Window tint experience

[tchiarella]

Hey all, so I am going to tint the 5. All side windows (8!) and the hatch window. The place I'm going to does it proper, removes all glass from the vehicle, tints the glass and re-installs. Currently it's my wife's daily so I can't go "too dark" but she wants it dark enough to keep the kids in the shade during long road trips. I will be taking it over in a few years so I want it to look good.

I thought 35% would be OK but the guy at the shop said I may very well not like how "light" that tint is. He recommended 20-25% minimum on the sides and maybe even a darker 18% on the hatch.

What experiences have you guys had with this? Pictures would be awesome!

 

[IAATM]

I went with 5% all around the back, and with 45% on the driver's and passenger side windows. It does a nice job of keeping the parents cool up front, as well as the kids cool in back. What's more, the difference in tint (front to back) tricks many people into thinking that the front windows are untinted. Again, this is only possible because the rear windows look very, very dark from the outside, e.g. everything is relative!

I highly recommend going with limo black (e.g. 5%) on the rear windows. There's a LOT of glass back there, and you need all the tint you can get to really make a difference.

FWIW, I went with 20% in the back windows of my last car, and it wasn't adequate. I am much, much happier now that I've got the 5% all around the back.

It cost me $150 for the rear windows, and an additional $25 for the front two windows, at a place in Linden, NJ. Of course, this used the film (auto-cut on a large machine). My guy did not remove the glass, as you're proposing to do.

 

[tchiarella]

Can you see out the back/rear sides at night that dark?

I like the idea of the relative shades, but was leaving towards the same all around.

 

[Secondtyme]

I have mine at 5% on everything except the front two windows as well. I have nothing at all on the front two though. Yes, you can see out at night, but not by much!

 

[tuanies]

I have 20% all around - from the inside, there's barely a visible difference between the untinted windshield and tinted windows.

 

[thaxman]

I agree on 20%. Its not like you are hiding from an insane amount of solar radiation, like we have to do down here. I have 20% fronts and 5% everywhere else. With a phantom blue body and black interior, its not enough down here, but its the best that can be done. Up there, with limo tint the car will be an icebox all winter.

 

[Vasy]

I have 20% and I'm happy.

 

[tchiarella]

I have 20% all around - from the inside, there's barely a visible difference between the untinted windshield and tinted windows.

You are at 20%? I just took a look at yours and have the same paint color... Actually thought yours was lighter given a few pics on toms hardware...

 

[tchiarella]

I went with 5% all around the back, and with 45% on the driver's and passenger side windows. It does a nice job of keeping the parents cool up front, as well as the kids cool in back. What's more, the difference in tint (front to back) tricks many people into thinking that the front windows are untinted. Again, this is only possible because the rear windows look very, very dark from the outside, e.g. everything is relative!

Can I see a pic of this 5/45? The wife definitely likes the contrast in the tint as it looks more like a factory mpv that way. Can't say I disagree. I may just do a step lighter like 18/50 after seeing yours.

 

[torquelover]

We did 35 on front doors and rear hatch, 10 on all rear side glass. Should have gone darker on rear side glass and also done the moonroof glass.

 

[e30blitz]

Older picture of ours

We had Limo tint in the back / back screen
Then the rear doors were a touch lighter

Can't Remenber the %


OO ||| OO + O w O + [emoji15]

 

[tuanies]

You are at 20%? I just took a look at yours and have the same paint color... Actually thought yours was lighter given a few pics on toms hardware...

Yep, 20%. Suntek film iirc

 

[tchiarella]

Yep, 20%. Suntek film iirc

The shop I'm using does SunTek Carbon, which isn't avail in 20% so I'd be going with the Carbon 25 or Carbon 18... leaning towards to Carbon 18.

 

[IAATM]

Can I see a pic of this 5/45? The wife definitely likes the contrast in the tint as it looks more like a factory mpv that way. Can't say I disagree. I may just do a step lighter like 18/50 after seeing yours.

I'll try to snap a shot for you this afternoon, but as I'm heading to the airport, it might have to wait until I return.

 

[Silentnoise713]

Tintlaws.com to see "legal" limit for ur state. PA is pretty lenient but remember to turn on dome light and drop windows stat.

Tintdude.com installers discuss good vs bad film. Be weary of bias bc if the person carries a producy, it is the bee's knees by default...

It is the quality tints that do NOT block a lot of light (less dark) but still able to block out heat/uv/etc. equal or better than darker tint. They also tent to last and endure longer.

5% is cool but trying to back up in the boonies where there's no ambient light sucks. Rainy and foggy days can be dangerous. Not that this is a problem for most and nothing a backup cam can't fix.

Tint mfg are no different than parts suppliers, they offer multi tier product. Get what you pay for.

The installier I have used for over 15 years cut free hand but only carry Johnson film. I decided to try 3M and went to a place that uses pre-cut for the first time. I honeslty prefer free hand. These installers have more experience.

Good luck.


Edit: ask at tintdude for a reference installer.

 

[thaxman]

Here, limo + 20% up front.

 

[tchiarella]

Thanks for the continued input and pics!

 

[ratr0]

my state's legal limits are 50% front 35% rear. I decided to go with 35% front and rear.

In retrospect I wish I went 35% front and 20% on the rear windows, most all factory tinted vans and SUV's looks much darker than the 35% I went with, I don't think i would have been hassled at all.

here is a rear photo of the 35%.

depending on the lighting outside sometimes the tint looks dark but sometimes it lighter than i would have liked. still better than no tint at all. lesson learned.

 

[tchiarella]

here is a rear photo of the 35%.
...

depending on the lighting outside sometimes the tint looks dark but sometimes it lighter than i would have liked. still better than no tint at all. lesson learned.

Thanks! Yea PA limits are 70% all around, but obviously some SUVs/Vans come way darker than that stock. I'm scheduled to go in on the 27th and will make a choice between SunTek Carbon 18 and Carbon 25 when I get there... Rears only though, as its still the wife's daily and she doesn't want the fronts tinted (yet).

 

[icspots]

Like some have said, the quality and materials of the tint have as much to do with the benefit they provide the car as does the VLT. Most metallized tints are cheaper and people tend to go darker on them. Ceramic based tints are generally more expensive and block a much higher percentage of heat, usually with a much higher VLT.

For example my previous two cars were tinted in North Carolina with Johnson's Ceramic tint. Legal limit is 35%, so they put 40% film all around (taking into account the built in UV blocking which ranges from 2-7% based on manufacturer). That 40% film blocked 80% of heat vs. the metalized film the installer carried.... 20% VLT with only 50% heat rejection. They had an even more expensive ceramic film... 70% VLT with 90% heat rejection.

So really what you need to ask is what you want to get out of your tinting experience. Do you want to block heat? Do you want to reduce glare? Do you want to increase danger when driving at night? Depending on your answers you'll come up with different preferences.

I'm having my 5 and prius tinted tomorrow. I haven't been hassled with the tint on my old cars since I moved, and my inspector is cool. I'm doing 35% all around on the prius, and 35%/20% on the 5. After I mentioned to the installer that I'd liked the film I had previously he ordered it for my cars.

And to the OP, most installers don't remove all the glass from the vehicle to tint it.