Recently we made the decision to purchase a new vehicle—something that would be much more efficient. We ended up purchasing a 2012 diesel Volkswagen Passat (I know, I know—it’s not American-made like the Jeep was, but our gas bill was literally killing us). Already my husband has gone from filling up every other day to once a week and last week on a trip home from Michigan we didn’t have to stop to fill up once. When we arrived at home our average gas mileage was an impressive 49.5 mpg (something my husband was VERY proud of—there may have been a photo of the mpg gauge posted to Facebook).

Black Betty, as the Passat has been nicknamed after the Ram Jam song, needs a film makeover now. At the dealership the salesman tried to sell us on “Auto Butler,” a paint protection service for the car. We declined (after my husband proudly told the salesman that I worked for Window Film magazine and so I knew where to go), but it started the conservation about how we would like to film the car. My husband definitely wants to get film installed on the windows so the search is on.

I know plenty about dealer-manufacturer relationships, energy-efficiency, legislation and advice from expert tinters, but how do I ensure that the person who installs film on my vehicle will do a good job?

What would you tell a consumer who was unsure where to turn (besides just to come to your shop)? What are the most important factors that consumers should look at when deciding where to take their vehicle? In addition, in your opinion, should new car-owners invest in window film or paint protection film first?

Share your thoughts with me and maybe you will see a future blog on what we decided to do with Black Betty.