Solid Roof

[jenga]

I'm starting this thread to discuss the solid roof option. I've had a few PM questions and thought it best to have the info for all to review. My car has a solid roof with tan leather interior. With these options, the A, B, & C pillars along with the headliner are covered in a matching color cloth material.

Pics:

I'm just under 6' 3" and I have almost 2" of clearance in the front seats due to the "Gurney Bubble" or raised section you see in the first two pics. In the back seat I still fit, but with probably only a 1/2" of head clearance. When I was getting the owners brief from my DS, he mentioned that the pano roof has more head room i.e. vertical clearance, but the solid roof has more "width" because there is no intrusion from the frame of the panoramic option. Another way of putting it would be the solid roof has more headroom near the sides of the interior.

Curious what other solid roof owner think or if anyone has additional questions?

 

[lolachampcar]

6'4" and ordered the solid roof as a result of past experience with sun roofs. Thank you for posting the pics and your experience. I did not get a chance to sit in a solid roof car before I finalized mine and was hoping for the best.

 

[sublimaze1]

Excellent news for you. I am 6'2, and the back seat was not comfortable for me - perhaps I should change barbers.

I did get the pano roof - even though front in solid was okay for me. I do sit a bit more upright in seats than most drivers, so if you are a "chillax"-type driver, that may help with the solid roof as well.

Nice pics and good post.

 

[Wattson]

Thanks jenga, Really excellent post with your observations and photos attached. I'm starting to oscillate between solid roof and pano roof. Fortunately, I have not yet been called up to finalize, so I have time to consider this. Your post certainly helped with the argument for a solid roof.

 

[montgom626]

Jenga, if you have time, take some pics of the solid ceiling from the rear looking forward. BTW great post!!!!

 

[kevincwelch]

Thanks for posting these pics. I've spent a lot of time thinking about the roof as well. If and when I finalize, probably would go without the sunroof. I have one now, and I use it a couple times per year. Won't miss it. I rarely have passengers too, and when I do, they are all shorter than I am. My hair touched the ceiling in the back, but it wasn't uncomfortable. (I'm 6 feet tall, but have a longer torso than legs.)

 

[PureAmps]

I'm just under 6' 3" and I have almost 2" of clearance in the front seats due to the "Gurney Bubble" or raised section you see in the first two pics.

I'm not that tall, so clearance in front and back is not an issue but I did find the "bubble" over the front seats a bit odd. I finally understood why it's there when I took the factory tour.

I had mistakenly assumed that the solid body roofs were installed during body fabrication, and the body-in-white would have a solid roof prior to painting. It turns out the roofs (pano or solid) are installed at the same point in the assembly line during final assembly after the body has been painted. So the beam that connects the B pillars is present in both pano and solid roof options. The solid roof is not a major structural member of the body, but is instead bonded to the body in the same manner as the pano roof. So the beam combined with the slope of the roof determine the available space.

 

[jerry33]

The problem is that there is no "bubble" in the back seat so headroom suffers dramatically. I would much rather have a solid roof, but not being able to have adults in the back is a problem.

 

[johnnyS]

I am 6'-3" and have plenty of space in the front seats with the solid roof. My two sons are around 6'-1" and they do not mind sitting in the rear. We just went on a road trip of 200+ miles and I had no complaints.

 

[doug]

I'm 6'2" and there's definitely not enough headroom in the backseat for me. I'm not sure why the headliner is so thick in the rear. Seems to me they would have been better off to thin it behind that support beam just as it is in front.

In the front the head room is adequate assuming the seat is at it's lowest setting. However, I was surprised that the forward visibility isn't that great. The view from by brow line up is the sun visors and headliner instead of the windscreen.

 

[jenga]

Jenga, if you have time, take some pics of the solid ceiling from the rear looking forward. BTW great post!!!!

 

[zdre]

I'm still trying to make up my mind about which roof to get. I have a few concerns about the roof that are making it a hard decision.

Pano roof pros:
-Cool factor
-Nice in good weather
-Provides more rear headroom (I'm 6"0, and my hair touches the headliner in rear seat with solid roof)
-Provides roof rack mounts

Pano roof cons:
-Makes interior hotter in the sun
-Makes interior colder in cold weather
-It's not free
-May not be reliable with age
-Increases weight

We are getting the 40kWh battery, so having the climate control work harder and waste energy because of the pano roof is the main argument against it.

 

[montgom626]

Thank you for the pics. What does the back seat look like?

- - - Updated - - -

We are getting the 40kWh battery, so having the climate control work harder and waste energy because of the pano roof is the main argument against it.

If you are worried about A/C, don't be. A/C is very energy efficient when compared to heating. (at least in a Volt).

 

[Andvib]

Thanks Jenga, much appreciated.
Is it so that there are no roof rack mounts on your solid roof?
Is the headroom w/solid roof really less right above the rear head rests, as compared to the pano roof version? I understand that it is less in the same area to where the glass is on the pano-version, but starting to suspect that is is quite similar right above the head rests (the most important area IMO).

Hoping to avoid pano-roof due to limited use and fear of long term reliability.

 

[Babylonfive]

Excellent news for you. I am 6'2, and the back seat was not comfortable for me - perhaps I should change barbers.

<snip>
Nice pics and good post.

Rubbing in the existence of hair, are we? <grumble>

 

[Zythryn]

I'm still trying to make up my mind about which roof to get. I have a few concerns about the roof that are making it a hard decision.

Pano roof pros:
-Cool factor
-Nice in good weather
-Provides more rear headroom
-Provides roof rack mounts

Pano roof cons:
-Makes interior hotter in the sun
-Makes interior colder in cold weather
-It's not free
-May not be reliable with age

We are getting the 40kWh battery, so having the climate control work harder and waste energy because of the pano roof is the main argument against it.

I couple of thoughts for you, from someone who has the Pano roof.
The roof does a great job blocking heat and does a very good job not letting the heat out. Overall, I have been very surprised how well the car is insulated. Driving in MN (brrrrrr), once the car is warmed up it stays that way much longer than I thought it would.

Cons you didn't mention:
Increased air turbulence.
Increased weight.

Our lease on our Volt is up in a year and a half. At that time we may get a second S. If we do it would be a 60kW with a solid roof.

 

[jandkw]

I owned the BMW X3 with the pano roof plus shade (you can open the shade with a push of a button without opening the pano roof, very slick) and no crossed bar in the middle unlike the Model S. It was well designed and fun to look at when standstill with the shade opened. When driving, it is unbearable to open the pano all the way because of the wind noise and air pressure. I drove the X3 for about 5 years and cannot recall if I opened the roof more than twice/year on average. So I decided to order the solid roof with my S instead.

 

[mark]

I struggled with the pano decision also. When I sat in a the back of solid roof model, I was uncomfortable (I'm only 6'0 - but long torso). I got my car yesterday with the pano and I have no regrets - the view in the mid day Texas sun is lovely and you can look right at the sun comfortably. I am gettign the extended warranty which allays my fears about reliability.

 

[montgom626]

I drove the X3 for about 5 years and cannot recall if I opened the roof more than twice/year on average. So I decided to order the solid roof with my S instead.

I have the same experience. I have the pano roofs and never use them.

 

[zdre]

I couple of thoughts for you, from someone who has the Pano roof.
The roof does a great job blocking heat and does a very good job not letting the heat out. Overall, I have been very surprised how well the car is insulated. Driving in MN (brrrrrr), once the car is warmed up it stays that way much longer than I thought it would.

Cons you didn't mention:
Increased air turbulence.
Increased weight.

Our lease on our Volt is up in a year and a half. At that time we may get a second S. If we do it would be a 60kW with a solid roof.

Thanks, that helps a little. I added the increased weight con. I am not concerned with added turbulence as I think it should be minimal. However, since the roof blocks only 81% of heat, I think here in St. Louis it will get very toasty at 100F+ degrees in the middle of a summer day.