Don't know whether or not this will upload okay, this is off my phone. Just took these, see what I'm talking about?

 

Yeah, I suspect you could drop by the dealership and look at some other LS460s and see first-hand that there is a difference between fronts and rear. You might even find a salesperson or tech that could confirm the color difference. Then you'll know. Knowledge is power! As you know...

 

I think I do see a difference is the color...at least the best I can tell with an image versus being in-person, and with rain on the windows versus a clear or full cloud covered day. I'm trying to make some sense of why Lexus would want different colors for their front glass versus the rear glass. And, I can't come up with a good answer...

 

Here are images of a 2013 LS 460 in which it 'looks like' the factory original (non-tinted) front and rear windows have a different color.

 

Wow...it sure does! That's the difference too, the rears are warmer the fronts are cooler.

With normal tint it wouldn't be an issue, it's the reflective nature of the Huper Optik that makes it such. Yours is a Premium right? So it has single pane front glass. I would have had the same issue in the GS.

I'm going to have to look at it for a few days and decide how big an issue it is. That kind of thing really bugs me.

 

Steve, find Huper Optik's website and compare the reflective properties of their ESC single layer film with their 40 and 30 two-layer film. I'm thinking the Huper Optik 40 or 30 two-layer film is less reflective and would not 'give off' the color shift that the ESC does. You may want to talk with not only your film installer, but also some other installers (preferably that install Huper Optik and carry the 40 and 30 in stock and install it regularly). You may also want to talk with a Lexus salesperson that's been around a while and find out what he says.

Going even further you may want to talk with a tint shop in a sunny area of the country that carries Huper Optik and does a lot of high-end cars, including Lexus. I suggest that you call my tint shop, which does a lot of Lexus vehicles since we have the largest Lexus dealership in the U.S. They'll know about the LS 460 window colors and how they deal with it. ProTint Plano located in Plano, Texas (972) 607-9022. They have over 20 years of automotive window tint service in the Dallas area. Ask for Claudio, who is the owner.

 

Here's another picture now that I'm home.



Yeah could very well be. Issue is, the only installer in the area that has Huper Optik is really this installer, and the only dual layer film they offer is the 50%, which is lighter than I want. Plus, I wouldn't want to start all over with another installer and pony up again, hopefully if I decide to swap it out my installer would work with me. Only option would be I suppose their next best film which is a Sun Tex CXP Ceramic.

Thanks for the contact, I'm going to live with it a couple days and then decide what to do.

 

If nothing else you can at least learn what my tint installer does to overcome the two window glass colors...if anything. Also, something else that I would like to learn would be how the Huper ESC film may differ from the Huper 40 or 30 in terms of casting the two different window glass colors in the LS 460.

It appears from your written opinions and the images (of both your car and a non-tinted LS image I provided) that the LS 460 has different front side glass coloring versus the rear side glass. That said, it would stand to reason that installing window tint film would likely lessen or diminish this color difference. However, on the other hand, I could also see where certain window films could actually heighten or increase the color difference based on the film's inherent properties.

Lastly, I'm somewhat surprised that other LS 460 owners haven't weighed-in to share their firsthand knowledge of their side window glass colors. Also, if they have had tint film installed on their LS 460 windows - are their side windows different colors too. Let's hear it LS 460 owners!

 

I think this is an unusual film, if it were the ordinary smoke film that people typically use it wouldn't be an issue...and we'd likely find more LS owners who have had the issue.

Yeah it could be that they could put something else underneath the Huper maybe to even it out? I'll call them tomorrow. I like the tint, so I'd hate to have to tear it off and redo it, both financially and because I know a more typical charcoal tint I likely wouldn't like as much.

In the sun yesterday I didn't notice anything. I think its because when its overcast you see the reflective nature of the tint more.

 

I'm guessing there is a good reason why ProTint here does not use the Huper Optik ESC film, but I don't know why. ProTint here does all sorts of high-end cars that people are usually very persnickety about - Ferrari, Maserati, Bentley, Rolls, McLaren, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Porsche, Jaguar, M-B, Lexus, BMW, Audi, etc. They know their stuff when it comes to cars and window tint film!

 

I found a couple of threads on the "TintDude" forum where they talk about tinting Mercedes and such with heated windshields and rear windows (the ones that look purplish) and customers not being happy with how they looked tinted.

 

I don't understand how that reflects or references your issue.

 

Well Steve, I am very upset with you now. I just got my windows tinted the day before you and only driven the car once since. Just went out to the garage, and well. I will confirm that it is not the tint. It is the cars factory tint causing this. I haven't really examined this in all types of light since I just got home. But my ceramic HO tint has a similar coloring like yours, maybe just slightly less. And that could be because my tint is 30%.

 

Its the issue of the color of the glass itself making it impossible to match the tint from the rear window to the side windows, etc.

Ugh! Yours is the dual layer product that bclexus referenced, thats probably why the coloring is slightly less.

How bizarre...why would they have different tint from the front to the back like that...

Does yours look different enough to consider trying to have the shop do something about it?

 

I didn't notice it when I first got the car back. And it's raining out right now. Let me get the car outside and get you a picture. I don't think mine is as noticeable as yours because I have the dual layer thick tint. But I'll post what mine looks like outside shortly.