I realize this is an extremely vague Autopian Asks, but if there’s anything I’ve learned during the process of tinting my 2021 BMW i3S Rex Giga World it’s that everyone has an opinion on tint. Do you like the way it looks? How much tint is too much tint? Is ceramic worth it? Do you stay within legal limits? Do you have trouble seeing at night? Is it going to gain you appreciable EV range? Anyway, let’s get into it.
I recently got my BMW i3S tinted, and if I’m honest, I didn’t want to, I sort of had to. The truth is that driving in LA with a car that has untinted windows is true misery, and I found myself regularly having to put my left hand up near my door glass to block the sun from burning my face. (It doesn’t help that the i3’s sun visor does not telescope!). Not only that, but I had to crank on the air conditioning when it really wasn’t even that hot outside, it was just the radiative heat transfer toasting me. The result was reduced range.


Of course, AC compressors don’t really use up that much range when compared to a heater, but between the efficiency drop and the comfort compromises, it was clear to me that tintlessness was jut not gonna work. That’s a shame, because I don’t like the way tint looks on a car.
Have a look at my BMW i3S before the tint, and you’ll see that glass was a prominent element of its design. Look at how that raer window is squeezed at the rear, but expands forward into a tall second-row window, which rises up to join the front glass. There’s just so much of it, and it is a clearly well thought-out element of the car’s design:
I think, especially on the models that have body-colored roof trim, the glass looks amazing:

But tinting glass essentially removes it in the eyes of the viewer. It’s no longer glass, visually speaking.
My car’s tint is fairly modest, but you can imagine how a darker-tinted car would look no different than if you’d replaced the glass with a piece of black-painted sheetmetal:
Glass is a beautiful thing, and to essentially hide it by tinting it, I think, is actually a step backwards in some cases. I think the best example of this is cars with tall greenhouses â boxy off-road vehicles in particular. I’ve written about this before:

One example I give in that article (aside from the Wrangler shown above) is the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Look at how gorgeous it looks with its stock glass:

And look at how much of the magic has been lost by essentially turning the glass into black panels:

Anyway, this concept of “glass is beautiful” isn’t a new one in cars or in architecture, but there are practical concerns that sometimes dominate, like in my case.
I could have just slapped some ceramic on there and it likely would have still kept the heat off my face without much tint, but ceramic coating still doesn’t look the same as perfectly clear glass from the outside. What’s more, as someone who wears glasses and doesn’t plan on getting prescription sunglasses, this is a little less straining to my eyes, so I’m quite happy with my decision to go 20% in the rear and what might look like 50% up front but can’t be since it’s not legal. I reckon it protects my interior from sun-damage, as well.
Driving at night isn’t an issue with this modest tint level, I use the AC much less, I feel comfortable, and even though I love the look of glass, I think on the i3S with the black trim it looks OK. I prefer the clear, but it’s not a big deal.
Anyway, tint is a hugely contentious topic, I’ve found while reading up on which levels I should get for my car. So let me know your thoughts in the comments!
I love window tint on all vehicles. It’s too hot to not have it in the South. 80% windshield and SC 27% to NC 35% on the sides and rears. I like my carbon CXP tint. Pretty close to ceramic from a heat rejection performance standpoint, but really black with better privacy for my 35% car.
https://imgur.com/a/I4kY6Yw
Tinted glass looks even better with the body colored roof panels. I don’t like how dark mine is from the inside, but It’s from FL. Ceramic tint makes a noticeable difference in car comfort.
As a bike rider that needs to see if the driver of the car sees me, I am totally against dark tint for the driver and passenger windows!
Bike rider here too and I hear you – but I’ve also locked eyes with more than a few people that pulled out anyway.
I’ll have to be more careful! That hasn’t happened to me!
I live in Tucson, AZ. Tint is a massive quality of life upgrade. I do keep it within legal limits, but it absolutely makes a huge difference. I didn’t need it when I lived in Colorado, though I did do it with one car with a leather interior because it really did help the situation there.
Every vehicle I’ve owned in the last 20 years has had window tint applied within 2 weeks of taking ownership. That ended when I moved to New Hampshire last year. Window tint is illegal here (yeah, you can get a medical exemption, but the tint that’s legal is so faint it’s not worth it), so can’t get it on my new Bronco. Nothing like the sun glinting off the snow and blinding your side vision.
So much for being the “Live free or die” state
Tint is fine as long as pedestrians and cyclists can see the driver. Its a serious safety issue if we can’t, because we need to know if you see us to be safe crossing in front if you at intersections.
If all we can see is just a sea of black glass, you’re a horrible person and should be sentenced to 5 years of driving a carbureted Dodge Omni with no A/C.
I feel attacked. An Omni with no A/C and zero options was my first car. But in fairness, I totaled it within the first 9 months, so maybe you are right…
I’m sorry, Michael. If it’s any consolation, I once bought a NEW car with a carburetor, no A/C, and no radio: ’83 Honda Civic S, just after college.
I thought I was a baller because it always started on Minnesota winter mornings, unlike all my previous beaters.