What is a moonroof?

What the hell is a moonroof? I have always called the thing that opens on a car a sunroof so when did the name change?

Sunroof = sheetmetal Moonroof = glass

Why are they called that? Who knows...

Moonroofs are always glass. Sunroofs aren't.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Moonroofs are always glass. Sunroofs aren't.

Since when? Is this something I missed and they have always been called this? Cause everyone I know just calls anything that opens in the roof a sunroof.

Been that way for as long as I've been playing with cars.

I just refer to both of them as that overpriced headroom killing POS.

93EXCivic wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Moonroofs are always glass. Sunroofs aren't.

Since when? Is this something I missed and they have always been called this? Cause everyone I know just calls anything that opens in the roof a sunroof.

I do believe it's been that way since the '70s.

I thought sunroofs slid back and moonroofs only tilted up.

Technically moonroofs are always glass and have the ability to open completely and tilt. They cannot be removed. Most modern cars feature a moonroof.

Sunroofs can be either metal or glass and can tilt or be popped out of place completely, leaving a void in the roof, like a targa top or t-top. Sunroofs went out of favor in the mid-90's as people liked to lose or break the damn things.

The thing on my Mazda5 = Moonroof

The thing on my Porsche 944 = Sunroof

FB RX-7 = Sunroof

So, to keep it simple, ask this: Can be taken off completely? Yes = Sunroof; No = Moonroof

If you can try to moon somebody thru it = Moonroof
Otherwise it is a sunroof.

Not sure why you would try to moon somebody thru the top of your car or what they are doing up there or even what kind of position you would have to be in to try that mooning but that is my way to remember.

I always went with:

Solid = Sunroof
Glass= Moonroof

In reply to mad_machine, et all:

Nope.

Removable = Sunroof
Can't remove = Moonroof

Material of construction has no bearing.

Wikipedia said: Sunroofs, by historical definition are opaque and slide open to allow fresh air into the passenger compartment. Today, most factory sliding sunroof options feature a glass panel and are sometimes marketed as moonroofs, a term introduced in 1973 by John Atkinson, a marketing manager at Ford for the Lincoln Continental Mark IV. For the first year, Ford sent out its Mark IVs to American Sunroof Company for offline installation. The first car company to offer a sunroof as a standard option was the Nash Motor Company as an option on some of its 1937 models.[1]

according to Wiki (because it's on the internet and always right)

Javelin wrote: Technically moonroofs are always glass

Javelin wrote: Material of construction has no bearing.

You should go into politics.

MG Bryan wrote:

Javelin wrote: Technically moonroofs are always glass

Javelin wrote: Material of construction has no bearing.

You should go into politics.

But we are all for transparency in government

Merriam-Webster said: Definition of MOONROOF : a glass sunroof First Known Use of MOONROOF: 1973

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moonroof

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/moonroof

Dictionary.com said: moon·roof [moon-roof, -roof] noun, plural moon·roofs. a transparent section of an automobile roof that can be propped open, removed entirely, or remain fixed within the roof.

MG Bryan wrote:

Javelin wrote: Technically moonroofs are always glass

Javelin wrote: Material of construction has no bearing.

You should go into politics.

Oh noes!!!! He Romneyied!!!

Well I think moonroof is a dumb name so I shall continue to call the thing on the Civic a sunroof.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

MG Bryan wrote:

Javelin wrote: Technically moonroofs are always glass

Javelin wrote: Material of construction has no bearing.

You should go into politics.

Oh noes!!!! He Romneyied!!!

I said technically, not reality.

Oh, and my definition comes from the insurance company, who is all that really matters. (Hint: Moonroof = cheap to insure, sunroof = more $$$ because it's easier to lose and/or break in. )

Is it potaato or patahto ?

mad_machine wrote:

MG Bryan wrote:

Javelin wrote: Technically moonroofs are always glass

Javelin wrote: Material of construction has no bearing.

You should go into politics.

But we are all for transparency in government

So... are we wanting the government to be a moonroof?

iceracer wrote: Is it potaato or patahto ?

or potatoe?

I looked at my 1985 BMW accessories brochure. They called them a 'sliding metal roof' and a 'sliding glass roof'.

I checked a few brochures online. The 1973 Monte Carlo came with a 'skyroof', the 1983 Eldorado came with an 'astroroof'. The point is, they're all made up marketing names, it doesn't matter what they call them.

MINI considers the two pieces of glass, one of which will pop up and/or slide back, a "dual pane panoramic sunroof", on the Cooper hardtop.

Kia considers the two pieces of glass (can't verify, but it's safe to assume the same pop up/slide back) a "panoramic sunroof", on the Optima.

Toyota calls the glass in the roof a "power tilt/slide moonroof", on the Prius.

Really, it doesn't berkeleying matter, anymore. It's just semantics.

Anti-stance wrote:

mad_machine wrote:

MG Bryan wrote:

Javelin wrote: Technically moonroofs are always glass

Javelin wrote: Material of construction has no bearing.

You should go into politics.

But we are all for transparency in government

So... are we wanting the government to be a moonroof?

it would certainly air out congress..

Mmmmmmmm...semantics argument....