CX-5 Window tint

[Natey]

I think the law is there so cops can see who is in the car and what they have in their hand or lap.

I agree about the eye contact thing too.

 

[Jford]

Do we like the front window of the soul crystal red tinted to match the oem rear window?

Somewhat off topic but, will a front windshield stripe interfere with the sensors in the rear view mirror assembly?

 

[CX5_Driver]

Somewhat off topic but, will a front windshield stripe interfere with the sensors in the rear view mirror assembly?

No. A tint installer will cut the tint around the sensor cluster, not cover it. If you are doing it DIY buy from a company that sells precut like this: https://www.rvinyl.com/Mazda-CX-5-Window-Tint.html or https://www.northerntint.com/complete-mazda-cx-5.html

*note* I have no personal experience with either of the above links, just random Google finds.

 

[Fsquared]

If you're in America you're gonna get pulled over with 20% on the fronts. There are like 2 states where 20% is legal.

Most states allow 35%.
The number refers to how much light it lets through, so the lower number the darker the tint.

Here's this:

Window Tint Laws By State - Updated 2024

Explore our 2024 guide to window tint laws by state, featuring updated regulations, detailed infographics, and easy-to-understand summaries for each state.

windowtintlaws.us

That doesn’t mean you’re gonna get pulled over with 20% on your front windows. Where I live the police have much more important things to do.

 

[Jkiddd33]

Somewhat off topic but, will a front windshield stripe interfere with the sensors in the rear view mirror assembly?

Have my windshield tinted 50%. No issues

 

[Jkiddd33]

5% all around and 50% on the windshield. Every car I’ve had I’ve ran the same set up here in CA.

For sure will get pulled over. With the Mazda it seems they don’t bother you much since it’s such a chicks/ family car.

To be safe just do 20% and match the windows. Run the risk since any tint on the front is illegal here but it’s worth it. Worst case find a cop to sign off on it.

*** definitely pay for a good ceramic film if you can afford it. The heat rejection is night and day from a cheap film.

 

[Fsquared]

5% all around and 50% on the windshield. Every car I’ve had I’ve ran the same set up here in CA.

For sure will get pulled over. With the Mazda it seems they don’t bother you much since it’s such a chicks/ family car.

To be safe just do 20% and match the windows. Run the risk since any tint on the front is illegal here but it’s worth it. Worst case find a cop to sign off on it.

*** definitely pay for a good ceramic film if you can afford it. The heat rejection is night and day from a cheap film.

But I would think most people’s top priority is to have their aftermarket tint match the factory tint as well as possible. Some ceramics have a bluish or greenish hue mixed in with the black.

 

[Jkiddd33]

But I would think most people’s top priority is to have their aftermarket tint match the factory tint as well as possible. Some ceramics have a bluish or greenish hue mixed in with the black.

I’d take better film over color matching but that’s just me

 

[hal2]

I’d take better film over color matching but that’s just me

Agreed, along with your comment about heat reduction. But a lot has to do with one's objectives. For many it's a matter of form over function - they want "the look". Okay, fine. Here in Phoenix even 80 year old grannies have tint, but it's for the heat reduction. You'll appreciate the heat reduction way before you'll "wow my car looks cool"

 

[Fsquared]

Agreed, along with your comment about heat reduction. But a lot has to do with one's objectives. For many it's a matter of form over function - they want "the look". Okay, fine. Here in Phoenix even 80 year old grannies have tint, but it's for the heat reduction. You'll appreciate the heat reduction way before you'll "wow my car looks cool"

I wouldn’t put bad film on my car just because it matched, because it wouldn’t match for very long. I’m looking at Llumar ATC 15 (color stable dyed) or CTX 15 (ceramic, which I’ve heard maybe isn’t quite as charcoal colored) on front windows to match factory tint on my new CX-5.

 

[reeves-cx]

I'm getting the (overly) expensive ceramic window tint for the front 2 windows. Supposedly blocks UV & heat but we'll see how effective that is once I start driving in the summer time.

 

[sm1ke]

I'm getting the (overly) expensive ceramic window tint for the front 2 windows. Supposedly blocks UV & heat but we'll see how effective that is once I start driving in the summer time.

I've got ceramic film on my front two windows and my windshield. I went with the legal limit of 35% for the front and I think 80% or 85% for the windshield (not visible at all).

Any car with any amount of tint will be hot inside if it sits out in the sun long enough. I got the tint for it's UV-blocking properties, but the biggest difference I noticed is actually while driving on a sunny day. While holding the steering wheel, I used to really feel the heat on my arms and chest. After the tint, I don't really notice it anymore at all.

 

[reeves-cx]

I've got ceramic film on my front two windows and my windshield. I went with the legal limit of 35% for the front and I think 80% or 85% for the windshield (not visible at all).

Any car with any amount of tint will be hot inside if it sits out in the sun long enough. I got the tint for it's UV-blocking properties, but the biggest difference I noticed is actually while driving on a sunny day. While holding the steering wheel, I used to really feel the heat on my arms and chest. After the tint, I don't really notice it anymore at all.

Yea I don't expect my car's interior to remain cool sitting out in the sun lol. But any reduction of heat is a plus for me, and worth paying more for. I actually would've preferred if the rear windows did not come pre-installed with tint so I could tint it myself with the ceramic ones. Not sure if it's tint or just darkened glass but I don't want to mess with it just yet.

 

[sm1ke]

Yea I don't expect my car's interior to remain cool sitting out in the sun lol. But any reduction of heat is a plus for me, and worth paying more for. I actually would've preferred if the rear windows did not come pre-installed with tint so I could tint it myself with the ceramic ones. Not sure if it's tint or just darkened glass but I don't want to mess with it just yet.

I think even after sitting out in the sun for 8 hours, there was a reduction in ambient heat. It's just barely noticeable to me, but definitely noticeable. Maybe like 2-3c?

I think the rears and rear windshield are privacy glass, so if you wanted to, you could ask your tint installer to apply something like Llumar Air80 to the rears, then have them match the tint appearance on the fronts to the rears. I think for my next car, that's what I'll do.

 

[HyFlyer]

@reeves-cx , get the windshield done with the Llumar air80 or 90. You'll be glad you did. Cuts out a lot of heat.

I'll tell you when I most notice just how great of a job the ceramic does is when I drive something else and my arms are cooking and I feel the uv rays baking my chest and I wish for my ceramic tint!

 

[reeves-cx]

@reeves-cx , get the windshield done with the Llumar air80 or 90. You'll be glad you did. Cuts out a lot of heat.

I'll tell you when I most notice just how great of a job the ceramic does is when I drive something else and my arms are cooking and I feel the uv rays baking my chest and I wish for my ceramic tint!

Yes definitely considered it.. But they didn't have it available the day I made my appointment, so I only got the front door windows done.

I'll hold off ordering it for now because I want to see how the front windshield holds up first. My 2018 Mazda3's windshield seemed incredibly susceptible to chips & cracks from small rocks & debris kicked up by big trucks & construction on the highway. More so than any other car I've owned, and I've owned several compact cars. Probably just bad luck as well, but it makes me hesitant to do the inside of the windshield.

I did, however, coat the outside of all my windows with whatever they had to make it repel rain/dirt easier. They call it "ceramic coating" too but it's basically like Rain-X but less chattery. I don't expect much protection against road debris, but it lasts a year supposedly so at least I won't have to wash/clean & apply the water-repellant stuff to the windshield myself every few weeks.

Honestly wished they had a clear protective hard film (that also blocks UV/heat) they could install on the outside of the windshield, I'd opt for that instead.

 

[mrplt]

(Did not want to create a new thread for this)
I have all my windows tinted, including the factory "dark" windows. I am quite sensitive to light and I lost my prescription sunglasses a while ago. 70% windshield, 35% fronts, 50% rears and sunroof.
I did my research before getting tints. Decided to choose XPEL as the brand and a high-rated tint shop.
Anyway, the front tints were cut too low, got that fixed. Now the front passenger window has a lot of air bubbles.

And the windshield has a couple of air bubbles:


Rear passenger windows also have clusters of air bubbles. Quite hard to take pictures of as they are dark to begin with.

Well, I first noticed the front passenger window, then decided to fully inspect all the windows for air bubbles. I sent these photos to the tint shop, then received a phone call this morning. The owner of the shop was a bit frustrated mainly because he didn't check all the pictures. He insisted that it's normal to have a couple of air bubbles here and there. I said either way I won't get the windshield redone because of water leaking under the dash, and he said they make sure no water leaks under. Funny, because that wasn't the case for me. The seatbelt lights went crazy for a couple of hours after installation; then disappeared.

Anyway, his attitude changed when he saw the photos of the passenger window. He said they don't take off door panels (which I understand) and as a result, "although rarely", they mess up sometimes. He said he'll redo the passenger window and I assume they'll have another look at the other windows. I am not gonna get the windshield redone in any case.

I know some people won't mind, but it is frustrating to have more than one issue (water leaking, them cutting the tints too low, air bubbles on the windows and the windshield). They said themselves before I had the windows tinted that there would be no air bubbles. Now they say some of them are normal... I don't want to come off as a "Karen" but I also want to get the service I paid for.

My parents get all their cars tinted (more than 10 in the span of 15 years) at a family friend's shop (different country, so I can't go there) and we haven't had any air bubbles.

Anyway, the moral of the story is to find a friend who had their windows tinted, check the tints, make sure they're up to your standards and then go where they went.

 

[RedBaron]

Those small bubbles at the front may disappear over time as the air migrates out. If not, puncturing them with a pin may help.

 

[mrplt]

Those small bubbles at the front may disappear over time as the air migrates out. If not, puncturing them with a pin may help.

It's been more than a month, unsure if they are going to disappear over time. To be fair I only noticed them when I noticed one of the side windows and decided to inspect all windows.
Puncturing them with a pin makes sense but I'll honestly let the tint shop do it. I'm also not entirely sure if they are air bubbles or there is dust/small hairs (probably from the rag they use) inside.

 

[MadStyle]

Take it back to the tint shop have them fix it, only take a few days for bubbles and moisture to subside albeit are not that bad in photo, but if you're paying good money for tints you want it done right so it last long as possible. Rule of thumb - if your window tints still have bubbles after two weeks, this is a sign of poor quality installation.