Window Tinting & Visibility

[Calza]

Car came with quite a heavy tint when I bought it:



I actually quite like it styling wise, but it's absolutely impossible to see out the back at night which I hate. As a compromise, I'm looking to maybe strip this off and put a less aggressive tint on and just wanted to get a sanity check that although not the same as no tint - visibility should be reasonable at night on a much lower % tint?

[joropug]

Calza said:

Car came with quite a heavy tint when I bought it:



I actually quite like it styling wise, but it's absolutely impossible to see out the back at night which I hate. As a compromise, I'm looking to maybe strip this off and put a less aggressive tint on and just wanted to get a sanity check that although not the same as no tint - visibility should be reasonable at night on a much lower % tint?

On my E60 5 series, I had Darker tints on the rear sides, slightly lighter on the rear window itself.

From the outside they looked evenly spread, could see slightly more in the rear window but that was because of the cream interior more than anything.

On the inside however, visibility was improved from a previous car with dark tints. The tinter recommended this approach.

I believe mine were 80% tint on the rear sides, 60-70% tint on the rear window.

[Calza]

That's not a bad shout, if I can dial back the rear but keep it looking similar that could be a nice compromise.

[JimmyConwayNW]

I know they are a good car to get sideways but how far back are you sat to be looking out the rear side windows

[Super Sonic]

JimmyConwayNW said:

I know they are a good car to get sideways but how far back are you sat to be looking out the rear side windows

Check your blind spot

[ScoobyChris]

On my old Scooby, had limo tints on the rear and legal-level tints on the front and ended up binning them as even the legal ones reduced visibility too much for me at night.

YMMV.

Chris

[Calza]

Not what I wanted to hear but do appreciate it.

[Pica-Pica]

All windows have some degree of tint. Sit in a driver’s seat, open the door and compare looking through the windscreen to looking outside of the A-pillar. Standard manufacturer fitted, privacy glass on rear side windows is quite acceptable when looking out from inside, we are not talking gangster levels of tinting in these cases. This is a standard manufactures tint, and is OK. Not my preferred choice of tint, I would prefer none, but it does a good job of preventing casual inward viewing, whilst giving a good outward view from rear seat, and from driver’s seat.

Edited by Pica-Pica on Monday 15th November 11:54

[Calza]

That looks quite aggressive as standard - how is visibility at night?

[anonymous-user]

Any car that has dark tints in the back looks crap

[anonymous-user]

V8covin said:

Any car that has dark tints in the back looks crap

Yup. It's a sign of a real idiot I think. It's a windows FFS, it's for seeing out of. Tints are so 90s, especially on a BMW.

[anonymous-user]

Funkstar De Luxe said:

Yup. It's a sign of a real idiot I think. It's a windows FFS, it's for seeing out of. Tints are so 90s, especially on a BMW.

Some cars came from the factory like that too !

[joropug]

Funkstar De Luxe said:

Yup. It's a sign of a real idiot I think. It's a windows FFS, it's for seeing out of. Tints are so 90s, especially on a BMW.

It's a personal preference there is no right or wrong answer.

Tints have loads of benefits:
-Harder to see property inside that might otherwise be visible
-In our Q3 if the parcel shelf isn't extended then you would otherwise be able to see into the boot
-Keep the car interior cooler in summer
-Good for kids - UV Protection
-Glass less likely to shatter everywhere when broken

I personally will always have legal tints. We have fairly dark ones on our Q3 and a lighter smoke on my Mercedes Coupe both make the car look nicer IMO without being 'Gangster', plus the benefits above.

[757]

Calza said:

That looks quite aggressive as standard - how is visibility at night?

I hated my V60 R design stock OEM tints, especially at night, you really could not see out of them, even on coming headlights. Then made worse when the mirror activily reduces glare!

It got to the point it was dangerous and pulled out a few times on traffic, not sure how these got past whatever safety thing they have to pass!

Edited by 757 on Monday 15th November 19:22

[Pica-Pica]

Calza said:

That looks quite aggressive as standard - how is visibility at night?

If you mean mine, it’s OEM, and it’s fine at night. It is not quite as aggressive looking in real-life, as it in in that picture.

[Calza]

I did and thanks - gives me some hope I might find a comrpomise!

[ScoobyChris]

Pica-Pica said:

If you mean mine, it’s OEM, and it’s fine at night. It is not quite as aggressive looking in real-life, as it in in that picture.

https://discover.bmw.co.uk/help/new/sun-protection-glass is suggesting the OEM privacy glass tints are 18-42% transmittance so I’m impressed it is “fine” at night as you are losing over half the available light and quite possibly a lot more!

Chris

[jamei303]

Can't you just pretend you're driving a van to overcome the rear window visibility problem?

[Camelot1971]

757 said:

Calza said:

That looks quite aggressive as standard - how is visibility at night?

I hated my V60 R design stock OEM tints, especially at night, you really could not see out of them, even on coming headlights. Then made worse when the mirror activily reduces glare!

It got to the point it was dangerous and pulled out a few times on traffic, not sure how these got past whatever safety thing they have to pass!

Edited by 757 on Monday 15th November 19:22

You couldn't see another cars headlights through the factory glass in a Volvo? If that is true, I don't think it's the Volvo that needs changing, you need to stop driving immediately as you are clearly blind.

[Pica-Pica]

ScoobyChris said:

https://discover.bmw.co.uk/help/new/sun-protection... is suggesting the OEM privacy glass tints are 18-42% transmittance so I’m impressed it is “fine” at night as you are losing over half the available light and quite possibly a lot more!

Chris

It IS stock, it IS fine at night, it IS legal, it IS only the rear windows, it DOES NOT obscure vision. 10s of 1000s of them about. As I said before, every vehicle front windscreens are tinted, as are side windows and door mirror glass.