[danimal]

Do the windows on the 2 Series come with some sort of factory tint?

In broad daylight, the rear side windows and back window are clearly darker than the front side windows. It's more difficult to see inside the car through these windows. Even the front side windows seem quite reflective. The windshield, not surprisingly, is the easiest to see through.

For those who haven't tinted their car, do you notice this as well? Does anyone know if this apparent tint offers any additional UV protection or heat blocking versus regular automotive glass?

I'm not sure if these will be terribly useful, but I took a few photos to show that the rear side windows seem to reflect more light than the front side windows (and all side windows seem to be somewhat tinted). If you look carefully, you can see the photographer in each photo, but it's more obvious with the photos of the rear side windows.

[pikcachu]

maybe it got tinted by the dealer

[HX_Guy]

Originally Posted by pikcachu

maybe it got tinted by the dealer

That's what I'm thinking too because this is how mine looked stock.

[2msport]

Definitely aftermarket tint. Which is really odd for a dealer to do I would say.. But you lucked out. Saved you $300. Looks great and protects yo skin. You sure the car wasn't used? Lol.

[HX_Guy]

A lot of dealers tint the cars...the more important question is...is he sure he didn't pay for it? I'd check the window sticker/contract.

[danimal]

If my dealer tinted the car, that would be CRAZY.

I asked my CA whether I could get the car tinted through the dealership, and he said no, but he could recommend someone. When I showed up to take delivery, he gave me a card for a tint shop (which was actually one of the ones I was considering based on Yelp reviews).

Also, I definitely didn't pay for any tint. I payed exactly what we agreed on when I ordered the car ~6 weeks ago.

I'm baffled

[HX_Guy]

Well you should be able to tell if it has tint by looking for the film inside the windows.

Sort of like this:

[danimal]

Originally Posted by 2msport

Definitely aftermarket tint. Which is really odd for a dealer to do I would say.. But you lucked out. Saved you $300. Looks great and protects yo skin. You sure the car wasn't used? Lol.

Only 16 miles on it when I drove off the lot. I also obsessively tracked the car as it made it's way from Germany to San Diego, and it has exactly the options I wanted.

So I don't think so

[danimal]

I don't see any sign of film on the inside of the front sides, at least:

[HX_Guy]

Well then your car is just weird. Definitely looks tinted in the first set of photos though.

Does your dealership have any other 228i's on the lot? Maybe go compare with another one side by side.

[danimal]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

Well then your car is just weird. Definitely looks tinted in the first set of photos though.

Does your dealership have any other 228i's on the lot? Maybe go compare with another one side by side.

I'm pretty sure he still has some. I'll have to drive there again soon. Is there any chance BMW made a late 2014 change in their window glass?

[danimal]

Also, besides not seeing any film, if the dealership tinted the car, it would have had to be on Tuesday, because that's when they received it. If the tint job were that new, wouldn't there be some little bubbles and stuff while it dries? I see no sign of anything like that.

[MaximumG]

All newer BMW's come with the windows slightly tinted from the factory. It saved me from tinting my windows. Others might argue it's still too light though.

[mmmmm235i]

Originally Posted by MaximumG

All newer BMW's come with the windows slightly tinted from the factory. It saved me from tinting my windows. Others might argue it's still too light though.

This is just false. I've heard of dealers putting some tint on, but there is no way this is a "BMW thing". Besides the fact that it wouldn't make sense due to the vastly different tint laws from state to state, my 2014 and 2009 BMWs came with absolutely no tint on any windows. OP I would ask the dealer whats going on. Maybe take a picture from far away to see if it is just the lighting.

[danimal]

Here are a couple more photos from the day I took delivery (taken with a real camera), and one more from this afternoon (with camera phone). I really think the back windows look darker than the driver/passenger windows. Also, doesn't the i3 seem to have less tint?

[MaximumG]

I picked up my car at BMW Welt with the windows noticeably darker than my older BMWs. They didn't tint the car. It's not an option. I picked up my car from the dealership the same day it arrived there. They didn't tint it either.

Sitting in my car, the side windows are definitely a different, darker hue compared to the windshield.

Maybe I shouldn't call the windows "tinted", but they're no where near as clear as the front windshield.

[danimal]

Originally Posted by MaximumG

I picked up my car at BMW Welt with the windows noticeably darker than my older BMWs. They didn't tint the car. It's not an option. I picked up my car from the dealership the same day it arrived there. They didn't tint it either.

Sitting in my car, the side windows are definitely a different, darker hue compared to the windshield.

Maybe I shouldn't call the windows "tinted", but they're no where near as clear as the front windshield.

So your car was built in May?

What about you, @HX_Guy?

[HX_Guy]

I don't know, how do I find out when it was built?

[danimal]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

I don't know, how do I find out when it was built?

I only know when mine was built because I ordered it and was tracking it online. If you bought yours off the lot, I guess you'd have to ask your CA unless there's some way to figure it out from the VIN.

I'm just trying to figure out if the type of glass changed at some point late in the '14 model year.

[HX_Guy]

According to Carfax, the pre-delivery inspection etc was done on 04/29/14 and the car had 8 miles on it at that time. So I guess sometime in March/April?

BTW your pictures of the car inside the dealership don't look all that tinted, it's the outside ones taken with the camera phone that do. Maybe all the reflection and the angles? For example look at my car from two different angles...in the first one you'd think I have limo tint by how dark it looks but the second one isn't nearly as dark.

[danimal]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

According to Carfax, the pre-delivery inspection etc was done on 04/29/14 and the car had 8 miles on it at that time. So I guess sometime in March/April?

BTW your pictures of the car inside the dealership don't look all that tinted, it's the outside ones taken with the camera phone that do. Maybe all the reflection and the angles? For example look at my car from two different angles...in the first one you'd think I have limo tint by how dark it looks but the second one isn't nearly as dark.

True, but on my car, what gets me is the difference between the side windows front to back. Makes me wonder if maybe there is some dealer installed tint, but only on the back window and rear side windows. But as I said before, that would be truly shocking since my CA explicitly told me the dealership doesn't do that, and there's no sign of tint film anywhere.

I've got to park my 228i next to my E90 under the same lighting conditions and see if that reveals anything.

[Aust350z]

Does the 2 series come with the "Sun protection glazing" factory option like the 1er? ie the tint is between the layers of glass.

EDIT: Yes it does. Option 420."Sun protection glazing - darker tinted glass for rear and rear side windows"