imdakine1

I'm wondering if anyone has recormdations for a reputable window tint company in the SF Bay Area? Preferably with experience with the Q5 and the panoramic sunroof! Although I live in Santa Cruz I may need to head over the hill since I don't see many Q5s in town and don't want to be the "guinea pig" with the panoramic sunroof etc...

I'm considering to have the panoramic sunroof, front passenger and driver side, and possibly the rear seat windows and trunk window done. It sound ms like the rear windows are not true heat or uv protection...? Not sure if they need to strip a tint off or just do it on top of the windows? I'm new to tints! My outback xt didn't have any windows tinted standard so when I got it done it was easy.

Q5 Bob

I'm sure some owners in the SF Bay Area will chime in, but a good installer can work on just about any vehicle. I've had good luck visiting a couple of local shops, meeting the installer, seeing some of their work and getting questions answered etc. There are probably more Q5's in your area than you might think, as it's a big seller for Audi (about 40k annually in the U.S. alone) so some local shops probably have worked on them in the past. Good luck.

HOiYA

The tint that comes from the factory is in the glass and not a film. I've had all more cars tinted for the reason of cutting down the UV. I had all the windows tinted on my wife's Q5. You'll find some pics of it here.

I used Premier Auto Group on my last 2 cars and Auto Mall Tint Specialist on my first 2. The reason I switched was I was having a clear bra installed on my Cayenne and wanted the convenience of having it done all in one place.

Both places do great work, so it really comes down to the film selection. Premier only carries Spectra Photosync, which they claim has superior heat rejection. The Auto Mall Tint guys carry everything from the cheap stuff to really good stuff. I'd recommend Huper Optik if you don't go with Spectra. I had Suntek on my last car and I can tell you the clarity and heat rejection on the Spectra is way better. I had Huper Optik on my first car and the heat rejection was comparable, but it's been so long I can't really compare the clarity.

Be warned that since we live in the Bay Area, everything is excessively expensive. I don't know how much the Auto Mall Tint charges these days. If you want to know how much Premier charged, PM me.

Here are some pics of the work Premier did for me on my CTTS.

metta

I am north of you, OP, in Silicon Valley, and there are plenty of Q5s cruising around in the Valley! I appreciate you asking this question as it was one on my list to ask as well.

HOiYA: I also want to get a clear bra and Opti-Coat 2.0. Do you know if Premier Auto Group works with the Opti-Coat product?

imdakine1

@HOiYA Thanks for your experience and recommendations. I'll PM you so we can chat off-line.... Thanks for the photos as well as it is always nice to see how things turn out!


One additional questions that others might be interested in as well is about metal tints? I recall when I had my first audi a 2002 A4 that they were mentioning that it could interfere with the radio signals... Is this true or the ones your mentioned do they have any impact?

@Metta ... I used to drive from Santa Cruz to Mountain View and Santa Cruz to Santana Row after my company moved to above Yardhouse for 7 years. I had a FWD A4 2002 and traded it for a subaru outback xt (250 turbo) and recently got into a 2014 TDI. We have waaaay more Subarus in Santa Cruz compared to Audis. I think part of it is that Subarus are less expensive but also the dealership is in town.... Having a convenient dealer compared to driving over the hill or to Monterey is nice...

Loving the TDI!

HOiYA

@metta: Premiere doesn't do opticoat. I went to Auto Concierge to have that done. Unfortunately Bob is taking small break and I don't know when his next appointments will be. I found Auto Concierge through yelp and then additional feedback from various forums. Ironically I am dropping off the Q5 today to have the opti-coat done. Will post pics once I get the car back.

@imdakine1: I'm on my way out to drop off the car as we speak. I will PM you later this afternoon with the price.

metta

Man, I don't know how anyone can do the drive over the hill daily! I always say that Santa Cruz would be a great place to live except for the commute over 17. I only encounter it when going to the beach, and that's enough. It would actually be a fun drive if not for all the the traffic!

And let's be real . . . There are more Subarus in Santa Cruz because that's where all the old hippies live.

Seriously, glad to hear you are loving the TDI. I look forward to saying the same thing in the not-too-distant future.

metta

@HOiYA: My online research also brought me to Auto Concierge, which is who I was going to call. Would love to see pix of your Q5 after the Opti-Coat! My Q5 delivery is late October, so I hope Bob will be taking appointments then. Thanks for all your help!

HOiYA

I would definitely stay away from the metal tints. Both the Huper Optik and Suntek are ceramic based tints and will not interfere with the nav/satellite radio. The Spectra is some nano-tech tint. Don't ask me what that is, best to read it on their site. All I know is it cuts down on the heat inside the car. Normally my wife is against any type of mods to her car, but the window tint is the one thing she insists on.

So for anyone who is interested in Auto Concierge, I asked Bob when he will be back from his sabbatical. He thinks he will be back into full swing mode by late October. He also does clear bra installs (Xpel) as well as the regular auto detailing services. If you do go to him, tell him Steve w/ the black CTTS sent you!

imdakine1

Thanks for the advice on which tint is best... I'll definitely stay away from metal tints.

@Metta yeah... I did the commute for 7 years and it was 3-4 days a week... Scary to say but the commute drive over 17 wasn't the problem (as long as we didn't have an accident) but the 26 miles took about 30 mins. Commuters know the road etc... However hitting Los Gatos for the final 10-15 miles took the other 30 mins!

The weekend traffic beginning on Thursdays in the summer is a harder drive on 17. If my wife and ever go over the hill on a Saturday or Sunday we stay over the hill until at least 3pm on.

I just got back from a party in Moraga and the drive home was so much fun! The TDI is so smooth and I got 40.5 on most of the freeway and 38.5 mpg for the whole trip.