looking for cold air intakes for general purpose trucks produced between 1999 and 2007, then the Spectre Performance Cold Air Intake 9900 Kit may be just what you need. The kit is easy to install and is designed to manage the increase in horsepower and torque. The kit includes a red Spectre air filter, a powder-coated heat shield and high-quality polished aluminum tubes.
About this item
Designed to increase horsepower and torque: Dyno-tested with up to 50% more airflow than restrictive factory box air filter and intake tube
Better Towing: Improves acceleration and uphill performance when towing by improving throttle response.
Improved engine sound: Hear the power under the hood.
World class protection: Pushing the limits of engine protection by protecting your engine from harmful contaminants and debris
Easy maintenance: No filter cleaning required for up to 100,000 miles
Easy to install: Bolt-on power in less than an hour with basic hand tools. Spectre air intake systems are one of the easiest ways to increase horsepower.
High performance air filter: Advanced oiled synthetic filter design helps protect your engine against damaging contaminants
Fit type: Vehicle Specific
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K&N 71 Series Blackhawk Air Intake Kit
If you want a customizable product, this kit is the best cold air intake for your car. The oil-free Blackhawk filter complements the performance of this model, making it easier to obtain the airflow required for excellent engine performance.
The highlight of the air intake is its lightweight aluminum tube. This design reduces the delivery restrictions on the engine, which means you can ensure that dense air is delivered consistently. It is washable and reusable, and comes with the manufacturer’s million-mile limited warranty.
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Genuine Toyota C-HR TRD Air Intake System
Toyota Racing Development (TRD) is legendary in producing racing and performance-inspired products for consumers. This air-conditioning intake system is designed for the 2018-2019 C-HR, but if you drive another Toyota model, you will most likely be able to find the TRD air-conditioning intake system. The kit will come with everything you need for installation, as well as filter service and cleaning kits.
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Cold Air Inductions 501-1099-10 Intake System
The cold air intake system is designed to improve engine performance. The air intake system increases horsepower by promoting strong airflow.
Not only that, it can also improve throttle response and engine torque. This intake system of Cold Air Inductions is designed to provide outstanding performance while saving fuel. What does it mean:
Firstly, they have closed and isolated the air box to prevent damage.
Secondly, they applied an internal thermal coating on the air intake pipe of the product. This means that your car can regulate the temperature around the intake system without spending additional fuel.
The cold air intake system is equipped with tools for maintaining air temperature. This system ensures that the intake air temperature is cool and helps your engine perform at its best.
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HPS Cold Air Intake Kit 27-165BL – Mazda 2.0 & 2.3
This is another good-performance air-conditioning air intake system specially made for Mazda. HPS 27 165BL is a kit for your Mazda 2.0 and 2.3L engines from 2003 to 2009. The purpose of this air intake model is to work with Mazda models from 2003 to 2009 because they have suitable accessories and high performance. After installing this kit in the Mazda engine, you may immediately feel a significant improvement in performance. This is a one-piece device, so it is very easy to install. It is made of high-quality sturdy materials, so there is no need to worry about quality. It is also lightweight, but contains aluminum pipes that seamlessly transport air to the engine and keep it cool when it cools. There is a special adapter to easily install the air mass flow sensor. With price and features, you can get a well-made and well-performing air intake system here.
Overall, this is an excellent product that can greatly improve Mazda’s performance by 5-15 horsepower.
The following are some of the features and advantages of this feature:
- Fits: 2003-2009 Mazda3 2.0L/2.3L Non Turbo.
- Replaces the stock restrictive air intake box, increases horsepower, overall air flow and improve throttle response.
- Mandrel-bent aluminum tube piping for optimal air flow.
- Includes K&N High-Flow Performance, Washable/Reusable Air Filter which is backed by Million Mile Limited Warranty.
- Dyno Proven Performance Gains with safe air fuel ratio.
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S&B Filters 75-5068 Cold Air Intake Kit – Dodge Ram 2500 & 3500 6.7L
S&B 75-5068 is an excellent air-conditioning air intake kit specially designed for use with Dodge cars during 2013-2018. The appearance of the system itself is breathtaking, and it looks great in the engine compartment. The best thing about this kit is that it can double the air flow, because S&B claims that the kit increases the air flow and intake air volume to about 55%.
This not only improves the overall performance of the engine, but also improves the throttle response. With this kit, you will also get louder engine sounds.
It will take up to an hour to remove the old air intake system and replace it with this system. Some cars with similar kits include Ford F series, Dodge Ram 1500 and 3500, Toyota trucks, etc. You can find them on Amazon. The price of this kit may be slightly higher than the other kits on the list, but please rest assured that for cars like Dodge, this kit will support its performance.
The filter is also made of high-quality materials, it can even capture the finest dust particles in the air, thereby blocking the filter in the car, which plays a very good role. Therefore, you do not have to worry about the heart air passing through the filter.
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AEM Wrinkle Red Cold Air Intake System
The AEM 21-478WR wrinkled red cold air intake system can provide an estimated horsepower gain of 36HP at 5300 RPM. 
The system is designed to replace the factory’s air box and air filter, and is equipped with a DRYFLOW synthetic air filter, which can be cleaned, has a good filtering effect and has a long service life.
The system is made of an aluminum intake pipe with a bent mandrel and a powder-coated heat shield. Its high-quality hardware is designed to reduce friction and intake air temperature, thereby improving performance. The system is designed to accommodate various Subaru models including most WRX and Impreza models.
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Usually, the air intake port is one of the first modifications to their cars or trucks by many car owners.
Although the performance gains obtained by cold air intake are minimal, it is a cheap and easy way to make your vehicle more fun to drive. The backup air intake system usually has many blends and kinks to ensure that the intake noise is not too loud. In contrast, the intake pipe of the cold air intake is straight and has a larger diameter, allowing more air to enter the engine’s combustion chamber. Aftermarket air intake kits also move the air filter closer to the edge of the engine compartment, usually close to the wheel compartment, where there is more air flow, thereby further increasing the amount of air reaching the engine. The increase in airflow can help your engine increase a little bit of power, and it can also increase the throttle response speed. In addition, the intake noise will increase, bringing a burbly intake noise to your car, thereby making the exhaust sound more perfect.
Learn more about air intake.
- Air Intake Buying Guide
- Why should you get one air intake kit for your car?
- Air Intake Styles