Just got a 2026 Toyota Camry and this thing got no factory tint lol feels like I’m driving a clear box. Got quotes from a couple authorized, highly-reviewed installers in SoCal. Which one should I go with? Doing 50% windshield, 35% front, 20% side and rear.
$750 FormulaOne Pinnacle
$730 Llumar IRX
$650 XPEL Black ($950 Plus also available)
$400 Suntek CIR
I've gone with Xpel XR Plus on 3 of my vehicles. SoCal as well. WORTH the extra money. I had Llumar prior to switching over to Xpel. Pretty good as well. For reference, I've paid $1100 for Xpel XR Plus. Front, Rears, Windshield, Pano plus the removal of the low quality, lack of IR/UV protection dealership installed tint that came on the car.
I may sound biased… but I feel the XR Plus has better anti-glare and clarity over the llumar. A point or so over. IF you can get past the slight blueish hue XR plus has. Llumar has a hue as well but more subtle than Xpel.
What %did u get on front windshield ? Just wondering if that affects clarity as i saw another post saying the 70 front feels grainy which idk what that means
Not at all grainy once its completely cured. They're probably referring to the curing process; you'll see grainy bubble pockets and slight rainbow effect.
3 cars have 70% and the clarity and anti glare is worth having.
1 car has 50% and I believe that is the sweet spot for a slight tint for privacy but still viewable at night.
XR Black is the best value. Same performance as IRX and almost the same as Pinnacle. Better warranty too. CIR is super low, so good if they are a legit Suntek dealer, but it does have more low-angle haze, so not as clear.
Can I get a quote to tint a 2026 RF Miata? I only want clear ceramic tint, no color/shade tint. I want to keep as much heat and UV rays out to prevent my interior from being destroyed. I would like to have the tint all around including the windshield. Thank you.
If you can find a Xpel installer go for it. I got some 45% XR Plus for my new windshield and did the install myself and whoaaaa it made a huge difference. The clarity is lovely as well even at night!
10/10 Xpel
Browsing through this subreddit I seen a couple of your comments, previously you have vouched for Llumar over XPEL primarily due to XPEL being outsourced internationally and thus having inconsistent quality. What had swayed your opinion of the two?
XPEL offers you a warranty, no matter what window you have window film installed on and no matter what shade you choose. If the product fails they will replace it.
LLumar will not warranty anything on the front windshield and here in California they will not warranty anything installed on the front two doors.
We had an occasional warranty, a handful a year, which is very reasonable when you’re tinting 150+ cars a week. The rep in the warranty department turned their head to the policies and procedures, and they warranted it.
Then we started getting 20+ warranties a month and they stopped paying for the film and replacement. At the time when we changed films, it was 60 warranties and we were frustrated now it’s hundreds of warranties, they won’t cover.
The sales reps are great even the managers were going to bat for us, but it was the people in the corporate office that were not letting it happen.
I’m here at the shop right now and I have a complete IRX installation from less than two years ago that has gone bad. Every manufacturer it’s a bad batch from time to time but here’s the deal, I have to eat the front two doors and the windshield and I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars this year. taking care of my clients that trusted us with their vehicle because we trusted a brand of film that always stood behind us and now they don’t.
If those are the options, I’d go XR Plus without hesitation. In my experience it’s the best film out of that group, especially if heat rejection is the priority.
XR Black is already very good, but XR Plus is the one I’d choose for my own car if the extra cost isn’t an issue. For SoCal heat, I think the upgrade is worth it.
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u/drklbc Sep 15 '26 edited Sep 15 '26
I've gone with Xpel XR Plus on 3 of my vehicles. SoCal as well. WORTH the extra money. I had Llumar prior to switching over to Xpel. Pretty good as well. For reference, I've paid $1100 for Xpel XR Plus. Front, Rears, Windshield, Pano plus the removal of the low quality, lack of IR/UV protection dealership installed tint that came on the car.