Anyone got their Prime tinted

Oh Nice! That's still cheaper than my 3M Crystalline price here in So Cal, and I paid cash too.

I actually looked up both Huper Optik Ceramic Vs 3M Crystalline on Youtube.
The conclusion I got was that both provide top notch heat rejection, although Huper Optik blocks just a tad bit more than 3M Crystalline. Huper Optik's readings are about 10 BTU under the sun, while 3M is about 40.

 

When you get the windshield tinted, do you tell the installer not to tint in areas where sensors maybe? My dash is so hot now, that I can’t touch it with my hands and when driving home in the afternoon with the air on, I can still feel the heat radiating off the dash. The rest of the windows had been tinted 20% last year. Looks like the way to go is the Huper Optik Ceramic for the windshield.

 

I don't think they can get the tint up into the area where the sensors are on the windshield anyway. And yes, the 60% Huper Optik ceramic tints on the windshield make a huge difference in heat on the dash and also total heat into the vehicle. An added bonus is that those morons who drive with their highlights on at night no long blind me as before. I have not noticed any drop off in night visibility as the headlights on the Prime are superb.

I think the total square footage of the windshield has to be at least equal to all the side windows (front and back) combined.

 

A very good local shop insists to me that 3M's best tint is better than the Huper, but I had the Huper on my Insight years ago (including the windshield) and loved it. I don't know which way I'll go if and when I tint my windshield. I pretty sure Pdog808 is right in that the tint won't cover any of the sensors unless the tinter purposefully pulls off the covers and tries to block them.

 

I have two mods in mind when I get a little extra money:

1. Ceramic Tint
2. LED Door Sills

 

One is a lot cheaper than the other

 

One of my best mods. I didn't go dark, but I did go Ceramic. Keeping the UV out has made a huge difference. I've done multiple 500 mile in a single day trips @ 90° - 105° with the sun on me the whole time wearing a black shirt and my arm does not feel like it's in a microwave. It was well worth the money to me. (SolarFX FXtreme2 70% Nano-Ceramic window tint)

 

Too hot in TX
I’m getting my front windshield tinted now with 70% huper optic. $350 (ouch!!)

 

I have an appointment to get 20% Lumar Ceramic installed for $349 on Monday by the dealer.


iPhone ?

 

I got the Llumar ceramic on my Prime, and I have to say I'm not very impressed with it. I don't think the heat rejection is very good, and I'm considering having it taken off to get 3M's best tint or Huper Optik.

 

Well crap, anyone else have the same issue with Lumar Ceramic? If it's not that good maybe I'll shop around some more. Thanks for the heads up.

 

I had Huper on my '03 Insight hybrid, and I just remember it being fantastic. It was particularly important on that car because when the engine stopped automatically when you stopped the car, the A/C didn't work (the A/C was not electric, so the engine had to be running for it to cool) so the car would quickly heat up. I remember that after I got the Huper, that was no longer necessary.

A lot of people, including a very reputable local shop, seem to be really high on 3M's best tint (their equivalent of ceramic, but only Huper has actual ceramic tint), but I don't know whether to trust their opinion. I've learned that every shop and every freelance tinter has their favorite brand that they use and they sing its praises. But they actually get a discount for pushing the brand they use, so why trust them? It seems to me that they would be really motivated to use the tint that they get the best deal on, and the tint that is the easiest to install. Most don't seem to really push the higher-grade tint of their brand, either. Maybe they make a larger profit on the cheaper tint, or maybe it is easier to install, I don't know.

I know the local shop I've talked to that pushes 3M is the only 3M approved or licensed (or something like that) in San Diego or even a wider area. They do car wrapping, too (also a film application), and they have the machines to cut the tint automatically to be perfectly sized for individual cars (instead of free-hand cutting it), which appeals to me. They also seem very willing to address dust issues, which my prior installer was not. He just told me, well, there's a good amount of dust in this shop (as though I care about that). Then again, they want a small fortune to tint all of the windows (including the windshield). They want about $1200, plus now I'd have to pay to peel off the old tint. I'm not happy. But mainly I just don't like the level of heat rejection.

 

Anyone else have experience with the Lumar ceramic and the heat block?


iPhone ?

 

Interesting comment from the wife today. We had just gone to eat some Indian food and left the Prime parked outside in the lot in 80 degree sunny weather for at least an hour with all the windows rolled up. No window shades in use at all btw.

We get in the car and she asks why is the car so cool (it was probably about 75 degrees or so). Unlike our Camry with standard tints which would have been close to 100, even with a sun shade up in the windshield.

My reply: that's what an $800 tint job will get you.

Huper-Optik Autobahn ceramic tints. 35% driver and passenger windows, 20% rear hatch and both passenger windows, 60% windshield.

 

An addendum to above:

ME: I had the windshield tinted also.

HER: The windshield? Why would you do that? And it cost $300 just for the windshield? (add additional comments that all married guys who may have spent more than originally planned would normally hear at this point ).

After a few months...

HER: When we get my new Hybrid Camry, I want the windows tinted with that ceramic stuff. And DON'T forget the windshield!

ME: Damn I hope it's not going to cost more than $800 (didn't say this out loud, of course).

 

You're pushing me closer to going back to Huper with my windshield, and I'll probably go ahead and have my front windows done with it, too.

Do you find that the 60% is too dark on the windshield? I don't want to reduce visibility at night.

Are you saying that your Huper tint job was $800 including the windshield? If so, that is very good. A windshield alone can easily cost $300-400+. And there is some super high-end Huper film called Huper Optik Drei that is even more expensive.

 

It's a little darker but not too noticeable. The great headlights of the Prime easily offset the small loss of incoming light. I wanted 70% but I believe Huper-Optik Autobahn only came in a grade of 60% at the lowest.Oh and highlights no longer bother me very much anymore (from front or back).

You CAN go for 3M at 70%. I think it was called "Crystalline". Much more expensive as an option so I stuck with the Huper-Optik.

These are the guys I went with:

Fresh Window Tint Redondo Beach - 984 Photos & 411 Reviews - Home Window Tinting - 1415 Aviation Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA - Phone Number - Yelp

Jose is great to work with plus they have a very cool waiting area with free drinks and Wi-Fi.

 

Hi - I don't see anything in this post of yours but the quote.