[Enthusiast 456]

I spent 7 hours driving my 328d today... love the car, but I had the sun bearing down on me from the left going to our destination and all the way back - I felt cooked.

If I get a standard tint, nothing illegal, will it really make a noticeable difference? Tired of having to put sunscreen on just to drive home.

 

[jjrandorin]

I spent 7 hours driving my 328d today... love the car, but I had the sun bearing down on me from the left going to our destination and all the way back - I felt cooked.

If I get a standard tint, nothing illegal, will it really make a noticeable difference? Tired of having to put sunscreen on just to drive home.

You will want to check the heat rejection figures of the tint you are looking at. In general, higher quality tints have higher heat rejection, and that can have a BIG difference in what you are describing.

You can apply legal in your state tint that has high heat rejection. Many BMW drivers take a chance and apply darker than legal tint for looks. Here in California this is common in almost all cars / brands, not just BMW. You rarely get a ticket for it out here either, unless you are getting a ticket for something else, or the officer is annoyed about something.

In any case, Get a really good quality tint with high heat rejection numbers and it will make a pretty big difference. Get a dark but cheap tint and not so much.

 

[guyver626]

It will make a big difference. Just get a good quality tint with high heat rejection. Ceramic tint will block out a lot of the heat. Don't need to go too dark either.

 

[Kafkaesque328]

Makes a huge difference. I got 35% ceramic up front, limo in back. Big reduction in heat and glare i.e. Comfort and cosmetically the car looks so much better

 

[SWMOChris]

Took delivery of my current car on a very sunny/hot August day (from a BMW center 2 hours away) with no tint, felt the same way you are describing with the burnt feel after I was done.

I opted for the ceramic tint from my local tint shop and I am very pleased with the results, helps keep the interior of the car decently "cool" on those hot summer days parked outside. Also it looks pretty nice as well.

I've made the same trek back and forth to the same BMW center after tint that I would say it makes a 100% difference and since that initial drive, I've never felt that "burned" feel.

This was my first car with tint applied, and I will certainly be tinting the remainder of my vehicles, the money spent on the tint was well worth it IMO.

 

[tturedraider]

One more vote for absolutely yes!! I've always gotten high quality tint, but I bought my current car in the winter, so I thought I'd wait until spring to get the windows tinted. That lasted about two days. The difference high quality tint makes is dramatic. It doesn't need to be dark to be effective. ~35% gets the job done and it looks classy.

 

[BobinIl]

Another vote for definitely yes. Look on the websites of any brands your are considering, they all have the performance specs of their products (tint shops also have the info). On Thursday I'm getting a 3M product installed that has 56% heat rejection.

 

[F32Fleet]

Heat rejection is real. It's all about the install however.

 

[bmwe39lover]

get 50 % pinnacle formula 1 if you like a classic look
at 35 or 40% if u like a little darker
best tint on market for the money around 300

 

[blazinskunk]

Unfortunately, in the people's republic of New Jersey, NO (nada, zero, zip) tint is legal in the front side windows. I have a kid and needed something for the rear windows, but refused to put tint on only the back and rear door glass (I think that looks ridiculous) so I opted for the rear shade package on my build.

That said, if I lived anywhere it was legal, I'd be tinted out, no doubt.

 

[Vitacura]

I am also thinking of getting a tint job done. Ceramic is highly recommended with Huper Optik being used by my local dealer. But they also offer 3M Crystalline. :dunno:

 

[chiefneil]

If you get Crystalline 40 it makes about a 60% difference.

More technically CR40 gives a 60% total solar energy reduction, YMMV with other types. It's a huge difference, as others have said. More importantly IMHO tint provides added UVA protection.

 

[Wgosma]

+1 on 3M Crystalline- Xlnt heat stopper!

 

[jjrandorin]

Unfortunately, in the people's republic of New Jersey, NO (nada, zero, zip) tint is legal in the front side windows. I have a kid and needed something for the rear windows, but refused to put tint on only the back and rear door glass (I think that looks ridiculous) so I opted for the rear shade package on my build.

That said, if I lived anywhere it was legal, I'd be tinted out, no doubt.

Its not legal (tinting the front drivers and passengers windows) here in California, either and I see at least 1/2 the cars I see out here (all brands) with tint on those windows.

Most people tint around 35% on those front windows. I am a fan of the "uniform" look so I tinted %35 all around. Kafka (who is in LA) tinted Limo black on the read window and 35 on sides. Both of these are extremely common here.

All that to say, you can certainly tint even if its not legal. Just ask the shop you deal with about removal and re installation fee if you get a ticket (which in california is a fix it ticket).

If you dont want to do that, you can get a 70% tint with a good heat rejection, and it will look like factory tint (so almost not there) but still provide better coverage.

 

[blazinskunk]

Its not legal (tinting the front drivers and passengers windows) here in California, either and I see at least 1/2 the cars I see out here (all brands) with tint on those windows.

Most people tint around 35% on those front windows. I am a fan of the "uniform" look so I tinted %35 all around. Kafka (who is in LA) tinted Limo black on the read window and 35 on sides. Both of these are extremely common here.

All that to say, you can certainly tint even if its not legal. Just ask the shop you deal with about removal and re installation fee if you get a ticket (which in california is a fix it ticket).

If you dont want to do that, you can get a 70% tint with a good heat rejection, and it will look like factory tint (so almost not there) but still provide better coverage.

Very interesting. Especially that last bit. Imma lookin and imma likin.

 

[mr_clueless]

I feel cooked too, much worse than I felt with the E46. How did that happen?

Is it common to get the windshield tinted as well?

I got a quote for $600 for the 4 side windows and rear window for this one:
http://www.solargard.com/product/ultra-performance-plus/
Any ideas if that is reasonable?

Product Name | Visible light T% | Visible Light R% | % UV Light Blocked | Total Solar Energy Rejected
ULTRA PERFORMANCE PLUS 80 | 80 | 8 | >99 | 43

Any idea how to interpret R% and total solar energy rejected?

 

[Kafkaesque328]

Its not legal (tinting the front drivers and passengers windows) here in California, either and I see at least 1/2 the cars I see out here (all brands) with tint on those windows.

Most people tint around 35% on those front windows. I am a fan of the "uniform" look so I tinted %35 all around. Kafka (who is in LA) tinted Limo black on the read window and 35 on sides. Both of these are extremely common here.

All that to say, you can certainly tint even if its not legal. Just ask the shop you deal with about removal and re installation fee if you get a ticket (which in california is a fix it ticket).

If you dont want to do that, you can get a 70% tint with a good heat rejection, and it will look like factory tint (so almost not there) but still provide better coverage.

Yeah, illegal here too yet a huge % of cars are tinted. Ive never been hassled, just like I have never been hassled for no front plate. Ill never have another car without it. Actually going to get the wifes Tiguan tinted today at 11

 

[jjrandorin]

Yeah, illegal here too yet a huge % of cars are tinted. Ive never been hassled, just like I have never been hassled for no front plate. Ill never have another car without it. Actually going to get the wifes Tiguan tinted today at 11

Im where you are (well about 80-100 miles south in San Diego). I would never have another car without tint either. My 2013s had 20% all around (on a black sapphire car no less!) and I never got hassled for it.

I even got 1 speeding ticket, and the officer did not give me a hard time about it. its also pretty common here for no front plate, but thats more common on "luxury" brands (BMW / Merc / Audi / Porsche )... at least that what I notice.

 

[BobinIl]

Very interesting. Especially that last bit. Imma lookin and imma likin.

3M Crystalline has a 70% and a 90% that are used a lot on windshields.

 

[CALWATERBOY DUE]

I spent 7 hours driving my 328d today... love the car, but I had the sun bearing down on me from the left going to our destination and all the way back - I felt cooked.

If I get a standard tint, nothing illegal, will it really make a noticeable difference? Tired of having to put sunscreen on just to drive home.

You want a Tint with heat rejection, but you should know what manufacturers' claims mean!

[Window Tint Primer]

Fore Armed is forwarned....um....anyway you want to reject Near Infrared as much as possible while conforming with local regulation if possible.

Hey post what you eventually choose.....