About to order a new estate company car.

Can’t decide whether to go for the privacy glass

On the plus side it will keep my bike fairly concealed when left in the back, it supposedly keeps the interior cooler and will keep the sun off the kids.

The negatives are it will make the interior a bit gloomy in the winter, possibly harder to reverse at night and I’m beginning to wonder if it looks a bit naff, seems to be a bit of a fashion fad at the moment.

– any opinions for or against?

It makes little difference from inside the car/van. You’ll still see out OK.

Yup, I’ve got Limo Tint in the back of my Camper and it makes very little difference from the inside.

on the flip side I’ve got 2 identical cars but one has a very dark tint on the back windows.

It’s a lot gloomier inside and definitely harder to see out the back reversing at night.

I was hoping it would be better for the dog – keeps her concealed from prying eyes and cooler but she seems to hate it.

Frankly, I’m impressed she has managed to change gear at all.

I have tinted glass in the back of a skoda estate ambulance car. Granted, I’m going a bit quick, but driving in sunglasses, blind spots are more obscured than I’d like.

you think people are going to steal your dog???

Definitely you’d need brighter reversing lights I think, and during the day it’s darker inside clearly but visibility outside isn’t reduced THAT much, not to the point where you struggle to see – it’s just a bit darker.

[only experience with limo black tints)

possibly harder to reverse at night

Get a towbar, handy for warning of cars that you may back into 😉

My mate bought a 5 series and that had tinted rear windows, also impacts vision if you look over your shoulder (to the left).

I think it’s so the dog can stay hidden to avoid suspicion when it’s about to drive the getaway vehicle.

they just train them to drive automatic…

😉

Plus it’ll come with the added benefit that everyone will think you’re famous or a teenager.

or a drug dealer.

rs – Member
you think people are going to steal your dog???

yup. Gundogs are quite popular http://www.thefield.co.uk/features/490976/Stop_Dog_Thieves.html

Plus it’ll come with the added benefit that everyone will think you’re famous or a teenager.

or a drug dealer.

Mmmm that’s what I’m worried about

We have b pillar back tinted on both our cars. The difference when reversing at night is livable with when you get used to it and you still have the door mirrors. Other than that its all positive as far as we are concerned. Our top reasons for yes….
1) keeps sun off kids and is easier to see through than s…t window shades with cartoons on
2) hides stuff in there pretty well.
3) filters out retina burning badly adjusted and dity bi xenons from the audi thats been tailgating for the last ten minutes
4) you can post ride change in ther in the pub car park
5) i look like a gangstar innnnit. (or not)

Downsides
reversing at night a little harder
idiots in.grey cars on grey days with no headlights a shade hardr to spot
sunnies + tints leads to similar effect. If its really bright enough for sunnies in the car then its bright enough to cope.

Some small adjustments to what you are used to with the mirrors can help negate many of the cons.

Not sure why reversing at night should be compromised; the front side windows have to be clear, so being able to see your mirrors should be no different. I hardly ever use the interior mirror for reversing.

I’ve just ordered my new car & have chosen without…
Current one has it & don’t really have any complaints though.

Reversing at night can indeed be worse (I use combination of interior & door mirrors when reversing) & it’s a little bit gloomier inside.
It was good when the kids were small though as it certainly reduced the sun penetration.

We (I) got tints for similar reasons to garage-dweller…..
Initially wanted a subtle tint to keep the sun out of toddlerP’s eyes, but it came back less ‘factory’, more ‘drug dealer’!! A bit off putting at first, but actually the 18% transmission/limo tint is fine to see through in the day, but don’t get the sun glare,.

Plus, it really does make drug dealing much easier….

DrP

When looking for a Mondeo I had the opportunity to drive one with privacy glass & I really didn’t like it all.

It was like 4pm in December all the time

I wouldn’t specify it if I had to pay… in fact, nor would I have it if it was free… I have rear privacy glass at thge moment because I couldn’t de-specify it. (passat Sport)

Mines an ’07 so not sure how it’s “trendy at the moment”.. the only negative I’ve found is that when passengers go to get in the back they can’t see which side is empty 🙂

Is limo tint the automotive equivalent to walking around wearing sunglasses all the time, inside, at night etc?
😉

drove an S-Max with privacy rear glass, at night you could not see out of the rear window well enough to reverse.
Ford’s genius solution is to include a reverse view camera which cleverly also does not work at night.

You look out the back of your car?

😛

I test drove a c-max with privacy glass – I didn’t like it at all as it made the interior so gloomy. If you’re worried about sun on the kids then just fit individual shades as and when you need them.

I test drove a c-max with privacy glass – I didn’t like it at all as it made the interior so gloomy. If you’re worried about sun on the kids then just fit individual shades as and when you need them.

I was also hoping to conceal the bike very occasionally overnight, one of the main reasons I wanted it, however I’m beginning to think the negatives might outweigh the positives.

it is a lot better at concealing stuff – people have to really peer in to see what you have. My tints came on the car and yes I felt a bit like a knob with them on but the added security was reassuring.

Now I have an estate the other half is going to have it to replace her identical car without tints but she doesnt want the tints so I will have to remove them all.

Although she did enjoy driving the van which had no rear view so maybe I should leave them in and fit some neons to the underside and illegal HIDs 8)

I have Limo tint on my Berlingo. It looks phat!
It also helps me wazz in a bucket freely 😀

it is a lot better at concealing stuff – people have to really peer in to see what you have

On the flip side, just thinking this might be a bit of an issue for me as my youngest falls asleep quickly in the car, even if we go a mile up the road and currently I can leave him in when we get back and keep an eye on him through the kitchen window to see when he wakes up – I guess I can’t do this with privacy glass.

I can leave him in when we get back and keep an eye on him through the kitchen window to see when he wakes up

😯

So geoffj – are you calling Social Services, or shall I?

idiots in.grey cars on grey days with no headlights a shade hardr to spot

So I’m the idiot ‘cos you’ve put tint on your windows… 😯

I think it depends on the car you are getting

I had a SMAX and the tint was horrible for night reversing (as mentioned on this post) and my sister in law complained it was gloomy. But in my BMW it is perfect, barely notice it from the inside and it is very dark form the outside.

So geoffj – are you calling Social Services, or shall I?

You guys obviously haven’t got kids!

Car is on my drive, with the gate shut locked and alarmed 2 meters from the kitchen window where I sit checking him every 30 seconds.

There is a lot of reversing at night going on here. Making me think I am not driving my car properly..

You’d be wrong 🙂

To be fair, I think most of it is being done by the household pets.

I think it depends on the car you are getting

I had a SMAX and the tint was horrible for night reversing (as mentioned on this post) and my sister in law complained it was gloomy. But in my BMW it is perfect, barely notice it from the inside and it is very dark form the outside.

Mmmm, ok so I’ll come clean, it’s an Audi A6 (but I don’t wear cufflinks, have an ipad or ride an Orange 5 before anyone asks)

I think Audi tint with 20% from what I have read which is quite dark, the one I sat in wasn’t too bad looking directly out of the window, it was more the general gloom pervading the inside of the back of the cabin I thought might be a bit depressing for the kids.

mudmuncher » So geoffj – are you calling Social Services, or shall I?
You guys obviously haven’t got kids!

You’d be wrong
Yours must be well behaved then, I take any opportunity for peace and quite when my son has a nap and avoid waking him at all costs.