Are high end Tints worth the price tag?

[DiscusInferno]

Noob tint question: do many tint the rear window?
IIRC the Alltrack owners manual says no, due to defrost wires.

-skeej

All the cars I have had tinted, the tint has not damaged the defroster lines.

 

[bitflogger]

FWIW, area shops and the dealer wanted $400+ for our Alltrack. A place near me that would have done the tint for dealer charged $75 less for their premium grade 3M product.

As for worth it, it is cooler inside the car. It's got the carry stuff privacy our Outback and van came with. The $325 to get it more like our Outback and van still makes the overall car price reasonable. The total of current incentives, Alltrack with the premium safety stuff and wheels makes it sort of 80% some other vehicles at about .5 or .6 the cost.

 

[AquaTone61]

I live in Florida. I got my windows tinted when I first got my car and I recently had my dealer do 85% ceramic on the sunroof glass. Makes a huge difference, before it felt like I was getting baked from above even with the a/c on full blast. Now, with the shade open, I feel the same amount of heat as I did with the shade closed before. With the shade closed, the heat isn't even noticeable. I went with the 85% ceramic so I could still see out of it at night and I don't regret it at all.

 

[Ghost GTI]

I live in Florida. I got my windows tinted when I first got my car and I recently had my dealer do 85% ceramic on the sunroof glass. Makes a huge difference, before it felt like I was getting baked from above even with the a/c on full blast. Now, with the shade open, I feel the same amount of heat as I did with the shade closed before. With the shade closed, the heat isn't even noticeable. I went with the 85% ceramic so I could still see out of it at night and I don't regret it at all.

Be careful. Many reports of people (not just in GTIs) putting tint on the sunroof, and then having it explode on them. Something about trapping the heat on the windshield may cause it to do that.

 

[Mk_GTI]

Looking to get my R tinted. Tinting Chicago charges $600 for 3M Crystalline for all the windows except the windshield. Seems a bit high?

 

[bentin]

Be careful. Many reports of people (not just in GTIs) putting tint on the sunroof, and then having it explode on them. Something about trapping the heat on the windshield may cause it to do that.

I think some of it is also just tied to certain designs. Lots of the Z3 M Coupes had exploding ones, but mine was tinted and tracked and never blew. Our Q5 is known to explode too, so I skipped the tint on it this time. I don't think I've seen a Mk7 blowing up, but am prepared to be shown ample evidence.

 

[seanmcd1]

Looking to get my R tinted. Tinting Chicago charges $600 for 3M Crystalline for all the windows except the windshield. Seems a bit high?

Seems a tad high - I paid $480 for it 3 years back here in the middle of SC (4 door GTI).

 

[Ghost GTI]

Looking to get my R tinted. Tinting Chicago charges $600 for 3M Crystalline for all the windows except the windshield. Seems a bit high?

I'm getting quoted $580 for all windows, sunroof, windshield, and triangle cubby by front windows, from a highly rated place here in FL. Xpel Ceramic.

 

[Bolivarjoy]

I paid 575.00 to have my 2019 GTI tinted (all windows including windshield but not sunroof) with a high quality ceramic tint and I couldn’t be happier. Inside temp drop in summer is real and enough to warrant the cost. Plus, the efficiency numbers with legal tint 35% here in MD) are not to be minimized when comparing ceramic with cheaper dye tints.

 

[traan.man48]

I've been in cars with ceramic tint, and the heat rejection is well worth the cost. I just picked up a 2020 GTI and I'm thinking of getting ceramic (35% solargard VortexIIR) done all around, and Llumar Air 80 on the windshield in the next week or so. My only concern is with the windshield tint, has anyone had issues with water in the dashboard area after installation?

 

[StorableComa]

Had my wagon done in full Llumar IRX nano-ceramic and Air 80 on the windshield. The heat rejection alone was worth the cost. Paid around 700ish, but most of that was lifetime warranties for replacement and such. Base install would have been around 450ish with 200 for the windshield.

No issues with water on the dash area that they couldn't wipe up with a cloth when they finished. Mine looks great besides a small cluster of bubbles outside my normal field of vision when driving - so I didn't pester the shop to replace it as I hardly see it unless i'm looking for it.

For the money, go with a shop that pre cuts their film and doesn't cut on your car - backs their install with their own warranty and not just the manufacturer warranty against bubbling, peeling and fading. If you have front window tint laws in your state, find a place that will "insure" your front windows like mine did. If I ever get a fix it ticket, they'll de-tint them for inspection and retint them after I take care of the ticket for no additional charge. I can also go lighter/darker on the fronts at any time for no additional charge if I wish.

 

[Bolivarjoy]

I had the Air 80 on my windshield... no problems whatsoever.

 

[silkblue]

I went w Suntek ceramic and it is well worth the price. The tint itself is definitely durable - I've had a few close calls scratching the tints from IKEA trips, but luckily they rubbed out. Heat is very much improved, especially for my 2-door for passengers in the back.

Biggest thing is the install - I have a couple bubbles from dust specks that never went away.

 

[Keehs360]

I went with llumar tints. 30% visibility all the way around and it blocks a ton of heat and uv

happy with the warranty too

 

[9uns]

I've been in cars with ceramic tint, and the heat rejection is well worth the cost. I just picked up a 2020 GTI and I'm thinking of getting ceramic (35% solargard VortexIIR) done all around, and Llumar Air 80 on the windshield in the next week or so. My only concern is with the windshield tint, has anyone had issues with water in the dashboard area after installation?

ask the installer. i asked my installer and they had layers of redundancy (dry cloth, cloth rope, etc.) to prevent water seeping behind the dashboard.