I've only been driving my new Prius Plug-in for several days, but one small thing is really starting to bother me. The windshield and side glass have a different coloring. I know my long career in graphic arts makes me especially sensitive to the mismatch, but wondered if others have noticed this difference as well. (see attached photo of gray and white paper photographed through each glass) Assuming the windshield needed to be neutral, or at least no obvious tint, and the side windows have a deliberate 1-3% warm tint, perhaps to filter UV? Anyone have any insights?
There are a lot of different types of glass used in the car, so I'm not surprised. See the file that tumbleweed posted here. The color of the glass used may have changed between the 2010 and the 2012 model years, or you might be just noticing an inadvertent difference; after all, the windshield is laminated, while the sides are just tempered. At least in 2010, both locations were green; only the roof and lower back window were gray. I've never noticed personally, but now you've probably ruined it for all of us, and we'll never see it the same again.
Yeah. At least our 2012 has a UV tint applied to the side glass. It gives a slight yellow/green tint. The windshield glass does not.
Most new solar enhanced windshields come tinted either blue or green or both. The side windows usually have a different treatment as far as I know.
My 2012 Prius 3 came with a smoke tint on the windows which didn't do much for heat in my opinion so I added tint. But yes, there is a difference in the color of the side windows and the windscreen.
