I live in the Northeast USA and I really wanted a heated steering wheel, but I have to get the cold climate pack to get that option. The only problem is I'm not too fond of the heated windshield. I notice the wiring in the glass.

Is the heated windshield all that great? Does it hurt resale not having it? Do you get used to seeing the wiring? Say the windshield breaks and needs to be replaced, could you have a regular windshield installed without the heating mechanism?

 

I have the heated windshield and honestly would prefer not having it. I bought off the lot and the car had the cold package. I mostly notice it driving at night with oncoming lights - it makes things look blurry. But at the same time, my wife doesn’t notice it at all. And I still love the car, it certainly isn’t a deal breaker.

I had to replace the windshield last year and really didn’t even think about it, they just replaced like for like (it’s covered under my insurance so no cost difference). I’m not sure if replacing without would cause any issues with the electronics and cause persistent error messages.

I will say that a few days when we got snow (WA state), the remote start plus heated windshield was really nice. Start the car 5 minutes before planning to leave and then it all easily slides off and the car is warmed up.

 

I love the heated windshield. You never need to deal with defrosting... I live in Boston and would not consider a car without a heated steering wheel

 

One of the best value options. Would check it without reservations

 

I live in the snow belt here in Ohio, and I must say, I absolutely loved the heated windshield. It was probably just about my favorite feature on the whole car. It would defrost the completely iced-over glass in about 1:30 mins. As far as the heating elements within the glass, I only noticed them when I focused on them very hard. I wore glasses then and have since sold my Defender and got Lasik. So not sure if that will make any difference for my 130 but I doubt it. Regardless, 100% recommend it; plus a heated steering wheel is a must where I’m from and seeing some $70k defenders without it is kinda embarrassing to me.

 

That and the air suspension are the only two things I know I will miss.

 

Once you have a heated steering wheel there is no going back. First enjoyed one in my 2002 Audi allroad and have had one in every vehicle since.

Heated windshield is great when you come back to your vehicle after a snowy day of skiing. No scraping and just brush off the melting snow. Helps melt the snow stuck to the wiper blades as well. But here is one more benefit...get rid of inside moisture. The whole family was at an athletic event in the pouring rain. Once back inside our LR4 all the inside windows fogged up. Defroster fan didn't do much but the heated windshield quickly cleared off all the moisture so I could see forward driving home.

 

I don't notice the wring at all. Looks tinted to me. It takes a real close look to make out the wire mesh. Like the others on this thread, I find it a great option.

 

Another option is to buy the car from Canada. Canada version has heated steering wheel as a standard option, but heated windshield is optional. The car price in Canada is slightly cheaper (but tax could be higher)

 

I park my d90 outdoor with many mornings with icy windshield. The heated windshield takes only a short time to melt the ice away, no scraping needed.

After skiing all day, the heated steering wheel is absolutely great. So yes the cold weather package is definitely worth it.