Well not exactly.

That would be like using the AC with the car windows rolled down (which can also be a quite pleasant way to drive under the right conditions.

Driving with the recirculation turned off (the default) is like your home AC pulling in air from outside through the AC coils rather than from inside the house. Without recirc you get fresh air pulled in.

The temperature the air can attain is limited to a range relative to the air it is cooling. If you pull in fresh air, the coldest it will blow is a fixed # of degrees below the outside air temp. If you recirculate, then it can cool the already cooled air further... but you get no fresh air.

 

I thought that's what I said???