Originally Posted By: Chris142
You do know that tinted windows are illegal here?
All tint, even if most or all of the light is let through??????
Originally Posted By: CT8
Tinted windows look ghetto.
Where's your nearest ghetto, I wonder. Do they even have Ghettos in Idaho???
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Unless you have a 40 year old car, the windows already have UV blocking. Tint definitely help keep the car cool as you're driving though...doesn't seem to do much when parked.
Good point. IIRC, late-model Subarus block a lot of UV light without any tint at all.
I like the look of slightly darker tint (basically, OE-level tint, all around.) If your vehicle is out long enough, the temperature will equalize and then exceed outside temps. My experience so far has been that the ceramic tint on my Legacy will slow down this process and works very well for blocking IR while stopping and going while running errands. It definitely helps with cooling the car down more quickly than without it, since the A/C isn't fighting outside and inside air temps AND all of the heat input from the sun, through all of the glass. Whether this is worth it for you is debatable.
I'm the type who drives 15-25 minutes to work without using the heater in 0F weather, because I dress for the weather and don't mind a bit of chill in order to let the engine warm up. I run the A/C only when necessary. When my wife and toddler are in the car, I don't have a choice. The additional money spent on ceramic tint is worth it for that reason alone, regardless of whether I myself am more comfortable or longer able to resists cranking the A/C when it's just me in the car.
YMMV