We bought this to drive across the country.  We kept water and stuff for the kids in the cooler and had it sit between the captains chairs.  I thought it worked great for us, and did its job.  Kept things cool.  We bought the AC plug for it to be plugged in at night at the hotel we stayed at.  You really have to get things cold first, then keep the cooler running at all cost.  We basically ran it 6 days straight between the car and the hotel and it never missed a beat.  Beware, I plugged in the cord backwards one night and it cooked our food!  Yes, it will also work as a great warming or hot cooler if you are not careful.  Enjoy!