Panoramic sunroof is a good alternative for the much expensive convertible if you want an open-air feeling when driving your car. It usually consists of extra-large overhead openings that extend over both the front and rear seats or sometimes it goes almost the full length of the vehicle. The cars with best panoramic sunroofs can take advantage of the sun’s natural light and bask on its sunshine and enjoy the breeze. It gives you an upscale look and it also has a good resale value.
Cars with panoramic sunroof are also becoming more popular today. In fact, manufacturers have made it available as an optional feature in almost any type of vehicle, even the small ones. With a long list of cars that offer this feature, which are the best ones? Here is our list of cars with the best panoramic sunroof.
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- Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross – this compact crossover is an affordable choice for people wanting a car with a good panoramic sunroof. A Panoramic Sunroof package is offered for a very competitive price. It enhances the already spacious cabin and improves its utility with the added roof rails.
- Lincoln Navigator – the 2020 Lincoln Navigator easily ranks at the top in the Large Luxury Cars category thanks to its great styling and its impressive capabilities. The available panoramic Vista roof gives the first and second-row passengers control of the retractable roof. It sure is a fun way to enjoy the breeze and the sun.
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe – this driving machine is powered with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine that produces 362 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque – not really a surprise there as it is a well-oiled Mercedes machine. It comes with plenty of standard features including the panoramic sunroof. When viewed from the outside, the panoramic roof merges with the windshield seamlessly. The front seats that are already comfortable can be equipped with ventilation and massage functionality to further enhance the vehicle’s level of luxury.
- Ram 1500 – The Ram 1500 is said to be the most luxurious pickup truck in its class. This sturdy pickup truck surprisingly gives a smooth and quiet ride even for its large size. It also has great tow ratings and an impressive fuel economy. This pickup truck has one of the most capacious cabins of any vehicle on the market today. Its 10-square-foot dual-pane panoramic sunroof is optional. It is a great way to enjoy the fresh air and the open sky.
- Tesla Model 3 – this electric vehicle has a sleek and stylish exterior and interior designs. It delivers a great ride, has fast accelerations, and an impressive handling. It is also loaded with lots of high-tech features. It has power-adjustable and heated front seats that are comfortable and well-supported. It also comes with a standard panoramic glass roof.
- Audi Q8 – This full-size crossover comes with a standard panoramic sunroof. It is a comfortable five-seat luxury crossover that is loaded with Audi’s latest technologies. Most Q8 trims are equipped with a turbo V-6 engine that makes 335 horsepower while the premium ones get 4.0-liter V-8 engines. The interior is luxurious and comes with leather upholstery, heated front seats, configurable ambient lights, and an 8.6-inch touchscreen for vehicle functions and climate controls.
- Chrysler Pacifica – this competitive Chrysler Pacifica is probably America’s favorite modern minivan. It is also said to be the best minivan you can purchase. The gas-powered Pacifica is equipped with a 287-hp 3.6-liter V-6 and a nine-speed automatic transmission. It has an impressive fuel economy and a spacious interior. It has an available tri-pane panoramic power sunroof that welcomes the air and sunshine in for all rows.
- Jaguar I-Pace – The Jaguar I-Pace is one of the first electric vehicles on the market that is manufactured by a prominent automaker. This all-electric luxury SUV has a quiet but robust powertrain, a good electric driving range, and gives outstanding performance and handling. Its interior is spacious, posh, and quiet. The I-Pace is offered in four trims that have standard features such as an active air suspension and a panoramic sunroof that stretches through the entire length of the cabin.
- Jeep Grand Cherokee – This 5-door midsize SUV still has what it takes to dominate and take on its rivals in terms of performance and offroads capabilities. The Grand Cherokee is known to be very capable on rough surfaces,but it can still give a smooth and comfortable ride in city and highway driving. The Commandview® Dual-Pane Panoramic Sunroof is available on select trims.
- BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe – The 2-Series Gran Coupe models come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It is a four-door sedan that is made on a crossover platform. It has frameless windows with Hofmeister Kink. You have to add the optional Premium Package to get the panoramic sunroof, heated seats and steering wheel, and the latest BMW’s infotainment system.
- Porsche Taycan – Taycan is Porsche’s first electric vehicle. It boasts of its fast acceleration and strong passing power. It is a great luxury car that can deliver a smooth ride even on rough roads. Its interior is elegantly styled and loaded with high-tech features even with its base model Taycan 4S. The standard features include 10 speakers, an adaptive air suspension, and a panoramic sunroof.
- Range Rover Sport – This luxury midsize SUV proves to be one of the best in its class thanks to its notable performance, impressive acceleration, engaging handling, and excellent off-road capabilities. The 2020 Range Rover Sport is also being offered in a new four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain. The panoramic sunroof is only an optional feature along with a tri- or quad-zone automatic climate control, a rear-seat entertainment system, and multiple Meridian audio systems.
- Honda Pilot – The Pilot is the largest SUV of Honda on its lineup. It is a three-row midsize SUV. It is a perfect family vehicle. It has a spacious seating that can accommodate up to 8 people and gives a decent amount of cargo space. It is loaded with modern technologies and driver-assist features making it a practical choice for families. The Honda Pilot Elite trim gets you the panoramic sunroof feature.
- Genesis G80 – this midsize luxury sedan is offered with a low starting price. It comes in three different trim levels with lots of standard safety technologies. The sunroof comes standard on the higher trims. The next generation 2021 Genesis G80 has been officially revealed and it has a more distinctive look when it comes to the vehicle’s design and profile. It now has a crest-shape grille and a sloping roofline.
- Volvo V60 Cross Country – The V60 Cross Country wagon is only available in a single trim, the Adventure. It comes with an all-wheel drive and a turbocharged inline-four that makes 250 horsepower. The interior is mostly covered in beige leather, but the seats and the door cards are covered in a stunning gray plaid pattern. It offers lots of standard features including the panoramic sunroof that coordinates well with the Cross Country’s overall style.
Can you Add a Panoramic Sunroof?
The market for cars with panoramic sunroofs is continually growing. Sometimes it comes as a standard feature when buying a new vehicle, but most of the time, it is offered as an optional feature that most likely costs a little too much. And so people ask, can you add or install a panoramic roof on your car? You have to know first if your vehicle can be equipped with a sunroof. You can do this via online searches or by directly contacting the experts.
You can also contact your car’s dealership. There are sunroofs that you can buy for a lesser price and if your vehicle turns out to be sunroof-ready, you can then make the decision whether you’d want a fixed glass panel sunroof or an operable one. You can always buy those sunroof installation kits and start a new do-it-yourself project, but will it be worth the trouble. If you have time and a car to spare, then maybe you can. But if you want to make sure that you’ll get satisfactory results, better leave the sunroof fittings and installations to the experts.
Is a panoramic sunroof worth it?
The Pros and Cons of a Panoramic Sunroof
Sunroofs are generally movable glass panels. Today, with its increasing demand, many styles and options became available and the panoramic sunroof is the most popular one. As popular as it is, like any other car features, the panoramic sunroof has also its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. Let’s go through each of them.
The Pros
- It provides natural air conditioning. As you drive, you can open the sunroof to let the fresh air in instead of using the car’s air conditioning system. The opened sunroof also produces quieter air breeze compared to an opened car window. It also provides natural ventilation. A good ventilation is always useful especially when you have something foul-smelling inside your vehicle cabin.
- A panoramic sunroof can be advantageous for people who don’t like enclosed or confined spaces, particularly when there are a number of people sitting inside the vehicle. An enclosed vehicle with lots of passengers inside can have a claustrophobic effect for some people.
- A panoramic sunroof also gives you a sense of freedom as you drive and improves your mood.
- You can bask in the sun, feel its warmth, getting some vitamin Ds in the process. It can also brighten the cabin and make it look more spacious.
- Most cars usually have a bad reception, may it be cellular, radio, or satellite signals. A sunroof can help improve the reception in areas where it can go patchy and unreachable as enclosed vehicles can reduce service capabilities.
- For worst case scenarios, a panoramic sunroof can serve as an emergency exit.
- You can take advantage of a wonderful view especially at night. The sky, the stars, and the gentle breeze make a very pleasant combination.
- It gives your vehicle a futuristic look. It adds an upscale vibe to it.
The Cons
- It is expensive. You usually have to pay for it as an optional feature and if it comes as a standard feature, it’s on the higher and more expensive trims.
- It offers less headroom in the car’s cabin since panoramic sunroofs take space from it to make room for its motor mechanism and its sunshade rollers. It will be quite uncomfortable for the taller drivers or passengers. Some drivers may have to tilt and angle their heads toward the center of the vehicle or recline their seats back further to get more headroom.
- When you are living in an extremely hot area, a sunroof is not encouraged, maybe during the day. It increases the interior’s temperature at a fast rate which means that your car’s air conditioning system will have to work harder to get the comfortable temperature and maintain it.
- A panoramic sunroof can add excess weights up to between 30 and 40 pounds. It can stress your vehicle and increase its fuel consumption.
- The glass panels with its motors, switches, and other components can create unnecessary noise while you’re driving. Driving in the rain can be deafening too as it has less insulation than the regular-roofed vehicles.
- It is not as strong as a vehicle with a conventional top since it has a reduced structural strength.
- The rubber seals of the sunroof are not completely waterproof. It keeps the water out but the panoramic sunroof just depends on the drainage waterways in the roof of the vehicle to keep the dews out. When it clogs, the water might leak into the cabin.
- Extreme cold weathers can cause condensations inside the glass roof. The moisture can trickle onto your seats and can ruin your upholstery if left sitting for a while. It is advisable to park the vehicle inside a garage away from the extreme weather.
Does the pros outweigh the cons? Only you can answer that. There are plenty of cars with panoramic sunroofs, but choosing the right car for you requires time and a lot of research. It gets easier though as you get to know what you want.