Your Opinion Needed: Front Windshield Tint - Options?

I live in Arizona. In the Valley of the SUN no less. To say it gets hot here is an understatement. We have enough sun, we could start exporting it - matter of fact we do in the form of solar energy generation to California.

I would like to add some tint to the front windshield because it is sloped and really lets in the sun. I have five options that I'm considering:

1. Legally, I can tint ABOVE the AS1 Line. But this is only a tiny sliver along the top of the windshield. While anything is an improvement, I'm not sure this is worth the cost. Anyone else tint the top of their windshield?
2. Legally, I can tint the WHOLE windshield with a ceramic heat rejecting tint that is nearly clear and doesn't reduce light. It is not nearly as effective as tinting the whole windshield but can be done.
3. Legally, I can tint the WHOLE windshield with something a little darker than clear IF I GET A DOCTORS NOTE and in AZ they give those out pretty easy.
4. Just use a sun visor when I park to keep the heat out.
5. Quit worrying about it - none of these solutions will make much of a difference.

Here's my worry...
The interstate outside of my neighborhood (I-17 from the 101 to Care Free Highway) is under construction. And a lot of the side roads are under construction. Along with that a lot of the empty desert near the freeway is under construction for businesses and homes and apartments. I'm getting windshields replaced on the regular around here. So much so that my last insurance provider DOUBLED our rate and we had to switch.

If I get tint, that means every time I get a rock put through the glass, now I have to go and get it tinted again.

So for those of you running tint on the front windshield - what is your experience? Do you like it? Was it worth it? How complicated is getting it replaced?

 

I feel you, AZ sun can be brutal! I've had a ceramic heat-rejecting tint on my windshield for a while now, and it's been a game-changer. It's not as dark as traditional tint, but it makes a big difference in reducing heat and glare. As for replacement, it's not too complicated, but it does add some extra cost. I've had to replace my windshield once due to a rock chip, and the tint shop was able to match the original tint pretty closely. It was about $200 extra for the tint, on top of the windshield replacement cost. Worth it for me, but I can see how it might be a concern with all the construction in your area.

 

#5 for the win. Quit worrying about it. Your solutions won’t make any noticeable difference. I live in north central California. Not as hot as Az. But we get lots and lots of 90+ and 100+ days in the summer. When you park outside put a reflective windshield sun shade in your car and leave your windows down a tiny bit. My windshield screen make a multiple degree difference. Don’t drive a black vehicle with black or dark interior. Try to park in shade when you can. Your choice to live in Az. , deal with it. Or move to a cooler state.

 

I have had reflective shades across the windshield inside and they did a good job.

One time I thought I'd try something else and trimmed/cut a custom one that fit the windshield, and attached it to the outside with those super Velcro strips they give you to attach E-Z-Pass transponders to the inside of your windshield. If you get the windshield absolutely clean before you mount them, they won't come off. I actually think it was a little over-kill. I think the normal fuzzy Velcro would be fine.

It made a considerable difference with it on the outside, verses the inside. YMMV

 

Windshield tint is a must here in the valley. It makes such a noticeable difference that as soon as we moved here, my wife said she needed it on her car too. Keep in mind she knows nothing about cars, the difference is that stark.

I have 15% all around, 50% windshield and 5% eyebrow. I went with Suntek film. As far as the legality, I see much darker film on cars around town and I even drive onto a military base a couple of times a week, never had an issue.

 

And if you ever want to link up to check it out in person, let me know. I have 50% windshield and the wife has 70%, which is almost imperceptible. I’m near Surprise City Hall.

 

Leave AZ, solved all my heat related issues and I didn't have to have tint installed. I hear Wisconsin is nice sometimes

In all seriousness I had tint on my BMW windshield, was nice, I did 85%, was just enough to make all the difference

 

Tint, windshield tint and most importantly windows visor all the way around so you can keep your windows crack open 1/4 inch to air out the cab. no one will know it open and it stay dry when it rain because of the visors.

 

I get a little closer every summer!
Maybe Tennessee in the future.

 

I like Tennessee, been to Nashville a couple times and other places there. Only negative for me is the humidity in the summer. I can deal with the heat but heat and humidity is just awful.

 

TN is worth the drive. Well, middle and eastern TN. Memphis is sh*t. Find a tint shop that will do what you want. Cactus tint in Scottsdale is decent. XPEL in Scottsdale did my truck twice due to bubbles. The driver side window is still defective. Don't go there.

Anyway, I have xpel ceramic 20% on the front windows and 35% on the rear and back windows. I could have gone a little darker in the back, but with this setup I can still see out decent at night.

I opted not to do the front windshield, because my truck needs a windshield.

That said, I would recommend the entire windshield tinted vs. just the strip in a very light ceramic (lighter than 35%) if you opt to go that route. Maybe 70%?

Ceramic will reject/block more heat than a regular dark tint. You don't need dark tint to block UV rays and heat. Talk to cactus tint in Scottsdale. They know their stuff.

 

The people may have used other than ceramic on my windshield, but the people who tinted my windshield did a good job 4 years ago when I moved here from NC on my Corolla (I thought only inner-city and limousine used tint). I got 50 overall and a 5 top strip ... photo attached. Truck is currently sitting in the sun to set the film, and I just got in to find it is not unbearable after 3 hours in the sun.

You may get funny looks in NC/TN from tinting ... or I may be wrong about that.

 

Clear ceramic tint for the windshield. It will block some heat keeping your interior cooler and solve the legal issue.

Just a warning, some vehicle has a lot of electronic around the dashboard/windshield area. My friend’s BMW x5 has his windshield tinted and said that it mess up some electronic. The shop warn him but he insisted to get it done anyway.

 

Imagine if we could get these (and legally use them!) in the US and then you could rig up some way to attach tinted film to it, so that way it would shade your windshield. And it would prevent rock chips too!



https://roofrack.com.au/product/toy...slwb-silver-450mm-windscreen-stone-protector/

 

I have 5% all the way around except the windshield. I have clear ceramic tint on the windshield and it keeps things very cool. The only downside is I hate driving at night sometimes as the side and back window are almost blacked out. I may end up redoing the side and back to a lighter tint.

I pass by police and state troopers regularly and never get pulled over for tint.

 

While I think any FULL window tint on front driver/pass doors and windshield is dumb (driving at night in vehicles like that is not fun). Doing a strip down to the AS1 line is nice, I have a 3M silver vinyl that matches the color of my truck pretty close that I applied to the top of the windshield. Really helps with sun in the cab.