Before I respond, I'll note that I have applied Rain-X and use Rain-X wiper fluid. *HUGE* difference no matter the car. This stuff should be required for all cars.
Rain-X Original Glass Treatment - Rain-X The stuff is great! You can literally drive around in the rain (at speed) without using wipers at all. The air resistance just pushes the water right off your windshield.
It is basically a polymer coating that changes the glass surface into a hydrophobic surface. Thus the water beads up and doesn't 'stick' to the glass and distort the optics. It is stupidly amazing!
+1 to everyone else's comments on the Rain-X. The wipers are fairly pricy, but the Rain-X washer fluid puts down the same coating creating the beading and ability to drive in most normal rain without wipers on at all, the water rolls off the windshield so quickly.
Which is surprisingly pleasant, not to have the visual distraction of wiping going on. Highly recommend.
I find Aquapel to be a much longer lasting (and even more effective) than Rain-X. More expensive per application, but it can last a good 3-6 months.
Are there pros/cons to putting RainX or Invisible Glass on the other windows - passenger, driver, rear windshield - or even the panoramic roof?
It is a silicone polymer. It is very thin and non-visible. It might lower the luster on your paint slightly, but should wear off after a few months. I highly doubt it would damage any paint job. Many touchless car washes have the same polymer in their wash cycle, so it gets put all over you paint. I don't see a problem putting it on any glass at all. The only thing that bothers me about RainX is where does the polymer go after it wears off (usually after a month or two) and does it just break down into dust, or does it break down more than that. I happen to think it eventually makes it out to the great pacific garbage patch (but I have nothing to back this up with, just a hunch). But there are many many things that are worse out there. Heck, I bet RainX prevents enough car crashes that it actually lowers the amount of plastics being thrown away. And it works like the dickens. I have put it on sunglasses, and my mountain bike. I had a friend to try to use it as a chain lubricant (on his mountain bike) with dubious results. It is great at repelling water. Truly amazing stuff. I buy the washer fluid about once every 3 months. I run out in about a month, and it lasts another 2 or so months. Sure a bunch gets on my car but you can't see it. You can tell by pouring water on your car, but it is invisible.
One thing to mention about Rain X if you haven't used it before is that immediately after application if it has not become wet at least once, there will be visible swirls on the windshield that are a bit hazy and VERY distracting with oncoming headlights at night. To avoid this, after application just get the windshield wet once and turn the wipers on for a few seconds. Then you are good to go. I also agree that it is incredible. The faster you are going, the better it works, too. So at high speeds on the highway when you are stuck behind a truck blowing crap all over your windshield it just scoots off the windshield and into the wind. It is really impressive and I would not dream of driving my car in rain without it. I haven't tried Aquapel as of yet but may give it a try. Thanks for the recommendation on that. Another great thing about rain x is that in the winter, if the rain x coating is relatively fresh, it does a wonderful thing if you leave your car out uncovered and there is a ton of snow on your car in the morning. Prior to using rain x I spent a lot of time in MA, OH, PA winters scraping or brushing off a foot or more of snow off the windshield on some mornings. With a fresh rain X coat, you can just get in the car and turn on the wipers. The whole block of snow will often just slide off the windshield en masse and onto the ground leaving a clear and ready to drive windshield. No I don't work for rain x, but yes I think it is a wonderful safety addition to any car. Cheers.
Can someone confirm the application and maintenance process for Rain-X? I was told to clean windshield with a 50/50 alcohol/water mix the first time then apply 3 coats of Rain-X. Then every three months just use water then reapply Rain-X. Thanks.
Rain-X is a fantastic product. I've used it for years. Just follow the instructions on the bottle: clean the glass well, apply Rain-X to a folded paper towel, and apply to windshield with a circular motion until a haze forms. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the glass and buff clean with a fresh paper towel. Apply and buff one more time. You're good to go. Wipers will be unnecessary in all but the strongest storms.
For rain x application, I wash the windshield as usual with anything I want. Then I apply rain x like I would a hand wax job to the paint. Let it haze over and then buff off. The 1st time around I do 2 coats then for touch ups just 1. I re-apply about every 2 months or so. You can also get an additive that goes in your washer fluid that keeps applying rain X and that helps a bit but not as well as doing it by hand to the whole windshield. Just remember to get it wet after it has been applied or your night driving will be a risky experience. Cheers.
Found two videos of Rain-X in action. It's actually a test of two different products, and Rain-X wins
After using Rain-X religiously through the 90's, I switched over to Aquapell about 10 years ago and found it works much better, lasts longer, and is less prone to hazing.
I've tried both for several months, and ended settling for Aquapel on my car (a sports car with a very inclined windshield) and Rain-X on my wife's (which has a more conventional windshield). It is true that Aquapel lasts much longer, but in a car with a regular windshield is not as effective as Rain-X at highway speeds. I would say that for a Model S Aquapel is likely a better option.
I tried Rain-X today, but it doesn't work as well as it did on other cars. The windshield has a rubbery feel like a Hyundai I recently rented, and the Rain-X worked similarly poorly on that as well. It balls up into drops on the windshield. Is there a way around this with these new rubberized windshields? Will Aquapel work better?
