Farmboy

Thanks for the quick response Rick. I was looking at the DM-V1's myself, but that was based mostly on what other people had been using. Considering we're only getting a normal Q5 and not the SQ5 I'm not sure it would warrant the LM60's, but considering the price differential is so low, it should be a consideration.

That's not a bad price on the 3M products considering how much of the vehicle is covered.

Who did you go through to get the Hartmann wheels? Was it Achtung down in the states? I'm assuming you had to get the different length wheel bolts?

Ours is coming with 18 inch stock tires. I'm thinking about staying with an 18 inch setup for the winter as well since theer seems to be a larger selection of tires available in the 18 inch size.

P.S. I know what you mean about the street conditions here in Calgary. Some of the side streets are insane.

55cadillacking

I was right where you currently are with my tire choice. For the extra $240 +/- I decided to live a little and get the "better" tire. I have now owned the DMV1's, LM60's, and the WS70's and they all work amazing in Calgary. Mind you, that was on three different cars. I think you'd be just fine with the cheaper DMV1's. But, that little bit of extra dough does make the LM60's tempting…good luck with your choice.

I was okay with the dealer price, considering it would have been a giant PITA for me to get it done privately.

For the Hartmann's, I went through RPI Equipped/ESSEX Distributors and they were awesome! I see on their website that a few options are now "out of stock", but if I were you, I'd drop Warren an email at: warren@rpiequipped.com and see what he recommends. If your wheels require different lugs, I have a feeling they will include them in the sale. I don't think every Hartmann rim requires alternative lugs. Don't quote me on that.

Just putting this out there, but what if you went with a 19 or 20" summer set up and retained your factory 18"s as winter wheels? Nothing wrong with a set of 18's for both seasons, but you do have options. It would mean putting your A/S 18" stockers up for sale, but the Q5 looks pretty good with bigger boots. Food for thought…

Dexter1110

I spoke with the dealer today. I want that tinted look... He said that the Audi rear windows as delivered are tinted to let 35% of light through. The "clear" front windows let 88% of light through. Most owners who add tint to the front side windows, it would seem, opt for 50% total tint. While it lets less light through than the usual 70% legal limit, the step up compared to the 35% rear keeps cops happy? They deal with a local subcontractor who comes to do this at the dealership with LLumar CTX (their ceramic-based series that will not interfere with cellular/radio/etc. signal and won't fade?). I'm curious to see how they get to 50% however, since the lightest tint is the CTX50 that cuts 46% of visible light; if you stick this on the original window that cuts 12% visible light, don't you end up cutting 58% of light/letting 42% of light through? Anyone with experience on this please chime in...

55cadillacking

I'm confused by your post. Do you want the look to match? It was easy to match it.

Dexter1110

Haha it is confusing thats why I'm looking to see what others have done: pictures ideally to see the net effect, and whether they've been hassled by the cops. A lot of posts on this in the US where the state by state variability is important, but nothing specific to Canada. If I match the front side to the rear windows at 35% VLT (visible light transmission) then apparently I'm at a significant risk of getting pulled over and ticketed, according to the dealer. Again based on what the dealer tells me, wiith front side at 50% VLT it would be close to a match and cops leave you alone?

55cadillacking

I understand what you're saying. The enforcement of tinted window laws varies province to province and city to city. Are the police strict about it where you live? I've been pulled over for speeding in other cars with full tint and the officer didn't care at all.

E90brad

I find they don't care in the city. I've gotten two tickets for front tint along the QE2 from the RCMP that weren't at Tim Hortons at the time.

Decided not to go with front tint on the SQ5 just to avoid the hassle

Dexter1110

Interesting. What % tint did you have on your front windows (assuming side, not windshield?) at the time they ticketed you?

I wasn't sure if I was overthinking this... many Western provinces don't allow any tint on front windows, but this does not seem to be enforced with any predictable regularity (several nice websites with tables of provincial laws on this). But obviously your experience shows it can be costly.

In Quebec the 70% VLT allowance seems to rely on the cops goodwill: if he/she happens to have a photometer and the reading is below 70% then then may give you a 125-250$ fine on the spot and give you 48h to make an appointment to have the tint removed, followed by a control at SAAQ site to prove that the VLT is now above 70% (they charge you 40$ for this visit). Most cops don't have the photometer, and if they feel they cannot see well enough through the window (and this is the very subjective part) then they can order you to have a measurement done at the SAAQ site (40$) followed by fine, etc. If you don't follow-through on the mandated measurement then the fines reach 450-800$, etc., etc... Many seem to agree that if they get sent to the SAAQ site for measurement they will remove/have removed the tint to avoid the fine beyond the 40$ for the measurement...

The dealer thinks 50% VLT is light enough compared to the rear 35% to avoid looking like a dark tint... but obviously no guarantees!

Complex, mildly risky, but looks really cool!

E90brad

I had everything but the windshield done in 10% light transmission tint. It's just the passenger and drivers windows you cannot have tinted in Alberta. The ticket is $56 here.

55cadillacking

If anyone is reading this and also finds the "ignition is on" warning beep annoying when your driver's door is ajar, just a heads up that you can push the button on the end of the right-hand stalk to silence it.