I’ll admit, this wasn’t my first choice for an Autopian Asks question. I was wrestling with picking between What Car Fluid Would You Most Like To Soak In or maybe something like If You Could Have Any Car, Why The Hell Would You Pick An Oldsmobile Omega? I ran these by the rest of the team in our Slack channel, and while they praised them as being “depressingly inane” and appreciated them for being “criminally and woefully insipid,” they nevertheless felt they’d rather see a different question. About window tint. Window tint! They all want to know what you think about window tint!
Personally, I’ve never really cared for much window tint. I like my windows like I like my Scientologists: clear. If I’m worried about too much sun I’ll just do what any good driver should do when sun-blinded, clench my eyes shut, stomp the gas, hold down the horn, and hope for the best.
But I do understand that lots of people appreciate window tint; there’s an aesthetic justification, as some cars just look better with dark windows, and, for those of us doomed to be homely, tinted windows do shield the rest of the world, innocent as they are, from our ugliness, which I’m sure is appreciated.
There’s also the privacy angle, and I understand that as well. Being inside your car often imparts the illusion of privacy, even though you’re essentially in a glass house. What if you want to eat a whole mess of ribs in your car without the shaming eyes of passers-by? What if you want to give your nose a really good, deep picking, doing some intense nostril spelunking? Or have a relaxing wank in the back seat? You really can’t – or shouldn’t – do any of these things unless you have well-tinted windows, right?
So, I’m open here. Do we like tinted windows? What about when it’s poorly done, and you have to somehow pull off that awful, bubbling, peeling film from a used heap you just bought? Does that ruin it for you?
Anyway, window tint, your thoughts, your feelings. I want to hear them all. Let’s do it.
Bought a 2014 Focus a few years back that came with window tint. Looks sharp, I like it.
I like the privacy and better cooling (especially in cars with poor AC) but I hate the reduced visibility. Especially front side windows (tinted by a previous owner) really hurt night time visibility at cross streets and crosswalks.
And of course windshield tint is illegal for a very good reason. Me and a couple buddies rented a Charger Daytona on Turo while visiting Georgia to see Petit LeMans and at first we’re like why are the headlights on this car so f*ing bad-then realized when it was daylight that it had a lightly tinted windshield SMH so dangerous
Tinted windows are fine for the rear. Front side windows should never be tinted, for the same reason windshields shouldn’t be. They’re essential safety equipment. Your view of cross streets at intersections comes mainly through the side windows – especially with modern streamlined designs that bring the front of the door so far forward. If they’re tinted, you won’t see that black-clad pedestrian about to cross the street after dark.
My sister let me have the use of her Tesla model Y while she was in Europe last summer with her family and aside from it being a huge bulk compared to my MINI, I couldn’t believe the supposedly factory window tint on the front seat side windows is legal. Driving at night I had to put the windows down just to make a safe left or right turn on some darker back roads with no street lights.
I live in Florida and drive a Honda Fit with AC best described as adequate. I’m a big fan of tint.
How much would electrochromic glass cost? That seems the ideal solution for desert dwellers, especially if its powered by a small solar panel on the roof. Black out the car while parked, lower the tint to the legal limit for summer driving and clear windows for winter.
My parents’ 2010 Ford Flex had factory tint for the back row and rear windows, which was really nice. Imperceptible from inside, starkly dark from outside.
If I’d had more money at the time, I would’ve gotten the back windows of my Econoline tinted. Sure, the shades were a big help, but they weren’t perfectly opaque or anything. I still needed a sleep mask if I needed to pull over for a nap during the day.
But it happened on more than one occasion that I would, say, go to a wedding in a suit, and then get changed in the back of the van in the parking lot before heading home. Luckily I had a curtain ready for that duty to block out the front.
Like others here, I’m pretty neutral about back row/rear window tinting.
With my 2012 Prius v, I got something near the legal limit for the back windows, and then a little bit of a tint (technically over the limit) for my front side windows (nothing for the windshield). The guy said “if you get pulled over for any of these, let me know and I’ll remove it for free.” So that’s reassurance. And that was years ago and I haven’t had any issues.
Driver window and windshield are much tougher. Privacy is nice until someone you don’t like does something you don’t like…although on the other hand, that’s what license plates are for, right? — said as someone who lives in one of the minority of states that doesn’t mandate a front plate.
Ultimately, if I had to rank it, I’d say the #1 reason for tinting for me is “keep valuables/transported goods out of easy sight.”
regardless of the safety hazards of not being able to see the face/attention of other drivers, every tinted car I’ve ever been in I hated. Even a light tint screws with your perception while driving, and aggressive tints make it harder to drive safely. Especially at night. If I ever get a car with tint I’m probably going to pay to have it removed. (but a tinted sun/moon roof is almost a necessity in Summer…)
The rear of the van makes sense I guess, those are gigantic windows, and I don’t want the kids to fry. But those windows have build in sun shades, sooooo not really sure why they need to be tinted.
Personally, I’d rather not have tint. It’s fucking dark as hell out there half the year. Right now, I’m a peak sadness from lack of sun, or even exposure to basic daylight of any kind. I’d rather use personal tint (sunglasses) if needed.
I understand that people in say, Florida probably feel differently.
I like it for the windows from the b-pillar and back,but like oem tint,not limo-tint everywhere. I also depends on the car I guess,not so sweet on older cars.
One of the first things I do with a car is tint the windows. I’ve always liked the look and southern summers are no joke, so anything that keeps the interior a little cooler is a win.
What is the attraction of “that look?” Are you ashamed to be seen driving your car? Do you prefer cars that look like they have no humans inside? I don’t get it.
I’ve always driven darker colored cars, so to me the tint fills in a kind of negative space that clear glass creates and the lines of the car just seem to flow better as a result. I get that it’s weird and most people wouldn’t agree but it’s ultimately my car so…
Based solely on my own experiences, when I see a vehicle with the windshield and front passenger windows blacked out and I can’t see anyone inside, I give them a wide berth because they’re probably going to drive like complete assholes.
Rear passenger and back windows – I don’t care at all.
With the way modern cars turn into giant ovens for some reason when the windshield is in direct sunlight I get it, but I also hate it. I can’t see through the cars ahead of me.
The lack of tint on my junkers forces me to smile more.
Can we once and for all agree on whether or not to colloquially call it by the amount of light it lets through, or the amount of light it blocks?
Truly, I hate the ambiguity with that. When I got my windows tinted I just asked “what’s the legal limit darkest allowed”? Luckily they had display units to approximately compare.
Only at 50% can you be 100% sure.
As a bike rider I dislike. Can’t see the driver’s head and he is seeing you.
In the UK, where Sun and heat are not a concern, it’s nicknamed Dogging Glass. Has a reputation for being a bit sleazy, and it’s illegal to tint your front windows to under 75%, so you can spot the twats and drug dealers by the full tint job.
That’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone in the UK use that term!
I feel like most modern cars over here have some form of OEM-level tint on the rear windows, but yes, tinted fronts is an immediate red flag.
I generally like some tint while I’m driving, keeps a little cooler inside and helps my rather light sensitive eyes a little. 35% tint(legal limit in most states) really doesn’t reduce visibility at all, and you don’t even notice it from the inside, although it looks fairly dark from outside.
Aesthetically, it depends. Some cars, and most of the cars I’m into, are supposed to look like a fishbowl and look worse with tint. However, I have one Accord wagon in my driveway with tint and one without, and the tinted one looks way better. I might tint the other one.
And for those who don’t seem to understand how tint rating works: it is measured in light transmissibility. 5% tint(super dark limo tint) lets 5% of light through, blocking 95%. 80% factory tint lets 80% through and blocks just 20% of the light, and is barely noticeable.
My ’13 Acura has darkish rear and lift gate windows. I bought it used, so I don’t know if they were standard for the model, available from the OEM, or aftermarket. You can see through them if you peer very intently, but they look normal, somehow.
They don’t affect visibility one bit, and they do hide what’s inside to some extent, so I’m a fan.
Super dark murdered out windows other drivers can’t see through can DIAF, however.
Jason! Comon, man! You have to put a disclaimer for links to Scientology websites. I clicked that link without looking at the web address (first mistake) assuming (second mistake) it was some sort of wacky news report about a Scientologist who believed they could become invisible if the donation to the Estate of L Ron Hubbard is large enough. I didn’t expect to be redirected the unfiltered gibberish. You gotta let a thinking person know that’s what is coming!
I prefer a long soak in green washer fluid. So tingly and gets all those crevices clean
Motor oil for me. But none of that chemically-modified synthetic shit! Just pure organic 10W-30 for me.
I prefer straight 30-weight myself.
You gotta stop boofing the antifreeze, Larry. You’re turning green!
Hate it!!!! Makes parking at night needlessly more difficult. Even the minor tint on an Outback is too much. None of my cars have any tint in sight. Maybe because my newest car is 22 years old.
Makes parking at night difficult? The 35%(I think) tint on my mom’s car is so unnoticeable, it makes literally no difference. And they make tiny less dark than that. We have another car with like 10% tint that’s hard to park at night.
That’s wild. Every tinted window car I’ve ever been in, the tint is way more noticeable from outside than inside.
I hate dark tint… whether is with the car I’m driving (I like seeing out at night) or other people (I like to be able to make eye contact).
And I’ve noticed that people with dark tint are more likely to drive like selfish assholes. Just came across a Civic with dark tinted windows earlier today who didn’t stop for me at a crosswalk as I was crossing.
I got a minor UV and IR blocking tint to cut down on sunburns while driving. An unexpected benefit is the air conditioning works a lot better not having to fight all that incoming IR. I wholly recommend that.
That gives me a legal 70% tint at most; it’s still pretty clear, but with sunglasses on it feels downright cavelike. Seeing people driving with anything more than that makes me think they’re someone likely to deface a license plate to avoid paying tolls.
Uhh…… 70% is very marginally tinted. Some cars come from the factory with 70% tinted glass. Not sure what you mean by cavelike.
I’m saying it felt cavelike when I combined tint and wore sunglasses. Only on the brightest days did it not feel that way, but otherwise it was enough darkness to make me feel sleepy
Do you fall asleep if you wear sunglasses in any car or bus? I’m confused, that’s still not dark at all.
Nope, that’s the only time it happens: with that combination. I can drive without sunglasses in that car and it’s not a problem and I can wear those sunglasses on other cars no problem.
I agree that the tint doesn’t look all that dark, thus I’m surprised anyone would go darker given that sunglasses are a thing.
The only reason I would get a window tint is so I’m not blinded by the folks rolling around with their brights on and a big old light bar lit up to compensate for the fact that they’ve tinted their windshields to opacity.
“Or have a relaxing wank in the back seat?”
This is why I keep coming back to the Autopian. Also I really don’t think much of tinted windows, so I don’t really mind that it’s a thing.