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Seems every estate or MPV you look at these days has at least the option of darkened glass from the door pillars aft. I'd be interested in people's experiences with this, especially since, like other tall drivers, I sit a long way back in the car and need to look behind the door pillar to check over my shoulder. I've already stopped my children from using the sun blinds because they make this difficult; would dark window glass cause the same problem? And what are the compensating benefits - why, in short, might I want it?
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In short - it cuts down the glare for your rear seat passengers.
From a drivers POV, I have no difficulty from looking through the rear windows to check at (for example) junctions/slip raods.
The only area where you MAY experience a problem is at nighttime if you reverse into a space and use your inside mirror for checking. It's only a very minor point, but worth mentioning.
I don't regret tinting my car whatsoever.
MTC
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Also, If you have your radio ariel built into the rear window, be sure to specify ceramic tint - otherwise you will lose your LW/MW radio reception.
MTC
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We have it on two cars. I'm not a great fan but these are the advantages and disadvantages from my perspective: -
Advantages
Possessions inside the car are not on view to any passing scrote
The car is a little cooler in hot weather, but not any great extent
Disadvatages
People outside cannot see in, which can be annoying if you know them and are waving at them from inside
I feel claustrophobic, especially at night, if I am sitting at the back
Reversing is difficult at night, with the tint on the rear window.
On the whole, its OK. but not really that useful.
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"Privacy" window glass and personalised number plates - a very common sight on the same vehicle. Is it my problem or is the world going just slightly bonkers.
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Ive never really liked them, but had some film proffessionally applied to my current car due to the factory glass not being that tinted, and being an estate with light grey leather it was too light it was like driving a glass display case.
I didn't get the really dark sort, just one similar to Vauxhall Signum's etc...
As others have said, in the day, it hardly looks any different, in fact it can look clearer through the tinted windows at the back. Reversing at night is a bit darker, but you can adapt. It also reduces the glare from following headlights at night.
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OK, thanks everyone. My local Citroen dealer is keen for me to take an extended demo in a C4P Exclusive, which I think has the dark windows. That seemed OK when I tried it, briefly and in daylight, before, so I can use that for a Proof of Concept exercise.
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"Privacy" window glass and personalised number plates - a very common sight on the same vehicle. Is it my problem or is the world going just slightly bonkers.
Not really, its called freedom of choice.
The tinted windows keep my 3 year old happy.
The personalised plate keeps me happy.
MTC
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It would go nicely with "Kev" and "Shaz" in big letters on the windscreen.
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I had the option of the car I wanted(except it had dark tints in the back) or waiting for another car to come in or even be built.I've got dark windows in the back-looks like a drug dealers motor as the car is black anyway.I had a driver pull out of a "T" junction right in front of me-that was a combination of dark windows on her motor and her dark sunglasses!!
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Got no practical benefits. Its a fashion thing, the 'yoofs' think it looks 'cool' - bit like vinyl roofs and jacked-up suspension did in the 1970's LOL!. The fashion will change and we'll look at privacy glass in couple of years time and think how odd it looks.
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It's common around these parts. I hate it. I can't see the other drivers expression/gestures, which makes driving more difficult at junctions etc. How can I tell if they have seen me? IMO it reduces safety. Also if I let someone out, I can't see if they have the manners to make a thankyou gesture. (Trivial I know.)
From an aesthetic viewpoint, it makes you look like a drug dealer and/or pimp. Don't forget to buy the shades, a heavy gold chain, and large gold rings. The more bling the better.
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...it makes you look like a drug dealer and/or pimp. Don't forget to buy the shades, a heavy gold chain, and large gold rings. The more bling the better. ...
No thanks, I´ll leave the ´pimp´ look to RF. He´s been working on it for years.
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Oi!
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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It's common around these parts. I hate it. I can't see the other drivers expression/gestures, which makes driving more difficult at junctions etc. How can I tell if they have seen me? IMO it reduces safety. Also if I let someone out, I can't see if they have the manners to make a thankyou gesture. (Trivial I know.)
Thats a totally different point that you are making. Tinting the front windows is illegal.
MTC
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I was assuming dark side windows and light windscreen. Actually tinting the front window is not illegal, but there is a legal limit on the degree of tint. The Ford Ka windscreen comes with a slight tint by default.
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It's common around these parts. I hate it. I can't see the other drivers expression/gestures, which makes driving more difficult at junctions etc. How can I tell if they have seen me? IMO it reduces safety. Also if I let someone out, I can't see if they have the manners to make a thankyou gesture. (Trivial I know.) From an aesthetic viewpoint, it makes you look like a drug dealer and/or pimp. Don't forget to buy the shades, a heavy gold chain, and large gold rings. The more bling the better.
Have to agree with everything you say - my sentiments entirely. To my mind it's very childish and sometimes irresponsible to fit heavily tinted glass.
Incidentally, saw a 'wealthy' scrote in front of me, this morning, driving a Merc. (what else !) and his number plate was in the largest bold italised font I've ever seen and the last part of it was so fashioned that the 7 AUL was concatenated and the 7 so mangled with a black fixing bolt head that it looked like 'Paul' - somehow I don't know if I saw things correctly now!
How do people get away with this sort of thing? And the police are still not catching the miscreants, using their mobile phones whilst driving, as well.
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The word "common" keeps cropping up - wonder why?
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My mother has just bought a Panda 100HP - that has darkened glass in rear doors, quarterlights and back window as standard. I should think it will be useful for reducing glare for B junior when his Granny takes him out in the summer (and it does mean that the dipping function on the rear view mirror isn't often needed at night) but it does make the back seat area a bit gloomy.
Aside from that it is a most amusing small car - I shall have to get round to putting on a brief road test report at some point.
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I've had mixed experiences with privacy glass. On a 5 Series I drove I barely noticed it was fitted to the rear side windows even though from outside the car it was virtually opaque.
On a Jeep Grand Cherokee I found it hugely annoying as from inside the car there was a big difference in light transmission between the window next to me (clear) and the window directly behind me (privacy glass). For city driving where you are continually looking round for traffic, cyclists and pedestrians I didn't like it.
I guess like everything else there is good quality privacy glass (BMW) and bad quality privacy glass (Jeep).
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I have this on my Focus Titanium. I didn't ask for it (it comes as standard on Focus Titaniums as of the 2007 production year) and to be honest wasn't all that pleased when I heard that it would be on my car. That said though, now that I have it, day-to-day I don't really notice that it's there from inside the car and I've got used to seeing it on the outside. In fact as my car is black I think it looks quite cool!
It certainly has no impact on seeing out from within, though does quite well at stopping people seeing in from outside. We've not had enough sunny weather for me to comment on its sun-shielding benefits for my back passengers.
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To be honest , I'm not keen on the look when the front is fairly clear, and the rear almost completely black (for legality). Makes the car look like a van - certainly does on the new Disco - ie £40k van !
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