Pros and Cons of Panoramic Sunroofs in Cars

Considered as a luxury car feature earlier, panoramic sunroofs are garnering a lot of fame. This is why most modern cars have glass panels. Such cars offer lots of natural light, more sightseeing potential through the roof and the potential to stargaze at night. Let’s go through the details about a panoramic sunroof, its types and its pros and cons in detail. 

What is a Panoramic Sunroof 

Panoramic means a broad view surrounding the observer, whereas a sunroof is a roof panel mostly made of glass that is openable. Simply put, the bigger version of a traditional sunroof is a panoramic sunroof. They have multi-panel sunroofs with panes on top of the front and rear car areas. 

That said, all sunroofs don’t have the same opening and tilting features. Usually, such sunroofs extend wide between the outer structural elements of a car’s roof and span further forward and backward than normal, this makes the impression of an open roof over the car passengers. Some panoramic sunroofs are fixed, while some are sliding. 

A regular sunroof is in the centre of a car’s roof surrounded by roof sheeting. On the other hand, a panoramic sunroof usually spans across the entire roof’s width and in many cases, butts up against the top of the windshield and reaches behind the front-seat passengers at the very least. 

Cars with a dual- or triple-pane sunroof can be considered a panoramic sunroof. This is because the see-through roof is split in two enabling a portion of the top to be opened, while the closed portion of the roof allows as much natural light as possible into the cabin.

Types of Panoramic Sunroofs 

There are many types of panoramic roofs. Moreover, the term panoramic moonroof is interchangeable with panoramic sunroofs. Let’s go through the different types of panoramic sunroofs:

• Panoramic Windshield/Windscreen – this is where the windshield glass extends either part way (with a second glass panel) or all the way, over the passengers without interruption. 
• Dual-Pane or Triple-Pane Panoramic Sunroof – cars with this type of panoramic sunroof have a full glass roof that is split into two or three panels. One of the panels can slide open while the other panels remain fixed. 
• Fixed Panoramic Glass Roof – much like the types of panoramic sunroof of the Tesla Model S, the fixed panoramic glass roof is a single fixed transparent panel that spans across the entire passenger area. Such cars don’t have any traditional roof panels.
• Sky Roof – this is a term used by some car brands for a glass roof or panoramic sunroof. For instance, Bugatti had the option of a ‘Sky View’ roof for Chiron with two glass panels on either side of the central roof spine. 
• Electrochromic Roof – this is smart glass roofs controls intensity of light from transparent to shaded, to completely opaque. For now, the electrochromic roof option is available in Mercedes and Mc Laren but it will be available for other models in the future.

Pros and Cons of Cars with Panoramic Sunroofs 

Now that we’ve gone through the details and types of panoramic sunroofs, let’s go through their pros and cons in detail. 

Pros of Panoramic Sunroofs

There are many benefits of panoramic sunroofs. Such roofs let the natural light in your cabin during the day and at night passengers can stargaze through them! Other pros of panoramic sunroofs include:

Style: Panoramic sunroofs especially those that extend from the windshield to the back look really stylish. The reflective shine and dark tint usually make the car look leaner and more athletic. However, know the laws before you plan to do car window tinting in Dubai.

Passenger Health: Humans usually don’t get a lot of sunlight and most of the workspaces and entertainment spaces are indoors. Panoramic sunroofs in cars enable sunlight to enter the cabin, this allows the body to make Vitamin D which is good for health. 

Better Mood: In addition to health benefits, a cabin that is lighter and brighter enhances the mood of car passengers. It also helps make the car’s interior feel more livelier and less claustrophobic. 

Better Cooling: If the car is parked in the heat, tilting the sunroof allows heat to escape upwards. Simply put, whenever passengers get in a heated car, they can tilt the sunroof for ventilation. 

Better Resale Value: Panoramic sunroofs are considered a luxury feature. Having one in your car improves its resale value. 

Cons of Panoramic Sunroofs

Though there are many benefits of panoramic sunroofs, they do have some cons. These include:

Raised Centre of Gravity: Additional weight is added to the upper portion of the car because of the glass panels and the mechanisms in place to open panoramic sunroofs. This increases the centre of gravity in cars, which can harm vehicle handling. 

Less Headroom: In cars where the panoramic sunroof does not open over the passengers, the panel slides into a cavity in the roof. Automakers usually lower the height of the roof’s interior to accommodate this. This can lessen the headroom by some inches.

Moisture in Cold Climates: Because glass doesn’t have the insulation of traditional roof panels and their multi-layer construction, parking cars with a panoramic glass roof outside in colder temperatures can result in condensation inside the cabin. 

Reduced Efficiency: Panoramic sunroofs help evacuate heat, but they also reduce the efficiency of climate control systems. This is because direct sunlight warms up the cabin. However, newer sunroofs with better insulation don’t face much of this problem. 

More Maintenance: More moving parts in vehicles means more maintenance. The motors to control the roof and its shades, naturally, require more maintenance. Over time, the rubber seals can also perish resulting in leaks into the car’s cabin. Here is how to fix a leaking car sunroof.

Potential Breakages: Glass can break easily even if it’s tempered and reinforced when compared with a solid metal roof panel. If it leaks, you can learn the steps to fix a leaking car sunroof.

That is all about panoramic sunroofs. If you prefer cars with sunroofs after going through the pros and cons, here is a list of used cars for sale in the UAE including vehicles with panoramic sunroofs. 

Popular cars with Panoramic sunroofs include McLaren GT, Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, Bentley Bentayga, Kia Sportage and BMW i7, among others. To buy these cars, you can browse through the following listings:

• Used Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe for sale in the UAE
• Used Bentley Bentayga for sale in the UAE 
• Used KIA Sportage for sale in the UAE

Stay tuned to dubizzle’s auto blog for more on different car parts, their advantages and disadvantages, car DIYs and much more.