Opinions on Window Tint?

B

BTLew81

Member
Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
706
Reaction score
9
On several prior cars I've had the windows tinted to 35%. Somewhat for looks and somewhat for UV protection. On my newest car, a 2012 White Jetta SEL, I am still undecided. I have at times, had opinions that tint looks "ghetto" or unclassy. The car itself, while not a high end car, has a very classy look to it.

So..thoughts on tint? Any input is appreciated!
 
Living in Los Angeles, I personally have tinted every car I have. The sun get cant crazy sometimes. IMO tint is nice to have, and does add looks. I don't know why some would consider tint "unclassy", I mean I have seen Bentley's with tint. I would never not tint the windows on my car.
 
I think tint adds to the look of the car. My mom went without tint on her car for over a year and I finally got it done for her. It's really great in the Texas heat to keep the car from getting so hot.

If you are are on the fence look for a lighter tint. I had my mom's car done in Wincos film and all of their films block the same amount regardless of the darkness. It was expensive but it's a huge difference. It really was worth the extra especially since it blocks out so much UV rays
 
Window tint is very common in hotter climates. You'll get as many opinions on the look of tint as you will on colors of cars.

The 35% refers to the darkness (they call it the VLT for visibile light transmission) and 35% is a good middle of the road level that still allows pretty good visibility at night. 20% would be darker, 50% would be lighter.

What you pay a premium for is the solar heat rejection (for non-metalized tints). UV rejection is a different property of tint and pretty much any tint these days blocks 99% or more of UV so that's not something you pay a premium for.

The tints themselves can have a slight hue to them (for example bluish or greenish) so you want to keep that in mind as you're looking at different brands, since the hue might clash a bit with the color of your car.

There are so many good films these days that it really comes down to finding a skilled installer (especially if you have a car that is difficult to tint). Personally I prefer physical shops with enclosed garage areas to do the installation (as opposed to mobile installers).

You'll also want to look up the window tint laws for your state.

tintdude.com is a good website for tint info on different lines of tint and difficulty of various cars.
 
This is 35% - I will always tint my car..

8fa54622.jpg
 
Personally I don't think tint looks ghetto or unclassy at all.
Limousines & some of the most prestigious cars are normally tinted, although that's quite often for privacy reasons.
I also think the dark black would look good against your white paint...

Get my cars tinted for looks, heat reduction, UV protection & also to keep prying eyes out.

The only time I wouldn't tint would be on a concours style show car where the interior is immaculate & designed to be on display.
Even then there are clear(ish) tints available that provide UV protection without changing looks...
 
15% all around .... gotta tint in South Florida, just one summer will teach you why.
 
Overly dark tint, especially on an econo-box or beater screams ghetto. But a nice medium tint like 35% or lighter looks great on almost anything.
 
Definitely tint...it only looks ghetto when it's either that pink color tint...or the mirror tint and half of it's peeling. lol
 
Yes, do it. Be sure to check the law in your state as mentioned. LOL Dave or the purple stuff thats peeled.
 
I have window tint on all my vehicle windows. Here in Florida it's tough not to have it. The sun beats down on cars, heats up the passenger compartment and also fades the interior materials if you don't have tint. I also feel it provides *some* security. I would prefer that everyone not be able to see everything inside my vehicles. I don't leave valuables in sight but I do have some permanently installed expensive gadgets that I would prefer to keep out of sight. Tint makes it a little harder for someone walking by to see what's in my car without making it somewhat obvious that they are peering inside. Also, when I am driving at night I like the fact that people walking by cannot see how many people are inside my car or who is driving. Maybe I'm a little cautious but I would prefer that some thug walking by not see that my wife is driving alone. One quick word of caution: Make sure you get completely legal tint as tickets for illegal window tint can get expensive quickly. Here in the sunshine state the law says no tint on the front windshield below the AS-1 line (top 10% of the windshield), Front side windows can be tinted to 28%, side windows behind the driver to 15% and the rear most window can be as dark as you want as long as you have two outside rearview mirrors. Just my $0.02......
 
I have 35% on my truck and I think 5% on one of my cars. I still need to tint my two other cars. The 5% is a pain to see out of at night.
 
On a white car, tint will always look darker than other colors due to the contrast I believe.
 
I for one never associate window tint with it looking "ghetto", its not like 3, 4 or 5 faux portholes on the fender or those faux M3-style vents. Window tint keeps your car cool on hot days and protects your interior, not to mention keeps prying eyes from getting a quick look into your ride. IMO 30-35% gets the job done and isn't unsafe at night, just go uniform all the way around whenever possible.

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
Rsurfer said:
What's the legal limit in Florida? 15% seems a little light.
Click to expand...

Really? 15% is pretty darn dark if you ask me.

I'm running the IL legal limit, and I wish I would've done it sooner. Huge difference in temperature after sitting in the parking lot all after noon, and it just makes the car look better.
 
I also live in Florida and tint all my cars' windows. My F-150 supercrew and my wife's Murano came with factory tinted glass on the rear doors and rear window, so we tinted the front doors to match. Looks much better IMO and very functional as mentioned.

The only "ghetto" ones I've seen are the ones that have bubbles throughout or are half torn off. Find a quality shop and you will be happy with the results.
 
I like tint, although any color other than grey or silver mirror is iffy on looks. In CA, the law is no tint on the windshield or drivers windows, but the rear side windows can be as dark as you want and the backglass can be as dark as you want as long as you have two outside mirrors.
Despite this, there are plenty of cars with obviously tinted drivers windows and windshields. This has me wondering what is going on here. It's the law or not?
 
OP, look for SunTek or something like that, its a quality metallic type tint, really looks sharp!

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top