I don't see anything updated on window tinting since July of '07. I am about to get mine tinted this week on my new '08 Touring. 1. Am I correct from what I have read that if you get a metallic tint it will interfere with your navigation system, phone, XM radio? 2. Did I get it right that non-metallic will NOT keep out the heat? 3. There is a newer tint called Ceramic that will not interfere with the car's other systems but it is more than double the cost? I have been quoted $225 to tint my windows from TNT of Madison this week. WI law says I can have 50% tint on the front windows and 35% on any of the other windows. 4. Other than a decision based on taste, is there anything else to consider? 5. Would the car look better (asthetics ) if it was 35% tint everywhere rather than having it darker in the back windows? 6. Is there better visibility in the back if I keep it as is vs. 35%? 7. There is some tint on the lower back window. Is it better to leave as is for visibilty vs. darkening it? Thank you to anyone who helps answer my questions. You have been very helpful to this newbie!!
The lower the number the darker the tint..(example= limo tint is 5%) I would go 35% on front and 20% on back if it where me. I also like the strip on front window I am getting mine done this week also..I am going 20% all the way..
I don't know what you mean about the strip on front windows? Where is it on the window? Limo tint is 5%? You can't see in a limo at all. The samples they showed me you could see inside a 35% tint.
Oh I forgot the lower the number the darker the tint. So 5% for a limo would make sense. Say how do they get around the law on that one?
They put the strip on the front window at top of window about a six inch wide strip.. Not sure maybe they have diff. laws for limo's, but I know guys that have limo tint on there cars never have got into any trouble yet with it..I think if you get stopped for something else thats when most get into trouble for it..
is $225 for ceramic tint? i would definitely get ceramic tint if you have navi. it will not interfere with your gps signal. i would go 35% all around, but i am not too sure how the cops are in wi about enforcing the 50% up front.
I am sure the Ceramic costs more. They didn't mention it but I found it on priuschat so I will definitely ask about it. Does the non-metallic keep out the heat if I can't afford the ceramic?
KAZIE, congrats on your prius. i'll try to step up and help you as i also have the package #6. #1) do NOT tint your car with metallic tint. it will interfere with the navi, GPS and possibly the XM radio, dont do it #2) dont know about heat and metallic.....????? #3) i am also 99.9% sure that i have ceramic tint, and over here in sunny so-cal, we divide the tint into FOUR categories, light, medium, medium dark and super dark. I have MEDIUM tint on the two front windows, and medium dark on ALL THE REMAINING REAR WINDOWS. this INCLUDES the rear small strip on the back hatch. i am clarifying this because i see many tinted prius's on the road without this portion tinted. I got my tint for $200. #4) hmmmmmm. other things to think about? YES. on the front windshield, i wished that i would have placed a 5-6" tint on the top, YES IT IS NOT LEGAL. but that would really help with the sun when it's facing me head on. yes, it's a chance i take to have this tinted, but you asked if there were anything else. #5) here is my general rule of thumb when it comes down to window tints.........DARK CAR, DONT SMOKE THE TINTS TOO DARK. LIGHTER COLORED CAR, YOU CAN MAKE THE TINT DARK. #6) for rear vision, of course vision would be better with lighter tint, but i opted a darker tint since i carry things in the back of my prius that are taller than the rear cargo sliding cover, but since you got a package #6, you got the rear cam right? dont totally rely on the cam, but this helps quite a bit! #7) "there is some tint on the lower back window"......you mean the small lower portion on the hatch? mine came with NO tint. the tinters told me not to tint it, but after a day......i brought the car back and said, that advice does NOT work for me, TINT IT! hope this helps. cheers. :flame:
Yes I meant the small rear window below the regular hatch door window. It has a pinkish colored tint on it. Probably came that way with the backup camera which I do have. Since my car is the Spectra Blue I think you would consider that to be a dark color and I like your way to describe it with degree of tint. I would love to tint the front windshield. The sun really beats in on that. Maybe 5 or 6 inches down from the top of the window would be OK? I would think that would be a safety feature the way the sun comes in that wind shield. It seems much stronger than in other cars I have owned. There is a small piece behind the the auto dimming mirror that looks tinted which probably is related to that function in some way. Would police even notice that if you were stopped for something?
The number is for light transmission so 5 lets 5% of the light through and 70 lets 70% of the light through. Vehicle standards in Australia are minimum light transmission of 70% on windows beside the driver or forward, 30% on windows behind the driver and no tint on a windscreen lower than the highest point wiped by the windscreen wipers. A manufacturer can tint the film between the layers of glass in a band across the top of the screen as long as it doesn't encroach on the driver's view.
One thing about tint is that it is just like everything else, you get what you paid for. So, while ceramic is a whole lot more expensive it will also last longer, keep out the heat like metallic while at the same time not interfering with your nav/satellite radio. I'd go for ceramics!
OEM Prius glass is already made to be the peak in performance to reduce heat load on the interior because of the desire to reduce A/C energy usage. As such, tinting does little more than make it harder to see the environment at night. So if you are middle aged or older, you need all the light you can get at night so save the money that you intended to spend on tinting and put it towards getting a Prius package that has the OEM HID headlamps.
Do you have a place where this is a documented fact? The reason I ask this is because my brother's 07' (loaded to the max) did not have any window tinting at all, he did go through the dealer to have the windows tinted aftermarket. My 08' package #2 has a very light tint and the glass has UV stamped on it, like I said, my brother's 07' does not. My reason for my question was that I want to see if your statement was an observation on your part? or was it based on actual data from Toyota.
I second that. Someone earlier in this thread said they thought they had ceramic and paid $200.00 ,I don't think so. I went with Huper Optiks. Ceramic is a tint that really keeps HEAT out, and it works with no side effects. BUt is ain't cheap. On those HOT days when the direct sun is bearing down, I can't feel any heat at all through the tint. And my A/C stays on 77deg. all summer and works very little. Worth ever penny. It pays for itself in the Prius because it saves me gas because the A/c doesn't run and the batteries stay cooler, allowing more Stealth time.
ive been debating about the tints too, how much did you pay if you dont mind me asking?, ive seen a prius in my area seaside pearl, but the tints were a light shade of blue, i thought it was nice, but i was wondering whats the most affective i dont want limo tints thats too dark and i dont want to get pulled over and have to pay a ticket
I remember reading it in the last few days, so I'm pretty sure that it is in the 2008 Prius owners manual or Official Toyota website postings.
Prius glass might be efficient as far as auto-glass UV rejection, but it's no where near the peak of possible HEAT rejection. Huber Optiks ceramic tint primary advantage is HEAT (and UV) reduction and even comes in practically clear tint levels, for those with visibility concerns. HID's enhance the view out the front windsheild , and not may folks even consider tinting the front windshield, so the argument that tinting would reduce the visibility that HID's enhance doesn't fly.
The glass is as protective as is possible under present federal law. Regarding your driving at night, yikes, you don't use the side or rear windows at night to see traffic and pedestrians to the side of you, or use your either your side or rearview mirrors to change lanes of back-up or look through your rear window to back-up? Please tell me where you drive so that I can stay well clerar of you. Thanks.
According to Toyota's website, High Solar Energy-Absorbing (HSEA) glass comes standard on the 2008 Prius. Toyota Prius - 2008 Models: Prius & Touring
Heat and light are two different things. Reduceing the amout of light (Limo tint) has little to no effect on the amount of HEAT being transmitted thru the tint. As an example, H.O. offers a clear tint that even eliminates heat. I went with 30% tint, which allows plenty of light transmission at night and eliminates the heat in even direct summer sunloads. I paid around $350.00, and just like anything, it's negotiable. Depends on how it's selling. Not as widely available as most tints, but look around.
