Cold mountain climate owners: how necessary is your heated windshield or rear wiper if you have them?

[bruno.ph]

Hello folks! I'm seriously considering upgrading to a Macan this year. I live in Vancouver, and one of the nice things here is that the CPO market is always turning up almost new cars (some under 10.000km!) due to how many people lease cars, for much better prices than new, and used cars enjoy lower taxes too, so overall you can save a lot buying a CPO.

However, with the Volvo wagon I have today, I suffer a lot with the grimy road conditions we have in BC in winter when travelling, especially with sludge and salted snow making it impossible to see from the rear window without a rear wiper. Many of the Macans I see listed omit the rear wiper, and some also omit the heated windshield.

My Volvo doesn't have a heated windshield, but boy do I wish it did when driving up the mountains in winter… Having to crank the heat up to keep the windshield clear heats up the cabin and opening the windows just gets more moisture in. Awful.

So my question is: if you have those options, do you see them as essential? Since the car has a hatch trunk shape I would expect it to need a rear wiper, but Porsche making it an option tells me it might not.

And the heated windshield is something I never had so I don't know how effective it is.

Since buying CPO is almost a lottery when it comes to options, I wanna know if I should really prioritize those.

Thanks in advance!

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[MatC21]

I live in Switzerland which sees quite a bit of snow during the cold seasons.

I have never missed the heated windshield. You can start the heating with the App which is already good enough. I had a few occasions where the car was fully covered in snow. I freed up the bulk manually and any ice or remainings where easily removed with pre heating. I see really no reason for the heated windshield, except if you have this every day and you don’t have the time to use car pre heating (and you always park outside).

Windshield wiper is definitely useful. I would be lying if I said I never missed it. However one is fine without, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. It definitely looks a lot cleaner without.
However, as one can not combine it with the insulated glass (which I find way more useful/important) it was not even an option for me.

In summary, both options would not be something I worry about in a CPO, not even in cold climates.

 

[bruno.ph]

I live in Switzerland which sees quite a bit of snow during the cold seasons.

I have never missed the heated windshield. You can start the heating with the App which is already good enough. I had a few occasions where the car was fully covered in snow. I freed up the bulk manually and any ice or remainings where easily removed with pre heating. I see really no reason for the heated windshield, except if you have this every day and you don’t have the time to use car pre heating (and you always park outside).

Windshield wiper is definitely useful. I would be lying if I said I never missed it. However one is fine without, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. It definitely looks a lot cleaner without.
However, as one can not combine it with the insulated glass (which I find way more useful/important) it was not even an option for me.

In summary, both options would not be something I worry about in a CPO, not even in cold climates.

Thanks for sharing!

And to clarify, I refer to the heated windshield so to avoid fogging. Maybe this is a PNW thing, with our humid winters. I experience a lot of fogging when driving up mountain roads, especially when temperatures float just around freezing.

 

[Wivenhoe]

There is a thread on here about heated windscreen from owners that have it. Some have found it as unnecessary - as MatC21 says preheating means it is not really necessary for the initial drive away. During the drive, apparently it is unnecessary as to switch it on you have to put the ‘max’ windscreen defrost on and that on its own will do the job. Not having a switch to turn it on seems strange - I didn’t option it as the winters in the UK are mild.

 

[W1NGE]

Hello folks! I'm seriously considering upgrading to a Macan this year. I live in Vancouver, and one of the nice things here is that the CPO market is always turning up almost new cars (some under 10.000km!) due to how many people lease cars, for much better prices than new, and used cars enjoy lower taxes too, so overall you can save a lot buying a CPO.

However, with the Volvo wagon I have today, I suffer a lot with the grimy road conditions we have in BC in winter when travelling, especially with sludge and salted snow making it impossible to see from the rear window without a rear wiper. Many of the Macans I see listed omit the rear wiper, and some also omit the heated windshield.

My Volvo doesn't have a heated windshield, but boy do I wish it did when driving up the mountains in winter… Having to crank the heat up to keep the windshield clear heats up the cabin and opening the windows just gets more moisture in. Awful.

So my question is: if you have those options, do you see them as essential? Since the car has a hatch trunk shape I would expect it to need a rear wiper, but Porsche making it an option tells me it might not.

And the heated windshield is something I never had so I don't know how effective it is.

Since buying CPO is almost a lottery when it comes to options, I wanna know if I should really prioritize those.

Thanks in advance!

I have the heated windshield on my Macan ICE. It's a film rather than a mesh and therefore no visual impairment.

For the few times a year in winter when I use it I would say it is worth it and clears frost / moisture much quicker than using max demise on its own.

To enable you use the the max defrost button which will always set the blower to max. I then turn the fan down and let the heated screen do it's thing.

Preheat uses the HV battery and whilst useful will impairment range. Heated windscreen uses the 12v battery.

Rear wiper - most odd that it is an option (Porsche claim a better aerodynamic number without it) and one that is now standard on the new Cayenne EV. If it is optioned then (oddly) you cant have thermal and noise insulated glass.

Clearing lying water will typically clear when on the move at moderate speed. Personally, it would be better to have it if only for convenience. Places more reliance on the cameras when manoeuvring so make sure you have 360 / panoramic cameras. Note that the rear view is reduced due to the motor housing.

I've tried it on motorways with spray and to be honest the rear screen kept clear.

Heated windshield is an inexpensive option and definitely worth having IMHO.

 

[pschloes]

I don't have either and haven't missed them with two caveats: This is my first year of ownership and it was a very mild winter in Utah. Also, we're less humid here as compared to BC.

 

[MatC21]

Thanks for sharing!

And to clarify, I refer to the heated windshield so to avoid fogging. Maybe this is a PNW thing, with our humid winters. I experience a lot of fogging when driving up mountain roads, especially when temperatures float just around freezing.

Ok I see, well I never had an issue with fogging, even without the heated windshield.

 

[ColdCase]

Visibility out of the rear window is limited, and the rear wiper bulge eats into the view substantially. I don't miss the rear wiper and think the Macan looks better without it. Happy that it is only offered as an option. I'd rather have a less restrictive view.

BTW, the rear camera has a washer that clears its lens.

The heated windshield is effective at dissipating both interior and exterior fog. Snow effectiveness varies with snow conditions. If you are driving in the type of snow storm that gums up wipers, the heating windshield helps with that significantly and also dissipate ice/snow build up at the edges. But you do have to stay ahead of it for best results. If you drive in a dryer snow that is not freezing up the wipers, it doesn't mater as much.

I tend to drive the pickup in nasty weather, so I've only have a few Macan observations. Managing snow/ice buildup on the truck's windshield is a PITA in comparison. Max defrost blower speed and high heats, both unnecessary on the Macan in moderate conditions. I do have have to always turn the truck's blower speed up near full in really heavy snow. I had to turn up Macan only occasionally.

 

[robrain]

99km north of you, more or less - the rear wiper is close to essential for me. And the standard washer for the rear camera is even more essential! The back of the Macan is the biggest grime-magnet of any car I’ve owned.

The windscreen is probably useful but since I don’t know how foggy the screen would be without it (there’s no on/off switch) I can’t be certain.

 

[Fluff]

I drive a country road to work, last car was an I-pace, which had a heated windscreen, so I added this to my macan, and a rear wiper, as the I-pace didnt have one. Basically it means you can clear your rear view immediately, not waiting for airflow to do it. The only annoying thing, is that you cannot turn the heated windscreen on, on its own, which you could do in the jag.

 

[W1NGE]

99km north of you, more or less - the rear wiper is close to essential for me. And the standard washer for the rear camera is even more essential! The back of the Macan is the biggest grime-magnet of any car I’ve owned.

The windscreen is probably useful but since I don’t know how foggy the screen would be without it (there’s no on/off switch) I can’t be certain.

ON / OFF is via this button (P) - Owner's Manual is your friend

Not needed once the screen has been cleared and kept clear with top vent open and AC set to AUTO @ 21C+

 

[bruno.ph]

ON / OFF is via this button (P) - Owner's Manual is your friend

I think what he means is that (it seems) you can't turn on the heated windshield without also turning on the hot blower. But someone else suggested you can then lower the fan speed so it doesn't cook the cabin.

 

[PrudentOcean]

I think what he means is that (it seems) you can't turn on the heated windshield without also turning on the hot blower. But someone else suggested you can then lower the fan speed so it doesn't cook the cabin.

When you turn the fan down the Max Defrost turns off along with the heated windshield.

Contrary to the description in the Porsche Configurator, the heated windshield doesn't provide "draft-free removal of condensation and frost" -- you can't heat the windshield without running the fan on high.

 

[Fluff]

When you turn the fan down the Max Defrost turns off along with the heated windshield.

Contrary to the description in the Porsche Configurator, the heated windshield doesn't provide "draft-free removal of condensation and frost" -- you can't heat the windshield without running the fan on high.

It would be great if they put a button on the climate screen, even if it had a 10 minute timer or something, to stop people leaving it on all the time - in fact I think the jaguar one turned itself off after a few minutes.

 

[W1NGE]

I think what he means is that (it seems) you can't turn on the heated windshield without also turning on the hot blower. But someone else suggested you can then lower the fan speed so it doesn't cook the cabin.

I suggested it...no point in blowing cold air if you just want the screen film to heat.

I also reckon that it switches off after 10 mins or so and / or when the internal cabin temp is above a certain level.

Not something you can use / activate when on the move and is intended to clear frost for example before driving off. That's how I use mine and is really effective.

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