[Outack]

Originally Posted by MarkCav

Just got XPEL XR Plus 15 on my front side windows (2022 X5 M50i) yesterday. From the outside- it looks great. From the inside (looking out) is a big color disparity with the XPEL tint being much darker than BMW's dyed glass. The pictures attached below don't do it Justice. I did the fronts in my 2019 X5 with Lumar's Formula One at 15% and don't recall there being such a huge disparity looking out from the inside. Anyone have the same experience?

I had this on prior vehicle.

My solution: I also tinted the rear windows with the Xpel XR+, but with a lighter tint. This evened out the color disparity, and made it look much better from inside.

[dananelson1]

BUMP - any more pics, info, etc., on tint, removal of door panels vs Not.
And, any BAY AREA tint shop recommendations?

[3Wagon]

I’ll post pics when I get more time, but I too struggled to get real good tint info.

I went with Autobahn i3 ceramic all the way around; 70% “air” (aka clear) on windshield and then 40% on everything else including Pano. I wanted the back to be dark, near limo when combined w/ the existing privacy glass and then the front windows to be noticeably lighter and the windshield to look almost clear. I will keep the car in Cali, so I wanted to be “legal-ish”.

Look wise, this came out like I wanted. I had a similar tint on my e46 wagon; in that case, I went with like 15% for rears and this came out about the same. The rear window was measured at ~12% after tinting; I am happy with this. You can barely see into the rear.

A few things I learned from my experience:

• Ceramic film - def seems to be some different info on here, and while everyone’s experience may be different, here’s what I found. I wanted ceramic to cut the UV - this was my primary concern. Some issues raised by people said that ceramic can cause issues w/ a few things; One is HUD clarity; I found this to be a non issue. HUD is fine. The heat reduction is worth it.
• Windshield - first time I’ve tinted it and will never NOT do it. It’s not noticeable from the outside - seems pretty clear and I can’t imagine getting busted for it, yet it really drops the temps. HOWEVER, I do think the rain sensing wipers are just a touch less sensitive. It only matters in light misting; when it’s really raining, it’s the same. I did ceramic coat my windows, so that lessens the need to run the wipers in misty conditions. The trade off was worth it; the HUD was my concern but it’s nto a problem
• Dimming issue - Some complain they get a dash dimming issue with tinting. It hasn’t been an issue for me, but I think that may be due to those who tint w/ higher tint levels on the front of windshield. My relatively lighter tints didn’t cause an issue.
• Pano - tinting sky lounge wasn’t a problem. There ARE people who claim this will cause it to crack, but I’ve read every anecdotal report on the x5/x7 pano moonroof cracking on this site and others and there seem to be as many non tinted windows cracking vs tinted. I think there are other issues at play here and are not caused by tinting so I went for it. The tint now allows me to keep it open almost all the time (direct sunlight overhead still a bit much) and keep the car cool. The Sky Lounge works fine. Recommended.
• Color match - I actually needed to go out to my x5 and look at it, as I don’t really think much about the tint color. It’s pretty close, enough that I don’t notice. YMMV.
• Price - Just under 2k all windows.

ISSUE: the installer didn’t remove panels and just used a tool to get the tint down below the window line. This technique can work fine, all my windows seem ok but the back window is starting to peel up at the bottom bubbles. This can be a common problem, but I got worse luck that most, i think due to ambient temperatures being so low and then tint started to come up. This will be replaced under warranty.

On my e46, I went to a shop that took off the panels, wet sanded down the “bumps” and applied the tint. That worked pretty well and I never had problems. overall, I don’t really fault the shop; I think if it had been summer, the tint wouldn’t have had much of an issue. It’s pretty difficult to deal with the raised bumps; i’ve seen this issue a lot in forums. To me, this is the biggest detail other than the brand of tints; you can ask the installer their approach. A warranty will give you peace of mind though.

I hope this info helps someone.

[absolut257]

I went with the basic tint 25% on front windows, $107 out the door, beautiful! Best part is it matches the factory rear tint's color, both I think are brownish or charcoal. I suspect that higher grades of tint are basically a markup scam, I saw a video of two vehicle's temperatures measured, one had basic and the other top of the line, not even 1 degree of difference.

[dananelson1]

3Wagon All very helpful - thanks for all the details. I'm not familiar with Autobahn i3 ceramic, but I'll look into them as an option b/c I really like the idea of 40% on front windows (also in Cali); have been debating between 35 and 45 which many other manufactures offer. Sunteck CXP; Pinnacle Formula One; xpel are currently my go to's.

I know pics aren't perfect with lighting conditions being a wild card, but if you have a few pics to share that would be great! Sounds like you have a great window tint set-up. Front window and Pano I'm iffy on; only because I'm not certain I'll benefit as much . . . something to think about. Cheers.

Originally Posted by 3Wagon

I’ll post pics when I get more time, but I too struggled to get real good tint info.

I went with Autobahn i3 ceramic all the way around; 70% “air” (aka clear) on windshield and then 40% on everything else including Pano. I wanted the back to be dark, near limo when combined w/ the existing privacy glass and then the front windows to be noticeably lighter and the windshield to look almost clear. I will keep the car in Cali, so I wanted to be “legal-ish”.

Look wise, this came out like I wanted. I had a similar tint on my e46 wagon; in that case, I went with like 15% for rears and this came out about the same. The rear window was measured at ~12% after tinting; I am happy with this. You can barely see into the rear.

A few things I learned from my experience:

• Ceramic film - def seems to be some different info on here, and while everyone’s experience may be different, here’s what I found. I wanted ceramic to cut the UV - this was my primary concern. Some issues raised by people said that ceramic can cause issues w/ a few things; One is HUD clarity; I found this to be a non issue. HUD is fine. The heat reduction is worth it.
• Windshield - first time I’ve tinted it and will never NOT do it. It’s not noticeable from the outside - seems pretty clear and I can’t imagine getting busted for it, yet it really drops the temps. HOWEVER, I do think the rain sensing wipers are just a touch less sensitive. It only matters in light misting; when it’s really raining, it’s the same. I did ceramic coat my windows, so that lessens the need to run the wipers in misty conditions. The trade off was worth it; the HUD was my concern but it’s nto a problem
• Dimming issue - Some complain they get a dash dimming issue with tinting. It hasn’t been an issue for me, but I think that may be due to those who tint w/ higher tint levels on the front of windshield. My relatively lighter tints didn’t cause an issue.
• Pano - tinting sky lounge wasn’t a problem. There ARE people who claim this will cause it to crack, but I’ve read every anecdotal report on the x5/x7 pano moonroof cracking on this site and others and there seem to be as many non tinted windows cracking vs tinted. I think there are other issues at play here and are not caused by tinting so I went for it. The tint now allows me to keep it open almost all the time (direct sunlight overhead still a bit much) and keep the car cool. The Sky Lounge works fine. Recommended.
• Color match - I actually needed to go out to my x5 and look at it, as I don’t really think much about the tint color. It’s pretty close, enough that I don’t notice. YMMV.
• Price - Just under 2k all windows.

ISSUE: the installer didn’t remove panels and just used a tool to get the tint down below the window line. This technique can work fine, all my windows seem ok but the back window is starting to peel up at the bottom bubbles. This can be a common problem, but I got worse luck that most, i think due to ambient temperatures being so low and then tint started to come up. This will be replaced under warranty.

On my e46, I went to a shop that took off the panels, wet sanded down the “bumps” and applied the tint. That worked pretty well and I never had problems. overall, I don’t really fault the shop; I think if it had been summer, the tint wouldn’t have had much of an issue. It’s pretty difficult to deal with the raised bumps; i’ve seen this issue a lot in forums. To me, this is the biggest detail other than the brand of tints; you can ask the installer their approach. A warranty will give you peace of mind though.

I hope this info helps someone.

[Cheesy Myneezy]

Originally Posted by absolut257

I went with the basic tint 25% on front windows, $107 out the door, beautiful! Best part is it matches the factory rear tint's color, both I think are brownish or charcoal. I suspect that higher grades of tint are basically a markup scam, I saw a video of two vehicle's temperatures measured, one had basic and the other top of the line, not even 1 degree of difference.

Definitely not a markup scam. Don't be confused by the "look" of the film vs it's actual functionality. Some films have UV inhibitors which protect obviously your skin, seats, dash, etc or reduce heat, reflect light, and the list goes on. They all may look similar sure , but depending on what you want your film to do and how long you want the film to last, there's a reason for different price points. If the higher ceramic films was just a marketing ploy, the masses would have caught on by now and there wouldn't be a market for them

[3Wagon]

Originally Posted by dananelson1

3WagonI know pics aren't perfect with lighting conditions being a wild card, but if you have a few pics to share that would be great!

Here’s a pic after I had ceramic applied. The windshield looks untinted really - the fronts are tinted, but light enough you can see who is driving (this is my litmus test for “will I get pulled over in Cali”) and the back is dark enough that it’s very difficult to make out much inside unless you’re within a few feet of the car (back windows was measured at ~12% and sides a bit lighter - maybe 14 I think?)

All in all, this is what I wanted: ceramic all over for heat rejection and UV protect family (skin cancer kills!) and the interior. I can leave the pano open open all day and the tint makes it very usable.

[absolut257]

Originally Posted by Cheesy Myneezy

Definitely not a markup scam. Don't be confused by the "look" of the film vs it's actual functionality. Some films have UV inhibitors which protect obviously your skin, seats, dash, etc or reduce heat, reflect light, and the list goes on. They all may look similar sure , but depending on what you want your film to do and how long you want the film to last, there's a reason for different price points. If the higher ceramic films was just a marketing ploy, the masses would have caught on by now and there wouldn't be a market for them

Good luck realizing the actual value out of it. In the 15 years of owning over 12 different cars, I've tried the whole range of tint products so I'm sticking to my notion based on experience. Perception and reality are too different things no matter what the marketing states and the law of diminishing returns is a concept that most definitely fits this particular industry.

[Cheesy Myneezy]

Originally Posted by absolut257

Good luck realizing the actual value out of it. In the 15 years of owning over 12 different cars, I've tried the whole range of tint products so I'm sticking to my notion based on experience. Perception and reality are too different things no matter what the marketing states and the law of diminishing returns is a concept that most definitely fits this particular industry.

I actually work for a vinyl/adhesive manufacture so I know what I'm talking about. If you've had that many cars over that time span, then yea it's stupid to get top of the line film on a car you won't have for a long period of time, if you also aren't worried about UV exposure, the film fading, shrinking, discoloring, etc. What you're expressing though is your opinion, which is fine, we can agree to disagree, but facts aren't opinion based, and UV inhibitors within the film, heat rejecting properties, if the film is cast, calendared, dyed, metalized or carbon makes a difference, whether you within your experience, realize it or not. Price points reflect what it is for a reason. Not trying to be a technical nerd on here like some are, but what I said isn't just opinion based

[absolut257]

Originally Posted by Cheesy Myneezy

I actually work for a vinyl/adhesive manufacture so I know what I'm talking about. If you've had that many cars over that time span, then yea it's stupid to get top of the line film on a car you won't have for a long period of time, if you also aren't worried about UV exposure, the film fading, shrinking, discoloring, etc. What you're expressing though is your opinion, which is fine, we can agree to disagree, but facts aren't opinion based, and UV inhibitors within the film, heat rejecting properties, if the film is cast, calendared, dyed, metalized or carbon makes a difference, whether you within your experience, realize it or not. Price points reflect what it is for a reason. Not trying to be a technical nerd on here like some are, but what I said isn't just opinion based

Save your "I know what I'm talking about" for someone else, I learned this crap years ago but in reality it all goes out the window because its unnecessary and the difference cannot really be perceived, at least not in any practical means. Companies makes money off this nonsense and like I saw law of diminishing returns. Agree to disagree.

[3Wagon]

Originally Posted by absolut257

Save your "I know what I'm talking about" for someone else, I learned this crap years ago but in reality it all goes out the window because its unnecessary and the difference cannot really be perceived, at least not in any practical means. Companies makes money off this nonsense and like I saw law of diminishing returns. Agree to disagree.

I’ve been sunburned in cars w/o ceramic tint. I’ve ridden all day w/o sunscreen in car w/ ceramic tint and please, you do you, but there *is* a difference. I hope you never have to bury a loved one who died of skin cancer, but for me, I will gladly pay the ceramic cost to reduce the chances of having to do that again.

[Melbourne_X5M]

I just had all my windows and windshield tinted for $400.00 OTD.

Windshield is 3M Crystalline Series 50. The fronts are done in 25% 3M Obsidian Series 25. The remainder of the vehicle is done in 3M Color Stable Series.

These are my go-to tints and I love them. Of course, this is El Paso and things cost less here.

[jiggie]

Originally Posted by absolut257

Save your "I know what I'm talking about" for someone else, I learned this crap years ago but in reality it all goes out the window because its unnecessary and the difference cannot really be perceived, at least not in any practical means. Companies makes money off this nonsense and like I saw law of diminishing returns. Agree to disagree.

That’s weird, I’ve owned half as many cars in 15 years and can say with absolute certainty there is a big difference between the various tint products 🤷🏻

Living in Phoenix was pretty easy to see how much of a difference there really was I guess.

[Cheesy Myneezy]

Originally Posted by absolut257

Save your "I know what I'm talking about" for someone else, I learned this crap years ago but in reality it all goes out the window because its unnecessary and the difference cannot really be perceived, at least not in any practical means. Companies makes money off this nonsense and like I saw law of diminishing returns. Agree to disagree.

Again, you saying it's "unnecessary" is an opinion or thought from you, it does zero to refute what I am saying. And if you "learned long ago" it sounds like you developed an opinion long ago and apparently are stuck in your ways. If it was all the same shit, companies wouldn't go the lengths they do to add the various raw materials which give it the properties to decipher the price points from film to film. If you want to go deeper, there is raw material constraints with PVC resin, adhesive, UV inhibitor properties,liner, carbon, and the list goes on. "The difference cannot be perceived?" Put a heat lamp behind dyed film vs carbon ceramic film and In about 10 seconds you'll say shit was I wrong. The differences can be seen/felt by anyone, again, who actually knows what they're talking about. You should call all these film manufacturers and let them know it's all marketing bs, all film is the same, and the added properties are "unnecessary". It's usually someone who's cheap who always has something to say about a higher price product not being worth it.

[Melbourne_X5M]

Originally Posted by Cheesy Myneezy

Again, you saying it's "unnecessary" is an opinion or thought from you, it does zero to refute what I am saying. And if you "learned long ago" it sounds like you developed an opinion long ago and apparently are stuck in your ways. If it was all the same shit, companies wouldn't go the lengths they do to add the various raw materials which give it the properties to decipher the price points from film to film. If you want to go deeper, there is raw material constraints with PVC resin, adhesive, UV inhibitor properties,liner, carbon, and the list goes on. "The difference cannot be perceived?" Put a heat lamp behind dyed film vs carbon ceramic film and In about 10 seconds you'll say shit was I wrong. The differences can be seen/felt by anyone, again, who actually knows what they're talking about. You should call all these film manufacturers and let them know it's all marketing bs, all film is the same, and the added properties are "unnecessary". It's usually someone who's cheap who always has something to say about a higher price product not being worth it.

Hey, Cheesy, take it easy. Seriously. When you don’t like someone’s opinion, just ignore it and move on.

[NCRob]

Got Xpel prime xr plus yesterday. Stayed legal at 35% and did clear on windshield. $400. Most I’ve ever paid and only had the cheap basic tint on windows and nothing on windshield prior, so we’ll see over time if it’s worth it.

I REALLY wanted 15% matching on front windows but worried about maybe getting pulled over offer or at least issue with inspection

[haggis444]

Originally Posted by NCRob

Got Xpel prime xr plus yesterday.

Did they remove the door panels?

My first X5 and I want to get it done with the shop that did my last few cars, but he claims he does not have to remove the panel. The cars he did for me in the past held up fine but a lot of people on this forum and others are stating you need to remove the panel?

[NCRob]

Originally Posted by haggis444

Did they remove the door panels?

My first X5 and I want to get it done with the shop that did my last few cars, but he claims he does not have to remove the panel. The cars he did for me in the past held up fine but a lot of people on this forum and others are stating you need to remove the panel?

Nope. He says he never has and done many BMWs, so we’ll see if I need to use my lifetime warranty at some point I guess. He’s a very reputable highly reviewed shop so there’s that.

[Cheesy Myneezy]

Originally Posted by haggis444

Did they remove the door panels?

My first X5 and I want to get it done with the shop that did my last few cars, but he claims he does not have to remove the panel. The cars he did for me in the past held up fine but a lot of people on this forum and others are stating you need to remove the panel?

Mine they didn't remove the door panels. There is a good YouTube video by window tint warriors in Long Island that swear you need to. They look like a squared away shop but don't let anyone up sell you on extra labor to do so when it isn't necessary.

Also, just curious what you guys are told on cleaning the inside of the film/window and what chemicals/solutions you were told are safe? I had my guy tell me to use isopropyl

[haggis444]

Thanks for the feedback. I had great experience with this shop so I think I am going to let them have a go at it.

[Cheesy Myneezy]

506 wraps in hillside NJ- not far from the city. exclusively uses 3M ceramic and does not remove the door panels. They can also tint over the factory glass to match the fronts even more. I did 20% over factory which technically makes the rear windows 4% and did 5% on the front 2 windows and it's a good, crisp, match.

[chefwong]

This seems to be the longest running tint thread in this SUB

For those who have contemplated vXR vs XR Plus, paper specs vs real life. My tinter says...even though on paper , it's like 8-10% higher performing, he stated he can feel the difference inside a vehicle with XR Plus vs the same % in XR.

Has anyone jumped the XR Plus route ? Interesting remark on the 15% being darker than than the dyed rears...