I'm currently looking into getting my windows tinted because all this darned California sunshine does a doozy on the temperature inside my vehicles. If you've had your windows tinted, what type/percentage of tint did you go with and why? I'm leaning towards Llumar CTX, but the place also offers Suntek CXP and 3m Crystalline (70% and 90%).

Also, since I had such issues with paint chips on my 2010 Fit, I'm seriously considering getting a clear bra for the front end. Does anyone have experience with this process, and would you recommend it? Would it be better to do the front end and quarter panels? Hood? Doors? I really don't know!

Thanks in advance!

 

here in Arizona, tint is everybody's business.

but i've had Llumar CTX all around on my cars... 35 in the front, 17 in the back, and Llumar airblue 80 on front windshield on all my cars, never had an issue.

i think the films are all roughly the same, just make sure its ceramic.... and in this day and age, it should all be ceramic anyways.

but the installer is the key... try to find a place that people praise the handiwork of the place, not just the price.

all the films should be life time warranty, but its a pain in the ass to deal with installers that arn't careful... and bubbles show up and stuff.

 

Here in Tennessee the darkest you can go on the windows is 35. My Daughter did not want dark tint, so she went with 55 Suntek CXP, on the sides and back. However, on the sunroof and 4" sun strip on the front windshield, she did 18.

 

Does tinting the sunroof make an appreciable difference in the temperatures inside the car? I would think so, but never having had a sunroof, I have no idea!

 

My daughter tends to leave her sunroof cover open, so yes. It is also nice, as a passenger, to be able to look up directly at the sun, and not need to squint my eyes. Also, besides helping to reduce heat, tint also stops those bad cancer causing rays from the sun (which also damage interior finishes). It is a win win when your sunroof is tinted. I think they charged an extra $30 for the sunroof and $20.00 for the sun strip on the front windshield (which I also like since the sun visors on the Fit are rather small).

 

Front tint strip is a life saver for me as my commute home is to the west...

 

I guess I'll need to ask about tinting the sunroof too! I don't think the strip on the windshield is legal here in CA, though.

 

I have pictures posted here of my car with tinted windows. Suntek 35% front 17% rear. So far no troubles here in SoCal. I have the Ex-L and also in passion berry pearl so tinted windows reduced the heat on the seats A BUNCH.

 

Nice, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear! I think I might take my chances and go with the 3m 70% in the front, but I'm torn about the range between 20-35% for the rear. I'll have to go to the shop to see what it looks like in person, but once upon a time, I had a car with limo tint in the back, and I definitely don't want to go that dark again.

I searched through all the threads and finally found a couple threads with pics of your car. It looks great with the tint! (And I'm super jealous of all the mods you've added - I need to make friends with a handy car-fixy-type person up north here so I can learn how to do some of that stuff!)

 

I did 20% all around the car as well as a strip across the top of front windshield. The Fit has so much glass it is very bright! The tint made a HUGE difference. I was afraid that the 20% would be too dark but I am glad that I didn't go any lighter. I will try to get some before and after photos posted tomorrow.

 

Awesome! I'll keep an eye out for your pics. Any chance you can take some from the inside too? My biggest concern is nighttime visibility, which I know daytime photos won't show, but I'm still curious.

 

I'm actually almost on the same boat as you regarding tint. The 17% rear is a bit too dark for my tastes but it blends in well with the 35 front. I had lighter tints in my previous cars and prefer those lighter tints however, people were still able to see what I had in the rear. With the 17%, they can't see the hoard of laundry detergent I have stashed in my hatch ... Its just a bit too dark for me and makes me feel like I'm up to shady business. No pun intended.

 

I took some before / after shots. I will get them posted Sunday evening. I have not had any problems seeing at night.

 

I did 20% ceramic on the front, back, rear, and sunroof. I went with a clear film on the windshield with a glare strip. I probably would have done 30%, but visibility was still great from the inside with 20%

 

Exactly! I always felt like people thought I was some kind of hoodlum in the car with limo tint. That's another concern of mine (that cops will think I'm a hoodlum, actually - not other people), along with the fact that I refuse to buy a cargo cover again because in my 2010 I literally drove with my back seats folded flat 99.9% of the time, so there was never any real use for the cover. I spent more time trying to stash that thing away in my garage than it actually spent in the car. But now that school has me at random hospitals during the day and then taking classes later on, I have to bring a backpack with me, and it lives in the car during my clinical rotations. A full backpack sitting in the back of a car is kind of tempting to thieves, as I've learned the hard way, so getting the tint will also serve as a way to prevent people from peering right into my car at a buffet of things to steal (I mean... not that there's anything good in there. I'm not sure that binders full of notes and my chapstick will mean much to the average thief :P). I *think* 20% might be dark enough that it'll at least take some effort for someone to see in, and at that point, they'll probably look pretty suspicious to passers by, but it'll really depend on how well I can see through it from the inside.

Another dilemma - since I can't tint the driver/passenger windows to anything darker than 70% (although no tint is legal on the front... technically), anything really dark is going to look incongruous.

I'm sure I'm overthinking this, as I tend to do with most things, but if I have to live with the car for the next 10 years, I want it to be juuuust right.

I really appreciate all the input, everyone. It's very helpful!

 

A little late to the conversation, but I am having my Fit tinted Wed. and would like to try airblue 80 on my front windshield. I would appreciate any observations, opinions or comments from anyone who has had this or similar applied, such as distortion, glare, night vision, or temp. My reasoning for trying the airblue is primarily heat reduction and UV protection, and the windshield on the Fit has such a huge surface area. I know tinting a front windshield is illegal in most areas, but from what I've seen on the outside, when properly applied I think most people can't tell it's on there.
Thank you.

 

ive had AB80 in my cars for three years. its is for heat rejection for sure. Glass blocks UV A, but not UV B from my previous research. very very very little distortion, i cannot say its not there. but if the glass to too curved, you might see it. the cabin temp is day and nigh with AB80. I highly recommend. but as it is usually illegal, its most shops that do it, will be asked to pay cash to leave no trail.

 

Here is a link to a quick video of my Fit tinted with 20% all around.

 

This is awesome! So glad that you made a video for it. I'm (pleasantly) surprised by how good the visibility is from the inside, considering how dark the 20% looks from the outside.

The car looks great, by the way!

 

Have had Llumar on current personal car for the last 7 years and still looks great.

As for the clear bra, yes sooner the better. Will pay for itself over the long haul.
3M has a new Pro Series Scotchgard material - that is the one to go with. very clear and backed by a 7 year national warranty, and is now self healing. minor scratches to the polymer top coat flatten out with the heat of sitting in the sun or the application of hot water.

find a certified installer on 3M's site here
Where to Buy 3M