While this may sound like a similar issue to the weight factor I mentioned above, it is an important issue to consider in its own right. Having a panoramic sunroof fitted to your vehicle could be the equivalent of having an additional passenger in your car – permanently. The reason they weigh so much is due to glass being a heck of a lot thicker and heavier than steel or aluminium roof panels, not to mention all the additional reinforcing bars, electric motors and drainage channels required. So it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that a 100kg+ (220lb+) glass roof running across the very top of the vehicle isn’t exactly the best idea. Where possible, they also try to position heavy items (such as the engine, gearbox and fuel tank) as low as possible, in order to improve vehicle stability and handling.
You’ve been warned!Ĭar manufacturers work hard to reduce the weight of their vehicles as it pays dividends when it comes to acceleration, braking and fuel economy. So if you’re rather tall, you definitely should test the seating position in a panoramic sunroof equipped vehicle before you decide to order or purchase one.
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The only other alternative for tall drivers is to recline their seat back further in an attempt to gain more headroom, but this can create ergonomic issues relating to steering wheel and pedal reach. Put simply, taller drivers would have to tilt their head on an angle towards the centre of the car in order to have their head positioned within the panoramic roof opening, and clear the headliner. Retracting the sunshade or opening the sunroof often doesn’t fix the issue, either, as the opening itself doesn’t go far enough across in relation to where the driver’s head is located. Sometimes the difference can be as much as 50mm (2 inches). You see, the additional space required for the panoramic sunroof’s motor mechanism and sunshade rollers means that your car will most likely have less headroom compared to if you went without it. Now we wouldn’t blame you for thinking that optioning a panoramic sunroof in your vehicle would give you more headroom, but this simply isn’t the case. This heat can radiate through into the cabin for quite some time after you’ve entered the vehicle and started driving, meaning your vehicle’s air-conditioning system has to work a lot harder to bring the cabin back down to a comfortable temperature and then maintain it. The retractable cloth sunshades fitted directly below the panoramic sunroof do prevent some of this heat from transferring down into the cabin, but this also means that an incredible amount of heat will build up in the space between.
Tinted glass works on the principle of absorbing UV rays directly instead of allowing them to pass through into the interior, and essentially creates a large, black, super-heated element across the top of the vehicle.
You’d think tinted glass would help somewhat, but sadly in our experience it makes little difference. On days like that, leaving any vehicle out in the sun for 15 minutes or more will see interior temperatures sky-rocket, but a panoramic sunroof equipped car will obviously be the hottest of the lot, because the heat from the sun overhead essentially has a direct path in. Here in Australia, we regularly see summer daytime temperatures in excess of 40c (104f), combined with crystal clear blue skies allowing the strength of the sun to reach simply murderous levels. The severity of this issue depends on your location in the world, how hot the summer temperatures are, and also the clarity of the sky – which will determine how strong the sunlight is. This might seem obvious, but a panoramic sunroof creates a massive window (literally) through which heat from the sun can enter your vehicle. Most people would tend to agree with how good they look, but having owned a panoramic sunroof equipped vehicle for the past 3 years or so, I feel there are some important issues which new car buyers need to consider before they tick that particular box on the options list. I especially like the contrast between the dark roof and lighter paint colours, such as a beautiful snow white-pearl or light silver metallic.
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Whether you’re looking at the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class or a Kia Stinger, vehicles equipped with full black tinted glass roofs simply look the business. There’s nothing I love more than the look of a vehicle with a panoramic sunroof.
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