FWIW-
I live about a 9 iron from Wisconsin, in Northern Illinois. My 2011 XJL has the heated windshield. I have found it helpful and not in the least annoying or cumbersome. After about a day, you cease to notice the lines.

I wouldn't get a RWD car living is Wisconsin unless you get snow tires for the winter.

 

I live in Germany and love my heated windshield. I only really see the lines at night when it by glare but other than that they are invisible to me. Germany does not allow you to warm up you car any longer than 5 mins really. Technically they expect you to turn your car on and drive off. I have actually be told on by my neighbors for letting my car run. So having the ability to defrost you front windshield in a few minutes is a lifesaver.

 

Seems the OP gets very exercised about manufacturers not building cars to his understanding of what is "right". I love the heated windscreen on my XJ. I love the fact that the car switches it on automatically when I start it up and the ambient temp is below +2 deg C.

I'm aware of the lines in the screen, but not when I'm driving. I don't let it bother me. Frankly, my vision is focussed rather further forward than the screen itself.

I can tell when the heated screen is on though. It's as if the glass kind of shimmers. Which is weird. But not at all distressing. My eyesight is within normal parameters so I don't have any corrective devices.

 

Oh no, reported to the "Department of Idling Vehicles Department" (Another vague Monty Python reference) by your neighbors?

They really must have better things to do, don't they? Can't they find someone who is using too much water on their garden plants, overusing their power lawn equipment or breathing too much of their air?

LOL!

Here in the USA the neighbors don't really bother you unless your car is ON FIRE in the driveway.

(Yes, seriously, I know, idling cars cause air pollution, but your neighbors report you to the authorities? Nice.)

Vector

 

Fortunately, it seems that Jaguar also has realized the fallacies of this heated wind shield. There are now more awd cars without heated wind shields and I was lead to believe by the usual ever lying sales man! I was misled by the sales guy at one of the local dealers. Actually, when I went to the dealer I bought the XF from, he readily admitted that a large enough percentage of people were like me - absolutely annoyed with and against the heated windshield.. and that he is able to get awd cars without it. In fact, he found an almost exact car I wanted.. "Almost" being.. I wanted rear reclining seats, which he could not find in my chosen color/interior combo. I had rear reclining seats on my lexus ls 600hl and I found them to be very comfortable.

I find the rear headrest to be causing me discomfort, in a non reclining rear seat of the long body sedans. It is just a personal preference. For example, I loved the rear seat of the Range Rover evoque (yes, much less leg room but the height of the seat with it being more like bench than bucket is what I liked about it).

Anyway, I am no longer worried about the heated wind shield - now that I know that I can get one without it.

 

Had a '13 XF loaner with the heater windshield and actually didn't even notice the lines until I was almost home. Didn't really bother me in the least and would be more than worth it if you drive the car in the winter and it takes care of the whole wet snow building up on the wipers issue during a wet snow. Note when I say issue, I'm not saying a Jaguar issue, but an issue with any car.

 

Really? I'm sure that dealership would love to service the vehicle if it means increasing revenue opportunities. It's no different if someone buys a car, and then moves to a different state. Dealerships make a KILLING on service (warranty or non-warranty) work.

 

I had a 2011 with the heated windshield and never got used to it. Hated it. It seems depending on prescription of eyewear it can be really annoying.
One of my main requests for my new xj was no heated windshield. Dealer found vehicles in the warmer states for me.

 

My Range Rover has a heated windshield and I love it down south. Works a lot better than the defroster and you don't have to wait for the vehicle to warm up.

 

I have an XJL 2011 with the heated windshield. I was really scared when I bought the car (it was the only one available) because all the reviews in the magazines were trashing it saying it was impairing vision and it was annoying. It is not true at all and actually never bothers me, even if I try to look at the lines, then just driving normally and looking at the road you do not see them anymore. Everybody who has been driving my car, my wife, my friends, are not bothered by them and do not see them unless you point them out. It is really a non issue.
Also it is really great in the winter, if there is icing rain, wet snow that turns to ice, etc... Now with the experience I would never get another XJ without it.

 

I just took home the 2013 XJL AWD that I have a deposit on.
They let me have it for 24 hours or so.
I drove it last saturday and never had a vision problem.
Today at noon, the same thing, drove lots and parked at work.
When i left work the sun was going down into dusk mode, and there the lines where out of no where. All the way home and in different directions, the same thing. The lines seemed to be something I could get use to.
Then we went out in the dark for a ride and forget about it.
The car is going back and getting my deposit back.
All the street lights and on coming headlights where like they had halos and even blinded us at times. Cindy has had laser eye treatment and I have had both eye lenses replaced and am near sited and wear glasses to see far. Even with my glasses off it made no difference. My daughter jumped in the back with pretty good eyes and no glasses and she thought this was ridiculously bad.
Very very disappointing to find the car for me, not being the car for me.
Its going back tomorrow and getting my deposit back.
Trev

 

If it was a car that was right for me except for a heated windshield, I'd be asking the dealer about having a non heated OE one fitted at no extra cost on the deal.

Graham

 

I can appreciate what you are going through Trev. As pointed out by plums, some people with bifocals are affected. Laser correction might be another reason.. Or others, who have no eye problems (like your daughter) are also affected.. Hence the title - it was such a stupid idea by Jaguar! Majority of its buyers would be those with bifocals.
The option is not very necessary - Lexus, BMW etc don't offer it. Some might find it useful but most of us don't need it. I think Jaguar should offer free replacement window, within warranty period for anyone who wants to have their wind shield replaced!

BTW, it would be nice to have a remote start - you can get into a warm car, with wind shield already defrosted! I cannot understand why manufacturers took this long to install remote start. Lexus started offering it to a few models years ago but it now offers it for all. Unfortunately, they didn't offer it with my LS 600hl. Tesla and GM allow start via web/app. That would be a lot better option than the stupid heated wind shield idea.. Remote starts are complicated to install after market. I have not found a good solution for it.

Having said that.. I think the Jaguar XJL is the best looking car in its class.. Hopefully, you can still find a car without the lines, perhaps from the south.. Considering the rebate (do they still have the $10k rebate or is it more now?), its still a great deal!.. Btw, another peeve for me.. I dislike the "whine" of the supercharged V6. My son has a naturally aspirated V8 XF and that sounds more preferable to me (and is more fun to drive! lol).. You might want to think about that also.. whether to get a V8.. unfortunately, awd comes with only v6

 

I had the heated screen in my X350 replaced with a standard one......
Never had any issues.

 

People must have remarkably different eyesight!

I've had those wires in heated screens for the last 2 cars, 11 years, and hardly notice them. The speed they clear the screen is fantastic, though. I am short sighted, btw, and wear glasses all the time. No problems with such screens at all.

 

Thanks guys, great posts!
First off to be on topic, they emailed me back just now and will change out the windshield to the non heated one. So to make a sale and get that car off the lot, this is what they will do.
Here are our prices for Canada.
The car lists at 102,2018.00 with the Portfolio package and illumination package and heated front windshield and visibility package and pdi and ac and alberta tax and rubber mats.
5000.00 off for 1300 km on the car.
15,000 off rebate from jag.
I am looking at 81,218.00 plus our 5% GST tax. So all in 85,000.00 cash deal.
I think its a great car with 4 years bumper to bumper and 4 years maintenance.
The 2014 wont have the maintenance included.

I have a 91 NSX with a supercharge so I love the sound.
This V6 SC is a powerful engine I must say. I am pushing 345 RBHP with my Nsx and at 3000 pounds to this 4000 pound car, they are on the same level and fun.

Its amazing to me that it has a block heater and thats fantastic to use at work. Doesn't replace the remote start but thats ok. My brother drives the Panamera in winter and doesn't miss having the remote start. The seats and steering wheel heat up fast so that is great.

I do miss riding higher like in my old Acura MDX. so maybe I'll head to Lexus this aft to look at their suvs's. I don't know if anyone makes an suv that rides like the XJL.
I have to check, because its my hard earned 85g.
Thanks guys
Trev

 

I've been amazed at the fuss people have made in this thread. I guess YMMV applies, but I don't see the lines, and my wife (who wears glasses) has never commented on them. When I drove a 1991 Ford with a heated screen, it was a heap more obvious, but even then I'd still take the sub-1 minute screen clearing over sitting waiting 5 minutes for the unwired glass to clear.

 

I can see the wires if I look for them and do agree that the "halo" effect at night is there. But these are both tolerable for me as a trade off to clearing an icy windshield during a Canadian winter with no effort.

What I find odd, is the 3/4-inch gap down the center of the windscreen where there are no wires. Seems a bit strange as it leaves a line of frost that is cleared less easily by the wipers.

 

Two quotes that are really on the money for me below by Giles Guthrie....

When I'm driving, my concentration is on the traffic and whats going on round about me. I'm not one of those that look at the car in front, but more so the car 3-4 cars in front on that.

This way I can give myself the best opportunity of reading the road ahead and actually see whats going on, giving me plenty of time to react accordingly.

So the idea that anyone couldn't focus beyond the bonnet would be seriously concerning for me.


PLUS 1 on the above for me too......well and truly baffled tbh.
I too had one of the first Mondeos out in that time with a new fangled heated screen.

Yes if you REALLY looked you can see the wires, they are there, but not as obvious as others are saying IMO.

In the winter they just make it sooooo easy to defrost the car and keep excellent visibility throughout....a really good safety measure I think.

 

I have personally owned and operated the 10' XF 5.0 Premium Luxury, 11' XF Supercharged and now a 12' XJL 5.0 Portfolio Executive. Base on my extensive comparison and testing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA, I have found that the XF 5.0 is a great car, the XF Supercharged is so fast at 470 HP the XFR at 510 HP is crazy and the XJL 5.0 is super great with superior style and really hauls a$$ .

In my windshield comparison, I found the XF's and XF SC without the heated windshield to be identical to the XJL which has the heated windshield in normal daylight driving.

It is virtually impossible to see the fine wires unless you look at a severe angle and know they are there. During night operation there is a slight detectable halo around oncoming headlights especially noticeable from oncoming HID and LED headlights which is magnified during rain storms and by the windshield wipers moving back and forth (which sometimes causes streaking) and that is present with the XF's and also the XJL with the heated windshield.

However when not exacerbated by the windshield wipers waving in front of my eyes and the prismatic effect of the falling water, there maybe a difference in the on-coming HID and LED headlights caused by the fine wires, dirt particles or film preset on the inside or outside of the windshield.

I have found the solution is Windex and paper towels for the last two conditions. The wires may cause a slight refraction, but with so many variables its hard tell with out removing the windshield or retesting with a polarizing light filter.

This brings me to my final solution. Don't buy or service a Jaguar in Milwaukee. The northside dealer is terrible, has no inventory, with poor service and the westside dealer also has no inventory, service is suspect and sells Range Rovers basically.

Go an hour south to Imperial in Lake Bluff or Wilmette, Illinois. They sell Jaguar's like a Ford dealer sells pick-up trucks in Milwaukee. They have dozens of new XJL's or XJ's 3.0 AWD without heated windshields and in fact they don't even order them because it's basically an unnecessary expense as an option,unless you are just trying driving the price of the car up.

We don't get a lot of windshield condensation in this climate when it's warm, which maybe the best use use of the heated windshield. We get ice and snow build up so the defrosting system and de-icing windshield fluid works best.

Sometimes I get outside my car and use a snow-brush with a ice scraper to clear the windshield. Well I'm heading back to the lab for further testing

I'm considering having my wheels chromed or exchanged by Calchrome Wheels for $800 rather than changing my windsheild or glasses. California Chrome Wheel Inc. - Chrome plated original equipment wheels and rims for the Jaguar XJ series of luxury sedans.

Time for a new thread. Where's Jagular when you need him?