Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   The Indian Car Scene (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/)

-   -   Sunroofs & their usage - Still a gimmick? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/214419-sunroofs-their-usage-still-gimmick.html)

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. :)

Typically however, most owners may forget they have a sunroof after a few years and would barely use it with the same enthusiasm as they once did when they bought the car - resulting in sealing and mechanism issues.

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) :Frustrati vs its real use of making the cabin more airy and letting the wind come in.

Even if you don't want a sunroof, many times, it is tied with other 2-3 features in the top trim that you have to end up buying in a car with the sunroof on it.

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 (keeping in mind the weather conditions in India don't allow the sunroof to be used like it is meant to be)

Good point for a poll! Sure will give a reflection on how cosumers are oriented. I wonder if car makers have done this survey before.

My vote strongly for "I Don't Want", option #4. I just don't see the use of it in our climate, conditions & safety standards on roads. Here are the things I see when I see a sun-roof -

1. Someone intentionally spitting on it from a truck/bus just because its a sun-roof
2. Mechanical malfunctions - extra item on the car that can break
3. Leaks caused by extreme summers, winters & monsoons causing gaskets to wear out
4. Extra opening for that little more light bringing in heat & load on AC
5. No chance to ever open it since there is too much smoke, dust & other hazzards on our roads. Kills the purpose of a car!

I have used cars with excellent panoramic end to end sun-roofs/moon-roofs. And boy are they a pleasure to have! But in Europe. Driving around Switzerland in a sedate Peugeot 308 Station wagon with that superb pano-roof is one of the things I'll remember forever. But not really for India still. Cons outweigh pros big time for me.

I'd rather have a few more safety features in the car instead of a sun-roof. Its really a 1-2 lakh rupee conversation starter & not useful feature IMO.

Just my thoughts of course. I have relatives, close friends all who have sun-roofed cars & as they are very happy with it - I think I'm the one not configured properly.

Absolutely agreed!agree:
Would like to know more on this point - "Someone intentionally spitting on it" lol: Any first hand experiences?

I really like panaromic glass roofs like those in Teslas. Its either glass roof or metal roof. I am not a big fan of small glass holes in metal roofs. They serve no purpose to me. I forget that they exist in my cars.

In the UAE, the air is so clear so the sunroof is used in glass mode. When we hit the mountains in Nov-Jan period opening up the sunroof reveals stunning vistas. In India, it does make sense in small cars which get claustrophobic - but again in glass mode. The car looks massive and spacious, within. If I do the Jog falls circuit or the rare weekend jaunts, I'd most certainly keep it open - but not in the city. Haven't come across gaskets worn off in these two decades, they're really sturdy, so must be a India-specific issue. People in buses using it as a spittoon is funny though. LOL

My 2 cents on the survey, in an attempt to enhance the quality of content on the forum. Surveys have a strong likelihood to mirror the bias of the designer. I think the options in poll have a negative bias with only 1 out of 5 options having a extreme positive connotation. A Survey designed like this is bound to provide negative impressions. For a balanced survey, the options should have positive, neutral and negative options.

Yes, I use the sunroof regularly & I enjoy it - My vote currently, but I choose this however the truth is I use it once a while, but due to weather in Mumbai and not to show-of
I forgot I had a sunroof in my car! - Negative extreme, no one can forget a feature for which they pay a lakh premium, this following a positive extreme biases the response further.
I just use it once in a while to show off to my friends/family - the word show-off in the option, makes it a non-attractive option for people to vote for
I don’t want sunroofs and would be good if a manufacturer gave me a loaded car without it (cost savings) - This holds true to music systems, airbags and a lot of features, why single out Sunroof?
I had to buy the car with a sunroof because I had no option in the top variant
- Same point as above

I voted FOR. I use my sunroof fairly regularly - In the evenings/nights about town and even more so when I drive to the farm on the weekends.

Weirdly and thankfully, I've never had any of these problems.

I want to see another option added "I need one in my car as my kids love it'
In my case my kids have mandated that our next car should have sunroof.
Kids get bored in long journeys and having a panoramic sunroof can entertain them for some time (if the whether is conducive)
Another uncommon usage: if you love photographing nature, a sunroof can allow some interesting possibilities.

How if I may ask? My son used to get motion sickness when looking up at the stars through the pano-roof at night.
This is a strong point. Indeed for the wildlife/nature lovers, this will be a huge use with those SLRs.

I voted 4.

I have experienced sunroof on a few cars(friends and family) but never really found value in it. I get enough light through the windows. I prefer driving with windows up and AC on to avoid dust and I am allergic to cold air. Once in a while(or up in the hills), whenever I feel like enjoying the breeze, rolling down the windows gives me very good experience. My wife shares the same thoughts as well.

I don't want to pay extra to buy a feature I don't use. I don't want to pay extra to maintain/take extra care of this feature. I don't want to give a chance to the kids to peep through the sunroof. Lastly, call me a pessimist but I am not comfortable having a glass roof.

When I was shortlisting cars for my next purchase, I ignored the models or variants which had a sunroof.

Edit: Two of my friends have sunroofs in their cars. I don't see them using it except maybe for a customary photoshoot (when the car is parked) once in few months. My uncle's last two cars have had panoramic roofs and he dislikes them. He couldn't avoid them as he wanted to purchase the fully loaded variants which came with sunroofs as well.

While I agree that the poll options have extreme negative bias against sunroof and its use, I still agree that it's not much of a use at the place where I live (NCR). Boiling hot summers (additional glass area means additional greenhouse), extreme and erratic rains (hot humid weather, suddenly giving way to short bursts of downpour. I fear for the longevity of sunroof sealing), and smog/pollution filled foggy winters.

There is absolutely no way I can enjoy a sunroof here.

If the whether is cloudy, and the shade rolled in, kids can look at the clouds, trees, tall buildings etc. If it rains they can have fun with the water drops rolling back. If it is nature trail, probably the sunroof can be opened (not with a highway speed). Of course these are my hypothesis as my current cars don't have sunroof :)
Yes looking straight up for longer duration can lead to issues (including neck sprain)

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.)

A lot of stuff is covered in my article here
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ownin...light=sunroofs

Sunroofs are cool, I personally love them!
There is the standard argument that "They are useless considering our climate, traffic, the heat & the pollution". But, who says you to have to use them while you're stuck at Silk Board junction at 9 am? You just don't. You keep it closed the same way you keep all the windows rolled up to avoid the noise/pollution or keep it in 'glass mode' to let in some extra light and make the car feel spacious.
Let me list a few situations where the sunroof becomes a fun-roof.

1. It's a cold Sunday morning. You can hear the birds chirping and a cool breeze rushes through the window while you are enjoying a hot cup of coffee. You feel like grabbing your keys and hooning it on some empty streets, and you do. The ICE is humming out your favorite tunes & you're red-lining the engine and hearing it roar - THAT's when you crack open your sunroof.

2. You've finally found time for that monsoon getaway with your family. You're carving corners on some smooth tarmac through a lush green ghat that's been lashed with rains. It's cold, it's misty. Your favorite songs on the radio, traffic is sparse and there's a light drizzle - THAT's when you crack open your sunroof.

A sunroof may be a thing of loathing with the question of "Who even needs this?" but given the right scenario, you'll be delighted you have it.