Todd Burch
14-Year Member
For others interested, the pano roof makes zero difference to the inside temp of the car. First, it already rejects something like 98% of UV rays and a good portion of visible light as well.
But the main reason why it doesn't affect interior temperature is because the heat of a car's interior is primarily due to sunlight passing through the glass and being absorbed by the car's interior, which then radiates this heat into the cabin. If your side windows are not tinted, the interior will bake regardless of whether a pano roof is on the car.
If your side windows ARE tinted, it might take a little longer to reach a baking temperature, but sitting in a parking lot you're pretty much going to be eventually baking either way. At least with the pano roof, you can open it to vent the hot air for a moment before turning on the AC.
Ever gone inside a shed, enclosed trailer, or shipping container in the middle of a sunny hot day? No windows, but it's hot as hell inside. Your car will be the same way, even if you get rid of the windows entirely. (Fashioning mirrors all over the car would help considerably, but...
....hey...I think I found a use for the heavy chrome on Justin Bieber's Fisker!)
Anyway, on hot summer days, if I'm not in a pano-open kind of mood I'll still open the pano roof/side windows, turn on the A/C, and drive for a quarter mile. Then I'll close the roof. An open roof will vent the heat out very quickly (especially if you're driving!) and the A/C will waste much less energy bringing the cabin to a comfortable temperature (and will do it faster!). Plus, the quarter mile of driving gives the A/C time to start getting cool--just in time to close the pano roof.
Conclusion: If a hot interior is your concern, the pano roof makes no difference. You'll get hot when parked either way. But at least the pano roof gives you the option to open it to cool off
.
But the main reason why it doesn't affect interior temperature is because the heat of a car's interior is primarily due to sunlight passing through the glass and being absorbed by the car's interior, which then radiates this heat into the cabin. If your side windows are not tinted, the interior will bake regardless of whether a pano roof is on the car.
If your side windows ARE tinted, it might take a little longer to reach a baking temperature, but sitting in a parking lot you're pretty much going to be eventually baking either way. At least with the pano roof, you can open it to vent the hot air for a moment before turning on the AC.
Ever gone inside a shed, enclosed trailer, or shipping container in the middle of a sunny hot day? No windows, but it's hot as hell inside. Your car will be the same way, even if you get rid of the windows entirely. (Fashioning mirrors all over the car would help considerably, but...
....hey...I think I found a use for the heavy chrome on Justin Bieber's Fisker!)
Anyway, on hot summer days, if I'm not in a pano-open kind of mood I'll still open the pano roof/side windows, turn on the A/C, and drive for a quarter mile. Then I'll close the roof. An open roof will vent the heat out very quickly (especially if you're driving!) and the A/C will waste much less energy bringing the cabin to a comfortable temperature (and will do it faster!). Plus, the quarter mile of driving gives the A/C time to start getting cool--just in time to close the pano roof.
Conclusion: If a hot interior is your concern, the pano roof makes no difference. You'll get hot when parked either way. But at least the pano roof gives you the option to open it to cool off
.
