[kevvan]

I have noticed that my windshield is inundated with bugs, more so then any other vehicle I have ever owned.

I am not a fan of bug shields as I think they take away from the clean lines of the vehicle. I'm also skeptical that today’s new style contour shields are as effective as the old blade style ones that were the rage in the 90s.

This sounds like a goofy question but I’d like to ask for some real world comments from people who have them. Are they really effective in keeping the bugs from hitting the windshield?

 

[progun]

I had one on my 97 4-Runner.... Still plenty of critter slapping the windshield. What I did notice is it did a good job protecting the leading edge and most of the hood and the upper corners of the fenders from flying rocks and debris. Sure one got thru once in a while but it was still pretty effective. Dunno what the rake is on the OEM or aftermarket shields though. The 4_runners was a toyota OEM and it had a preety tall stance.....

 

[Snowserpent]

I too have noticed allot of bug juice smashed on my windshield. I'm pretty curious if a bug guard would help as well. I had one on my Colorado pickup and you could sometimes see the bug flip up in the air over the cab while not making contact with the windshield. Didn't work for all bugs though. Still slammed into my fair share.

 

[bmorton]

I have a hood protector on my RAV4 and have had one on a previous car. These things are intended to protect your hood from debris - any bug-deflecting qualities are purely incidental.