What's the Difference Between a Sunroof and a Moonroof?
Is there a difference between a sunroof and a moonroof? Most everybody uses the terms interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two concepts. Both are panels in the roof of a car that let light or fresh air inside the vehicle’s cabin. But that’s where the similarities end.
Related: Which Cars Have Panoramic Moonroofs or Sunroofs?
What Is a Sunroof?
A sunroof is typically a solid body-color panel that can manually tilt up or be removed. You can’t see through it, and from the outside, it looks like a body-color metal panel.
What Is a Moonroof?
A moonroof, on the other hand, is a type of sunroof except that it’s a transparent, sliding, tinted glass panel that is not removable. More recently, the panoramic style of moonroof has become popular, in which most of the roof of the car is made of glass, but only the panel over the two front seats will slide or open — the roof glass over the rear seats stays fixed. The interior of the car is then shielded by either a power or manually retractable shade in the headliner.
The majority of new cars have moonroofs, as what’s technically considered a sunroof has pretty much gone out of style. Now, manufacturers typically only use the term sunroof due to the term’s legacy.
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