Please explain why so many tint windows.

Heat rejection is why I got the windows tinted. My car is notably cooler. I went with a ceramic tint that rejects heat without having to be dark.

 

The laminated windshield does a good job of blocking both UVB and UVA. The rest of the glass only blocks UVB. UVA penetrates deeper in the skin and causes serious problems. In high UV situations, a film is recommended.

 

The coolness factor in a Prius goes up 40%

Lol but aside from that my eyes sometimes get real sensitive to eyes and it's a nice way to help relieve them. That's my reason I did learn my lesson from when I had my truck and only tinted the front med instead of limo, I remember when I backed up at night I use to have to lower my window.

 

I mainly do it for the heat factor..

Here is something you can try... (My uncle did this, and made me a believer in tint)

Take 2 coins. (pennies work really well.) Place them both in a window. one in direct sunlight, and the other with a tinted window.
After about an hour of them being in the direct sunlight, pick them up and see which one you can hold the longest.

 

Look at this table for the G3 Prius, slightly reformatted from HTMLSpinnr's original thread. While UVA and UVB are not separated, I'm skeptical that 90+ percent of all UV radiation can be filtered and leave much UVA unblocked.

 

Thank you, SageBrush, I was going to mention the same thing. Almost all glass absorbs most of the UV. I sunburn very easily, but I've never even received a tan when driving long distances with the (untinted) windows rolled up. Tinting isn't going to make much of a change with regard to how much UV gets through.

I think most people tint their windows because it may keep the interior a little bit cooler under a hot sun. Some people think it looks cool, too. One thing I didn't see anyone mention is that it can make it a little more difficult for a prowler to see inside. My pickup has heavy factory tinting on the rear cab window as well as the rear side windows. The interior is a dark gray and it's nearly impossible to see anything laying on the rear seat, especially at night. Plus, you have to stand on the running board in order to peer inside. Most criminals would prowl an easier car. The Prius v with the lighter tinting allowed by most states probably isn't as secure as my pickup, but it might help a little bit with casual prying eyes.

Tinting can be overdone, though. The canopy on my pickup also has tinted rear glass and it's nearly impossible to see through the two heavily tinted windows. With a little dirt on the canopy's rear window, it's impossible to see anything behind the pickup. It's better at night because the headlights of any car behind the pickup are still visible in the rearview mirror. Sometimes, too much of a good think is too much.

 

I could care less about the UV, I only want to stop the Heat from coming thru. this 100 deg heat is killing everyone here.

 

20% front, 30% back in So Cal. Cost $160 lifetime warranty. Car is at least 20 degree F cooler when parked. Use less AC. Less skin cancer.

 

Wow that's a good price, I'm also in SoCal where is the store located?

 

Garden Grove in Orange County. However, he told me he will move to a new place . Let me know if you are interested and I can PM you his cell phone number and you can contact him for his new location.

 

As some people have stated, tinting does not 'improve' on the UV protection, but it does reduce the amount of light that will come in. Visible light emits many different wavelengths of light, from Infrared to Ultraviolet. While UV is on the higher end of the spectrum and filtered out by UV glass, you still have several other wavelengths still getting through.

Here is another thing you also have to understand. Why is it that a person wearing Black clothing feels 'hotter' than a person wearing White or lighter clothing.

Here's the scientific reason. Color, as we perceive it, is a reflection of certain light wavelengths. In this case, white is a reflection of all light wavelengths. Black is an absorption of all the wavelengths. This is why Asphalt is hotter than gray concrete, it isn't the material that is the problem, but also the color of the material. One of the reasons also in New York, they are suggesting to beat the heat, painting the roofs to a lighter color.

With Tinting, you are reducing the amount of visible light being allowed into the car, so whatever your interior is, it is not receiving as much of the light wavelengths to absorb to heat up. But untinted areas will still receive enough 'energy' from the light to heat up over time.

Also, the harder it is to see into a car, especially in dark areas, also helps obscure what is inside the vehicle, making it would be thieves less incentive to look into see if it is worth the risk, as it brings unwanted attention.

While yes, tinting the car will also obscure your night vision, another thing to note, however, at night, your night vision will be also hampered by headlights. While you can use the anti-glare on your rearview mirror, you still have the issue of your visibility hampered by headlights in general. The areas you are tinting should not be affecting your night vision unless you go for a complete 0% light allowance. And also, don't forget, the Prius v does have a rear camera, and while I have had mine go out due to a software glitch, I was still able to back up inside of a dim parking garage without it and with a tinted window.

Whether or not you need it, is up to you, however. In sunny, southern states, tinting helps out with the heat reduction for the interior, especially given none of the Prius v cars have any nice 'venting' solutions like the Prius standard solar package. Tinting also just provides privacy for those in the back and general anti-glare reduction, as other vehicles do reflect sunlight right back into your car too.

 

Its important to tint a Prius. Do anything you can do to lessen heat buildup in the Interior as high heat is very hard on the Hybrid battery. Plus why would you let the sun attack the dash and all the dash electronics all day?

Make sure whenever the car is unattanded you also use a windshield shade. The angle of the windshield heats the car up so much. The PriusShop here on this site sells the best window shade made. Its insulated and form fitting. Mine is now 5 years old and still in really good shape.

Plus by purchasing here you support this site.

Tint...window shade..crack open windows 1/2 inch if not going to rain makes for a very happy car.

Oh and don't tint yourself. Its really hard to do it right.

 

I have the tint in my house, waiting.

I'll have to post pictures if it comes out awful.

Absolutely. I'll just add that shade is worth a long walk in the heat. I also try to game the sun a bit by turning the car towards the SW if I return in pm, SE for a return in the morning.

The sun shield sold through PC does a great job I gather, but I like the accordion type because it is quicker to put up and take down, and easier to store. Just a personal preference.

 

It is the accordian type. Its a standard shade. Just insulated and form fitted which makes a world of difference.

And good luck with the home tint job.

 

People tint windows to look cool.

 

Yeah, the tint on that old van does look really cool!

 

I'm amazed at how many people don't realize how much cooler the interior of the car is with tint. I could never go back to untinted cars. It also does make just about any car look nicer too.

 

Lol yup imagine that van without tint. Thats someones house actually lives on site at my job. You do have a point the tint keeps the inside much cooler.

 

It keeps the kiddos cooler in the back (fact), hides my stuff (fact), and looks good (opinion)