[HillyThar]

Almost everyone who has a sunroof abuses that feature when they drive up to the hills. Driving up steep hills you can see all the yuppies hanging half-out of the sunroof, shouting away at the world, often with a bottle of beer in the hand, driving at 50-60 kms/hr on 2 lane roads without a median. Sometimes all of this is for a selfie.



Similarly, I have seen too many grown up with kids let young children stand in the sunroof of a speeding vehicle, sometimes two together. I have nothing against sunroofs but such reckless behavior is just a disaster in the waiting for these thrill seekers, and there should be a nice fat fine if you are standing in your sunroof in a vehicle in motion.

[H Karter]

Originally Posted by rutwij

Just to be clear, the intention was not to have a negative bias on the sunroof as a feature; sorry if it is understood that way. The whole idea is to see if people really 'want' a sunroof to use it for what it is vs just having it as a 'cool' feature.

(If its possible to reword the poll options, I will; but I don't see any option of how to.)

Another option: 'I will buy a car/variant if and only if it has sunroof'

Presently I don't know what the usage pattern will be for me, but I am hell bent on purchasing Sunroofed-Ecosport or Venue in the 12-13 lakh bracket.
So much so that I am not ready for Base 1.6 Creta E and Kia HTE Diesels!
Other features don't matter for me(except ABS & airbags) but the bigger engines with lower priced variants are definitely putting me in dilemma.
Please guide.

[sunsetorange]

I haven't bought a car with a sunroof as yet, but as I am looking at the Kia Seltos HTX plus , my next car would be with one.The kids would be using it while the car is stationary. They are quite used to seat belts now and belt up as soon as they get into the car.

On the subject of sunroofs, the most bizarre experience we ever had was when I was driving back to Trichy from Chennai . It was about 11 PM and it was a lonely and dark stretch of the highway when I noticed there was something strange about the car I was approaching. I was doing good speed ( early 3 digits) and the car ahead was doing a comparable speed too. I could make out a silhoutte of a huge humanoid character on top of the car with billowing clothes!
I was frozen for a fraction of a second , but I shook myself out of it and turned on the high beam when I saw it was a middle aged lady with flowing hair and billowing saree sticking her head and torso out of the sunroof when the car was doing in excess of 100 kmph!

I quickly passed them as I didn't want to be behind them for any length of time.

[nikhilarni]

Originally Posted by rutwij

With so many cars getting launched in India over the last few years having a plethora of features and equipment to please the audience, sunroof occupies a special place in the hearts of many Indians while making the buying decision.

So, I thought of starting a poll to figure out if sunroofs are actually used in the right spirit or are they still just a 'showoff' feature

Very interesting Poll. I voted Yes and I enjoy using it. I never had one in my i20 back in India and definitely missed it. Considering the dust and weather conditions, I would have used it in Moon Roof / Glass Mode only and not opened it up fully unless I were in a hill station or some place with clean air.

After moving to the US and having a sunroof in my car here, I use it most of the time.

More like 50% of the time in Moon Roof mode and about 30% of the time with the Tilt Function( weather permitting ). Its not practical to keep it fuly open esp while driving on highway speeds, but I like keeping it open while visiting a new city or a new place when I am at speeds below 40kmph.

Back to the topic, considering the weather conditions in India, since most of us drive with the ac on, it would be interesting if the car manufacturers offered a Glass Mode / Moon roof mode only.

It definitely makes the cabin look roomier and airy.

Originally Posted by rutwij

It is sad that many actually think that its real use is to make their kids stand on the center console armrest and have a nice view out of the car (which is very unsafe) vs its real use of making the cabin more airy and letting the wind come in.

I have a relative who bought a H-City with a Sunroof and does this with his son. I had advised him against this, but he refused to listen. Its sad that people with good education and well qualified jobs act so reckless!

[aah78]

I love sunroofs, just for the amount of light they let enter into the cabin. I like bright/light interiors.
While I rarely open the glass part of the sunroof (usually just to keep the motor lubricated), because I don't like the wind noise, I do leave the sun-shade/cover-flap open most of the time.

[SaurabhB]

I have XUV 500 W11 (O) MT which has a sun roof. However i do not use the same much and i never allow my kids to stick their necks out of the same. Max that i have used it is to open the roof cover to allow sunlight during daytime or see the stars during night time or feel the rain drops falling on the glass cover on a rainy day in my long road trips.

I am not certain whether having a sun roof reduces the structural rigidity of the car's body or not thereby affecting the safety of the occupants. Further if the glass breaks, then it makes it easy for car thieves to get an entry into the car.

I will rate it as an ornamental feature rather than a useful one.

[mchandra13]

Sunroof in Indian context doesnt have much practical use apart from being a show-off element. My current car does have a sunroof, but I rarely use it as I live in a sunny place. As-is the sun beats down so bad, I have to apply shades in the afternoon, leave alone using a sunroof.

[redbaron91]

Considering the dusty & rainy conditions of the nation, I think sunroof offers no practical value to a car sold in India. I seldom see my peers using it regularly because of various reasons.
Instead, I prefer other useful functionalities in the car like TPMS or Auto headlamps or lumbar support adjuments or a usable driver hand rest.

[reihem]

In my opinion, the rainy season is reason enough to have a sunroof !

[redbaron91]

Considering the cost aspect & current slump in automotive sales, I believe it is high time the manufactures think deep and understand the market requirements towards such features.

I’m unsure, but had a feeling that, the auto media/jurnos had slowly started talking about this feature (sunroof) few years back, and many said, missing such a feature in a 10 lac car was pathetic. I have seen many jurnos using sunroof as a deciding factor for reaching conclusion that one particular car was better than other one. So, was that not slowly imbibed into the minds of customer over few years, that sunroof is a must have feature in your car??

[tejaskar]

Hi!
Although I agree it's not a gimmick, I absolutely hate it when manufacturers pad it along with other essential features one might want but not the sunroof.
Keep it as a standalone extra fewture if anyone's interested!

Also our current war against climate isn't doing any favours for what it offers.
All.oir cities are extremely dusty if not heavily polluted and dirty.
Highways are good but depends which part of India one lives to experience that fleeting feeling.
I'm from Mumbai so would never want a sunroof.
In the long run, it's just gonna be a luxury you'll barely use and in a few years giving you gentle reminders that it exists by malfunction, leakages and expensive repairs.

Paying a lakh premium to fantasise about a light coming into the cabin for a few minutes( as the AC will.start to.protest) and if worse, dusty air bellowing in the car is not a wise decision to make.
It's as useful in a car as a cigarette lighter knob to a non smoker.

[Jeroen]

To my earlier post; one of the biggest problems with sun roofs, even factory installed ones, is that at some point in time they will start to leak.

It can be as simple as the seals of the sliding roof being perished. That is a relative easy fix. Here a simple diagram of your typical sun roof. This happens to be an electric sun roof of a Jaguar. But for instance on my Mercedes it is near identical and manual.



The biggest problems are to do with the drains. Usually there are four, one in each corner of the base of the sunroof frame. (Only three shown in this diagram) This frame gets (tack) welded to the roof. So the frame does put a bit of strength back into the roof and thus the rigidity of the car (less scuttleshake?)

The problem is the four drains. These drain tend to be small tubes, soldered to the base frame. Then a rubber hose is pushed over it. The hose it lead to the A, B and or C pillar down to the sills.

Over time the small tubes might come loose. A combination of corrosion, mechanical movement (car vibration) will make this (often soldered) connection start to leak.

Moreover the problem is the drains start too clog. Which means the base frame of the sun roof will not drain. Water might spill over and enter the interior. Once a drain is clogged it is a real PITA to unclog! So part of sun roof maintenance is too regularly unclogged the drains. It is rarely mentioned in the regular car maintenance I have found. (Check your owner manuals)

Here is the other thing with these drains. Since sun roofs were invented, car manufacturers have been battling it out with these stupid drains. Nobody knows what to do with it.

Usually they just drain into the sills, believe it or not. Check it out: Pour a cup of water in one of the corners of the sun roof and check where the puddle under your car appears.

If no puddle, it is clogged already, or the tube is already disconnected. Mostly likely rust in the base frame, the respective pillar and sills is already happening. You won’t know until the rust eats from the inside outwards and the paints start to bubble.

Enjoy, but be weary of sun roofs long term and especially if you are like me, likes buying second hand cars. I learned the hard way.

Jeroen

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Once a drain is clogged it is a real PITA to unclog! So part of sun roof maintenance is too regularly unclogged the drains. It is rarely mentioned in the regular car maintenance I have found. (Check your owner manuals)

Eeeks! Superb point raised, many thanks. How can we carry out this preventative maintenance? Any pointers from your personal PITA experiences?

Essentially, we need a 'anticoagulant' liquid which is paint-friendly and can travel in sufficient quantities down the pipes to clean them!

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Eeeks! Superb point raised, many thanks. How can we carry out this preventative maintenance? Any pointers from your personal PITA experiences?
!

Start with ensuring as little as possible debris collects around the base frame corners / drains. The best way to do so is not to open the sun roof! Which defeats the purpose of having one in the fist place (unless you have one of these transparant ones.)

But seriously, cleaning out the corners is a good idea. If possible blow some air through it. Be careful with how much pressure you put on it. If you pop the rubber hose of the tube, you have created a leak. I have also used a nylon cable, originally meant for pulling electrical wiring into conduits. It is sturdy enough to be pushed down and bends/flex sufficiently.

On some cars you will actually see the rubber hose sticking out underneath the sills or next to it, (on the inside). Make sure they are there, know what to look for. If the rubber hose protrudes out that is good, but if it gets pushed inside the sill, the water will be running into your sills. Which is not good.

Test it now and then, preferably after cleaning by pouring some water into the corner and see it drains all the way properly to underneath the car. Check for puddles!

Good luck

Jeroen

[haneeshN]

I was never a fan of sunroof but I love it now after getting used to it in my Nissan T30. Even then I wouldn't pay a premium just for it. Opening the sunroof lets the hot air out and is very useful to cool the cabin quickly when the car is parked in open space. This is one main use of the sunroof for me.

I leave it open while I drive on hill roads and it is very pleasant to keep the shade cover open when it rains.

Most of the sunroofs in hatches and sedans are too small and I don't see much use from these. In my opinion, the sunroof should be big enough else they are just a novelty and won't be of much use.